“I mean, I know that but…”
“No point in arguing, girl. It won’t matter,” Mommy chimed in with her attention still on the cookies.
I chuckled then wrapped my arms around Armond. I looked up at him and noticed a deep cut along his arm. He didn’t even care to cover it up. It looked a few days old.What has he been up to?
“Don’t worry about that. I’m fine.”
“But…”
“Mama, I’m fine.”
“Okay.” I sighed then rested my head on his chest.
His heart was racing, unlike the normal slow and steady pace I normally found comfort in. He wasn’t withholding from me, was he? He never gave me a reason to believe he would before. Or maybe I’d been too trusting.
A sudden feeling of apprehension consumed me and I felt myself retreating though I hadn’t made any physical movement. Something wasn’t right and knowing he wouldn’t speak on it bothered me senselessly. I knew he wasn’t completely honest about his business dealings but a gash like that would only be made during combat of some sort.
He never gave me the impression that he got his hands dirty unless a threat arose and he said his departure from me was only for some gala and networking. Was I foolish to be so trusting?
“Sis, let’s go put these things up then I’ll take you to meet my horse, Mila,” Chardonnay said, breaking me from my thoughts.
“Okay, yeah, let’s do that,” I said, a little snappy.
I looked at Armond and his posture stiffened once we locked our eyes. I stroked his arm, along his wound and he exhaled through his nose as his jaw tightened. He was withholding and we would get to the bottom of that shit eventually. My mouth twitched and I pulled back from him. I walked off without looking at anyone else though I felt all their eyes on me.
“Oh, you’re in trouble,” I heard my mother say.
“I haven’t done anything to get in trouble for,” he said.Little did he know…
I kept walking. I wasn’t about to embarrass myself in front of my family. They didn’t need to know I felt frustrated with my alleged fiancé because he was a lying asshole. Omission was just as bad to me and he clearly lied when he said he was fine. Something happened and I needed to know what.
“Okay wench, what was that?” Chardonnay asked the second she came into the guest room and closed the door.
“He’s lying about something and I don’t like that shit,” I snapped.
“Girl, bye.”
“Oh, so I shouldn’t be upset when he withholds shit from me?”
“I’m not saying that. But what makes you think he’s lying? He literally just got back and brought Mommy and Arlando with him. Just dial it back. I’m sure he’ll talk to you when y’all get a free moment.”
“Naw, fuck that,” I bickered. I was in my feelings for no damn reason, but I was going to hold onto it until he told me how he got hurt. The way his jaw clenched, I knew it was something serious, so why not just tell me?
“Girl, you sound like a little ass baby and you need to chill. These men are billionaires who fuck niggas up for a living while looking like fucking saints and you know that, so what you bugging for? Chill on him. He will talk to you when he deems it necessary. Until then, put on a damn show for these parents and move the hell on,” she said.
“Nay, I feel you but he ain’t have to look like that. I get that he gets his hands dirty but like that? And did you see his knuckles?”
“Arms dealers, Brandy. Arlando is an arms dealer and I’m sure he’s number two on the ranking board. Armond runs the show. On top of them owning resorts, hotels, and casinos. Please keep up, boo. You’re engaged to the man and don’t even know what he’s about.”
“I did know that,” I huffed.
“Bullshit.”
“He told me all of that before. I just don’t like seeing him like that and it’s only been a couple months and we’re engaged.”
“Okay, and? The way you two been at it you would think it’s been years. Just go with the flow for once, girl, and stop thinking too deeply into it. He loves and protects you. You haven’t mentioned Jeffrey’s dusty ass since you got back from Puerto Rico until a couple days ago. Armond is good for you.”
I didn’t have much to say after that. My life had been amazing since he entered. Maybe Jeffrey took his threat seriously and went back to New York for good. It was where we met and where my life had been flipped upside down for years.
