Chapter 25: Chapter 25

- Rising dictator

James's pov

The drive to the Barbson's was about fifteen minutes. I had texted Dawn to inform the security I was approaching so I could be allowed in at once, and I was.

As soon as she came out of the car, both her aunts rushed to her side.

''Oh baby," Aunt Monic cooed. "We were worried sick about you. We thought..." she stopped, trailing till her eyes landed on me.

"James"

I smiled. "Ma'am, I'm sorry. It was my fault." I was going to elaborate when Dawn cut in.

"Oh come on aunties. She's twenty- damn- two! We don't get to say when she decides to come home, or if she decides to sleep out," he intervened. I gave him a thumbs up mentally.

Phew, thank you, big man.

Just when I let out a sigh of relief, Uncle Jamison's presence loomed over the door for a few seconds, before he appeared. Followed by a laugh so sarcastic.

"So, father and mother leave, and the child stays out till she deems fit. Another child plays the part of a lawyer, defending his supposedly best friend because as it is, he now takes his sister out till he's content."

The urge to roll my eyes when he clapped dramatically was almost irresistible.

"That your parents aren't around doesn't mean the principle we uphold will be let down. It is very disrespectful that you didn't see me worthy of a father figure. You don't seem to give me the respect you give your father. I will not sit and watch you behave like those white kids who can do as they please. You are not white, and you will not start adopting their ways!" he barked.

They all turned to face the rising dictator, with amusement on their faces.

Sia clapped a hand over her mouth as a giggle escaped, earning her a stern look from her uncle.

Letting out a dry laugh, Deila shook her head as she took a stance. "If you think I'm still that little girl who used to fear you and your rants then you must be kidding yourself. Look around." she gestured.

"Don't you feel like your attempts at earning respect is making you somewhat a joke? If a person deserves respect they don't ask for it before they get it. Respect is one thing that comes naturally and oh," she paused. "To those who deserve it ."

I wanted to applaud her for the way she stood up to him. No one ever did. Not out of respect or fear of him, but because of their dad, Mr.Barbson. It was reasonable for them to not want their dad to have issues with his only brother.

I looked to the said person to see the whole of him radiating with anger. I had heard before then that he had anger issues. I prepared myself in case he dared to take it out on Dei.

He'd have me to face then. I bet his anger wouldn't match mine.

"Deila watch your words or you'll eat them," he spat in a threat.

I saw two shadows emerging from the house... a voice followed.

"What's going on here?" It was Eva.

I heard the clearing of throat before Aunt Mona and Monic both said, "Nothing," in unison. Of course, they'd cover for him.

Lari hummed and I knew without a doubt they didn't buy it.

" Hi, James!" Lari chirped.

I waved at her, unfortunately bringing Uncle Jamison's attention back to me. He gave me a death glare, which I didn't know the cause of. I hadn't even said a word since he came out, only out of respect for the Barbson's. I never was his best person and he never was mine.

I gave nothing away to his hard glare. He turned and went away. Aunt Monic and Mona followed after him seconds later.

''Hey man. I'm sorry about that..." Dawn started then paused. "Don't even know what to call it." He scratched the back of his neck.

I snorted. "It's no new thing, bro," I shrugged off.

Looking from Eva to Lari it dawned on me I wasn't supposed to meet them. Not that I didn't want to — they were excellent to be around— but because they were supposed to be back in LA.

"I thought Eva and Lari were supposed to have gone already?" I couldn't stop myself from asking.

''Woo! Chill bro, are you sending us away? You don't like us do you?" Lari asked pouting.

"C'mon, of course, I do," I drawled, flashing her a smile.

Dawn tsked. "Not this one, " he declared as he brought his hands to circle Lari's waist.

''Dumb head, not that way. If their names don't start with a D and end with an A, then nah."

Dei's brows drew together, albeit trying to figure out what I meant, while the others gave her mischievous looks. I saw the moment it dawned on her because she rolled her eyes and tittered.

''Why do I feel like I'm the 5th- wheeler here? Just to let y'all know, I'm engaged," Eva whined holding up her hand for us to see the rock causing the rest of us to laugh. "And to answer your question, James, we were supposed to go tomorrow, but Die's aunties insisted on next. So tomorrow we'll be hanging out with Dei, then the next day we take off.'' she puffed and shut an imaginary gun. so cool to vibe with.

"Oh, I'm going to miss you," Sia imputed with a pout. "I feel like I've known you longer."

''Awww" cooed Lari and Eva in unison.

''Okay now, leave this for later. James needs to go home and we have to decide where we'll be hanging out tomorrow," Eva deadpanned.

Just then an idea formed in my head. Great.

"How about we hang out at my place tomorrow?" I asked, trying not to give myself away in desperation. "If you guys want to of course. It's okay if you don't want to," I added nonchalantly.

''Your place?" Sia asked with a stunning look. ''You've got a place now?" she asked again.

''Yeah, he just said so," Dawn grunted.

''Boom! It's sorted then. If it's big enough we could even have a small party or something," she suggested with delight. "If only you did like my kinda friends and James fancied crowds.'' she pouted.

''Sia, Sia. Always about parties," Dei sing-sang. "You always be about parties, don't you? James did well by offering us his place but-"

"But nothing," Eva's no-up-for-arguments tone cut her off in a rush.

She turned to me. "We'll hang out at your place."

''And it shouldn't be just us girls. James and Dawn, y'all invited,'' Lari suggested. ''Dei?''

"Yeah?"

''Could you invite Nathaniel? Since we are all hanging out, Eva and I won't be able to hang out with him and he wanted to bid us with dinner."

"Alright I'd ask Nat over," Dei said begrudgingly.

"Nat is a guy we met at the airport, turns out he also works at Barbson Empire and was assigned to put Dei through," Eva explained to me and Dawn.

Dawn looked at me thoughtfully, but there was no surprise on his face. He knows the girls are acquitted with that jerk.

Turned out a major asshole I wish I didn't know was the same guy the girls had to be acquitted with, to place the icing on the cake, he was also working with Dei. I didn't miss that Dei was already on a nickname basis with him.

Does it have to be him? I thought as a pang began to rise in my stomach, I couldn't figure what.

"Are you okay with that James?" Eva asked.

I thought about it for a second, I wanted the girls to have a great time with whomever, but I didn't like the guts of the aforementioned a bit. To think I hadn't even confirmed if it was him, there just might be another Nathaniel working in the Barbson Empire as an executive, so I nodded yes to Eva's question.

"The fuck?" Dawn cursed walking to me with what was an agitated demeanor. "You want Nathaniel Timothy in your house? With his handbag, he always carries in the person of Alexander? Are you insane?''

"What? You know him?" Dei queried.

"Yeah, he does and t-"

''Leave it, Dawn," I quickly asserted in a warning. I knew what he was going to say, and I didn't want Dei to hear it. "It's cool. You can invite whomever you want.''

Dawn's hard glare held mine in a silent argument. I knew he was about to bring up buried issues, deteriorated even. And I wasn't the type to hold a grudge.

Stop lying to yourself man, you only don't want dirty beans spilled in front of your woman. My woman? Yes, she's yours.

I shut the voice in my head, but I didn't argue with it. My breath caught in my throat as Dei's eyes meet mine. Shit. How did that happen?

When she gave me a secret smile I wanted to walk to her and kiss her, then tell her she was mine as we panted, but I held back. That could wait even though the last thing I wanted was to wait.

"Do we call it a night?" Sia asked yawning.

Everyone agreed with murmurs of yeah's and then it was just I and Dei.

I smirked when she fumbled with her fingers.

Mine.

"So..." I drawled.

She arched her brow up, taking a step backward as I took two closer. "So?"

"How's our date going to end?" I asked and she giggled. The sound doing what it always does, making my heart race.

"I don't understand what you mean." she shrugged innocently.

"I know the air isn't very clear yet," I paused. Taking my hand up her face, I held her chin up with my thumb. "And I know we are going to have to clear it, but before then." I held her glassy honey eyes. I could easily have drowned in them. "Do I get to kiss you?"

I saw it when her breath caught and I also saw when her eyes darted to my lips before her eyes fluttered close. "Yes, " she whispered breathlessly.

My own eyes fluttered close as I touched my lips to hers. I tightened my fist when she let out a moan. The sound always undid me.

Placing my hands at the small of her back, I deepened the kiss with my tongue imploding her mouth and earning me a soft whimper from her.

God. She's going to have to stop making those sounds or I'd go crazy, I thought.

She wrapped her hands around my neck, her hands massaging my scalp through my locks. I pressed her closer to me as my other hand wrapped around her waist, just then my phone decided to ring. Bloody thing!

I ignored it and continued to kiss her, but she stopped, bite my lips, and then broke away.

"Aren't you going to get that?"

I shook my head no and pouted my lips to touch hers.

She chuckled. "Answer it...might be your mum.''

With a sigh, I grudgingly took the phone from my pocket to answer it. "Hello?"

"You should've told me you weren't coming home tonight, instead of letting me worry so much," Mum's voice immediately came.

Shit. Ma. How the hell did I forget to call her?

"I'm sorry mum. I'm on my way home now."

''Okay, Safe love." she hung up.

I wrapped my hands around Dei's waist again. "Hey"

"Get going" she gave me a playful shove. "Night"

"Ah-ha! You just say you're sending me away." I pouted.

She laughed, a sound so genuine. "You should see your face," she said through laughs and I joined her.

"Alright, night," I bade her.

I caught her smile before she turned to go inside the house. I watched her retreating figure until she was out of sight.

My eyes couldn't just stay off her. My mind just couldn't stop filming the whole of her.

What a day, I thought with a sigh as I drove off.