I chuckled. “Let’s be for real, Audrey. You have never really been in their lives. All their moments with you were fleeting because your heart was never in it. The best thing you can do for us is to drop the charges and let us go.” I released a shaky breath. “I’ve never asked you for much, but I’m begging you to do this one thing for me. That way, we can all find happiness.”
I stood slowly because I didn’t have anything else to say. The ball was in Drey’s court now, and he knew I was right. “They’re going to hate me,” he whispered.
I turned to look at him over my shoulder. “No more than they already do. It might not always be that way though. Give them time to heal from the damage. They might want to reconnect with you one day, but I doubt it. They already have a great positive role model in their life. They are good. I promise.”
He stood up and gave me a nod. I wasn’t sure whether that meant he was going to do it or not, but I felt a weight lift when I walked away. That chapter in my life was officially closed, and I couldn’t wait to see what else there was out there for my boys and me.
Chapter 17
Lyrix
Itook quick steps down the stairs to get to the kitchen. Grai was in there, putting away the groceries she’d just gone to buy for the house. I rushed in and paused when I saw her bent over. I lifted my fist to my mouth, trying to resist the urge to snatch her ass up. She knew leggings were my weakness.
I cleared my throat to gain her attention. “Your bitch ass baby daddy dropped the charges, Bubbles. I’m good,” I shared with her excitedly. I wasn’t sure how this shit was going to end. It felt good to know there wouldn’t be with any permanent consequences.
She smiled as she stood up. “So, he really did it,” she mumbled.
My smile fell from my face. “What do you mean?”
She sighed, avoiding eye contact. “I went to see him about getting them dropped.” She shrugged. “I guess he listened.”
I couldn’t control the jealousy I felt coursing through my veins. The thought of her being close to that nigga had me seeing red. What did they talk about? Had she promised him something? Were they going to get back together?”
“What did you say to him?” My voice was gravelly and low.
She went back to putting up groceries, paying my change in mood no attention. “The truth. I promised we’d leave him alone if he did the same. We know he doesn’t really want to be in the boys’ lives. No need to keep pretending and putting us all through misery.”
I heard what she was saying, but I couldn’t shake the thought of her going over there. I put the pieces together and realized that must’ve been where she went during the middle of the night the other night. I was in my shed, working on the boys’ updated keepsake boxes when I heard her come out of the house. I watched her get in the car and leave. I figured she was taking a drive to clear her mind. I never imagined she was going to pay that nigga a visit.
“Thank you, I guess. I’m about to go get this monitor taken off.”
She smiled happily. “Okay, hurry back. I’m going to whip up a celebratory dinner. Maybe even have a glass of champagne because I’m finally rid of his ass.” She clapped her hands giddily.
“Yeah,” I mumbled before turning to leave. I clenched my fists, trying to process what I was feeling. I mean, she’d done a good thing, but I would’ve rather she stayed the fuck away from him. Anything could’ve happened. It just so happened to work in our favor this time. And would he really stay away? I had so many questions, and it was impossible to even answer them all.
I huffed a sigh, grabbed the keys, and dipped. The only thing I needed to focus on for now was getting my monitor off. After that, I’d sort through the jealousy and possessiveness I felt toward my best friend and what I planned to do about that.
It feltlike a weight lifted when I returned home without that tracker on. I no longer had any ties to a probation officer, nor was there anything documented about my time on probation. Now that I was able to get some fresh air, I had a clearer head.
I understood why Grai had gone to him. While I was gone, I thought about our conversation, and it was clear that she was done with him. I guess I thought if she was talking to him, that meant she was willing to go back, but she’d reached out to him for me. Now, that nigga was out of our lives, and we could move forward.
I was barely in the house before Grai came racing at me happily. I chuckled. “What is it?”
“It’s just a good day. Drey dropped the charges, you got your monitor off, and I just got an interview for a really good job.”
My body froze as her words slammed into me like a Mack truck. I didn’t even know she was looking for work. I gave her a half-hearted smile. “What? You been looking for places to stay too?” I jokingly asked.
She nodded proudly. “Actually, I have. Now that Drey is gone, I’m ready to figure out what’s next for me. I can’t live off you forever, Poppa. I need to find myself.”
Every word out of her mouth crawled beneath my skin and began picking at the muscle there. What did she mean by figuring out what was next for her? I thought life with me was next, but apparently, we had two different mindsets. She skipped off, oblivious to the war going on in my heart because she was so excited for the future. I should’ve been happy for her, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that she was kicking me to the curb. That feeling that the future she envisioned didn’t include me.
Had she gotten all she needed from me? Was I only good enough to take care of her but never to be her man? Would she ever see life with me as a possibility? Because that was all I couldfucking think about. It hurt to know Grai wasn’t considering the same things as me. Living under the same roof officially changed how I felt about her. The thought of going backward made it hard to breathe.
Now, I was glad that I hadn’t acted on all my desires since that one time. I would never be able to forget making love to her, and it angered me to think of another man having access to her like that. She wasn’t supposed to end things with one fuck nigga to end up with another one. But I couldn’t make her want the same things as me, and I needed to remember that.
Backing away slowly to the door, I knew I couldn’t be in this house with her right now. My hand landed on the doorknob when I heard Ace’s voice behind me. “We still playing Uno after dinner?”
I turned and glanced at him. I gulped, feeling guilty because I knew I was about to let him down. “We gotta raincheck on that one, okay?”
