Total pages in book: 46
Estimated words: 43536 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 218(@200wpm)___ 174(@250wpm)___ 145(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 43536 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 218(@200wpm)___ 174(@250wpm)___ 145(@300wpm)
“Thank you, Mace,” Tyra responds as a teacher opens the door for Von to climb inside. His backpack is being flung off and thrown to the other side of the vehicle as he parks his butt in his seat.
“Wow, Mom and Dad! I hit the jackpot,” is Von’s way of greeting us. The heaviness that was surrounding us gives way to laughter, and one day soon, I know this will be our new normal.
TWENTY-SIX
Tyra
I ran. I hid and buried my head in the sand. I am the epitome of a coward. Mace has bent over backwards, all for what? For us to pretend everything was peachy keen to our son, going our separate ways, and for Von staying with Mace last night, not that it matters whose weekend is whose. That stopped mattering when Von asked to spend the night on a day that wasn’t usually Mace’s, and the look on both of their faces had me nodding as an answer.
I’m sure Mace could feel me pulling away. I assured him that everything was okay. He told me to stop lying to myself and to call Celeste. I should be annoyed that he knew what I needed when I didn’t myself. There are so many facets of Mace to love, and I do love him; I’m just a fucking idiot and gun shy about talking, my biggest hang-up yet.
I followed his advice, which is the reason all of us girls—Celeste, her sister-in-law, Journey, Hendrix, who is Journey’s personal assistant, and I—are currently sitting at the bar in Wylder’s casino. All of us dressed to the nines because why not.
“You need to forgive him, Ty. Not just for Mace and Von, but for yourself. Why do I feel like a broken record?” Celeste gives me the eye, probably because she’s told me this more times than I can count.
“Girl, you’re riding the D. He’s doing everything to make life easier after what? Fourteen months of hell? I say make him sweat some more,” Hendrix states. She’s the youngest in our group, coming in at twenty-four, chestnut brown, with a money piece highlight framing her face, hazel-colored eyes, and clearly a zest for life.
“Don’t listen to Hendrix. Being at odds with the man you love is turmoil. Nico was such an ass at one time. God, that man is more stubborn than my brother and I put together. We ended up on top because we compromised.” Now I feel like even more of an asshole, trying to drown out the thoughts plaguing my head, the only way a woman who’s been burned like me can. Drinking is indeed and going to happen.
“I’m an idiot. It’s official. And whatever you do, do not let me call him after I’ve had a few drinks. Mace deserves better than that. And you know what else I’ve learned?” Celeste quirks an eyebrow. My hand fumbles in the bag I chose to bring tonight, small with sequins yet a pain in the ass to find anything inside.
“What’s that, lightweight?” Hendrix jokes while taking a healthy sip of her Long Island Iced Tea. If I had one of those, I’d be flat on the ground, and she’s mixing it with the shots, shots we’ve all been taken part of.
“First, take this from me. I’m liable to be the idiot who drunk FaceTimes, calls, or texts. I am not to be trusted.” I take a break, grabbing the shot glass that holds a watermelon-flavored vodka, and toss it back.
“Get to the moral of the story, Ty, or you’ll be three sheets to the wind and won’t be able to tell us,” Journey counters. As if she’s one to talk. We all know it’ll be Hendrix and me alone grabbing a car to take us home while Journey has Nico and Celeste has Wylder.
“Oh, hush you, I’m getting to it.” At least we didn’t decide on a club to go dancing at. Here in the bar we’re probably the loudest group, which is saying something seeing as how we’re in a hotel and casino combo. “Anyways, I suck at talking. Mace may have made his mistake in pushing me away, working entirely too much, but I sure as shit didn’t tell him what I was feeling. I talked at him instead of having a conversation, more in a ‘you’re doing this wrong’ and ‘you’ll never fix it’ sort of way.” I sit back in the booth, feeling better that I off-loaded on my friends.
“Tyra, I love you, but you went above and beyond, still remained friendly afterwards. This wasn’t all on you. Maybe twenty percent, but you need to either forgive and forget, or you need to move on once and for all.” God, my best friend knows how to give it to me straight. I needed it desperately.
“You’re right. I’m going to forgive him. Then we’re going to talk to Von together, and I am not going to puss out, but not tonight. Tonight is about us girls hanging out, talking shit and drinking. First, I have to pee. Anyone else?”