Chapter 16

16

D ali

The Next Night

The guys had all come to my house for a chill night. With alcohol and weed in rotation, an impromptu poker tournament started. I wasn’t sure how we got on the topic of relationships, but Germany had finally asked Kennessy the question that had been on the back of our minds for years.

“Why you ain’t married Siri yet, bruh?” Kennessy’s head whipped in his direction, expression blank. “I mean… y’all always telling me I shouldn’t get married if I don’t love my girl, but you love yours and ain’t married her. Wassup with that?”

“That’s actually a valid point, cuzzo.” Dynasty instigated with a grin.

I remained silent, but I was curious too. A blind man would have been able to feel and see the love Ken had for Siri and Samantha. They’d been together for years and Ken hadn’t mentioned marriage being in their future at all. Because he was so good to her, I never vocalized it. However, it was clear we were all wondering what was stopping him from taking that step.

Kennessy didn’t respond right away. He stared at the cards in his hand, releasing slow breaths.

“I haven’t married her because I love her and Sam,” he said finally, setting his cards face down on the table. “I adore them. They deserve all the good things in this world and I…” He chuckled, looking all of us in our eyes. “I don’t want to fuck this up.”

“You think marriage would fuck things up?” I confirmed, and he nodded.

“Yeah. I don’t see how things can get any better than this. Like… I’m a mere man, brotha.” He patted his chest and sat up in his seat. “I ain’t did shit for God to bless me with a love like this. There’s no way I can marry that girl and feel more for her than I do right now.”

Gritting my teeth, I bobbed my head as the weight of his words… his love… settled within me.

“This can’t be real,” he continued. “It’s a fairy tale. Every day I wake up and be the best version of myself for her and my baby girl because I know one day she’s going to wake up and realize I’m not worthy of her.”

My eyes squeezed shut as his voice broke.

“So yeah.” Kennessy cleared his throat and picked his cards back up. “I haven’t married her because I don’t know when that day will come, when she wakes up and ends this fairy tale, but I’m for damn sure enjoying every day I have them until she does.”

For quite some time, none of us spoke. I wanted to try and convince him that he was more than worthy of them and that they didn’t have an expiration date, but he wouldn’t have believed me. He valued them that damn much. And who was I to try and normalize something so… magical? So beautiful? So I let him sit with that… the majesty of loving someone so much you loved them so intentionally because you feared the day you lost them. A day I was confident would never come.

“Damn,” Germany muttered. “That was some beautiful shit.” A few seconds passed before we all burst into laughter and lightened the mood. “For real, though… if there’s a love out there that can make me feel like that… maybe I am settling with Twila.”

I could’ve thanked God at that very moment, but I didn’t want to get my hopes up just yet. He was saying this now, but I hoped Germany really meant that and would consider co-parenting instead of marriage.

“Since we on the subject of making shit make sense,” Dynasty said, “why haven’t you locked Kassadee’s thick ass down yet?”

All eyes were suddenly on me. “Aw hell naw.” They laughed but I was serious. “Y’all ain’t finna make a case study out of me. What we talking for anyway?”

“To be honest, I’m surprised you’re in as good of a mood as you’re in,” Kennessy said before locking eyes with my brother.

“What is that supposed to mean?” I asked.

“Kas is on a date. I figured you’d be here depressed and sad because she finally stopped waiting around for your ass.”

My head jerked as if his words physically struck me. “A date?” I repeated, hopping up from my seat. “I told her hardheaded ass what would happen if she tried me.”

I ignored their laughter and taunts as I stormed out of my game room. My entire body heated as rage filled me, bubbling my blood and causing the hairs on my arms and chest to stand. This girl was bound and determined to make me kill a nigga—of that… I was convinced.