Opening his door, he turned toward her. “Well, you gon’ have to disappoint him ‘cause you should’ve been an adult and talked to me before you made that choice.”
“You can’t override my decision.”
His smirk was condescending. “You sure, Daysha? I think you be forgetting who you used to be married to.”
“Oh, I try to forget every single day.”
“Well, find your memory ‘cause you know I’ll do everything in my power to make sure he don't go.”
Noble attempted to close his door but Daysha wedged her body in the middle.
“Noble, wait.” The aggression in her tone vanished immediately. “Can you compromise on this? I already told Kenji that he could go. He’s so excited, don’t ruin this for him.”
He scoffed, despising how manipulative she could be. “Now I’m the one ruining it when you be moving on some emotional shit. Stop using my fucking son as a pawn, Daysha.”
“I’m not,” she hissed. “Now can you please consider it? I don't want this to blow up into something that’s bigger than what it needs to be.”
Noble looked forward, silently weighing his options. He could’ve matched her energy and exercise his dominance over the situation. Or he could’ve been civil like he always was with Daysha and compromise.
“He can go but three weeks is what I can do. That two-and-a-half-months shit is dead.”
“A month,” she bargained.
Noble eyed her, prompting Daysha to lift her hand in surrender.
“Look, I just want him to spend time with my side of the family. That’s all. I think a month is good.”
Noble exhaled before licking his lips. “A’ight, a month. Nothing more, Daysha.”
“Okay.” She rolled her eyes and stalked back to her car. Noble closed his door and started his engine. Before he pulled away, his phone rang.
“Yeah,” he answered.
“You still coming?” Nuke asked him.
Arguing with Daysha had made him late for his meeting with TLM lieutenants.
“Yeah, I’m on my way.”
“A’ight.”
Noble took one more glance at Daysha’s car as she drove out of the lot. He followed suit and headed toward the warehouse.
Fourteen
Three months later…
Mentally, life had been a breeze for Cali. When Rio took his first breath outside of the ventilator, it felt as if God had breathed life into her. He had given her a second chance to make her wrongs right and Cali jumped at the opportunity. For the last three months, she aided Rio in his recovery—helping at home and making sure to take him to every doctor and physical therapy appointment. Ruthia and Deasia tagged along when they could but for the most part, it had been Cali being the devoted wife.
She hadn’t heard from Braye, and she was thankful for that. A part of her wished she could rewind the time and soothe the piece of his heart that she had broken. But what good would that do? He hated her now, and she understood why. Cali had chosen her husband over him. He would never get over that, so she left the situation alone since she didn’t have the mental capacity to make things right with him.
Cali opened the front door before Rio walked through. His gait was slow as he held on tightly to his cane. Rio didn’t move with the same urgency he once did. His actions were at a gradual pace ever since the coma. He took a seat on the recliner, leaning back as Cali sifted through the mail.
“Bills, bills, bills,” she muttered, tossing them on the table. “This is why I don't check the mail.”
Turning around, she peered at Rio who tapped on his phone. They had just come from physical therapy and the barbershop. His lining was sharp along with his mustache and goatee. Despite all the turmoil he’d been through, Rio never lost his good looks. Cali had been in heat for months but suppressed her desires due to his injuries. She wanted to climb on top of him, and ride his manhood until she folded, but she refrained until he was better.
“You hungry? I can make you something.”
