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“No?” I asked more than said.
“Then I’m not either. Can I come in?”
I gave him a small smirk as I nodded my head. He was so cute when he wanted to be. I started to call him out on that shit but decided against it. If Tyreek was insinuating I was the only woman he planned to marry, maybe that meant he was here to deliver some great news.
We walked toward the kitchen, getting comfortable in the bar stools behind the island.
“If I would’ve known you’d cooked, I wouldn’t have gotten these.”
“I actually was about to get some of these. I cooked hours ago for my family, so I’m hungry again.” As I tore into the bag, I added, “Thank you, baby.”
“Always.”
“Is everything okay?” I checked, opening the small containers of salsa to dip my chicken, shrimp, and steak tacos in.
“Everything’s great. Piper and I worked together to end this mess before it could begin. She’s content, her father isn’t an issue, and I don’t have to marry her to protect my brother.”
I nodded, avoiding his eyes. Though I was really happy to hear that, I knew if I looked at him, I’d get emotional. Faith or not, the situation still hurt. Not so much because Tyreek chose his brother over me, but because that was the first time in a long time that I’d opened myself up to a man.
“I’m sorry about not telling you about my past sooner,” he continued. “Maybe if I would have, you could have been more prepared for something like that to happen. I didn’t tell you because that’s a part of me that I want to leave behind, and I didn’t want to risk you leaving me or looking at me differently because of it.”
“It’s your right to share or keep whatever details you’d like, Tyreek. I wouldn’t have left you because of that though. It’s in the past.”
I looked over at him finally and tugged my bottom lip between my teeth.
“And I’m sorry about choosing my brother over you. Well, I’m not sorry, but I’m sorry about hurting you. If you were my wife, I would have chosen you with no hesitation but…”
“Tyreek,” I called, smiling softly as I covered his hand with mine. “I would have done the same thing. You’re right, it would have been different if we were married, but we weren’t, so I get it. Did it hurt? Yes. But I knew that was something beyond my control, and quite frankly, I’m tired of letting things I can’t control, control me.”
Tyreek stood and made his way between my legs. I wrapped my arms around his neck as he wrapped his around my waist.
“You seem at peace. Is it because you’ve released me from your heart?”
“Not at all. I trusted that things would work out. God gave me confirmation that you were my husband, not hers or anyone else’s, so I just… had to trust and be patient. You waited for me, so it was my turn to wait for you.”
His forehead rested on mine, causing me to smile and lean further into him.
“No more breaks, Nae. I want you to be mine.”
“Then I’m yours.” I couldn’t stop the goofy giggle that escaped me. “And you’re mine?”
“Always.” He lifted his forehead from mine, cupped my cheeks, and looked me dead in my eyes to say, “I love you, Janae, and I promise you, every part of you is safe with me.”
Swallowing back tears, I looked away briefly as my chin trembled. I wasn’t sure how Tyreek knew I needed to hear that, to know that, but I already felt that with him. Him saying it was only further confirmation. After Michael, I felt so alone and insecure. Not in the sense of lacking confidence, but in the sense of… lacking safety. The man that was supposed to be that for me had stripped me of it with his disrespect, rejection, and abandonment at a time when I needed him most. I wasn’t sure when, if ever, I’d feel secure with a man again, but I felt that way with Tyreek, and I only had God to thank for that.
“I love you too, Reek. Thank you.”
He laughed before giving me a soft kiss. “What are you thanking me for?”
I laughed too, because I honestly had no idea. “I don’t know. Just seemed like the right thing to say.”
His head shook as he chuckled and sat down next to me, opening the tacos that he’d apparently bought for himself.
“Well, if you’re thanking me for loving you… thank you for loving me too.”
“You’re welcome but um…” My fingers motioned between my tacos and the ones he’d scooted over in front of him. “What’re you doing with my tacos?”
His face twisted in confusion as he looked from his to mine. “Nah, I got these for me.”
