Read Online When Solomon Sings by Kendra Norman-Bellamy - Free Book Online

then proceeded to do so. “You told me that you were gonna talk to her and get a clear understanding of where her head is. Even then you were telling me stuff that you thought . And now, here we are, two weeks later, and you’re still thinking . What are you afraid of?”
    Neil eyed him. “I ain’t afraid of nothing.”
    â€œThe devil is a lie,” CJ replied, returning his glare. “You’re afraid of something , that’s for sure. That part isn’t even a question. What I need you to reveal is the identity of that something.” Neil didn’t have the opportunity to voice another denial before CJ continued. “You keep telling me how much you love this woman, and Resa tells me that Shaylynn feels the same way about you. But every time we talk, you’re still strapped into the bucket seat of this same frightful theme park ride that is apparently called The Emmett Ford. You’ve brainwashed your own self into thinking you’re in some crazy tug of war with this man.”
    â€œEmmett isn’t some figment of my imagination, CJ,” Neil spat. Just like that, he was back on his feet. He wanted to pound his fist on CJ’s desk, but suppressed the urge. Nobody understood, and Neil was sick and tired of trying to explain it. “You act as though I’m making this junk up, and I’m a candidate for first dibs in the loony bin.” Realizing he was on the verge of screaming, Neil took a breath and lowered his voice. He looked his friend square in the eyes. “You’ve been here for every day of my relationship with Shay. I ain’t telling you nothing that you don’t already know, so don’t make me out to be some kind of hallucinating cuckoo bird. You know about the ring. You know about the dried violets on her mantle. You know how she brings his name up in every other conversation. You know all that.”
    CJ leaned against his desk and crossed his arms. “Yes, I do know all of that, Neil. But I don’t read into the same things that you do. You see all of those things as yellow caution lights and red stop signs; I see it as normal human behavior. Granted, her wearing the ring for seven years was excess, but people have different ways of dealing with certain issues. Just because I wouldn’t do it doesn’t make it wrong. How many times have I told you that?” CJ didn’t wait for an answer. “Shaylynn may have needed to do that to get through that phase of her grieving process. The important thing shouldn’t be what she did , but what she’s doing now. She met you, she fell in love, and she removed the ring. Meeting you made her do something that she hadn’t been able to do in seven years. That should mean something to you.”
    Neil blew out a puff of air. “It does mean something, but that’s just one piece of the puzzle. What about those dead flowers? What about how she talks about him all the time?”
    â€œShe was married to him, bruh. What do you expect?”
    Neil wasn’t buying that. “I was married before too. Do you hear me throwing Audrey’s name up in everything? I wonder how she’d feel if I all of a sudden started saying stuff like, ‘Audrey would have enjoyed this movie,’ or ‘That’s the perfume Audrey used to wear.’”
    â€œIn the first place, it’s not the same thing, because Emmett died, whereas you divorced Audrey. Your termination of your marriage from Audrey was a choice that was ultimately made by both of you. In utter contrast, an assassin’s bullet forced the dissolution of Shay’s marriage. Emmett is no longer around and can’t serve as a threat to your and Shaylynn’s relationship. Audrey, on the other hand, is still alive and well, and as I understand it, she still makes guest appearances at Taylor family functions. There’s a big difference in the situations, and if anybody has a right to be