“Long time no see or speak, Houston. I can’t help but feel like you’ve been avoiding me,” he smiled while nursing a glass of whiskey. I nodded because I felt set up and chastised. Not a good feeling for a Sagittarius or a recluse. I kept my composure because from the look on Luke and Shawn’s face I had them on my side.
“I don’t avoid people, I avoid energy. How are you and themissus?”
“Missing her grandson, and that’s a problem. I’ve always been a problem solver, so I can imagine you understand how I feel after countless unanswered calls and not one visit since my Leslie passed.”
“You lost me years ago when you all but said I couldn’t raise Malone. Are you here in hopes of checking me? Luke is that why you called?”
“Son, we need to have a talk,” Leslie’s mother Kim commented. Everything in my gut said to grab my son and get the fuck on. I would discuss the invasion with Luke later. But for some reason, my feet were planted. I said I wanted to be open to healing and moving on but being forced into it was unnerving.
“About what?”
“We want to see Malone more. I know things got hairy when Leslie passed, but we are here with good intentions. We want to be grandparents, so we are moving back.”
“Fine,” I replied, grabbing Malone’s hand and things. We would see how this went but it wouldn’t be tonight. “I’ll be in touch.”
“Don’t make me do this the hard way. We have rights, and we aren’t afraid to explore them,” Chester mentioned before I turned the doorknob. His problem was not knowing how to speak to me as a man. I had little respect for him. It didn’t matter how much respect I showed him he never returned it.
“Is that a threat? Because if so we starting off on the wrong foot.”
“Chester stop, you’ve done nothing but give the boy a hard time. Houston, please give me a call when you can.” Kim was always easier to talk to. She didn’t feel the need to throw her weight around and make me feel like I was beneath them. Leslie came from a well-off family and that I knew before I even really met her. I knew that from Luke. He never had to work during college unlike me.
I wasn’t the first pick for a girl like Leslie in Chester’s eyes. It didn’t bother me then because it was on her to feel that way or not feel that way. She chose me and it didn’t matter what I had in the bank account. Chester had never respected me, and he had no problem showing it. And I had no problem showing him that I didn’t respect him. I was on what he was on.
Teaghan
Houston’s call this morning alarmed me, but here I was dressed in yoga pants, a black tank, and tennis shoes. He said it was a surprise, I couldn’t imagine what the hell he had planned but as he pulled up with Malone in tow it still confused me. I remember him mentioning that he would be taking him to see his mother soon.
Since our date the other night I hadn’t spoken to him much. I needed to decide and couldn’t do that with things evolving without me addressing the elephant in the room. I liked Houston. His smile could be seen from Mars, his skin made you want to reach out and touch him, but with all that I liked, I had my concerns. I had to be real about my concerns or I would do what I always did. Reason with myself on how I could change it or fix it knowing damn well I couldn’t fix or change anyone but myself.
“Hey, gorgeous,” he said, meeting me at the steps. As always, he looked delectable. He was giving Shemar Moore a run for his money right now with his jersey and cargo shorts. I smiled and tried to ease my mind a little.
“Hey, what’s the surprise?”
“Why would I tell you?”
“Houston, I hate surprises.”
“That’s too bad. I think you will like this one,” he replied. I scoffed and stomped my foot as he opened the car door allowing me to slide in. He ran around the car as I turned to speak to a smiling and bubbly Malone.
“Hey, Malone. Can you tell me what we have planned today?” I asked as he smiled slyly and shook his head no. He was of no help. I buckled my seatbelt and just decided to go with it. What was the worst thing we could be doing? Not to mention he would bring Malone with us if it was something dangerous.
“Teaghan, relax, it’s a few things I want to do and need to do. I just want you with me while I do them.”
Sitting back I got comfortable against his leather seats as we started the drive to this surprise I wasn’t enthused about. I wasn’t used to anyone doing anything for me. My whole life had been about being present for everyone. During the dark times, during the good times and the in-between times. Not very many people could say they knew about my dark days or the things that made me uncomfortable. My fixing was exclusive to others but was nonexistent for me.
Houston deciding that he wanted to do something for me made me nervous. I didn’t know how to explain how tight my chest was right now without alarming him and ruining whatever he had going on. I hadn’t learned how to relax in the presence of a man. My thoughts of them having ulterior motives stayed on high alert. I was trying. Hitting the radio, I decided to play music to ease my mind. That always helped when I didn’t have wine around.
Singing my heart out as we drove the short distance we pulled up to a cemetery and my heart fell to the floorboard. This wasn’t the surprise I was thinking of and now I didn’t know if this was some joke.
“Houston, are you for real right now?” I whispered.
Houston
“Houston, are you for real right now?” she whispered scanning the area. I had to admit the cemetery wasn’t the best date to take someone on, but I needed her here more than she knew. Malone needed her. She would be the buffer between me and Malone. I put it off for days because I felt like we needed a partner to come with us. I didn’t have all the answers and I could use the help.
“I need you with me. You asked me what my end goal was with my way of mourning and having you with me is the end goal. I’m not afraid to say that I’ve allowed myself to stay in this groove because it was easier. My mourning has to come to end.”
“Houston I don’t need to be a part of this. This is a moment, a private moment for you and Malone. You should have consulted with me first,” she said nearly fussing. Her eyes were still soft. She didn’t want to be upset with me, but she wasn’t feeling my idea of the date.