Page 27 of Merci

“I need to meet this young man,” Daddy said. “I’ve never seen you so smitten with someone before.”

“Yeah. I mean, we tease you about how quickly you develop feelings for someone, but that’s usually infatuation,” Ma said. “This… feels like something different. Something more. And if you act like this when he’s not around, I can only imagine how you are when you’re with him.”

“Y’all are exaggerating,” was what I said, but even thinking about Hammer had me cheesing as I sat down next to my daddy.

“Nah, baby sis,” Marz said with a shake of his head. “The way you smile when you talk about him, it’s different. Just answer me this. What’s his name in your phone?”

“It’s not his name,” I countered, chin jutted as I huffed. “It’s an emoji.”

“But is it the hearts?” Marz asked, and I was so annoyed with him I rolled my eyes and crossed my arms over my chest, making them all laugh.

“It’s not a bad thing, my baby,” Daddy said. “We’re just curious. Is there a reason you don’t want to share the new love in your life?”

Shrugging, I shook my head. “At first, I just didn’t want to move too fast. Now, I like keeping him to myself. He increases my happiness, and I feel so safe and secure with him. I love him.”

Before I could even get the declaration out, Ma, Ariel, and Heir were all screaming and jumping around like I’d said the man had proposed.

“Oh Jesus,” I grumbled, covering my face as I smiled.

“We’re going to let you take your time, but I really want to meet him, Merci. We know you’re a good judge of character, but sometimes, feelings and sex can blind you. We want to celebrate your happiness, but we also want to make sure he can be trusted with you,” Daddy said, and I knew my time of being able to keep Hammer away was quickly running out.

18

HAMMER

Ididn’t think there would ever come a day where I’d see my brother act crazy over a woman, but I sensed today would be that day. He was already feeling some kind of way because Raheem kept canceling the meetings to sign them papers. Today, Ariel posted a few pictures of her and Cujo together, but it wasn’t anything overly romantic or no shit like that. She didn’t even show his face, just his arm and side profile in two of the pictures and his chest while he was at the grill, talking shit and joking with her.

Apparently, her soon-to-be ex-husband was still following her because, not too long after she posted the pictures, he started blowing her up. Cujo wasn’t known for his patience, so I knew if Ariel didn’t block him or get him to stop calling, Cujo was going to take matters into his own hands.

“I don’t know about this, bae,” Merci said quietly as we watched Ariel pace and argue with her ex. “I think Raheem is a little more comfortable than he should be because Ariel convinced our brothers not to beat him up. Well, technically they were going to, but he had the police waiting when she went to get her things. Since then, she’s been able to keep them undercontrol. I think he thinks it’s going to be the same case with Cujo.”

“And it’s certainly not,” I said quickly through my laugh. “Jojo ain’t the kind of man who can be contained. Once he’s tired of your sister going back and forth with her ex, it’s a wrap.”

Merci sighed as she nestled herself more into my chest. We were all outside while Cujo grilled the last of the meat. We’d all eaten already, but I was sure we’d knock out the rest before the night was over. Just being here with him and Ariel was an unexpected plot twist. Even without my brother telling me he cared about Ariel, his actions proved it every day.

“Well, for Raheem’s sake, I?—”

“Aye!” Cujo damn near barked, causing Ariel to jump slightly as she tightened her grip on her phone. “Tell that mane he can simmer down or address me since I’m the problem. You ain’t finna keep going back and forth with no grown-ass man while you in my presence.”

I flung my head back, already knowing it was about to be up.

“Um, I have to go, Raheem,” Ariel said sadly. I knew this shit was a lot on her. Cujo didn’t tell me her business, but he’d made it clear a few times he was hoping he could get his hands on Raheem because he was making the divorce unnecessarily difficult.

When he continued to talk, Cujo walked over to her and gently took the phone from her hand. He put the call on speaker, and all you heard was a loud-ass nigga yelling about Ariel disrespecting him.

“Aye, bruh,” Cujo said calmly, and his voice must have caught Raheem off guard because he shut up immediately. “What problem do you have with Ariel posting pictures with another man? If I’m not mistaken, you cheated on her, didn’t you?”

“That ain’t got shit to do with you!” Raheem yelled. “At the end of the day, she still my fucking wife! I don’t take too kindly toher disrespecting me! I got family online seeing her with another man. That shit makes me look flawed as hell.”

Cujo laughed. “Boy, you sound like a damn fool. If anything makes you look flawed as hell, it’s the fact that you cheated on your wife. And even after that, you couldn’t be man enough to give her a quick and easy divorce. You drawing that shit out like she was the one in the wrong when it’s you. Now, I ain’t her brothers. If I put a target on yo’ head, she ain’t gon’ be able to take it off. You need to relax yaself and find something safe to do, ’cause yelling at Ariel ain’t it.”

Raheem yelled even louder, to the point where I couldn’t even understand what he was saying. Cujo didn’t make it any better laughing at the man. All I could do was shake my head as I sipped my beer and watched the foolishness unfold.

“Aye, mane. I’ma tell ya straight like this. I’on argue and do that back-and-forth shit. You can pull up and fight for ya wife, or I’ma block ya ass on her phone. How you wanna handle this shit?”

“Send me the address!”

Cujo’s head shook as he smiled. “Sending it now.”