“No. I don’t know. Shit.” I slid out of the bed, trying to gather my thoughts. At first, I thought the biggest complication in our relationship was the fact that she dated my cousin, but it was much deeper than that.
“Dreaux, you’re scaring me. What’s going on?” Peace got out of bed and made her way over to me. When she stood in front of me, my mind couldn’t stop picturing her in my hotel room with her red and black mask on.
“I have something to talk to you about. I’m not exactly sure how you’re gonna take it, but we have to address it.”
The fear in her eyes was evident, and I wondered how this would affect our relationship. We were finally getting things on track, and now it seemed as though our past was catching up to us. It wasn’t a bad thing, but it added a new layer to the situation.
“When I kissed you a moment ago, I noticed the tattoo on your neck looked familiar. Did you attend a masquerade ball here a few years ago in the city?” I inquired, even though I already knew the answer.
Peace froze in my arms as the realization set in. She stared off into the distance, and I could see the moment that her memories flooded in. Her head shook as she processed the news. She wasn’t angry, but I was sure the information was a lot to takein. When she burst out laughing, it scared me for a moment. I wasn’t sure if it was a mental break, and she truly found the situation humorous.
“This is insane. I-I came down here four years ago with my cousin and my friend to a masquerade ball, and I hooked up with a random man. When I woke up the next morning, he was gone, and I thought I would never see him again. Chop ended up getting shot a few days later, so I put the thoughts of that night to the back of my mind, and we ended up getting back together. Do you think we met each other that night?”
“I’m almost certain. I remember your tattoo because I asked you about it that night. You told me the three fives represented growth and new beginnings.”
Peace gasped, clasping her hands over her mouth.
“This is crazy. How have we been around each other all of this time, and didn't put the pieces together?”
“Something about you seemed familiar when I saw you and Promise at the store, but I thought it was because I saw you at Chop’s baby shower. Your voice seemed so familiar, but I put that night in the back of my mind years ago.”
“Wait, let me see something.” Peace walked behind me. Her hands roamed my back as she traced her fingers around my tattoos.
“You added more to it. How did I miss this?” She whispered. The feeling of her tiny hands rubbing my skin caused my body to react. It might have been the wrong time, but my body had a mind of its own.
“This shit is wild. At the baby shower, I thought you were breathtaking when you walked up to the table. When I saw you up there arguing with my cousin, my first instinct was to protect you, but I didn’t understand why. I ended up walking out to avoid going off on Chop’s bitch ass.”
“I don’t remember much about that day. I thought I was going to my cousin’s baby shower. When Danae mentioned his name as the father, I lost it. I never imagined he would play with my feelings the way he did, but my main concern was Pro—” Peace stopped talking, and her hands left my body.
I turned to see what was wrong and noticed the tears in her eyes.
“Baby, talk to me. What’s wrong?” I reached for her, but she stood there staring at the ground. Her hands moved up to her mouth as her eyes locked onto mine.
“What is it? Whatever it is, you know I can handle it.” I assured her. My feelings for her were too deep to turn back, so I was willing to work through anything.
“S-She’s yours,” she stuttered. I didn’t understand what she was talking about, but she appeared nervous.
“What are you talking about, baby?”
“Promise. When they were waving the DNA test in my face, I couldn’t understand how it was possible she wasn’t his. Chop was my first and only until the night of the ball. We wore condoms, so I never considered she could be anyone else’s. I-I thought they were lying until he showed me the documents because the alternative was too much to handle. Outside of Chop, I never slept with anyone else, but since I had no idea who the mystery man was, I decided to let it go.”
“Wait a minute. Are you serious right now? Are you telling me that Promise is my biological daughter?” Saying it out loud seemed even crazier. What were the odds of something like that happening?
“I guess it explains why everyone seems to think she’s yours and not mine whenever we’re out in public. I don’t even know what to say. All of this has completely blown my mind.” Peace paced the floor as I stood there stunned.
It was my turn to laugh, even though it probably wasn’t the right time.
“When I removed the last condom, I noticed it was broken. I thought I pulled out in time, so I wasn’t worried about it. I damn sure didn’t expect you to get pregnant. I guess my baby girl was determined to be here,” I teased. Finding out Promise could be my biological daughter only increased the love I already held in my heart for her. She was already my baby, regardless of whether we shared DNA, but it made my heart swell with pride all the same.
“I think I need a drink. My head feels like it’s on the verge of exploding,” Peace exclaimed. I ushered her back over to the bed and handed her a water bottle instead.
“We can worry about all of that later. Come here.” I picked her up and sat her on my lap as I sat on the edge of the bed. My arms were wrapped around her as I hugged her body from behind. My mind was still trying to process everything that was revealed, and I needed a moment to adjust. We were both lost in our thoughts, and the only sound in the room was the air conditioner cycling on and off.
My lips pressed against her arm, and I took a moment to breathe her in. The vanilla and peach on her skin smelled like heaven as my dick reminded me that I needed a release. My hands roamed over her body, and I could feel her nipples harden under my touch. Without speaking, I laid her body on the bed. We could deal with everything else later. I needed to feel her, and nothing was going to get in my way.
peace graham
. . .
