Page 65 of Betrothed To Love

“Alright,” he says and I hear reluctance in his tone.

“I’ll be fine. I love you.”

“I love you too.”

After my wonderful Friday night with my girls and later with my husband, we slept in Saturday then Jae came over to braid Niya’s hair. We spent the rest of the day just relaxing. This morning, Niya and I are lounging on my sectional, looking at furniture on my iPad. We are going to turn my guest room into her room. We are living between two homes, and just like I’m making myself home in Diamond Falls, she needs to be comfortable here.

“What about this one?” I ask, pointing to a canopy bed on the Goode Furniture website.

“It’s like mine. I want a big one,” she says.

“Big? Like what?”

“Like the one I sleep in.”

“So you want to keep the bed in there? It’s Queen size.”

“I like it,” she says while nodding. “I want pink and can I draw in there, please?”

“We can do pink and I’ll talk to your dad about your drawing wall. He knows how to do that,” I say and her entire pretty face lights up. I open the Vid Share app and type pink girl’s room in the search bar. Several videos pop up. “Let’s see if you like any of these.”

Right when I start the first video, Quintus walks into the living room with a peculiar look on his handsome face. He walks right past us without even looking, prompting me to stand.

“I’ll be right back,” I tell Niya, then place my iPad in her lap. I follow Quintus into the kitchen. He’s standing in front of the fridge with the door open, staring blankly, so I step beside him. “Baby, are you okay?” I ask and he closes the door and looks at me.

One arm snakes around my waist and he pulls me into him. “I am now,” he says before kissing me. “Good morning. How long you been up?”

“About an hour. Niya got up first; I heard her and got up. But what’s wrong? You look upset or something,” I tell him, concerned because his forehead is slightly wrinkled.

“I’m tripping on Shuga,” he utters while shaking his head.

“Why?”

“For one, she hasn’t been calling or texting like normal. I noticed that after our dinner but I brushed it off. Then I just got off the phone with Tre and he said he’s been peeping the same,” he says and it triggers a thought.

She hasn’t been sending her normal texts.

“And yesterday, Niya wanted to FaceTime her after Jae finished her braids. We did and Shuga didn’t answer. I texted her a picture too and she didn’t respond either. I just brushed it off since we have Sunday dinner today.”

His forehead becomes even more wrinkled and his eyebrows knit tightly. “Not anymore. She canceled it. We all just got a text and Shuga never cancels Sunday dinner. I don’t know. Something’s not right.”

“What about Asali? Did you call him?” I ask, trying to mask my concern. He’s clearly worried enough; I’m not trying to exacerbate that. I’m trying to be the calmer one.

“Yeah. He didn’t answer but he barely does anyway.”

“Then tell one of your brothers to go to the house.”

“Them niggas acted like they were concerned, but when I mentioned that, they all had something to do or were doing,” he grits.

My hands caress the sides of his tight face and I suggest, “Then we can go.” I see his eyes and eyebrows visibly relax. So I chill as well.

“Nah. You and Niya stay here. I don’t want y’all making a blank trip, especially if I get there and it’s nothing.”

“I’m hoping it’s nothing.”

“Me too,” he admits before kissing me. “I’m going to just go now.” He pecks my lips again. “Did you two eat breakfast?”

“Not yet. We’ve been looking at stuff for her bedroom.”