Obsidian Faith by Bev Elle Read Free Book Online Page A

Zeke his fallen sippy cup then ruffled Ezra’s hair.
    She took the place setting Trevor made next to his own and moved it to the other side of the table by the twins.
    “I know you’re mad at me, Shanice, and you’re right to be mad, but please don’t tell your parents what you saw,” he said quickly, before Brenda and Isaiah came in carrying dishes of food to the table.
    Shanice just glared at him and took her seat then played with the twins as if Trevor weren’t there.
    After Isaiah said the blessing, they all dug into the meal. There was conversation around the table, but Shanice refused to address Trevor directly; She gave one-syllable answers directed at someone else, or none at all.
    Brenda and Isaiah had to notice what was going on, but they didn’t pry. Trevor didn’t have time to be upset. This was his first home-cooked meal in a long time. Since Brenda offered, he’d make this a habit.
    At the end of the meal, Trevor said, “I’ll help Shanice do the dishes, Ms. Brenda.”
    “Oh, thanks, guys,” Brenda said with a smile. “That means I can bathe the twins early and get them to bed.”
    “What about me?” Pastor Isaiah said and waggled his eyebrows.
    “You can get your own bath,” Brenda said.
    “Ew!” Shanice said. “You guys are gross.”
    Trevor felt his face heat up.
    “Someday you young people will know what it’s like to have that special someone in your lives,” Isaiah said and helped clear the table.
    Shanice held back. “I’ll carry one of the chunkies upstairs for you, Mom,” she said and grabbed Zeke. Brenda took Ezra and they disappeared upstairs.
    “My daughter appears to be upset with you.” Isaiah said.
    Trevor should have seen this coming. “Yes, sir.”
    “What did you do? Honestly, anything you did was wrong from the word go, but you want to talk about it?”
    “Well, I was with some guys at school today and Shanice interrupted us.” He left out the part about what they were doing. “I may have hurt her feelings when I asked her to leave us alone.”
    “I know you’re growing up, Trevor, and Shanice still has a ways to go, but she has always idolized you, since our Baptist Home days. Go easy on my baby girl, or I might have to slap your face with a glove and challenge you to a duel.”
    Trevor grinned. “I can’t duel without a weapon.”
    “Who said anything about weapons?” Isaiah put up his fists. “I’m talking about duking it out the old fashioned way.” He jabbed in the air in Trevor’s direction a couple times, and Trevor played along, dodging his fists.
    “I was going to apologize while we were doing the dishes, but she went upstairs.”
    “She’ll come back down in a little while. You know she can’t stay mad at you.”
    Trevor hoped Isaiah was right, because it was just miserable having Shanice mad at him. They’d just finished loading the dishwasher when Shanice came back down, and Isaiah retired to the den. He said it was to watch CNN, but Trevor knew he was giving them some privacy.
    “‘Nice,” Trevor said. “I’m sorry.”
    Shanice didn’t respond. Not even to his nickname for her. She took her book and sat down at the dining room table then flipped it open.
    Trevor took a seat in the chair beside her and tried again. “‘Nice?”
    Isaiah yelled, “Shanice, put that boy out of his misery and accept his apology. You’ll learn later in life that as a gender collectively, we tend to sometimes say stupid things.” Trevor heard the TV turn off, then Isaiah headed upstairs, but not before he yelled, “I’ll drive you home when you’re ready, Trevor.”
    Trevor felt really stupid now, but he’d do anything to not have Shanice mad at him. “What you saw me doing earlier… I quit. I promise. And I won’t use bad words around you anymore. I don’t want Pastor Isaiah and Ms. Brenda to stop me from coming around.”
    Shanice put her book down and looked up at him. “You hurt my feelings, Trevor,” she said, and her bottom lip