Page 75 of Love At Close Range

“You okay?” she asked as she came toward me, looking me over like she was searching for war wounds.

“I’m good,” I assured her as I pulled her closer, holding her for a minute before asking, “How’s Rhyse?”

“He’s asleep,” she answered. “He tried to wait up for you, but he couldn’t keep his eyes open,” she simpered.

Knowing he was upstairs asleep in his own bed was enough for me.

“Is it over?” She asked quietly.

“Yeah… it’s over,” I confirmed.

“Dorian?” She asked as her eyes searched mine.

“Dead,” I answered, and when she hesitated, I already knew the next question.

“And Cyrus?” She asked.

“That nigga dead too,” I confirmed. “Neither one of them can bring any more shit to your door,” I responded.

Reiana let out a breath and lowered her head against my chest. She didn’t ask how I did it or what happened, and I wasn’t offering any details. All she needed to know was that the shit that had reached her and Rhyse was handled.

“I’m glad it’s over,” she said after a moment. “I just want things to feel normal again.”

“They will,” I told her as I rubbed my hand over her back. “Might take a minute after what happened, but you and Rhyse don’t have to look over your shoulders because of those niggas anymore.”

“What about you?” She asked.

“What about me?” I questioned.

“Now that you’ve handled Dorian… where does that leave us? He was the reason you came here in the first place, so there’s really no need for you to stay,” she stated somberly.

I looked down at her for a second because I hated that she even thought that. “Dorian might’ve been what brought me to Arbor Point, but that nigga ain’t the reason I’m still here,” I told her as I pulled her closer. “I found out I had a son, got you back in my life, and you think I’m packing my shit because the job is done?” I frowned down at her.

“I didn’t say you were packing your shit,” she replied softly. “I just didn’t know what you planned to do,” she proceeded.

“I plan on staying in my son’s life for one,” I answered. “And as far as me and you, I already told you how I feel… none of that changed because that nigga is dead.”

“You have a whole life in Cannon Hills, Lennox,” Reiana uttered.

“And?” I questioned, keeping my arm around her waist. “Cannon Hills ain’t going nowhere. Neither are my businesses, Lennyn, or anything else I have there. That doesn’t mean I can’t figure out how you and Rhyse fit into my life too.”

“I’on want you feeling like you have to rearrange everything because of us,” she admitted.

“That’s my decision to make… not yours,” I told her. “And I’m not doing shit I’on wanna do. I want my son… I want you. Everything else can get figured out around that.”

“You make it sound simple,” she stated as she looked up at me.

“It is to me,” I replied. “The complicated part was spending seven years not knowing the truth. I know it now, so I’m not about to create another reason for us to lose time.” I kissed her to let her know I was done with the conversation.

I didn’t know exactly what everything would look like yet, but I knew I wasn’t going back to a life where Reiana and Rhyse didn’t exist. That shit wasn’t happening.

25

Reiana

some time later…

“You want something to drink?” Gina asked when I walked into the kitchen. We had just got to Lennox’s and Gina and Lena came right on over.