Page 89 of Serenity
“It’s my damn brother, Duke. Sincere. We exchanged words, and I don’t think we’ll bounce back from it.”
“Aight… Can I get some context? I can give you some insight if I know a little more.”
“It was over you.”
“Oh.” I didn’t expect that. It explained why Sincere and Bee had maintained a somber mood throughout and after dinner. I knew the nigga didn’t care for me, but the concern over me and his sister’s relationship seemed a tad obsessive.
“It doesn’t matter,” Serenity vowed, disrupting my thoughts. “I’m not gonna allow anyone to make me feel like my feelings are misplaced when it comes to you. When it comes to us,” she said with an air of finality, which told me she’d packed the issue away and didn’t want to discuss it further.
“I love you,” I stated, leaving her to the privacy of the shower I knew she likely needed to refresh herself after the overload of emotions from the evening.
“I love you, too, Duke. Always and all ways.”
BELIEVE THAT SHIT
Grunts and groans filled the room around me. Sweat coated our limbs from the physical exertion we’d placed our bodies under, chasing the endorphins we both craved.
“Come on. Five more.”
I was committed to spotting Serenity with the hip thrusts she claimed grew her ass. She continued lifting the two hundred pounds attached to the barbell. My feet cemented in place as I encouraged her to complete the remaining set. Varnished in sweat, she gritted her way through the pain, raising the barbell upward and onto the rack with the final thrust.
Concluding our workout, we ran through our cool-down exercises and stretches, wiping down the equipment we’d utilized as we finished.
“My phone.”
Patting around my pockets led me to realize the device wasn’t in my possession.
“It’s by the window sill,” Serenity pointed, exiting the gym simultaneously.
As I crept toward the door, light banter between her and a woman on the opposite side caused me to squint upon exit.
“Duke, this is Julie. Julie, this is my boyfriend, Duke.”
Silence coated the five feet between the three of us as I appeared in the door frame. Recognition anchored my body and stiffened my features, further elevating the tension eating at our closed quarters.
“I know exactly who she is.”
Frantically, Serenity’s gaze ping-ponged between me and Julie. Mya’s smile deepened in acknowledgment of my presence. Dancing between myself and Bee, her eyes wavered. She was up to no fucking good as always with the Devil. She was a woman, and she stayed scheming.
“Really, Duke? My wellness coach? How long will you keep up this foolishness? How long will you continue these attempts to humiliate me with innocent women?”
Like unmanaged diabetes, my anger spiked. Heat rose, coursing through my bones and aggravating the drumming of my heart. The once steady rhythm became spasmodic. I could feel the vein in my temple pulse at her presence.
“Everything ain’t about you, Mya. Come on, Bee.”
Grabbing her hand, I pulled my woman along beside me toward the penthouse. Unshakeable, the desire was to shield my present and future from a debasing past. Mya was a disease. Like cancer, she bloomed in the most inconvenient way and time, seeking to destroy everything in her path.
“He ain’t worth it, Serenity! Give me a few seconds of your time. I’ll tell you all about it,” she shouted at our backs.
Unruly, my lips curled over my upper teeth, and steam freed from my nostrils. Fighting an inclination to yell over my shoulder, I maintained my stride down the hall. My feet didn’t halt movement until we reached the door to the penthouse. Not offering a single word to a lingering Mya or a perplexed Bee, I dragged the keycard from my pocket and tapped the console to allow us entry.
Inside, I toed out of my dunks. Inching deeper into the space, I rested the keycard on the kitchen counter. A sigh was liberated as I stripped from my saturated shirt, steering my limbs toward the shower.
“Don’t you think you owe me an explanation?”
The delicate vocalization of words requesting clarity sliced through an awkward silence. The coolness of the air conditioning, paired with the tackiness of sweat-stained skin, kept me focused on the task at hand, however. I felt disgusted, and at present, I couldn’t tell if it was because of my interaction with Mya, Serenity’s question, or my soiled limbs.
“I don’t know. Do I owe you an explanation, or do you owe me one?”