Deception's Game (The Misses Book 2)

27

That thought took him to his moments with Reeza. She had to see what he saw to continue to be his plaything. He walked out of the bathroom, a tinge of pain flickered at a recessed corner of his heart.  [Maybe I should ask about his feelings for her?]  He hastifully threw his clothes on and headed towards the smell of food and the sound of music.

Grayson had turned on some light jazz and was sitting on the patio next to his pool. He was on the phone. Looking at his brother's smiling face while he laughed made that flicker turn into a small flame. There was no doubt in his mind that he was talking to Reeza. When Grayson noticed Luke approaching, he turned around and quickly waved at him to sit. Luke watched him wrap up his call, then Grayson poured a little gasoline on the small flame in his heart, “I love Reeza.” He said low and sensuously.

Luke mentally grabbed his chest. If Grayson found out his dirty secret, he wouldn’t be able to talk his way out of it. Reeza’s potential to break up his relationship with Grayson had tripled. The cooks worked to get the food on the table as Luke looked down at the table in deep thought. “What’s wrong?” Grayson asked. “Did your wife call you again this morning? To be honest I thought her jaw was broken. I surely didn’t expect her to be able to talk so soon.” He continued.

Grayson’s words threw him off balance, “How did you know about that?” 

“She called me looking for you but I didn’t answer the phone. I can only say that she called me because you also did not answer the phone. Right?”  Grayson winked and nodded towards him.

“You got me. My bad. I haven’t decided if I want to go down that road yet. Thinking of loved ones… Who were you talking to? Reeza?” Luke said, then rested his chin in his hand.

“Yes.”

“What made you fall in love with someone over, what?, six years younger than you?”

“I know its hard to believe. A man like myself who is popular among the women of Lagos and I choose her. “ Luke smiled and sat back in his chair, picking at the strawberries and blueberries on his plate. 

“Reeza doesn’t know but I have known of her existence since she started going to my uni. She was so young and brilliant. I didn’t want to come off creepy, so I did the least creepy thing I could do. I watched her from afar. Trying my damndest on a daily basis not to make eye contact with her.” Grayson paused and chuckled. Luke was looking at him with a suspicious glare in his eyes. 

“I never acted on any desire. I’m not a monster. Even on the night, I finally got to officially meet Reeza at our graduation party. She was sixteen and breathtakingly beautiful, it took everything in me not to at least hold her until she regained consciousness. DON’T ask! That's another story for, perhaps, another time. “ He waited for Luke’s curiosity to diminish, then continued.

“The moment that I realized she was attracted to me, I knew I had to somehow help her stay focused on me until she turned eighteen. So we started talking when she was 17. Every conversation felt like I was talking to a long lost best friend. It was easy. It’s always been easy. We have our separate lives but we exist in each other’s heart, one hundred percent of the time. “

“I can’t imagine your father being okay with this,” Luke said.

“You are right. But I told him she is what’s best for me. And no matter the consequences, I decided years ago, if I could have her I would never let her go.”

“Damn. That’s deep. Sounds like you need to be planning your wedding.” Luke said, then pulled a roll apart.. He watched his cousin’s demeanor change.

“What is it?”

“I’m not supposed to tell anyone this, so I want you to swear on Aunty Chris’ life you will not repeat what I am about to say.” Grayson tried to say Luke’s mother’s name softly. The wrong inflection would drive him to even kill him. Luke held his fork tight and squatted partially out of his seat.

“You dare.” He growled, with his teeth gritted, ready to strike if Grayson mumbled another word about his mother.

“ Please calm down. I just needed you to understand the gravity of the secret.”Grayson’s heart thumped hard against his ribs. Luke was taking longer than expected to calm down.

After his hand released the fork and he was properly seated, Grayson continued. “I can not propose or even think about marriage until her father gives the okay.”

“Why are you letting  a middle class….” Before Luke finished his statement, he thought about the car Reeza drove to the warehouse that night. It wasn’t the same one she drove to stalk Lana. They were both rare and expensive vehicles. He wasn’t supposed to have seen either vehicle, so he couldn’t say anything about them.

“Luke?”

“Sorry. Uhm. Lost my thought for a moment. Uhm. A middle-class man shouldn’t dictate your relationship.”

“That’s just it. After I fell in love with her, I found out who her father is.” Grayson leaned in closer to Luke. “Levi Hindrickson.”

“WHAT THE f**k?! Are you kidding??!”  Luke yelled, then stood up from the table.

“Nope.” Grayson sighed again. “As soon as he says I can have her hand in marriage, I’m taking it. Unconditionally.”

Luke settled into his thoughts and his chair while sipping on a mango energy drink. This changed everything. He could no longer f**k Reeza or give a moment of his existence to her. It was clear his brother s***h cousin would walk away from his family to be with her.

Then he smiled and thought to himself, “You dirty dog.” Reeza’s mom was depressed because her baby’s father was hitting the town with another woman. “Well damn,” Luke whispered, then looked away from Grayson.