She was quiet as she stared at me. I set our bags down and held out my hand to her. She hesitated for a minute but slowly made her way to me and took my hand. I pulled her close to me and kissed her forehead.
My palms went to her face, and I stared into her beautiful, brown eyes.
“I don’t want you to doubt me, Jordin,” I told her, clearing the lone tear that fell from her eye. “I tried to forget about you. I even expected you to kick me out last night, but when you didn’t, I knew there was a chance that I could get you to stay. When I woke up and saw that you were gone, my fucking heart stopped beating. Right then, I knew exactly what death felt like. I always said you were my end and my beginning. I still want what you promised, but I won’t force you to do more than I already have. I never stopped loving you, Dinny.”
Her eyes closed, and her head shook a little. “And I never stopped loving you either. It was easy for me to choose him because you weren’t around. I thought I’d be married and starting my life with him, but you showing up last night reallyshook shit up.” She sighed and looked away for a spell before her eyes came back to me. “Imagine standing at an altar, feeling like you were about to make the worst mistake of your life, then suddenly, the man you’ve always loved comes and snatches you away on some Dwayne Wayne shit.”
We both chuckled.
“My favorite episode. I never thought I would have to do that, though. I thought you would always choose me.”
“It’s been fifteen years without you, Zion. What was I supposed to do? You basically gave me the boot, then expected me to still be available to you when you got out. You broke my heart, but now you just expect me to forgive you for that?”
“Eventually. I didn’t want to be selfish to you, Dinny. I didn’t want you to spend that fifteen with me. It killed me every time you came to see me, and I had to watch you walk away, leaving me behind. That shit broke me. I warned you, though, baby. I told you I was coming back for you. Even reminded you in all those letters I sent.”
“I didn’t take you seriously. Ten years is a lot of years to still hold on to someone.”
“Time may have moved on for you, but it didn’t for me. I was okay with you passing time with these niggas, but I never wanted you to stay too long. What made you want to stay with him, of all people? Because he’s famous?”
“No! He just. . . He reminded me of you.”
I scoffed. “That man couldn’t touch me even if I stood two centimeters in front of him.”
She cocked her head and smirked. “Cocky much?”
“Nah, but don’t compare him to me. We are not the same. Let another nigga bust up my wedding and take my girl. That whole venue would have been aired out and used for his funeral service.”
“I never knew you were this violent. Not until that night,” she reminded me.
“Because I would never show you that side of me, baby. That night should have never happened in the first place, because I don’t move like that. But that man put a gun to your head and snatched your jewelry. He touched you, which was a violation and had to be handled accordingly.”
“If Trouble took the gun, how’d you end up getting so much time?”
I rubbed her cheek with the pad of my thumb. “How about we get comfortable first, and I’ll tell you everything you need to know. Cool?”
She paused for a second, then nodded. “Fine. How long am I being held hostage for?” she jested.
I chuckled and lifted her bag, handing it to her, “Give me a week to learn you again and for you to learn me. If you not fucking with me after that, I’ll let you go be free.”
“Hmm, that sounded a little poetic. You must have tapped into your Maya Angelou,I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings,while you were locked up, huh?” She giggled.
“Ha ha. I see you got jokes. The master suite is down the hall, straight ahead. Take all the time you need. I know we had a little to eat on the plane, but are you hungry?” I asked.
“Maybe just a snack. It’s too late to be eating at this hour.”
“Hmm, I see the grown Jordin is health-conscious. I fuck wit’ it.”
“Gotta be. The older we get, the less chance we have of survival. Gotta watch what we put into our bodies.”
I nodded. “I concur.”
“I won’t be too long. I’m ready to hear all about what happened over the last fifteen years and this soft kidnapping you concocted.”
I laughed as she smiled, then turned and headed down the hall. I was glad I was able to ease the tension between us since I took her away.
It was all I cared about as I felt the tension finally loosen in my chest.