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I glance back to Shayla who looks angry and upset. I pull the papers out of my coat and hand them over to her. “Sign them, now. I will be filing them myself today after I leave here, and we’ll finally be done. Only reason I’m letting you keep the house is because the kids don’t need to be on the street. With my brother without a job, cash, and in jail, you won’t have money, so I suggest you get a job.”
“I’m not signing those. Yes, I screwed up by sleeping with Matt, but I love you, I’ve always loved you. You were my first.” I roll my eyes at her begging and even notice the kids staring at her as if she’s got a screw loose.
I shrug. “Don’t give a shit. You sign those, or I’ll make sure you’re arrested along with Matt.” I lean in close. “I know you were part of some of his shit, but I left you out so the kids wouldn’t be left with no one,” I whisper.
She gulps, signs the papers, and hands them back.
Once Laura and Luca hand me back my phone, we say goodbyes, and I promise we will keep in touch this time. I walk out and get in my car. That was hard, but I finally don’t feel like such a dick for just taking off anymore.
Chapter 7
Dray
When I walk into Chili’s, I spot Layla sitting with a glass of wine at a back booth. I walk over and sit across from her, giving her a slight scare. Layla isn’t as dark skinned as her cousin is. She’s also ten years older than Shayla, but you wouldn’t know that, only because Layla actually takes pride in herself. Today she has on a dark blonde wig. I don’t understand why she won’t leave the house with her natural hair. She always just says the frizzy mess she has isn’t suitable.
“Shoot, Dray, I didn’t even notice you were here yet, scared me,” she says with a small laugh,holding her hand on her chest.“I ordered for you. Told the waitress to bring your drink when you arrived and in about ten minutes’ food should be out.”
“Thanks,” I tell her. “Where’s your kids?”
“With my parents for the day.” She goes quiet for a minute. “Can I ask what this is about? You know I’ve always cared for you, I hated that you and Matt were no longer close.”
“Can we start eating first, then I’ll fill you in?” I just know if we talk before finishing our food, that there is a possibility neither of us will want to eat, especially since I’m about to flip her world upside down.
She nods and seconds later the waitress brings out our food. I finish way before she does, so I start in.
“Not sure what you know exactly about my line of work. But I’m a cop. A damn good undercover one, too.”
Layla’s eyes bug wide. “Really? I always thought you flitted around to just any job without really caring.” She winces when that comes out of her mouth. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to sound snotty about that.”
I wave her off. “Do you even know why I left Shayla?”
“My cousin never really said much, just that you got tired of having a ball and chain around your neck and didn’t want to live the monogamous life.”
I shake my head in disgust. “She cheated on me. Laura and Luca aren’t mine.”
Her hands fly to her mouth. “What? How did you find out? I can’t believe this.”
“Saw it with my own eyes, I was willing to forgive it, but then when Laura was in the hospital for that infection she had? I wasn’t a match. Matt was, he gave her a kidney. Got me thinking so I went and did a DNA test. She wasn’t mine, neither was Luca. I couldn’t forgive that, ever. So, I left.” Took me a good month to put it together. At first, I was thankful to Matt for saving my daughter, didn’t even pay attention after Shayla and I were proven not to be a match, but then after knowing that Shayla cheated on me once, the pieces of how Matt could be a match became clear.
“Who?”
I grab her hand and rub the top of it.
“Please no,” she whimpers, as if she knows who I’m going to say.
“I’m sorry.”
“Fifteen years I’ve wasted on that ass, and he was cheating the whole time, wasn’t he?” She asks me, the hurt and anger clear in her voice. I don’t really know what more to say to her about this, so I grab some papers out of my jacket, hand them to her and continue, “That’s everything I have on Matt. As we speak, he’s being arrested. I wanted to be the one to tell you this, not have you find out from the raid.”
Tears fall down her face. “I’m sorry, Dray. I should have known all this. I should have seen it. How can I be so stupid?”
I get out of my seat and go to her side, pulling her in for a hug. “Not your fault. I’m the ass that let it go on this long myself.” I let her cry onto my shirt.
“Well look at this. Melissa dumped you at the altar because you had a wife, and now you’re with someone else. Didn’t take you long, did it, you fuck face?” I look up to see Cori glaring down at me.
I clench my jaw. I always liked Cori, and she always liked me, but now she hates me more than she seems to hate her own mother. “It’s not what you think.”
Cori snorts. “Bullshit, you’re nothing but a whore. I’m glad Melissa is gone, miss her like hell, but if this is what you’re doing, I’m glad she and Mikayla are away from you.”
