Total pages in book: 80
Estimated words: 74450 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 372(@200wpm)___ 298(@250wpm)___ 248(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 74450 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 372(@200wpm)___ 298(@250wpm)___ 248(@300wpm)
“I know you wouldn’t.”
I ain’t talking about you, but Aunt Angel would… in an effort to protect me or keep a promise to her dead sister.
Aunt Angel and Cheyenne were particularly dear to one another. Everyone knew that. They were practically glued at the hip. Aunt Angel was more of a no-nonsense sort of woman than Mama though. Less fun loving. More religious. She was a good woman regardless of being a bit stern at times, and Caspian never realized how big of a hole her death would leave in his heart. He hadn’t sat with it. Rested with it. Wrapped it around him like a boa constrictor until it squeezed the life out of him.
Aunt Angel’s voice was a whisper. Something he once had in full stereo, that was now fading. He’d spoken to her often on the phone while she still walked the Earth. He’d even dialed her a few times after her death, forgetting that she was gone. It was a crushing blow.
“Noah, I’m going to find out who my father is. When I do, I’ll tell you his name.” They smiled at one another. “How’d you know though that I was looking into finding out more about my mother’s death? I never told you that.”
Noah plopped the last nugget in his mouth and once again, his skin reddened.
“You were talkin’ in your sleep, Caspian… you know, when you were stayin’ with us. I walked in your room to give you some cookies after the funeral. I should’ve knocked. I’m sorry.” He hung his head and took a deep breath. “You were havin’ a bad dream. You said, ‘I heard you Mrs. Florence! I’m going to find out what happened to Mama! Someone killed my mama!’ You said that over and over, until I woke you up.”
Noah’s cellphone rang. Caspian recognized that little tune and heard the vibration. Noah answered the older model iPhone that Aunt Angel had given him.
“Hi, Dad…Yeah… Okay… Okay… Bye bye.” He hung up.
“What does Uncle Bobby want?”
“He wants us to come on back.” Noah reached for his jacket to slide it on.
“Why? Is somethin’ wrong?”
“No. He just said we’ve been out too long.”
Caspian leaned back in the chair, tapping the table with his fingertips.
“You take that gotdamn jacket back off.” Noah just stared at him, as if frozen. “NOW.”
Noah quickly slipped it off and placed it beside him.
His chest swelled with heat as he rolled his tongue around in his mouth, biting his words. Noah kept his gaze downward, sheepishly finishing his drink, sucking liquid that was almost nothing more than sweet vapor and an effervescent memory. Uncle Bobby still treated Noah like a child. Caspian didn’t like it. He didn’t like it one damn bit.
“Do you want to go back home right now, Noah?”
Noah shook his head. “No.”
“Why didn’t you tell him that then?”
The young man shrugged.
“Noah, we put your resume together and you had your first interview last week. Got offered a job. Proof that it went well. Uncle Bobby called in the middle of that damn interview knowin’ you was tryna get a job. That could have cost you the offer. I told him to not do such a thing again. I took ya to the dentist last month. You hadn’t been in four years. You were nervous, so I stayed with you. They found three cavities. A damn shame. Uncle Bobby was blowin’ up your phone, and mine, interrupting the dental service. Can’t even get some fucking fillings without him acting like his feet are on fire!”
“Are you mad at Daddy, Caspian?”
“I’m disappointed in your daddy, Noah, that’s what I am. I agreed to go to church with you two a few Sundays ago. Uncle Bobby wanted to sit with us instead of allowing you and me to spend some time together there. Hovering over us like some helicopter. I took Uncle Bobby to the grocery store. What did he do the whole time? Complain about who ain’t doing what and ask what you and I talk about on the phone and when we go out. It’s none of his damn business. Now see, he knows not to try and be slick with me…” He shook his finger in Noah’s direction. “He thinks I can’t see what he’s doing, but I can. He’s getting under my skin. I’m becoming resentful. When I become resentful, bad things happen.”
“Mama said he’s a little controlling sometimes, but it’s just because he’s protective.”
“Bullshit. She knew that was bullshit, too. A big ass excuse so you wouldn’t judge ’er for putting up with it. If she’d put her foot down, it would have never happened, or at least not gotten to that level in the first place. He knows I won’t tolerate any strongarming or bullying. But you? You’re too fucking nice and too damn sweet. You’ve got a heart of gold. He manipulates you and takes advantage because he knows he can. He wants a slave, not a son.”