Page 35 of Juliet's Echo

"I'll tell you what it was about." Alonse's voice came from behind his book. "He likes the young lady that fool was plotting on. You should have broken his jaw, little cousin."

Christian looked over. "You were going to jump in, Alonse?"

"Quite the contrary, young tike. I've had quite enough of Havenbrook and its devilishly charming women," he said, closing his notebook and heading toward the house.

Christian and I looked at each other.

The hell did he mean by that?

Juliet + Echo

Juliet

There were only two rules you followed when going to Sunday's. One — you took your reservation seriously. CP time was not a thing. And two — you dressed the part. No jeans, no head coverings unless for religious purposes, and absolutely no fighting. Sunday herself would come down and snatch you up with the quickness, reminding you this wasn't the family cookout. And you definitely didn't want her daughter Ali to come see about you. Come dressed to impress and on your best behavior. Those were the terms.

"Step back and turn around girl, let me see that ass," Yahya teased from the FaceTime call.

I was so absorbed in my own reflection that I hadn't caught a single word she said. And no — this wasn't a conceited moment, even though my orange blush and glossy chestnut lip combo was absolutely tea. Call me crazy, but lately every time I looked in the mirror I sawher.Not my mother. I know that probably doesn'tmake a bit of sense, but I believed it was the woman who used to read Shakespeare to me. I never saw her face — only ever heard her voice, always comforting. But the older I got, the more she was starting to take shape in my reflection.

Let me make a mental note to bring this up with my therapist.

The house lights began to flash — a precautionary installation because of my disability — signaling someone was at the door.

"Oh shit," I signed, finally catching Yahya's attitude from being ignored this long. She was still going and that's when I realized my ears had completely checked out. Between my mother's stand mixer running, my father cursing because Echo had beaten him at chess —"three goddamn times in a row,"his words not mine — and Brandy'sNever Say Nevervinyl spinning in my room, my hearing left.

That and the fact that my nerves were shot because I was secretly meeting Nazir at Sunday's for a date — after Echo had repeatedly said no.

Choo-Choo was worse than my own daddy. I don't know another girl alive more afraid to explore her own free will, let alone be caught being even slightly reckless, because her brother and his people might genuinely make someone disappear. Echo must have had some kind of quiet understanding with my father because Daddy never — and I mean never — went against anything Echo said. Not when it came to me. Mylo and Zion were no better. If Choo-Choo said no, they fell in line. Every single time.

I grabbed my "Birkins" and placed one in each ear. The settling in my eyes and the ease that returned to my shoulders was all Yahya needed to know I could hear her again.

"My bad, Yah — say it again."

"I said give me a three-sixty."

I spun slowly in my lilac off-shoulder mini dress. Long sleeves, ruffled and dramatic. Hair slicked into a sleek ponytail, edges laid like expensive flooring.

"Okay, Ju-Ju. One bend to pick up something you accidentally dropped and Nazir is going to see all of that."

Laughing, I rolled up the front of my dress to reveal the matching shorts strategically sewn into the lining.

She couldn't help but chuckle. "Mm-hmm. Okay, Ms. Prepared. You prepared for that ass whooping Echo has waiting for you when he finds out?"

I responded with my favorite gesture. My middle finger.

"Don't get mad at me because your brother is a walking chastity belt. He is fine as hell though — ole Lance Gross looking ass. I would sure love to get on my knees and—"

I felt my oatmeal threatening to make a reappearance and cut my fast ass friend off before she ruined my entire outfit. "Yah, please. Stop. Eww."

"Whatever, hoe. Ain't nothing eww about old man Echo. You should let me put this young pussy on him — I promise he won't have time to be in your business," she said with full, unbothered confidence.

"Anyways," I rolled my eyes. "I know Choo-Choo means well but I can't keep letting him run my life. It was cute when I was younger but now it's just annoying. You know my rose does absolutely nothing for me anymore? Like I can't even get there on vibration and imagination alone — I need a real man," I whined.

The unusually long silence from my otherwise very vocal friend made me glance at my phone screen. Yahya was in deep thought.

"Choo-Choo, huh." She nodded slowly, absentmindedly grinding in her makeup chair. "Yeah — I would definitely let hischocolate ass conduct all of this. I'll be his personal train car. All aboard, daddy."

"Bye, hoe," I laughed, ending the FaceTime.