Total pages in book: 76
Estimated words: 70429 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 352(@200wpm)___ 282(@250wpm)___ 235(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 70429 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 352(@200wpm)___ 282(@250wpm)___ 235(@300wpm)
“Desiree is nothin’ like Mrs. Florence.”
“On the surface, she doesn’t seem like Mrs. Florence, but her body type is EXACTLY the same, and we know you are a visual person, especially when it comes to women and material items. Axel needed a woman who knew how to talk well, and listen. He needed to HEAR a woman’s beauty first. You needed to SEE a woman’s beauty first. You have to see it before you can love it. Here’s another thing. Mrs. Florence loved candles. She would talk about that. She loved to cook, too. You don’t find it odd that Desiree went to cooking school, and makes the damn things?”
“Nope.”
“Oh, bullshit! Mrs. Florence went out shopping and found pieces of her to give y’all! How egotistical can you get! Mrs. Florence’s mother was an alcoholic. Remember? She told us. Desiree’s mama was on crack at one point. You told me out of your own mouth! The writing is on the wall! She is giving you two your desires, wrapped in her own packaging. It’s bizarre, perfectly planned, but fiendishly amazin’!”
“Caspian, with all due respect to your lovely Aunt Angel, I will dig a spot next to her in the fucking cemetery and put your ass in there if you don’t shut the hell up. You know I will. Don’t. Fuck. With. Me. Now I’m sure you’re in a lot of pain, grieving and all, but I’ve had enough. Pipe down.”
“Such brutality. Why aim this at me? Am I bustin’ your cute little bubble of makin’ me out to be some psycho, while you and Axel get to look more even keeled? You said we’re cut from the same cloth and yet, you conveniently separated me from you and Axel—as if you two were the cool kids, and I was some strange freak of nature that was allowed to hang with you by default.”
“I never said that.”
“You ain’t have to, motherfucker.”
They drew quiet once again, each eating their food. The tension soaring. Soaring. Soaring. Neither said another word until their plates were clean. Legend removed his keys from his pocket and stood from his seat.
“Come on. Let’s go.”
Caspian wiped his mouth, took one more sip of Coke, then followed him out the door. The ride to his aunt’s home was just as quiet as the one during their lunch. Upon arriving at their destination, Legend quickly popped the trunk and hopped out of the car to go grab Caspian’s luggage. Caspian took the bags from him, then waited while Legend got back into his car. He started the engine up, and just as he thought the man was about to drive away, he rolled his window down and peered at him. His eyes seemed to change from their goldish green color to a darker shade of jade.
“Caspian. That stunt you pulled in the restaurant was a distraction. That’s your M.O. You start scratchin’ around. Digging. Trying to get under people’s skin. You fuck with them. You make them feel uncomfortable so you can get the spotlight off of yourself and manipulate the situation to your liking. Axel had to talk to me about how I like to derail things, and now, I am tellin’ you that I was onto you the moment you started that shit up.” Caspian lowered his gaze. “I’m sure you believe some of what you said, but mainly you spouted all of that just to get my blood pressure up. Mrs. Florence heard what you said, too. There’s no way out of this. Regardless of the bullshit that happened just now, I love you. You’re my brother and always will be. I’m not leavin’ your side. I have warned you though.
“It’s up to you to make this easy or hard.” He pointed his finger at him. “I don’t think you’re the black sheep of our group. I think you’re the smartest, and the cruelest, Caspian. You get off on hurtin’ people when you’re hurt. And you don’t care. That makes you a hard nut to crack. You were right about something you said today.”
“…And what was that?”
“Mrs. Florence knows she needs both me and Axel to be backup for you to get your promise fulfilled. So, she did start with him, you’re right. She did it so he could guide me, and now, we’re both ready to guide you. Axel couldn’t do it while still hurtin’ about his father and being distracted by some mothafuckas trying to kill him. I couldn’t do it drunk, depressed, full of hate, and high. Now, we’re ready. You’re a bull in a china shop. Problem is, you’re always in disguise, and no one knows you’re there until the whole fuckin’ store is wrecked. She needed backup for yo’ ass, and now she’s got it. Don’t fuck around and find out.”
Caspian swallowed and readjusted his weight from one foot to the other.