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“She not letting you be you?”
I peeled her hand from my arm and frowned at her pretty face. I hadn’t seen Journee since a few days after shit went left with Sheets.
But she’d blown up my phone once I released my statement claiming Gracie as my daughter. A slew of calls and texts, mostly demanding I hit her back. I never did until the final text came.
Is that really your kid?
I sent one word.
Yes.
She never reached out again
“Not letting me be me? What’s that supposed to mean?”
“We have our thing. What’s one picture going to hurt? You refused out there.” She looked hurt. I hated she was but Journee was no longer mine to worry about. Not that she ever truly was. Like she said, we had our thing. It wasn’t defined nor had it been a commitment.
“We used to have athing. Now I have afamily. The two don’t mix but I’m sure you already knew that.”
Her expression slipped just a little before she looked me in my eyes and tried one last time. “Is she really yours? That kid?”
“You already asked me that, Journee. My answer is the same…”
“Through a text, but I’m asking you now. Righthere, so is she?”
I looked her square in the eyes without hesitation. “Yes, she’s mine.”
Reality hit. It took a minute but a remorseful smile eased in place. “She’s beautiful. I didn’t believe you then, but I believe you now. I can see it. It’s all over your face. She’s really yours. Take care, Sol. It was good while it lasted.”
Journee walked away and so did I. Gracie was mine. DNA didn’t have a damn thing to do with it. I chose to love that little girl and her mother so when asked my answer would always hold merit.
I headed to the bathroom so I could make it back to my girls. Once I was done and stepping away from washing my hands, the door opened and I groaned internally.
Why the fuck was the universe testing me tonight of all nights? I needed things to go smoothly. This was the first of many events that I would have to be at and I didn’t want Cadence refusing to be by my side because she couldn’t trust me to remain level headed. But here was the one person who could easily test my restraint.
“She looks good. Better than she did when I had her. I guess that’s what money can do for people. I’m sure she’s spending yours every chance she gets.”
Dresden’s smug ass grin had my fists clenching at my sides. I took a step closer and looked him dead in the eyes.
“What you see is not money. It’s love, nigga. It’s respect and appreciation. It’s me valuing the woman you never should have touched. Let me break it down for your dumb ass. When you nurture and feed a flower it blossoms. I feed her soul. I’m her sunlight. When she was with you, she was living in the shadows of your fucked up ways, your greed and ego. You didn’t have the best parts of her but you also didn’t deserve them so I guess I can be grateful about that.”
My words affected him. He may not have wanted Cadence in his life for the right reason, but hewantedher.
He fully understood that he’d fucked up and having her would never happen. I’d destroy him and everything he loved if he ever tried.
“She was trash then and she’s trash now. Doesn’t matter how you dress it up but you believe what you want.”
He stepped away and paused. “Oh and I suppose thanks are in order to you also since you’re raising that bastard child. One less mess I have to worry about cleaning up after. Her whore of a mother was sloppy with that one but you’re helping me out…”
That was it. I swung without thinking. His head snapped left and his body stumbled back, landing awkwardly against the wall. When he turned to me again, blood dripping from the corner of his mouth, I stepped to him again with wild eyes. He was a pussy and wouldn’t react. Men like him never did. The took honor in hiding behind money and lawyers.
“I will ruin you,” he growled but I wasn’t fazed.
I gripped the lapels of his tux, tugged them once, then shoved him back. “Nah, I don’t think so.”
“You just fucking hit me.”
“Did I?” I glancedaround the empty bathroom. “Your word against mine and with the recent headlines you’ve had, I don’t think you can handle another. How many are you up to now? Five, six?”
