Deceitful | Book 3

| S I X |

Past-
BRUCE

Man, Tereny had been running something serious through my mind. As much as I would like to forget about her, I just couldn't shake her off. I knew that I shouldn't be worried about the situation due to the fact that I told Cheri that I didn't want to mess with Tereny anymore.

    My intentions were to let Cheri do whatever she felt, but without me being involved. It just didn't feel right. I just wanted to forget I had anything to do with that crazy shit there. I just wanna be Cheri's little brother, her protected- at certain extents, and the one to be there when she needs me the most. That is all. No funny shit. She had many of friends who were into being petty right along with her ass. And I can admit from experience, my big sister is the Queen of Pettiness.

    Part of me felt guilty for my doing in the whole situation between Cheri and Tereny. And although Tereny's wrong, I just can't blame her for none of the shit that's happening right now. It's Martray's fault. And the more I place the blame on him, the more I start to despise his ass.

    Taking a deep breath, I just try to push everything to the back of my mind as I focused on the road, traveling to Orlando.

    Cheri and Cashmere had left about two hours before me, so they were somewhere waiting on me. I told Cheri that I would call her once I made it to the hotel that I insisted on staying at. I didn't know her mom's side of the family like that to just be staying at their house. Cashmere was going to be staying with me at the hotel though; she insisted on that she wanted to be with me the whole time and I was cool with that.

    I swear, sometimes, Cashmere really made me want kids of my own. That reason being because I felt I'd be a great father. And I've been told all the time of how young I am only because I'm seventeen and all that, but what does that matter? Of course, I have a whole life ahead of me, but let's be clear... Age is just a number controlled by the government. My age doesn't make me less of a man. Honestly, growing up, fighting for my father's attention at a young age is what made me grow up quickly. Seeing my mother carry on the way she did, miserable, always depressed because my father abandoned her, I had to be a man for her.

    Man, I was six years old, mopping the kitchen floor, taking out the trash, mowing the lawn. You name it, I did it all for my moms so that she didn't have to. She worked enough and I felt sorry for her. And the fact that she tried hiding things from me about what my father did, how he treated her, I'd already picked up on everything. I observed it all.

    And although my father wasn't always there, part of his absence made me the way that I am right now. Just meeting Martray put the icing on it all. Yea, I learned a lot from Martray when it came to being a man and taking care of home. And with all this shit he putting my sister through, I don't want Cashmere to catch on even though I think she will. I just want to keep her as distracted as I can.

    Cashmere is the innocent one in all this. And because of what's happening, she's suffering the most, same way I did growing up. What's done is done, but if I can help it, I try. I honestly have no choice but to grow the fuck up.

    And as funny as the shit seems, Tereny's innocent too. I couldn't help but feel guilty, just thinking about her and how much the kiss we shared had actually changed feelings around. I'm feeling her and I can't deny it anymore. Cheri will flip on me. I know she will. But I knew what I wanted and who would I be fooling if I keep pretending?

    While stopping at a red light, I grabbed my phone from off of the armrest and went to Tereny's contact. I had to hear her voice again.

    The phone had started to ring and all I could do was brace myself. After about a few rings, I heard her pick up.