Shit! That answers it. Fucking Bernard.
Zoey’s eyes rise to mine. It is clear that concept is as foreign to her as the ring she wears. She then subconsciously thumbs the underside of her left ring finger…where my initials are engraved. I shrug my shoulders as my brow line rises. This is for her to answer. She scrapes her bottom lip between her teeth.
Rebounding, she gleams, “Well nothing’s official ‘til I say I do, right?” Zoey gives her faux chuckle. This time I don’t follow suit.
“It was nice meeting you, Aunt Lucinda. God bless,” I bid cheesily. I need to get the fuck up out of this cypher.
I take Jordan’s hand and tread toward our table. That’s when I see Sarah ambling our way. Her smile falls as she nears.
“What’s wrong, baby?” she asks.
I’m about to answer when I hear, “I’m not feeling too well, Momma.”
I turn to find a distraught Zoey. I didn’t realize she was on my heels. She didn’t look good.
Sarah wraps Zoey in her arms. “Is there anything I can get for you, dear?”
Zoey shakes her head. “I just need to go lie down. I think I’ve pushed myself too hard this week.”
Just then, Jordan lets go of my hand and takes off running to his grandfather, who waves him on from a distance, not at all clued in to what is taking place.
“Okay, honey, but you shouldn’t drive.”
“I’ll just see if Ruth will drive me,” Zoey murmurs sulkily.
“Ruth is handing out favors.” Sarah glances up at me. “Stenton here can take you home. Right, son? Jordan can ride back to the house with me and Michael.”
It’s posed in a manner that I can’t decline. Zoey’s eyes ascend to me. I don’t know what this means.
“Sure.” I pull out my phone. “Let me notify security.”
Less than five minutes later, we are in the truck, heading to the house with security tailing us. I take the opportunity to chip at Zoey’s brain.
“So, are you two officially engaged?”
“We’re committed.” Again, Zoey grabs her left ring finger and rubs at my initials, not the “rock” that Bernard gave her.
“So am I to my team, but that isn’t an engagement.”
She shifts in her seat with wide eyes and grates, “What are you getting at?”
I stare at her for a few seconds, admiring her beautiful angry face. Her features have matured over the years, but she still has the innocence-and-purity aura that she did when I met her. This anger she’s throwing my way is what I’ve caused, so I won’t push her. My eyes go back to the road.
“Since you and Bernard are talking about moving, I’m assuming you’re moving forward with the engagement.”
“Well, you shouldn’t assume.”
“It’s hard not to when you’re wearing that.” I nod toward her left hand, referencing her ring.
“Bernard shouldn’t have asserted that. We only talked about it briefly.” Zoey shakes her head, clearly frustrated. But that’s who Zoey has become over the years when I’m around. “I have things to sort out before I can make that move with him.”
“Shit like what? You took the ring—”
“I told him that I would accept his desire for a commitment to me!” That came out nastier than I’m used to with her. There’s a subliminal message, I’m sure.
“What the fuck does that mean?”
“It means...”
“Means what, Zo?”
I hear her sigh. “It means more than you ever gave,” she murmurs.
I cringe, surprised by her candor.
“So, you settle?”
With her arms wrapped protectively across her chest, she says, “I’m not settling I’m simply being smarter about waiting things out. Before, I waited on you, now I’m waiting on me to make sure this is right for my son and me.”
Ahhhh… So, we finally address the real issue! But what does that mean?