“Like it fucking works!” Vega yelled, angered by what he was hearing.
“It’s not that easy and you know it. If you assume it is then you really haven’t learned a damn thing,” Ace argued.
Vega simply chuckled and shook his head once more, smoothing his waves before he gave Ace his attention again.
“It’s that easy, bruh. Maybe not for you but it would have been for me. But you aren’t me. I get that.” For years Vega struggled with the love he had for his brother over the disdain he had for the man he realized his brother would never be. Imagewas one thing, but he knew the real man and wasn’t loving what he was seeing.
Vega lifted his body from the railing he was leaning against and started to leave the balcony, only stopping when he heard his brother’s voice. “This life comes with consequences. We make choices based on what we’re willing to accept. East understands the choice he made.”
“You’re right and I understand the choice you made. Just remember that moving forward.”
The divide was happening at a rapid pace. Vega felt it coming for years but now was the moment of truth, and ready or not, he had to choose a side.
“You wantto tell me what happened with you and your brother?” Nyelle sat quietly in Vega’s car as they left his brother’s property. Lunch had been interesting. The food was amazing, Paris was an absolute pleasure, but Vega and his brother seemed to have a disconnect that didn’t go unnoticed. Paris worked around it, communicating with both of them individually but never forcing the two into a conversation together, so Nyelle followed her lead. She didn’t know Ace so Nyelle accepted his behavior for what it was, but Vega was a different story. There was a shift in his mood. She chose not to address it while they were there, but now that the two were alone, she wanted to know what happened.
“What you mean?” Vega’s eyes met hers while his face held no emotion.
“After you talked to him you were different. Did something happen?”
Vega clenched his jaw, remembering their conversation. “Nah, nothing like that. Just business stuff.”
There was no point in him airing out family business. No matter how disappointed he was in his brother, Vega was loyal by default. His first priority was protecting their legacy. Even if Ace was proving he didn’t give a fuck about preserving his loyalty to those who had always been loyal to him. To ensure the conversation was over, he moved on. “So, when do I get to officially meet your son? That shit that went down has been fucking with me. I know how much he means to you and I don’t want that to be the only memory he has of who I am.”
Nyelle was smart enough to see through Vega’s diversion attempt but she also understood there were certain things in his life that would be off limits. For that reason, she didn’t fight him.
“It’s complicated.” Nyelle knew she had something with Vega, but they were still so new. Nick had a lot of questions after the incident, but he was seemingly fine, better than she expected. The issue was when to introduce him to Vega. Doing so meant presenting him in a way that allowed Nick to understand Vega’s position in their lives. How could Nyelle do that when she wasn’t even sure herself?
“Complicated?” Vega questioned with a hard stare. “That sounds like it’s more about your ex than your son.” Vega wasn’t the type to care about much of anything, but where Nyelle was concerned, he found himself in a weird space. He wanted all of her, that meant a connection with her son, which came alongside an association with the man who created him. He understood that and respected the concept, even if he didn’t respect the man himself.
“It’s not about Reese.” Her answer came quickly, but she followed it with uncertainty. “Well… it is in a sense, but not like you think. He’s Nick’s father. I can’t change that, no matter whatchanges between us. No matter how fucked up an individual he has been with me, he’s still Nick’s father.”
“And that’s gonna stop you from moving on with your life?”
“No.”
“Sounds to me like it is. Me being in your life means being in your shorty’s life. There’s no way around that. I don’t give a fuck about your ex because he don’t fucking matter to me. As long as he’s not in the middle of what we have, then I don’t see an issue. You’re the only one who can guarantee that.” Vega’s eyes were intense while he waited. He wasn’t about games. As much as he wanted Nyelle, he wasn’t about to be stuck in the middle of her bullshit or her being indecisive about how things would work for them.
“He won’t be, but he’s still Nick’s father. The two of you can’t be pulling guns every time you’re in the same room. That’s not about me or Nick, that’s about egos.”
Vega chuckled and shrugged. “His ego, not mine. He wants you, I have you. As long as he understands that, I don’t have to waste time making that clear.”
Nyelle closed her eyes briefly, knowing she had no fight in this game. Both men were unpredictable. Her priority was Nick and his well-being.
“He understands it, which is why he has an issue. Even if I’m not with you, I’m never going to be with him?—”
“If you’re not with me?” Vega’s face was tight again, not feeling the direction the conversation was going.
“I’m just making a point that I’m never going back to Reese.” She pushed out an exasperated breath, already over the topic.
“Well, let me make my point.” Vega made sure their eyes connected before he spoke.
Nyelle felt the message deeper than she heard his words and it wasn’t until then that she really knew.
23
“What is going on with you lately?” Brenda narrowed her eyes on her only child, waiting.
“Nothing is going on with me.”
