The King Brothers [BoyxBoy]

22. Zephyrus

"Yes."

"Okay go on."

"So like.. Yeah umm how'd you know?" I ask.

"Ced baby, you used to wrap shirts around your head and run around the house like your hair was laid. You used to try on my scarfs, and my shoes." She starts laughing. "I knew you were gonna marry a man since you started talking."

"Wow ..." I say.

"Yep." She replies.

"I don't know what to say.. Why didn't you say anything if you knew?" I asked.

"I gave you hints left and right. Especially with that poor young girl Kimberly. I tried to tell you." She says.

"I didn't know that's what you meant..."
"Now my question is, why didn't you say anything??" She crosses her arms.

"I did! Well.. I tried to but everytime I tried to bring it up, you either shut me out, or you're working. And it was never a good time so eventually I gave up." I stand and pace around the gazebo.

"Have a seat son." She tells me. I sit down and take a deep breath of the crisp cool air. "I'm sorry baby. I know I've been neglecting you and your brother. I've been so preoccupied with work lately and u guess I lost sight of what was truly important to me. My babies. You two are the most valuable things I have in this world. Fuck that big ass house and fuck those nice ass cars we drive." She says.

"Okay you doing too much, I get the point. Don't take my car." I say laughing. She starts laughing in a high pitched feminine laugh.

"But my point is, I'm gonna do better. I promise. And no more secrets!" She says waving her finger. "Come here." She holds out her meaty arms and I fall into my mom's warmth and I squeeze her like I was a little boy again.

"I love you mom." I say.

"I love you too baby boy." She sighs. "My little baby boy." She rubs my head.

"So I guess you and Isadore are getting a divorce." I ask, sitting up.

"I honestly don't know what is going on. But I know if he's in that house when we get back, I'm calling the police." She laughs.

"I need some advice mom." I confess.

"What's wrong?" She replies.

"If you and your boyfriend had an argument, what would you do?" I ask.

"What kind of argument?" She asks.

I lift up my head to vividly show her my bruised cheek.

"Oh hell naw! Who hit my baby??" She jumps up.

"Mom stop! I started it... And uh I didn't think he'd hit me back. I was stupid for thinking that. Anyway, he lied to me and I got upset." I say, hesitating with every word.

"Well Cedric... Do you love this person?" She asks.

"I think so."

"Yes or no?"

"Yes." I blurt out.

'Then I'd advise you, not to call him. Or text him. Or see him, for at least a week." She says.

"Why?? Isn't that kinda backwards?" I ask, standing up beside her. We both start walking towards rhe exit of the park.

"See that's the thing, guys react to the opposite of what you want them to. So if you bug them, and beg for their forgiveness, they'll get tired of you pleeding and will eventually lose interest." She explains as we walk.

Sound familiar? I ask myself, referring to Hykeem.

"So by me ignoring his presence, he'll show more interest, because of the fact that I'm not showing interest?" I ask.

"Exactly. It's kinda like you're training your man. Now back to me and Isadore. He's getting out of the house until he thinks about what he's done thoroughly, and I just might let him back in. But if not, I'm gonna just play it out because I need this job. And we'll probably end up having affairs with each other knowing and be a couple for publicity purposes. Like red carpets and stuff." She continues to talk. My mom is low key smary as fuck. Now I see where I get it from.

"That's kinda petty don't you think?'" I ask her. We reach my car and ironically, hers is parked right down the street from mine.

"What's petty is Isadore's old ass trying to prey on younger girls!" Mom says laughing. She pulls her keys out of her purse and starts walking away.

"Thanks for the talk." I say waving.

"You can stay out tonight if you want, I know how these things are. But be careful Cedric." She says. She quickly runs to her car and jumps in and drives off. I lean against my car and I watch as the city grew into life, and the people swarmed the clubs, bars and just downtown period. I debate on what to do. I think about what my mom said about that whole week thing, but I can't push myself to do it. Ugh! Fuck it.

I yanked my phone out of my sweatshirt pocket and I call TJ.

"Hello?" His voice was weary and stressed. There was an anxious edge to it also. I say nothing.

"Ced??" He asks again, his voice sounding more nervous. I still say nothing. "Look, baby I'm so sorry for what I did. I feel sick about how I treated you and I wanna tell you I will spend the rest of my life making it up to you... I'll never hit anyone again I promise. Please say something!" He says. He really reminding me of Hykeem.

Wait? No! Don't compare him to that bastard. TJ is different. I have hopes for him. But I'm not ready to accept him back into my life yet. He has to learn.

"Cedric? Please I -" I hung up on him and I open my car door and I plop down into the driver's seat. I beat on my steering wheel causing the horn to spontaneously beep causing walking pedestrians to turn their heads. I pull the sides of my hair, fighting back the hot wave of tears that was yet to come. I lock my doors and I turn the radio on full blast so nobody can hear my scream at the top of my lungs.

"Fuuuck!!" I cry and I beat my steering wheel some more. "I love you Tevon." I cry out loud, snorting and sobbing. I wipe wetness from my nose and I close my eyes and I can feel him sitting next to me. I reach my hand over and watch him try to grab it in my mind. But everytime he reaches, my hand snatches back. I keep crying as I open my eyes. The radio was blasting See You Again, and it didn't do anything but make me cry even harder.

"What's wrong with me??" I look up to the sky. I imagine an angel sitting on my shoulder and I look at her.

"You're in love sweet boy. You're in love." She says in the sweetest, most heavenly voice.

"I am?" I ask, but instead of answering me, the angel slowly floats away, back up to heaven. I suck up my tears and I wrap myself in my sweatshirt and I close my eyes and drift off to sleep.