"Boo!" Deasia jumps back from the sink splashing the water on herself and the floor. Toriah gasps holding back a laugh, she hurried over to the back door where De met her.
"T, what was that for!?" De grabbed the mop, mopping up the area then washing her hands now that she was done prepping for tonight's dinner.
"Girl, I'm sorry! I rung the doorbell, and knocked several times — I even called you." She pulled up the phone log with proof.
"I don't know what's even wrong with the doorbell, Jayson said the guy came to fix it but it doesn't even work, and as far with my phone, girl i misplaced it and didn't try to look for it."
T laughed, and sat on the stool. "I can't wait for tonight, I already know dinner's about to be delicious." she rubbed her stomach which caused De to notice Toriah's belly was not as flat as it had been.
The two heard the door open and closed, then the keypad on the alarm system — indicating that deuce and jayson were home.
he ushered deuce inside and found de'asia and toriah chatting in the kitchen, the flowers in his hands were dropped onto the counter with more force than he intended. "these came for you," he said, the words tainted with an edge that turned De'Asia's smile into a frown.
questions flew, accusations followed, and jayson couldn't shake the feeling of betrayal, even as de'asia's eyes pleaded innocence. toriah's voice sliced through the tension, a reminder that little ears were absorbing every harsh word. deuce didn't need to ever witness this.
jayson was the first to leave the room taking his son right along, and toriah stayed behind with de, just to make sure she was alright but was on edge wondering if she was in talks with someone — basically on jayson's side.
dinner was a silent, with mama brandy and her fiancè, toriah and her fiancé —, deuce , de'asia , and a brooding jayson seated around the table. compliments on the flowers from mama brandy sparked a snide remark from Jayson, igniting another blaze.
de'asia turned to look at him, a raised eyebrow — "what is your problem? like seriously, be a man and communicate with me."
"you talking about me — i should be the one telling you to be a woman and communicate with me but you're far from a woman. a sl—"
mama brandy raised her voice to cut off her son, toriah leaned over to tell deuce to take his dinner upstairs and she'll be up in a minute.
once deuce was done, jayson finished off, "a slut."
de'asia scoffs, "what did you just call me?"
"oh now the bird has a hearing problem." he rolled his eyes picking at the food. "this shit dry, you sure did put a foot in this."
a lie, if they weren't here he'd dog this plate and ask for more.
nobody heard her chair scoot back nor saw her getting up, that's when they all besides jayson got up.
"go ahead and put your hands on me, you can earn yourself another run in with the cops." he smirked, bringing up what he did to her before.
she was told younger to never put her hands on a man, you'll never know what they could do next. she just stormed off. like always.
in the tense silence of the dining room, jayson's mother, brandy, spoke up first, her voice stern yet laced with concern. "J, what on earth made you say such a thing to de'asia?"
toriah stood by — arms folded, shaking her head, her disappointment evident. "you're better than this, tatum. you just assumed the worst without even asking her."
jayson's mother's fiancé, Glenn, chimed in, trying to mediate. "Maybe it's a misunderstanding, son. De could actually be clueless about who sent those flowers."
Toriah's fiancé nodded in agreement. "jumping to conclusions never helps. you should talk to her, clear the air."
"go find her." toriah said. jayson shrugged it off shaking his head, "nah, she'll be back. she left the first time — came back. the second time — she came back. i went and saved that girl when i shouldn't have, she came back."
"you're unbelievable." toriah said mumbling, and snatches up her purse, "come on baby."
"I think we should go to, you need to think on this." his mother walked around the table kissing her son's head before telling her fiancé to come on.
4:30 AM
It went from 8 to 9, then quickly to 11 PM, and now it's 4 in the morning; he didn't hear de'asia come in the house. her phone was left which he realized when he found it in the couch. somehow he knew her passcode, and he went through it.
the realization of his mistake sunk in. for the months he's known her — he should've believed her, she barely got out of the house unless she was with him, his mother or had deuce. she had issues with her foster family, and her ex was no longer in the picture since he was caught messing with her best friend.
"I... I messed up." he mumbled into the phone. he just called his mother surprised she was still awake.
"I gotta apologize to her."
"you need to, and not just for de, but for yourself too — learn from this, Jayson." She said, sighing softly. "go see if she's up in the room."
his throat went dry, he didn't tell her she never came in the house.
"honey?"
"she didn't come in, ma."
"what do you mean she didn't come in?! did you call her?!"
"i found her phone in the couch."
"We'll be over soon."
—
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hey, hey! i said hey. 🫵🏾
1. Was Jayson wrong for calling De out her name? 2. You think she'll forgive him? 3. or do you think she won't come back?
