Babineaux Bléu

11

You Know You're Wrong

"Let me see if my grandmother needs anything else first before I make my way over to you," Siani said, cradling her phone between her shoulder and ear to unlock the doors.

"Bet. Don't forget the grapes." Rachel added quickly.

"Okay." She laughed and then locked off, adjusting the few bags of groceries in her hand, letting herself in. She wouldn't dare forget about her precious cotton candy grapes. Those little things were addictive.

Siani's face wrinkled, confused as she closed the door behind her and moved down the hall.

Esther's voice could be heard along with someone else's in the distance. It sounded as if she was in the living room, which was odd because she was upstairs when she left.

"Wow, really? That's pretty cool. How was he?"

"Oh, he was a sweet man—very much in tune with his spiritual self and he loved my southern accent. Years later, when he and his band became popular, he always invited my husband and me to his shows. They were really good friends."

Was she hearing things?

The voice her grandmother was responding to sounded very much like a specific someone she didn't care to see—let alone hear again.

With her bags in tow, Siani rounded the corner and wasn't the least bit surprised to see Lyle chatting it up with her grandmother. The pair acknowledged her when she stepped into the room.

"Oh, you're back," Esther greeted with a soft smile.

"Why is he here?" She said curtly, narrowing her eyes at him while he sat relaxed upon her sofa. "Why are you here?"

Lyle silently leaned forward, his midnight eyes staring back. The raw look in his eyes took her off guard and a fleeting current moved through her, but as soon as it came, it went, and anger replaced it.

She had never been so infuriated with anyone like this before and so instantly. The intensity of it made her sick to her stomach.

"Don't be rude, Siani."

"I don't want him here, grandma. You need to go—matter of fact, how did you even get down here?"

When she'd left to go to the store, Esther was upstairs in her room with Yolanda finishing up her physical therapy session. Speaking of Yolanda.

"And where's Mrs. Yolanda?"

"Siani, calm down," Esther's admonition held a slight edge. "Yolanda left almost thirty minutes ago. I told her she could leave early because Lyle was already here and I asked him to wait until you returned."

"But how did you get down here? You're not supposed to be walking down the stairs."

"I carried her," Lyle answered.

"You did what?" Siani could feel the anger rising in her chest with each breath. This was just too much. He was too much.

"What the hell is wrong with you? You think this some sort of game?" Her nostrils flared. Lyle sat back from the potency of her energy, coming over him in waves. He'd never seen her so upset before.

"Siani, stop it. I'm fine. He was careful." Esther insisted.

"Grandma..." She pinched the bridge of her nose and breathed deeply. "He could've easily tripped and you both would've fallen. But that's not even the case. You've got some nerve." She pointed a sharp finger his way. "After I told you I didn't want to see you! How dare you come here, into my house and put my grandmother's health at risk? Like, legit shit, are you crazy?"

"Siani..."

"You. Need. To. Go!"

"Yani."

"Now!"

"That's enough, little girl!" Esther's voice was stern and demanding and Siani quickly bit her tongue, remembering who she was talking to. Her hands trembled, trying to repress the mixture of emotions still swirling in her body.

Lyle stood to his feet prepared to leave. This was a mistake. He hadn't thoroughly thought this through.

It had been a week since Siani had written him off and he was going through withdrawal without her near. In all pathetic lameness, he missed her. Terribly.

Lyle didn't know where or when he'd snapped, but he was losing his mind over Siani. This unhealthy crush he had on her was making him do things he wouldn't normally do. He acted on his feelings instead of logic and it only seemed to make matters worse each time he tried to make it right.

"I'll leave."

"That would be best," Siani folded her arms. "And don't come back."

"No, Lyle." Esther stopped him. "You stay." Her eyes remained on her granddaughter as she spoke. Siani's face reading complete and utter shock. "You go."

Her mouth opened, ready to dispute, but before a word could get out, she stopped short when Esther gave her a threatening glare, daring Siani to defy her.

She could feel the familiar sting at the back of her eyes and blinked away the frustrated tears, storming off and carelessly placing the bags onto the kitchen counter.

Leaving out of the house, she itched to slam the door on her way out, but Esther put enough fear in her to refrain from trying it, no matter how heated she was.

She couldn't believe what happened. She couldn't believe she picked his side over hers and kicked her out of her own home.

He didn't even live there!

Starting up the car with a press of a button, Siani backed out of the driveway and sped down the main road. Wait until she told Rachel...

She hit her steering wheel.

Shit!

Hopefully, she wouldn't be too upset about those grapes.

Anderson .Paak - Put Me Thru

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