Caribbean Dialect Included
What a ride!
Elijah Johnson was mentally and emotionally tired. The past few weeks placed his resolve in test and gave his anger some breathing room. It was the weekend, and the group was gathered at the Hector/Johnson home having an impromptu pool party. Sitting beside him on the loungers were Harem and Mischa. It's been a while since they found time to themselves to enjoy their bond as cousins. The school term took an unexpected turn, but it wasn't seen as a bad thing. It's their senior year, they were leaving their high school lives behind, and it's time for them to find their own paths.
"Was I being selfish asking you two to move to Spencer?" Elijah asked, breaking their blissful silence.
"Yup!" Harem answered.
"Hey!"
Mischa chuckled at his cousin's new topic to start bickering. Though he wasn't majorly part of the group any longer, he took note of Harem's growth. He was no longer hiding behind them with the fear of being ostracized caused by his disability. The cautious kid he always protected was now in a happy relationship, assertive when needed, and confident in going out now.
"H, stop teasing him," Mischa called out.
Harem grinned at Elijah and playfully nudged him. "There's nothing wrong in being selfish. I was fricking happy to get away from there, my parents too. They were at their breaking point with the school and my bullies. If dad was a tyrant, a lot of people might have been without a job. So it was a great chance you offered me. I have a great girl, crazy-as-hell friends, and a future to look forward to. Thanks, cuz," he said honestly.
"It's more or less the same for me. Though my side of the family is for Colorado, staying in New York with the family made me restless....." Mischa began.
"Plus, you being my bodyguard," Harem said with a rueful smile.
"It's our job to protect each other. I wasn't playing bodyguard. As I was saying, your selfish decision wasn't a bad one. I learned more about myself and what I want to do. Though I hurt someone I cared about, the decisions I made were of my own volition. I do regret hurting Ayanna, but I'm glad that we worked past that," he ended.
"Do you still have feelings for her? You still get that peevish look on your face when we mention her with someone else," Elijah commented nonchalantly. Harem was too busy trying to hold back his amusement while Micah tried to figure out how the talk about feelings popped up. His always laidback, quiet cousin slowly ate his chips, waiting for him to answer as he ogled his girlfriend in the pool.
"Straight out of the left-field but okay. Ummm... I am still attracted to her as any man would but relationship, wise-no. I don't think I'm ready for a steady relationship like you guys. If I confess to her that I have some feelings for her over the summer, I don't think things would have worked out. I can't resort myself to settling down as yet," he answered honestly.
"Look at you being thoughtful and shit. Mama got to you huh," Elijah commented.
"Tonguelashing of the century, manual labor, and a few smacks upside my head. Aunt Janine is scary as fuck," he returned, rubbing the back of his head to ease those phantom pains.
"My mama is a gem; I don't know any other side of her."
Harem and Mischa rolled their eyes in amusement, the only son of Janine and Eli Johnson was considered blessed by the media. The cousins thought so; also, he was a person you would want as your ally. "Shaye, on the other hand, will be raised by both sides of mama. The damn kid is a demon," Elijah commented with a shake of his head.
"We'll pray for their sanity," Harem said aloud.
"Amen."
The trio got back to more light-hearted and non-sensical topics, with the wild laughter from the girls filled their background and the other boys playing with the soccer ball further down.
"It's time."
"Time for what?" Mischa asked while getting a drink out of the cooler.
"Erica meeting Mari. Everyone met her, well, those in Spencer, and we confirmed our feelings for each other. I see myself with her and only her. Shit, she can break up with me right now, and I won't budge because I will get her back, no matter what. Crap. I just sound like the twins, huh?" Slight staining spread across Elijah's cheeks as he spoke about his girl, not to mention the wide smile; it's clear as day that he loved her immensely.
"You did, and it ain't a bad thing. I want to reach that level one day. Stacia is still taking in her new environment and my affection for her, so it will take some more time for me confident in my relationship. I want both of us to be on the same footing in the relationship. If we aren't, then problems will arise; that's why I constantly encourage her to speak her mind. Our lifestyle and upbringing are completely different from hers, you know." Harem got to his feet, punctuating his statement. Grabbing a drink for himself and an extra one, he gave his cousins a relaxed shrug. "Congrats, cuz. You got a good one. Let's enjoy our last free time before adulthood strikes."
Elijah and Mischa watched on as Harem walked to the pool and approached his girl, who was safely under an umbrella, taking in the relaxed atmosphere. From their position, they saw how she practically lit up when he came into view. Stacia sat up instantly to make room for him and easily accepted his kiss.
"I think he's nearly there," Mischa commented.
"Definitely."
**********
"She's not going to disappear, you two," Shaun teased as he passed the ball to Kage. It wasn't the first time he caught the overprotective glances of Trey and Alec at Taylor.
"It's in our genetic make-up as a man to be protective of those we consider important in our circle. Bear in mind our caveman attributes may awaken if they are in danger. Doing covert glances is considered normal for males."
Shaun and Kage stopped their movements and stared at Trey, who easily accepted a pass from Alec.
"There it is. I heard about it but never truly had the experience," Kage muttered, staring at Trey in awe.
"Oye! Pay attention, you shitty bastards," Alec shouted when Shaun didn't receive Trey's pass.
"And there's our lovable Italian," Shaun added, crossing his arms.
"Quite a duo," Kage continued, placing his hands on his hips. The two ignored the aggressive and passive insults from the main characters of their new subject.
"Friends since middle school now the next candidates to Spencer's top rumor. Who would have thought another trio to come from Spencer? Hey, you two, answer a question for me," Shaun said, going closer to them. It was his first time out of the house in weeks, and spending time with his new friends made his mental and emotional state ten times better.
"What is it? Why did you two turn into mogli pescivendolo?" Alec groused, closing the distance also.
"English, my friend," Trey reminded him with a small twitch of his lips. He hated for any type of outdoor activities to be interrupted and tend to take it out on the person who did it. Alec grumbled and repeated himself.
"Hurt but anyway, how did this come about?" Kage asked, genuinely interested.
"What are you talking about?" Alec asked distractedly as he began a round of juggling tricks with the soccer ball.
"The loving of the same girl thing, word of it began freshman year, and you two never dispel them," Shaun answered, enraptured by the Italian's footwork.
"We are best friends meaning we share quite a lot of likes not only in food, clothing, and entertainment but also of females. We got into a bit of a fight when both of us liked the same girl in middle school; then it happened again for us to notice the pattern. It was over a summer vacation trip to Texas that we got a bit of clarity on the matter...." Trey began.
"Jayden was sharp enough to notice our conflict. Both he and Carson sat us down and explained to us that though it may be frowned upon by the suffocating society, it wasn't wrong. Being polyamorous wasn't bad," Alec continued for his friend. The two became sober in their explanation.
"Wait, you said polyamorous," Shaun muttered.
"We are both comfortable with and desire intimate relationships with more than one partner."
"Wait." Both Shaun and Kage stopped for a moment and eyed the two friends. Trey still wore his composed expression, and Alec now had a shy smile on his face. "It's common knowledge in the group, we're bisexual. Our intimacy isn't publicized because we're private people. As the twins explained to us the differences we understood our feelings for each other as we grew. It wasn't long that we confirmed our loyalty to each other. We dated other people separately and as a duo to understand it all. " Trey explained.
"Come to think of it, there were comments on how close you two are but always I replied that it's natural for best friends. So Taylor knows now?" Kage asked, getting more interested in the dynamics of the budding relationship.
"Yes. We didn't want her to be blindsided if one day she sees us kissing. Apparently, she was very accommodating. I think she's a boys' love fan though," Alec commented with a small chuckle.
"All of this requires a mature mind; it's interesting to watch it all. It's great and comforting to have open-minded people in your corner isn't it?" Shaun voiced, smiling over his shoulder at the people gathered around the pool. Alec, Trey, and Kage understood the question from their friend and smiled at the way he was getting lost in his moment of realization.
"It is," they answered in unison. They gained another bond and that makes their time spent together extremely worthwhile.
********
'How can he make my legs shake like that?'
'I bet my eyes are crossed by now.'
'Is there a limit to how much pleasure a man can bring to a female's body?'
"Fuck!"
Erica's outburst was muffled by his hand while the other held her leg over his shoulder. Her limit was breaking, he has been going on for more than fifteen minutes. Within that spectrum, he made his tongue dance in her core, touching every erotic nerve to send a rush through her body. She couldn't be quiet by her man's actions. The teasing bite on her nub made her entire jolt in response. Legs spread wide, him between her thighs with his curly hair wild on top of his head, she moved against his mouth as he tried to 'relax' her. It was a great way to spend their Sunday afternoon together.
She was close to her climax but he stopped the pleasurable torture with his mouth and opted to make his way up her body by brushing his lips against her skin. "Watch. Watch what you do to me," he whispered against her neck.
Wrapping her arms around his neck as he propped himself beside her, she caught the movement of his hand going towards his shorts. The bulge was prominent she definitely had an idea what she did to him. He hissed in bliss when his cock throbbed painfully against his hand. Removing it from its confinement, Erica groaned in want after seeing the precum glistening on his swollen cock head. Elijah freed one of her hands from her loose hold in a quick move and replaced his hand with hers.
The silky feel mixed with the bulging veins teased her, the silent command reach her ears. Acting on that wanton instinct, every woman has inside her, she slowly moved her hand along his cock to its base before going back up. A chuckle from him reached her ears, making her smile into the crook of his neck. Closing her eyes, she allowed her body to feel and receive. Pleasuring him made his body tense in return. His nimble fingers found their way to her wet center to resume what his tongue was doing. Her shocked cry filled the room, Elijah covered her body with his even more while maneuvering his other hand beneath her. Her cries and moans were now muffled against his neck, as the same for him.
The feel of his heated skin against hers, the way her fingers glides across the expanse of his back, the fruity smell of his hair, the feel of his lips on her neck and chest, and the fullness of his fingers going deep into her - Erica received it all. That intimate moment shared between them was sacred. They were tieing their hearts to each other in the most natural way. Moving her lips to his ear when she felt her orgasm drawing near she told him the words that her mind has been chanting all along. Back arched and his teeth imprinting onto her shoulder, they were both close.
"I love you."
That was it.
Those words were the signal for his release as it was the same for her. His essence spilled over her clenched hand, his cock pulsing as it emptied itself. She was about to call out his name but he silenced her with a desperate kiss. The intensity was felt in that kiss just as the pressure in her core was eased. He didn't have to say the words, this was his response to her words. Holding her tight, ignoring the mess made between them, he held her in his arms, continuing the kiss until they both needed air.
Erica got lost in his light brown eyes, a slow smile formed on her kiss swollen lips as she held his gaze. Playfully she ruffled his curls resulting in that carefree chuckle he always gives her. "I love you too," he said softly, placing a quick kiss on her nose.
"Second time in ah row, nice," she teased.
"Of course, I will always remind you that I do," he retorted.
Shaking her head in amusement, she followed him off the bed when he hopped off her and silently led the way to the bathroom. Erica felt heat rushing to her face upon noticing how at ease they were with each other's nakedness. In the confines of the beautifully designed bathroom suite, Elijah tugged her into the shower blocking the heavy stream of warm water from her as he stole a few kisses. Inch by inch he pulled her in, mindful of her hair but dutifully cleansed her body. He was perfect in every way for her.
Their time in the shower consisted of being playful and idle chatter for fifteen minutes before leaving the glass stall completely.
"Look in mih bag yuh will see ah pink pouch in dey, bring it fuh me please," she asked of him when he wrapped her in his robe.
"Sure."
The pouch was a common-sense accessory, as she and her friends from Tobago call it. It contained a change of underwear, travel-size toiletries, sanitary napkins, and a few condoms. One can never anticipate their situation. The pouch had a few inner sections, which gave room to hold the infamous 'vex money and its size was big enough to hold under your arm. Since her relationship with Elijah upgraded to time spent at his home, she created a new pouch for visiting him only.
"Here you go, baby." Returning with the pouch, he placed it on the counter before trapping her between his arms, taking her into a heated make-out session. "I can't stop kissing you. I always want to kiss you whether it's on your lips or hand; kissing you has become my favorite thing to do," he confessed. Erica chuckled at how cute he looked with that silly grin on his face. Leaning against the counter, she took in his lean muscular body, allowing her hand to roam his body. He was definitely her type of guy.
"Baby," she whined when he parted the robe.
"Mine," he said, eyeing her possessively. Placing kisses on her breasts, stomach, and mound, he then hugged her tightly before leaving the suite to give her some privacy.
"God damn, he so fucking cute," she muttered to herself.
Moments later, she joined him in the room to finish her dressing; he was on his phone in a sweatsuit, hair held up in a messy bun and colorful studs adorning his ears. Sitting beside him, he pulled her in for a chaste kiss then placed his phone aside.
"Ready?" he asked of her.
"Nervous. I shoulda been nervous like dis to meet yuh mother but meeting yuh sister seem to be real big."
"Mari has a lot of roles in my life, and her approving of my girlfriend is a major turning point," he answered.
"With Bree..."
"We were all blindsided by her. I've had a crush on her since kids, but after her brother got rejected by Mari, he began poisoning Bree's mind with his thoughts. When I asked her to be my girlfriend, I was still moving on that crush I had years ago. In other words, I was still innocent in my thoughts, thinking she was still the same Bree."
"And yuh sister? How she react to Bree cheating on yuh?"
A grimace took over Elijah's face, he averted his eyes from her groaning in embarrassment. "She doesn't know, not even mama," he replied softly.
"Wah de hell! You serious?!"
"You've witnessed how protective mama is of Shaye and I and Mari's protectiveness of us rivals a mama bear. I only allow Bree's fake confession to reach their ears along with her disgust of my bond with Mari. Those two reasons for our break up affected them greatly, imagine if they find out the truth. I love them to my fullest but it's time I step out of their hold and make it on my own. Silly to some but it was my decision. If they find out then any girl I bring home as a potential girlfriend, they would be put through the wringer. I'm proud of my initiative to go after you, it will show that their subtle teachings haven't gone to waste."
Erica shook her head in amusement. Her Elijah thinks too much and always aware of other people's feelings. From getting to know him over the months, she saw him as a very kind-hearted guy with a sense of loyalty and justice. He speaks his mind when needed and wants everyone to be treated fairly and be punished for their wrongdoings. In the case of Raine and Travis, after he and the others acted on their anger, he visited Travis to apologize for their actions humbly and to talk things out. However, his overall quiet demeanor may place him in unexpected situations. No wonder his mother and sister were protective of him, anyone can take advantage of their connection to him. The memory of seeing Harem or one of the boys speaking up for him and even smoothly getting him out of talks with a bad decision came to mind.
Elijah was the ultimate cinnamon roll.
"They love yuh and I love yuh too so doh worry yuhself. Dat ting wid Bree is all water under de bridge. Now I ain't so nervous, leh we do this, ah want to go home and chill wid daddy," she said tucking a loose strand of hair behind his ear.
That wide loving smile from him blinded her and left warmth in her body. How lucky was she to get lucky on her first try at a relationship?
"Okay."
Another kiss was given before he led her over to his study desk. Pulling his gaming chair over, he sat before the desktop and helped Erica into the seat beside him. The video call to his sister wasn't long, she answered in record time with a laugh which made Erica smile, bringing herself at ease. Her first look at the infamous Marielle Johnson-Hector without the media's input was blinding. She was positively glowing, her clear green eyes were shining, not to mention how neatly styled her blonde locks were. The woman was radiantly beautiful.
"Hi, bug. I was about to send a message in the group chat for the family."
"Hi, sis. Oh, really. Is it important?" he asked, going closer as possible to the screen. Erica couldn't miss the slight change in him as he gave his older sister his full attention. No one can mistake the adoration he had for her. From what she learned from the others, Marielle was his role model. He learned basically everything by watching her as he grew beside her. Manners, social deportment, proper speech, work ethic, cleaning - you name it. He modeled it all from his older sister. That explained his calm attitude and his help when she was on her period and needed a bit of help at school. Elijah grew to be a great guy, and she was sure his sister was proud.
"The boys and I wanted to do a video conference on Zoom with the family in two hours. I will send the message through. I'm happy to see you, though. What's up?" Marielle returned, switching her gaze from her brother to a quiet girl sitting beside him with a smile on her face. She wanted to call her husbands to let them see Elijah's new girl, but she kept calm. She couldn't be the embarrassing sister and go all extra in the place. No one wants a crazy person as their in-law.
"I wanted to do official introductions. My girlfriend. Mari, this is Erica Hollis. We've been dating for a while and made it official. Not too long ago, we confirmed our relationship. Baby, this is my older sister, Marielle, Mari for short," Elijah said proudly as he positioned Erica in front of the camera.
"Uh.." She stuttered on her greeting, glancing at her boyfriend with the look of unease in her eyes.
"Don't cover it up," Elijah admonished her lightly. He knew she wanted to hide her accent to be accepted quickly.
"Hi. It's nice to meet yuh. Sorry he ain't really tell yuh 'bout me earlier, I wanted tings to be official before he do dat," Erica voiced.
"Why?" Marielle asked taking in her fill of the islander. Her accent was so unique; her dark skin was smooth at first glance, plus that head of hair. She spotted her fellow all-natural sisters, but this girl's hair can barely be restrained under a tight band. Her eyes were exotic, putting her mixed descent on show; overall, the girl was gorgeous and respectful. Glancing at her brother, she wanted to call him out on his action, but she let him be. He was never this lovesick on Bree; Elijah practically had hearts in his eyes for this girl. Her parents and Shaye were gushing about Erica, and Bryan gave his unbiased report, with a feminine touch from Katie.
"If we didn't mesh an' we break up after we done meet, yuh will think that either I was after he money or something, ent? He big and have sense to nip tings in the bud so dat might of happen if we ain't suit each other," Erica answered.
"You're right. Elijah, go and visit Shaye. Relay my message to the lovebirds outback," Marielle ordered of her brother.
"Sure thing, sis." He gave Erica a quick kiss before leaving to do his sister's bidding.
"No need to be nervous. I've heard good things about you, and I'm sure you've heard a lot about me."
"I does follow yuh on Instagram plus on yuh book subscription list. I'm a big fan of yours. Ah bit nervous but not that much," she said tugging at the sleeves of her sweater.
"Thank you. It's great to meet a fan around your age. Usually, the art of picking up a book and getting lost in that world is dying so thank you."
Erica beamed under Marielle's heartfelt words, amazed at how down-to-earth the woman was.
"I want to be honest with you. Can I?"
"Yeah, dats why yuh send out Elijah, ent?"
Marielle chuckled at the girl's keen observation of her environment and relaxed more into her chair. "Elijah is my only little brother and I cherish him a lot. I thought he would have been my only sibling then Shaye came along. As our sweet, I say this loosely, little sister grew under his care she too clutched onto him and made it her duty to be Elijah's champion also. You can see why right? Though he's soft-hearted, there will come a time where another side of him will show. The saying still waters run deep comes into play here. We want to protect him from getting hurt emotionally wise knowing physical will be left to the universe. We, the entire family, wish not to witness a broken Elijah again. Maybe we are coddling him, but I don't care what people say. We just want to see him happy."
"I doh think allyuh coddling him. Allyuh just keeping an eye on him. I got questioned by Shaye de first time ah meet she. When I answered to her likin' she back down," Erica relayed.
"As expected from a next influential Johnson female," Marielle quipped with an accompanying laugh. The laugh they shared tied that unseen connection between them. Erica found herself asking questions and joking around with her.
"You're a great girl, Erica, jealous of that accent tho', so cool. My little brother has chosen well. Can I depend on you to keep him on the right track while I'm in Texas? Keeping an eye on my independent baby sis is a must also."
"I ain't see no problem wid dat. I like hanging out with everyone. It's really different an I like it."
"That's great to hear. I gotta end this call now, my husbands will start crying if I don't cook their meal. Send me your info, we'll chat. Bye, chica," Marielle ended cheerfully.
"I will. Bye."
Ending the call, she quickly sent her info via the chat Elijah had going with her before heading out of the room. Knowing where the family usually settles for that Sunday chill vibes, she made her way to the recreation room to find both brother and sister focused on their favorite anime. They are currently waiting for the second half of season two and were excited when the animators released the diaries of the MC. She got intrigued and got caught up in the anime.
Not saying a word, she easily sat by Elijah's side and took in the last few minutes of the show.
"All went well?" Pulling her onto his lap at the end of the show, she relaxed in his hold, giving him his answer while listening to what Shaye had to say when she struck up a conversation.
"Sorry for butting in but I gotta get Erica home. Say your goodbyes, baby, I'll go get your things," he said after a while of listening to their girl talk.
"Okay. Be right back, going and tell yuh parents ah gone," Erica said hopping off Elijah's lap.
"Cool," was the reply she got from the girl as she made her way to the back porch.
"Knock knock, coming through," she called out in a sing-song voice when she neared the doors.
"We're decent," Janine returned with a laugh.
"Yuh never know innuh. Come to say ah gone. Shaye still allowed to sleepover next Friday right?" Erica asked, leaning on the doorpost.
"Elijah will bring her over after she through with whatever homework she may have. Thanks for inviting her. I know she gets bored with only her brother around when we go out of town," Eli assured her.
"Daddy done know so it's all good on my side......"
"Babe! Let's go! Mama, dad, I'll be back in a few," Elijah called out from the hall.
"That's my cue. Bye."
"Bye, sweetie." "Bye, Erica."
Waving goodbye to the couple, she quickly doubled back to tickle Shaye, giving her the confirmation of their sleepover then to the garage.
The drive back to her home was relaxing, she couldn't stop smiling. Since coming to this new country, she can honestly say that her new life was finally settling down. Her new friends and her father made it all worthwhile. Coming up will be her first Thanksgiving with her new family. Her father wanted to cancel that trip after the debacle with his sister and two nieces but his mother pleaded with him as any loving mother would. Julius gave Erica the conditions they will abide by for that trip and it was all agreed upon. He was cautious of the others after Carlene's callousness. Besides that she was excited about the trip, she was seeing another state in this country. Day by day, wanderlust began to sing in her body, even more so after the whole college preparations thing. She had no idea what to make of her future just yet and it turns out, Elijah too was in the same boat.
'I want to do something Elijah Johnson is suited for and not what is expected of Elijah Johnson.'
His words still resonate in her head and he was right. Why commit yourself to something people push on you and not what you want to do?
So..... what should she do?
"That may take a while," she said aloud.
"What?"
"Talking to mihself about college and ting."
"I was thinking the same, no joke. I need more time. A few months won't cut it. I'm glad our parents are not pressuring us, though but we gotta decide," he returned.
"Yup."
Later that evening after a great dinner with her father and chatting with the girls online, Erica settled down for the night ready to go to sleep. As usual for everyone, a social media routine must be done. While going through TikTok, a message request from Facebook Messenger came in. Usually, she ignores them but sometimes those red dot unread notifications can drive her up a wall. It's pretty annoying. Clicking the notification to see the message, Erica sat up instantly, reading the message over and over. She had to be dreaming.
'Hi, sis. I miss you.'
There goes her good mood.