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Elite’s pride wouldn’t allow him to agree to that. Not right now, at least. If she’d only cheated, Elite may have been able to move past that with time. It was the fruition of his worst fear, and as devastating as it was, Elite would get over it one day. Because the truth of the matter was, it wasn’t black and white.
He’d told himself for years love should have been enough to keep a person from cheating but that wasn’t the case. This whole situation had changed his perspective on a lot of things. But it was the fact that she pressed charges on him—thatwas what Elite couldn’t get past. Going forward, he’d never be able to fully trust her or feel safe and secure with her, and a relationship would never flourish like that.
Elite loved his wife and was missing her like crazy, but Nicole was right. No matter what he chose, it would be hard to go and grow through. Did he want the next few months or even years to be hard as he worked to grieve their relationship and move on? Or did he want the rest of his life to be hard while he tried to make their marriage work?
“You said you wanted to experience new things in life, and you deserve that. Maybe it’s best if you be single for a while. I know you might want what we had, but you wouldn’t truly be happy with that. It’s easy to romanticize a relationship when shit goes wrong, but be honest… how satisfied would you be with just me?”
Jacintha scratched the back of her neck as her head shook. “If this wouldn’t have happened, I probably wouldn’t be satisfied at all. What this has shown me was that you provided a space for me to find myself while being married to an amazing man. Losing you deepened my appreciation for you, but I understand if it’s too late. Just… Promise me that if you want me back, you won’t allow your pride to stop you from having me.”
“I can promise you that, but don’t wait for me.”
Nodding, Jacintha leaned forward and placed a kiss on his cheek before letting herself out. His eyes were planted on her as she walked away, and he was unable to drive away until she closed the door behind her.
ten
Denali
March
Denali’s legshook as she looked around the crowded room. Blaze said he wanted to have a small get together with his family that weekend. Somehow, a small get together turned into her house being filled with not just his family but so-called friends that she’d never met before. The women outnumbered the men, and as hospitable as she was trying to be, Denali’s anxiety was getting the best of her.
Blaze had been introducing her to every woman that entered the house, but not this particular woman.Thisparticular woman he talked to at the door and at the kitchen, passing Denali twice before finally walking by her a third time.
Her eyes stayed on Blaze as he led the woman upstairs. Her mind told her he was probably showing her to the bathroom, but she was so on edge, Denali couldn’t help but almost yell, “Who is that?”
All eyes were on Denali, but hers were on Blaze.
“Whitney,” Blaze replied, as if she was supposed to know who that was.
“Where y’all going?”
Blaze chuckled. “To the bathroom. Is that okay with you?”
“It’s a bathroom downstairs.”
“Denali…”
She lifted her hand, trying to shut the situation down.
Releasing a shaky breath, Denali nodded. She guzzled the sweet wine Blaze’s mother had brought for their consumption since Tasha didn’t drink the hard liquor Blaze often offered.
When he came back down, Blaze asked, “What you tripping for?”
“I’m tripping? You just passed me with her three times and didn’t say shit before taking her upstairs where the bedroom is.”
“You would know who everybody was if you came around my people more.”
Denali scoffed, turning in her seat to face him. At that point, the music and conversations in the background were drowned out by her beating heart. All day Blaze had been showing out in front of his family, and he’d really been on one since his friends arrived. Denali had been trying her hardest not to take his jokes to make others laugh personally, but it was difficult to do that when it was at her expense.
So far, he’d used a song about not spoiling a woman as a reference to her, mentioned using her money to go to the strip club, and insinuated because he was the man of the house, he could do whatever the hell he wanted. His mother, aunt, and sister found it to be so entertaining, and all Denali could do was stuff the ill feelings down in an attempt to not have her mood ruined so early in the evening. His last joke caused her to go in the kitchen to try to compose herself, and Blaze met her in there… offering a shot and bullshit apology. He said he was just trying to make the women laugh—as if that made the shit alright.
Denali let it ride, but her nerves were starting to get the best of her. She never liked to be in large crowds, especially strangers. There were so many unknown people in her home heading in several directions, and she felt like she was about to explode. The calm, laid-back Denali that his family knew was unraveling right before her man’s very eyes, and Blaze was so out of tune with her that he didn’t even realize it.
“Your people?” she repeated. “Half of these names I’ve never heard you mention a day in my life. Even if I did, you don’t invite me to hang with your friends, so how am I supposed to know them?”
“Okay, it’s cool,” Tasha said. “We’re not worried about it, baby.”
Denali’s top lip twisted as she looked at his mother. Tasha knew good and damn well if her new husband, Blaze’s stepfather, had upwards of ten unknown women in her home, she’d have a fucking fit. Granted, Tasha would have probably asked him about it privately, but at that point, Denali didn’t give a fuck. It looked suspect as hell for all of those women to be there, and Denali’s intuition was going off like crazy.
