The Ex Project by Nia Arthurs

Chapter Thirty-Four

“It smellslike the Belize Zoo in here.” Gio clipped his nose and tiptoed past empty crates of Belizean fried chicken, beer cans, and empty potato chip bags.

“Check if something died,” Emmanuel murmured. “I’ll open the windows.”

“Ugh.”

“Is that… mold on the edge of that pizza box?”

“Don’t touch my pizza!” Duane shot up from the couch and all the game play sketches and football magazines that had gathered on his body fluttered to the ground.

“Gah!” Gio lurched back.

Emmanuel jumped and laid frightened brown eyes in his direction. “Duane? Were you under there the whole time?” His brother inched closer, his nose scrunched. Picking at one of the sheets on the floor, he tilted his head. “What’s this?”

“My presentation for the Caribbean Football Association tomorrow. I’m flying out to do a press tour.” He wiped drool from the corner of his mouth and checked the time.

Ten o’clock.

Moonlight spilled through his open windows. He’d slept too much of the day away.

Gio winced. “How hard have you been working? You look like crap.”

“Thanks.” He shot his brother a dull look and pushed out of the chair. A loud crunch told him he stepped on a beer can, but Duane barely blinked as he hurried in search of something to quench his thirst.

His brothers followed closely on his heels. He could feel their scrutiny, but it didn’t stop him from slurping down two cups of water in awkward silence.

When he was done, he set the glass back on the table and rasped, “Save this intervention for a couple minutes, I need to hit the john.”

Gio and Manny exchanged glances.

He ignored them and headed down the hall.

Upon his return to the living room, he found his brothers working hard, picking up his beer bottles, empty food containers and trashing his pizza.

He lurched forward. “Hey! I told you not to touch that.”

“You want to catch food poisoning before your big meeting with the CFA?” Emmanuel yelled.

Duane sulked. “It’s none of your business.”

“I really wish it wasn’t Duane but, unfortunately, your pathetic behind belongs to my family and so what you do matters to me.” Manny shoved the trash bag at Gio, turning his attention to collecting the papers strewn over the room. “What’s wrong with you?”

“Nothing.” He glanced away.

“Mom said you backed out of Sunday dinner and Yolanda declined too. Mom said you both sounded upset when she brought it up.”

“Yolanda was upset?” He resisted the concern that welled within him.

“Did you guys have a fight?”

The pain in his chest intensified. He wanted to lash out at his brothers, but he knew that wasn’t fair. They were here because they cared about him. Though he could have lived with just a phone call rather than a judgmental home visit.

Raking a hand through the beard he’d allowed to grow out, he sighed. “We’ve decided to take a break.”

Gio dropped the trash bag and a whole bunch of cans clattered out of it.

Manny stared at him too. “You? You? Mr. ‘I can’t get enough of her’ asked for a break?”

“She’s the one who asked for it.” Duane collapsed into the couch. The memory of Yolanda’s rejection was still fresh and it took the strength from his legs. “Our first real fight and she didn’t hesitate to run me off.”

“I’m sorry, man.” Gio fell into the chair beside him and then immediately popped back up. “Ugh. You smell like a sewer.”

“You’ve been eating like one too,” Manny said, putting the runaway beer cans into the trash bags.

“My appetite is shot, so I’ve been trying to eat all my favorite things, but food tastes like dirt and beer is the only thing that helps me sleep.”

“You look like you haven’t slept in a week.”

“I haven’t,” he mumbled.

“So then you’re drinking to forget,” Manny said. “And that’s just as bad.”

“How are you coaching football while hungover?”

“I took time off to prepare for the CFA tour.”

Gio’s jaw dropped. “What for? You love coaching.”

“Tell us the truth.” Manny folded his arms over his chest.

“I couldn’t stare at Tay-Tay’s face without feeling like I let him down.” Duane rubbed his throbbing temples. “I needed the space to get my thoughts together and pull back.”

“Pull back?”

“I was already thinking of him as my son.” Duane slapped his chest. “I can’t just turn that off now that Yolanda wants to get back with her ex.”

“She wants what?” Gio scoffed.

“Is that what she told you?”

“More or less.”

“I knew it!” Gio shot a scathing look at the door as if Yolanda was standing there. “I knew that guy was hanging around too much. Why else would you destroy him on the field?” Gio paced the living room. “I warned her not to make things uncomfortable for you! I told her you’d been through enough.”

He narrowed his eyes at his brother. “What exactly did you tell her?”

“That you’d already been through one sucky relationship and you didn’t need a repeat.”

Manny’s tone remained level. “Duane, are you sure she’s back with her ex? Did she tell you that?”

“She went on a date with him.”

“See?” Gio shook his head in disdain. “What other evidence do you need?”

“One date?”

“You want me to dig up security cameras, Manny? Huh? What the hell do you want?”

“For you to get your head out of your—”

“Let’s all calm down.” Gio spread his hands and did a meditation pose. “Inhale. Exhale.”

Duane shot him a glare.

His little brother ducked behind the couch.

“I didn’t get the impression that Yolanda wanted her ex back. From what I saw of her at the party, she’s completely into you.”

Duane’s heart flailed against his chest. He needed a beer.

Manny kept going. “Maybe you misunderstood. Maybe she’s just trying to find a comfortable co-parenting routine with the child’s father. Relationships can be complicated and hard to untangle. Especially when there’s a child involved.”

“So?” Gio argued. “She should have figured all that out before pushing for a relationship with Duane. Why does he have to suffer just because she doesn’t have her old relationship untangled? That’s totally unfair!”

Duane frowned at his brother. “Watch it. Just because Yolanda and I are on a break doesn’t mean you can badmouth her.”

Gio blinked in shock.

Manny smiled. “Talk to her again. When you’re calmer this time.”

“No. I’m not going to do that.”

“Duane.”

“I told her from the start that I don’t want to be in this if she’s not ready.”

“Yeah, but—”

“I also told her that I wouldn’t do anything she wasn’t comfortable with. If she’s still keeping her ex in the wings, it means she’s not ready or comfortable with me. It means she can’t give her all to me. Why would I push someone who’s already screamed that they don’t trust me?”

“How can she trust you if you storm off to another Caribbean country after one fight? Maybe she’s waiting for you to come back so you can work this out.”

Duane wanted to latch on to his brother’s words, but he refused to give himself hope. “I did everything I could to show her I was one hundred percent in this. The ball is in her court now.”

“You’re an idiot.” Manny shook his head.

Duane scowled at him.

“If you’re going to be this immature, then maybe you don’t deserve to have her. She’s got a child to think about. She can’t be bothered to raise you and her son.”

Duane flinched, his brother’s words hitting him hard.

Gio lumbered to his defense. “Hey! Duane is the catch here! He’s a football legend and a Belizean icon. And at least he doesn’t come with a—”

Duane lurched to his feet and stared his brother down. “I dare you to finish that sentence.”

Manny sidled back to the couch and stepped between him and Gio, keeping a close eye on Duane’s fists.

Gio chuckled nervously. “I meant… they’re both adults. She should put in equal effort rather than make him doubt where he stands.”

“It’s not just that.” He stared at his feet. “I can’t help thinking that she’s holding on to her ex for Tay-Tay’s sake.”

“So what? Now it’s okay to betray you because she did it for her son?”

“Maybe having Devon in her life is the best thing for them.” He raked the heel of his palm over his beard. “Maybe he needs his real father in his life. Even if I love him like my own, it doesn’t mean I’ll be the best for him. Maybe she knows that.”

“That’s bull.” Manny walked over to him and put a hand on his shoulder. “I’ve seen so many families in the hospital. Only half of those families are related to the patient by blood. The other half? They’re friends. They’re mentors. They’re coaches and pastors and teachers. You know what those two types of families have in common? They show up when a person is at their lowest. That’s family. They choose each other even when it’s inconvenient or annoying.” Manny’s nostrils flared. “I don’t give a damn if Yolanda comes with a son or a clingy ex or a hundred thousand dollars in debt…”

“I heard she’s an heiress. Duane is the one with debt.”

Both he and Manny glared at their little brother.

Gio raised a hand. “Just saying.”

Manny turned to him. “If you’ve decided they’re your family, you have to put in the effort to fight for them. Walking away now basically guarantees she goes back to her ex. Is that what you want?”

“If Duane goes in to woo her back and she still chooses her ex, he’s going to look stupid,” Gio argued.

Duane lifted a hand. “You’re making my headache worse.”

“I’ve said all I needed to say.” Manny dipped his chin. “I’ll tell mom you’re getting ready for the CFA tour, that’s why you haven’t been coming around lately. It won’t stop her from calling you, but it might stop her from coming over and seeing… this.”

Gio whispered loudly, “He just gestured to all of you.”

“I caught that, Gio.”

His little brother waved a hand over his nose. “Make sure you take a bath before you get on the plane. That BO is a weapon. You might get kicked off the flight.”

Duane grabbed a pillow and tossed it at his little brother.

Gio scrambled out the door behind Manny.

In the silence that settled on his now-clean house, Duane considered all his brothers had said. He hadn’t wanted to run after Yolanda because his pride wouldn’t let him. But Manny had a point. She had a child to think about. How could he show himself to be reliable if he took off after one bad disagreement?

Maybe he could hear her out. Try to meet in the middle. Even if he felt affronted by her paying off Azueta, that meant she cared about him, didn’t it? She’d gone out of her way to fix his problems for him, though he hadn’t asked for it. Perhaps he had a chance against Devon.

It felt like clawing at straws, but he was desperate to hope.

Grabbing his phone, Duane maneuvered to the video he’d received from the K-pop star. He originally wanted to take Yolanda on a romantic date and play the video on a projector screen, but it had never been the right time.

If this wasn’t a big enough apology to bring her back into his arms, he didn’t know what else would work.

Under the video attachment, he sent her a message.

DUANE: I’ll be at the Belize City Airport tomorrow. My flight leaves at ten. I’d love to see you before then.

He sucked in a deep breath and then sent the message.

It was out there.

Now the ball was truly in Yolanda’s court.

Nervously, he set his phone on the couch and went to take a shower. It was time to pack his luggage and get ready for his flight.