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I stormed down the hall, frowning so hard the shit made my head hurt.
“Let’s go,” I grumbled, lifting Maritza out of her seat across from Mom.
“Is everything okay?” she checked as I used her elbow to lead her out of the dining room.
“Yeah.”
“You’re leaving so soon, son?”
“Yeah,” I tossed over my shoulder to Mom. I didn’t even want to look at her right now out of fear that I’d take my frustration out on her. It was her fault I had to even do this shit to begin with. If she would have left his ass years ago, she wouldn’t have felt she had to force something so serious as marriage onto me.
“It was nice seeing you again, Mrs. Phoenix,” Maritza said as I gently shoved her out of the front door.
“You too!”
As I closed the door, I heard her asking my father what he’d said to make me mad.
Maritza waited until we were in my Aston Martin DB11 and driving out of the driveway to ask, “Do you want to talk about it?”
I didn’t, but I didn’t want to ruin her mood either. As I drove with no real destination in mind, I told her about my fucked-up childhood, why Milli and I weren’t raised together, and the real reason my mom wanted me married before I took over Pops’ firm. She took my hand into hers, which I wasn’t expecting because she made it clear what her love languages were and that there would be no affection between us unless it was for show.
The rest of the ride was done in silence until we pulled up downtown. A food tour was going on, so we decided to end the night doing that. After our third food truck, my mood was lighter. And she was still holding my hand.
We talked about how she’d gotten Rem bonded out for a quarter of a million. The prosecution wanted a million-dollar bond. Grim had the right idea calling Maritza. I’m sure he didn’t know how triggering the case could have been for her, and I was honestly surprised she took it—but when I heard the facts, I was glad she did.
The more we talked, the more time got away from us. It wasn’t until she yawned that I checked the time on my phone, seeing that it was well after midnight. Though I was enjoying her company, I decided to take her home since we both had long days ahead of us. When I dropped her off, Sakura was just getting in from a date with a man who wasn’t Grim. Apparently, she was tired of him keeping secrets from her ever since she found out about his sister and was teaching him a lesson by putting space between them. I didn’t know how long that would last, but I hoped when he finally resurfaced, that he would be honest with her about who he truly was.
Sakura was a smart woman. I was sure she had her suspicions. But love was a motherfucker. It made you blind to things that were right in your face. For her sake, I prayed that wouldn’t be the case.
Fourteen
Maritza
End of January
The month went by in a blur. We were spending more time with my family and less with his… well, his parents. We were hanging out with Amelia, Amaru, and the rest of the crew a lot. After Sunday dinner with my family, we went out with the crew. Shalom’s little belly seemed to grow overnight. She was so cute with her glow. I asked if they had decided on adopting Mecca’s unborn cousin yet and they hadn’t. They wanted to but feared getting excited and Symphony decide to keep the baby. Seems she was all over the place with what she wanted to do, but they were patient with her.
Somehow, the topic of them potentially raising two babies just a few months apart led to them asking me if I wanted children since Sakura and I were the new girls in the group. I answered truthfully, letting them know I’d love to have another baby one day, and I thinkanotheris what confused them. I didn’t bother to go into detail, and they didn’t ask. A baby had always been my desire—it was love from a man that I was avoiding.
Jeremy must have sensed a change in my mood after that because he used having an early morning as an excuse for us to leave. When we arrived at my home, he asked if I wanted him to come inside. I appreciated how gentle he was with me during times like these. He never made me feel bad about my hurt… my grief. Instead, he made space for it. For me.
When we made it to my room, I wasted no time undressing and taking a shower. Showers were always my sacred time with God. To shed my tears. Recharge. By the time I was done, Jeremy was half-asleep. He looked good in my bed. Like he belonged. My silver sheets were halfway up his chest. His left arm was tossed over his head. Lazy eyes flitted over to me, and he gave me a sexy smile.
“Ain’t no flaw in you, Lovie. You’re beautiful.”
I looked down at myself absently and smiled. If the sight of me in an oversized sleep shirt warranted that compliment, so be it.
And Lovie… that was new.
After climbing into bed, I snuggled up against him. He always smelled so good—intoxicating and sensual. I needed skin to skin, so after using the remote to cut my lights off, I took my shirt off. Jeremy was ever the gentleman… holding me close, caressing my back, kissing my forehead. My frame melted against his as I sighed, allowing myself to surrender to how good it felt to be held by him.
I hated to bring it up, especially now, but I still asked, “Are we still set with the plan? It seems like you aren’t interested in convincing your parents this is real. March will be here before we know it.”
“We are. They’ll believe it’s real. It might not be for you, but it is for me.”
I didn’t know what to say to that, so I remained silent. I did like him and cared for him, but not to the point where I was willing to confess those feelings and be in a relationship with him. At the most, I was willing to enjoy whatever this was between us until one year after our marriage. Then, we’d divorce, and return to a strictly professional relationship.
Fifteen
