I scratch my temple, barely stifling my laugh as I chance a look at this gargantuan, six-feet-seven, sweaty Black hulk with his lumberjack beard and thick neck, out here throwing a temper tantrum.In this heat?
“Use your words,” I tease.
“Daaaannnnnngggg!”Dom, the master instigator that he is, falls out laughing on the bench.
Josiah waves us off, pacing the sideline.
The thing is, with my guys, we’ve got our roles in this friendship. By the sheer brute size of him, you’d think Josiah’s that competitive athlete, always challenging someone, keeping score. But nah. This man is an introvert through and through. He’s introspective as hell, listening more than he speaks. Whereas Dom lives for the drama. And the celebrity gossip blogs. I chalk it up to an occupational hazard with his sitting in front of screens all day, developing software. He’s about as scandal-free as it gets. He’s the wild card, bringing chaos via crazy dares or some last-minute “adventure trip” he swears will be fun, but never is.
And me? I’m just the loyal one, who’s got their backs. I pay attention to the details, to what they say. In Siah’s case, I also pay attention to what he doesn’t say.
For damn sure, this isn’t about Ebony.
Before his next pass crushes my ribcage, I tuck the ball under my arm. “Is it the long hauls you’ve been flying?” I ask, deciding to try a different tactic. “Everything’s good with Jade?”
Work or a woman—which is it, my guy?
He shoots me a death glare. “Man, get the hell out of here with all that nonsense. Are we going to play or you going to just stand there, hogging the ball all damned night?”
“So itisabout Jade,” I say, knowing if I’m wrong, and he’s frustrated about work, he’ll correct me.
And three, two, one—
“And no, it’snotabout Jade, Mr. Know-It-All.” He does a full about-face, his hard stare fixed on me. “If you really want to talk about something so bad, useyourwords, Linc. What’s happening with EbonyLivingston?” He drags out every syllable of the last name, and while I know he’s deflecting, that emphasis speaks volumes about what’s been bothering me since she left my office last week.
She’sone of them.
With or without the ring, not like us, he means.
Nothing has ever come easy to us. In this town, our names—Bridges Heritage Conservation, Carter Aviation, Owens Signature Software—stand for hard work and harder determination. It’s not about clout and status. We’ve built from the ground up. Our family’s histories have the deepest Ellswood roots, but somehow, the town’s residents have slowly uprooted them. In its place, they’re rewriting history. Erasing us.
It’s why we can’t let up.
“I’m listening,” I say, meeting his stare.
The court floodlights flicker ominously as Josiah steps toward me slowly, sizing me up.
Even though every muscle in my body is tense, and my heart is racing, not knowing where his head is, I match his pace.
Is he really thismad? About what?
“Aw, hell.” Dom pushes his tall, lanky frame upright, taking wide strides to reach the center of the blacktop before us. “Why don’t y’all walk it off for a few minutes or—”
“Nah, I’m good,” I say. “At this point, I’m genuinely curious what’s got Josiah so bent out of shape.”Where’s he going with this line of questioning?
“Yeah, aight…” Dom scrapes his hand over his mouth, shaking his head. “Neither one of y’all is good, if you ask me.”
I let out a quiet harumph.
“Unlike some folks, I don’t have a problem being upfront about what’s happening in my life. I’m an open book.” I shrug like this is the easiest thing in the world for me. “What would you like to know?”
Josiah steadies his stance, drawing back his shoulders, chin up, throat bared. “That woman done married a whole other man, then ghosted you when you tried to warn her that he was in the streets. Yet you’re still running behind her, settling for crumbs.” He chuckles. “Pathetic.”
“Oh, I’m pathetic now. Got it.” I nod, the corners of my mouth tugging downward, lower lip protruding. “Did I know I’d be linked up with Ebony to plan a wedding when I signed on for the restoration of a building that’s part of my family’s legacy? Nope. Should I give up on the job just because you think—”
“No, I know,” he says, matter-of-fact. “Youneedto give up on that uppity, money-motivated Zion & Zara she-bot. But we all know that’s not how you’re built.” Josiah’s tone drips with disgust. Then his expression softens as he adds, “It’s time,” and I know exactly what he means.
Way back when, I had a thing for Ebony King. She was vibrant and alive, with a laugh that I felt in my soul. We used to talk about everything under the sun, read books together, watch sports, and just find fun and joy in the mundane stuff. When she dreamed out loud about visiting waterfalls and beaches, getting back to swimming and collecting seashells and conch shells, I was with her. This woman listened without a hint of judgment as I shared my family’s stories about Ellswood, and how they built this town from the barren ground up. So when we finally blurred the friendship line, I knew there was no going back. She was it for me.
