The Unusual Suspects Book 2

Iris

We were all sitting at the house having this awkwardly silent ass dinner that had me puzzled. I know Charles felt it too because he looked at me strangely out the corner of his eye. None of the tribe had spoken since the food hit the table and it was weird.                                                                      "So I know the food is good, don't get me wrong, but why y'all so damn quiet?"                                    "I'm trying to figure that out to, because I promise I thought I came back with the best news ever, but I guess I'm wrong." Riek said. Oh shit...something happened.                                                       "No one said it wasn't good news, but it's the things surrounding it, not so much." Aries quickly said and Charles tapped me with his foot.                                                                                                                "We can give y'all a minute if you need it." Charles said as we started to get up from the table.        "Naw, this is y'all house, y'all might want to stick around." Aries said and I could feel something bad was brewing, me and Charles sat back down. "So y'all wanna do this, let's do it." she said.     "I mean talk, because I'm lost and clearly there's been other conversations that's been had and I must be oblivious, so maybe y'all take the floor." Riek said.                                                                               "Okay so let's address the elephant in the room: You've been wrapped up in India hella hard. And that's cool don't get me wrong. But if that's where your focus is, then be real with us though." Araya said calmly.                                                                                                                                               "Wait...so this is about me? If I'm causing a rift in the situation to you guys, I can j..." Depth started before Aries shook her head and raised her hand.                                                                               "Naw this is not about you Babe. Listen, we love and adore you. You were never the problem, so do not take it that way. We absolutely welcomed you with open arms and you have literally divided your time between all of us so well and I appreciate getting to bond with you. The problem is we see how Riek is with you and it's different. I'm all for everyone branching out and whatnot, but we gotta keep it G. You've never been poly and I thought you might not have adapted appropriately, but you did. It's just since you came in to the tribe, he's been 100% about you."        "Or that's your perception. If that were true, how is it that I managed to even secure that crib for all of us? But I guess that part got missed in translation." he said as he set the deed on the table.   "Good shit bruh." Chuckie said to him and I was honestly thinking the same thing.                               "Thanks, at least you see my determination." Riek said passively.                                                                    "So...me and Riek had been trying to look for houses for the past couple of weeks and this is probably why it seems like we were all into each other, but it really wasn't like that. I know some people and he had specific wants so I was trying to make sure any of the realtors that I know were able to come with it." Depth said.                                                                                                                         "I hear you both, don't get me wrong. But at the same time, I see it in all in his face when he looks at you. It's like this look of adoration, lust, love, perhaps even enchantment in his eyes that we don't see when he looks at either of us. And trust me, you know I love you both unconditionally and this is exactly what I wanted, but it's not going how I saw it in my mind." Araya admitted. This shit was getting heavy and uncomfortable.                                                                     "So that's when you come talk to me. Like we've been able to communicate with no problem up until this point. Now all of a sudden you're talking to each other and not me, but I'm the problem?? That's a contradiction if I ever heard one in my life." Riek said and he was right.               "Okay, you're right. We should've came and talked to you. But realistically how do you even start that conversation with somebody? And look at it from my perspective. We done been through some shit. Like we've lost children together, we've been homeless a couple of times, we've been together through jail stints, hospital stays, and everything. So how do I start it off Riek? Please tell me." Aries said and he never took his eyes off of her.                                                         "The same way you just did. I can't even believe you would second guess anything after being able to rattle off everything that we've been through. And this is aside from Araya and India, we've been rocking strong for years! Listen you have to come harder than that Erika." I don't think I've ever felt this much emotion in one room ever in my life. And the crazy part, for the first time I saw Riek with tears in his eyes and I don't know if that hurt was ever gonna subside.              "I think I'm gonna  go." Depth said as she stood up and backed away from the table.                          "No! Don't leave." Araya said before she stood up and walked over to her and embraced her tightly. I looked over at Charles who looked as confused as I was too. "I don't want you to go until y'all hear what I have to say and then you can make a decision after that." she said as she sat Depth back down in the chair. "Listen India, you know me and you have some deep ass history too, the same way they went through shit together, we've been through some shit together. I remember when you single handedly saved me from that damn pimp years ago. And I know without a shadow of a doubt, that that was real love. Most people would never go that hard for a hoe...but you did. I hurt you when I wanted to branch out and be with them and I'm sorry for that. But I never wanted it to be without you, but you weren't into what we all are. Then eventually we warmed you up to it and here you are. But I know dep down inside, this life isn't for you and I respect that. Realistically you're a fantastic woman and Riek you're a wonderful man. Y'all deserve each other. Me and Ericka talked it over so many times and we're okay with this. You two were meant for each other and I don't want to hold you back from that." Araya said and  I was so at a loss for words. There was tension so thick that you could cut it with a knife for real. This was some movie shit for real.                                                                                                                        "So y'all making the decisions without even asking us what we wanted though, right?" Riek said.