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“Why?”
“Because you keep lying to me and don’t say you’re not or you haven’t been. Keeping things from me is essentially telling a lie. First with who you were, now with Merritt’s son.”
The word felt toxic on her tongue.
“How old is JoJo?”
War knew why she asked. Everything was coming together. She needed the timeline. He was no longer interested in keeping secrets or telling lies by default.
“Six months.”
She nodded in understanding. Conceived when she was with Merritt.
“Does it matter?” War wanted… needed to know.
She snorted and shook her head. “It might have before, but it doesn’t now.”
“Why not now?”
“Because of you.”
Merritt cheating doesn’t matter because you belong to me and I belong to you.
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I didn’t want you choosing me because of his flaws. I didn’t want you justifying the acceptance of how I make you feel because of how he mishandled you. I needed you to be here by choice, not by default. I don’t fucking do consolation prizes and you shouldn’t either.”
Her heart clenched when her eyes met his. “That’s not what this is.”
“I need you to be sure, Cali. Real fucking sure.” He removed her phone from his pocket, tossed it on the sofa, and left the room. When War returned, he was carrying luggage. He bypassed Cali and went outside but Kirsten came right to her. “I put JoJo down for a nap. I’m sure you two need some time to talk this out.”
She searched Cali’s face before she asked, “Are you angry?”
“Yes,” Cali scoffed in aggravation.
“Are you going to leave him?”
“No.”
“Then I can handle you being angry.” Kirsten smiled and moved to Cali for a hug. When Kirsten pulled away she said softly, “We lost him too, Cali.” Merritt. “And I know it’s not the same way you lost him. It might even be worse. It damn sure feels that way some days, but a broken heart is a broken heart. No matter the reason. Losing Merritt broke my heart. It broke War’s too. All I ask is you keep that in mind. He’s doing the best he can but I promise you his worst is a million times better than anyone else’s best. Even Merritt’s, so when War is doing his best you can trust that you’re covered. Always.”
Kirsten hugged Cali once more then she was gone.
War entered the house and mumbled to Cali that he had to make a call before he took the stairs two at a time. When he stepped into his sister’s room, his eyes immediately found JoJo. Dealing with Cali was one thing but making sure Neece was able to take care of her son had moved to his priority of the moment.
He called several times back-to-back, each one going to voicemail. When he texted a few minutes later, she answered on the fourth call.
“I don’t want to talk to you,” she said in anger.
“I don’t give a fuck what you want, Neece.”
“You ki…” He tensed but realized she caught herself before saying something incriminating. At least she wasn’t that fucking stupid. “He’s gone.”
Fire pushed through War’s veins. “I don’t know who you’re referring to but it better be your son’s father because if you’re so fucked up behind that other nigga that you can’t be a mother to your son, then I can handle things for you, Neece. You will not be granted the privilege moving forward.”
“You can’t keep me from my son.”
“My son too, Neece. My name is on the birth certificate since Merritt’s couldn’t be. If they test JoJo’s DNA, it will match mine. I can do whatever the fuck I want. You’ve said it yourself enough times to understand the truth behind the words. Try me, I wish you fucking would.”
