Letting Him In | BWWM

Chapter 17

Audrey's POV

"Sis?" Maleah turned to me for permission as we both stood frozen in shock.

"We gotta get some pictures with this." Saniyah says.

"Who the fuck is Mr. Bailey?" Trae asked. "Missy better not be fucking with no old ass man. I'll whoop her myself."

"I think its somebody Audrey hired." Brenden responds.

"Nah, more like fucking." Pebbles whispered in my ear snapping me out of my trance as she nudged me.

I roll my eyes at her and made my way over to Maleah.

"Surprise!" I exclaimed gaining everyone's attention. "It's a favor I asked from my um.. coworker at the hotel."

"Dayummm." Everybody hummed around us.

"That is nice. I'ma have to see if they hiring."

"What hotel she work at?"

"So we gon' trust a random man showing up on a white horse? We don't know him." Brenden fussed.

"OKAY." I silenced the commotion. "Let's just get some pictures of Maleah on the horse and in the carriage."

Maleah grinned and held the bottom of her dress as she ran over to the horse and began stroking it. Aunt June immediately began snapping pictures off every movement Maleah made in hopes of catching the perfect picture. Uncle Ronnie and Trae marched up to the man in the tux and by the way Trae has his arms crossed and Uncle Ronnie with his behind his back– I could only assume they were interrogating him.

"Sis, come get a picture with me. Eli and Lyse come in too." Maleah waved us over.

Elijah—who would rather be playing Call of Duty—dragged his feet as me and Elyse got on either side of Maleah.

"It's just a picture. Lighten up." I nudge Elijah as I wrap my arm around his shoulder and pull him into me. He rolls his eyes but turns towards Aunt June as she holds the camera up.

Once she snapped a few photos of all of us, we each got one individually before her friends pulled up in a limo. The limo parked behind the carriage and her friends wasted no time running up to the horse.

"I'd rather ride in this and y'all take the limo!" Her friend, Arielle, exclaims.

The sun was officially setting by the time we finished taking pictures of Maleah with her friends and with her date. They still had dinner reservations at a hibachi restaurant that they had to get to before so they were already running significantly late.

The rest of my family begin to retreat into the house to prepare the food and most likely start drinking by the time Maleah was leaving. I recorded as the man held his hand out and helped Maleah step up and into the carriage. The huge smile on her face made my heart smile. My heart felt full knowing that she's happy in this moment. I know pretty soon she'll have her graduation and then she'll be leaving the house.

A part of me felt jealous in that moment as much as I hate to admit it. I'm happy for Maleah and want her to accomplish her goals and dreams and never limit herself, but a part of me can't help but feel sorry for me since I didn't have someone in my corner—rooting for me to do the same. Its silly of me to think that. Deep down I know that if I really wanted to, I would've did it without anybody's permission or validation.

I just couldn't.

"Drey you want a hurricane?!" Saniyah yelled from peaking out the front door.

From the small crack she had opened I could hear the laughter and the music playing clear as day. In that moment I realized I'm the only one still outside and the limo and carriage are no where in sight.