Extending An Invitation

I sat straight up when my alarm went off, not that I had been asleep. I hadn’t been able to sleep after my phone call with Ramira and watching Leah’s dates with Armadillo had further made sleep impossible. I was just glad that she made it through the night without bringing up the topic of a relationship. Today’s activities would definitely be harder if she had. After quickly showering, I jogged to the large field where I kept all of our members’ cars. I looked around, wondering which vehicle I should use before deciding on the black Chrysler 300. As soon as I slid in behind the wheel and started it, the engine purred to life immediately. I grinned as I ran my hand over the dashboard.

“Did you miss daddy, my beautiful little girl?” I cooed. “Daddy missed you too. We have a big day ahead of us. I need you to be a good girl and impress your future mother, because one day soon, I hope that you will be hers.”

I drove to the gate before turning the car off, and got out, pocketing the keys. I hummed a little as I made my way to Leah’s house. I unlocked her house, kneeling down immediately to greet Sugar before she started barking her head off. I caught her in my arms, hugging her tightly as she eagerly licked my face for a moment before I sent her downstairs to use the bathroom. When she was done, I quietly led her through the house to the kitchen where I quickly whipped her up some pancakes and cheesy scrambled eggs. I was pouring her juice when the kitchen door opened behind me. I couldn’t help the immediate smile that graced my face at her presence. I wiped it off my face as I turned around to place her cup of juice next to her plate of food.

“Good morning, Phoenix,” I told her.

“What are you doing here?” She asked, crossing her arms over her chest as she leaned against the wall.

“You are going to eat and then you are going to go shower and get ready to leave,” I told her.

“Why?” She inquired.

“Because you and I are going on a small field trip.”

“Field trip? To where?” She questioned.

I shrugged. “Just a little party.”

She narrowed her eyes on me. “What’s a little party?”

“A wedding.”

“A wedding? No. Take someone else,” she said as she walked up to the bar to grab her plate and juice. “Thanks for breakfast. You can see yourself out now. Armadillo will be here soon. I would like for you to be gone when he arrives. I have a big day ahead of me. You know, important conversations.”

I waited for her to step out of the door before calling out, “It’s Joey’s and Maddie’s wedding.”

I saw her pause for a moment before continuing on her way, making me grin.

“Gotchu,” I murmured as I began to make myself a plate.

I was almost done eating when the front door opened. Moments later, Armadillo walked into the kitchen saying, “What’s for breakfast? It smells delicio– R. H. M. Good morning. You’re out and about early.”

I tilted my head as I raised my glass of orange juice. “That I am. Good morning, Armadillo.”

“Did you spend the night here?” He asked.

“No,” I answered smugly.

“Then what are you doing here? The sun isn’t even up.”

“He’s taking me on an outing,” Leah said as she breezed back into the room.

“To where?” Armadillo questioned as he turned toward her.

“To a wedding.”

He stepped toward her, and I knew that he was trying to block me from her view. “Who’s wedding? Yours?”

Her eyes widened as she glanced at me. “What? No! We’re not–I mean, we’re not even. I–”

“Yeah, okay, Phoenix. I understand. No worries. Have fun. Be safe,” he snapped before turning around to storm out of the house.

I tossed my cup into the sink before going after him. “OI! ARMADILLO!” I yelled. “LET’S TALK! MAN TO MAN!”

He put his arm up in the air with his middle finger up. “Fuck off, R. H. M,” he shouted back before spinning to stomp back to me. “Actually, yeah. Let’s talk! Let’s talk about how you’ve avoided her this whole last week. Let’s talk about how every single fucking time you intentionally hurt her feelings, she comes to me to support her. This isn’t fair to her or to me!”

“You have no idea what you’re talking about! I don’t intentionally hurt her! And I won’t fucking tolerate you saying otherwise! You have no idea how I feel about her! Hell, she even refuses to accept how I feel about her! So, don’t come at me like I’m doing something wrong! I am trying so fucking hard to change for her! Do you think I would be doing any of this ‘healing’ shit if I didn’t care about her? Trust me, I wouldn’t. It hurts.”

“I know because I do it every day. Every single fucking day. Just because I’m ‘okay’ doesn’t mean that I am. Wasn’t it you that said that healing isn’t a one and done thing? It’s something that we will have to do for the rest of our lives,” he spat.

“I did. I know you don’t think I’m good for her–”

“No, you’re wrong. I don’t think, I know that you’re not good for her. She needs someone that will understand her struggle. She needs someone who is going to be willing to struggle with her and trust her to struggle with them too. You will never be good enough for her,” he told me angrily.

“And what makes someone good for another one if it’s not caring about them?” I asked.

“The ability to tell them how you feel like I did,” he said as he put his hands in his pockets while his head dropped defeatedly, making my blood go cold.

“What do you mean like you did?”

“I told her I loved her, R. H. M.”

“You did what?”

“You heard me. I hoped that all our time together this past week would make her start to see me in a new light, but now I am even more sure that no one, not even me, will ever compare to you. So, you know what? You win. I give up. I love her, but I don’t want to waste my life loving someone who won’t ever love me back. It’s not fair at all,” he told me.

I glanced over my shoulder at the porch where she stood watching us while she twisted her hands together. I sighed as I mirrored his position.

“Fuck. I hate what I’m about to say but it needs to be said. Don’t give up on her, Armadillo. She’s a wonderful woman,” I said.

“Yeah, whatever. Like I really believe you meant that,” he spat as he turned away from me.

“She might choose you.”

“No she won’t. I bet by the time you two get back, you will have slept together and are in a relationship. Don’t kid yourself or me, she’s going to choose you. She’ll always choose you. Just promise me that when she does, you will do your best not to hurt her,” he requested.

“I promise.”

His eyes slid over my shoulder to Leah for a moment before he sighed and turned away. I watched him walk away for a few seconds before my eyes were drawn to Leah as she dashed by me, calling for Armadillo. I clenched my jaw tightly as he slowed down for her to catch up to him. I never wanted the ability to read lips as much as I did right at that moment. I held my breath when she hugged him before kissing his cheek and coming back over to me with a big smile on her face.

“Are you ready?” She asked.

I nodded my head in the direction that Armadillo went. “Are you sure you want to leave your boyfriend here?”

She rolled her eyes as she put her hands on her hips. “Let me make something very clear to you. He’s not my boyfriend. Not that it’s any of your business.” She poked my chest. “But don’t even start to think that I won’t be having that discussion with him when I get back. It’s just not a conversation one should have right before going off on a trip with another man.”

I grinned at her. “Understood.”

“Good. Now, let’s go. I’m ready to meet Maddie.”

She stomped off toward the gate while I chuckled behind her. I’d let her keep thinking that she wanted to go because of Maddie. At least for now. When we got there, it was going to be an entirely different situation. I wasn’t going to let her keep hiding behind the thought of Maddie. And when we got back, our time away would keep her from asking Armadillo to be her boyfriend. I would make sure of it.