and serve. They couldn’t comprehend Greg crossing enemy lines. I understood why he wanted to change the problem from the inside. Despite the run-in with Officer Dunne, maybe because of it, I still understand, but we have a long way to go. It will take more than him on the force and some “retraining” to fix a system this broken.
“Who’s this?” Greg smiles at Bristol, and she offers a stained smile in return.
“You know my boy Rhyson, of course. This is his sister, Bristol. She’s my manager.” I capture and kiss her hand before she can stop me, pulling her into my side. “And my girlfriend.”
Bristol’s surprised eyes clash with mine. I squeeze her hand, mouthing, “He’s cool,” to her.
“Ohhhhh.” Understanding and confusion wrestle in Greg’s eyes. “I thought you and—”
“Nope. Not anymore.” I convert my grimace into a smile. “Look, we’re keeping this on the low for now. If you can keep your big mouth shut until we want the cat all the way out the bag.”
“Got it. You can trust me.” Greg’s grin grows wide, pride in his eyes. “You doing it big, ain’t ya? Number one album. Got that top spot.”
I welcome the change of subject, chuckling, shaking my head. “Still can’t believe it myself.”
“And this whip.” Greg whistles, running a hand over the glimmering black paint covering the Rover. “Nice.”
“It’s actually for Ma.” I smile at Bristol’s look of surprise. “I’ve tried to give her like four cars, and she hasn’t taken any of them. I’m hoping this one will be too much for her to resist.”
“Good luck with that.” Greg shakes his head. “She’s about as stubborn as you are.”
“I prefer to think of it as determined.”
“That you were. You had to be. It’s in everything you write. And that new track ‘Bruise’ is deep.” He looks at me directly. “Made me proud.”
After what just happened, my own words, the lyrics to ‘Bruise’ that urge us to understand and empathize, mock me. Do I really think I should try to walk in Officer Dunne’s shoes? I notice the impression the cuffs left on my wrists. You don’t see the impression they’ve left inside me, not just this time, but the time before and the time before. How can I walk in his shoes? How can he walk in mine? He’s never lived with this constant threat, and I’ve never lived without it. Living those lyrics is so much harder than singing them from the safety of a stage.
Greg looks over his shoulder at his idling car. “I need to go. I guess you’re on your way to Aunt Mittie’s for Sunday dinner.”
He glances at his watch, unaware of the bomb he just dropped on Bristol’s world.
“You know how she hates it if you’re late.”
“Sunday dinner?” Bristol gasps when Greg climbs into his car, her eyes storming and hands balled at her sides.
I know what’s behind her anger. Fear. Fear that my mom will reject her. Keeping it one hundred, Ma probably will reject her at first, but the woman who raised me will eventually see in Bristol what I see. And maybe not today, maybe not right away, but she’ll be happy for me. She’ll fall in love with Bristol like I did. Even with the humiliating confrontation still smarting like a third-degree burn on my pride, I’m excited about the two women I love the most starting the process today.
“What the hell, Grip?” Bristol demands. “You can’t do this. Not like this.”
I’m determined to shake off the unpleasantness we just experienced. I refuse to let that shit ruin a day I thought would never come. I lean my back against the passenger side door and bring her close until we are flush, front-to-front.
“Are you okay?” I ask softly.
“No, I’m not okay. You can’t just spring this on me. I—”
“Forget dinner for a sec.” I push her hair back from her face. “What just went down with the cop. Are you okay?”
Her irritation fades, concern taking its place.
“Am I okay?” She rests her elbows against my chest, leaning into me. “You were the one in cuffs. That wasn’t fair. I’m sorry if I made it harder for you.”
“You being here made it harder, but only because I couldn’t protect you the way I wanted to.”
“Not my privilege making me clueless?” she asks weakly, her eyes only half-joking. “I’m sorry.”
I don’t need her apologies right now. I need her. I slide my hands down her back leaning in a few inches and hovering there until she