“Fine, hold tight.”
She hung up and turned to Nyair, who had begun to dress.
“I need to go. I have an emergency that I have to take care of…”
“Your husband, right?” Nyair asked.
“Yeah,” she said, then shook her head. “I mean, no. He’s my ex-husband, but it’s complicated. With what happened to DJ, it’s all so complicated.”
Nyair nodded. “I’ll see myself out and let you get to it.”
Lauren was moving around the room, pulling open drawers, throwing on sweats and a t-shirt as quickly as she could. Just the mention of him leaving froze her.
“Demi is not an issue for me, but he’s family, so I do have to go. You could stay?” she proposed.
“Picture that. Me laying up in your crib, Lo,” he chuckled. “I ain’t that type of man. I also ain’t worried about what a man before me did, cuz it ain’t gon’ compare to what I’m trying to do with you now. So go ahead and handle your business with your family.”
The worry lines faded from her forehead. There was nothing like a confident man. Nyair didn’t form assumptions or insecurities about her dealings with Demi and she appreciated that. Every exchange with this man was so refined. He was just a grown-ass man, and she couldn’t handle anything less right now.
She didn’t want to go. She didn’t want to tap back into reality and remember her grief. Coming down off this sexual high would do that. Seeing Demi’s face would do that.
Nyair recognized the dilemma in her, and he pulled her into his space. The kiss to her forehead was intimate. The one to herlips left no confusion. He kissed her like it was his only form of communication, and he was dying to be understood. Lauren wasn’t really into swapping spit with humans. Demi had trained her not to even expect to. For years, they just didn’t kiss at all, besides, the occasional peck of the lips. Nyair kissed like he was born and bred in France, like it wasn’t just the precursor to fucking, but was a form of it all by itself. He was seducing her, and it was working. She couldn’t believe she was wet for him again.
“Good night,” he said, before walking out.
Lauren was so bothered that she had to freshen up again before she could leave. She rushed out the door and hopped in her car, headed to pick up her bothersome-ass baby daddy.
“On my motherfucking nerves,” she complained, battling the snow as she pulled out of her driveway. She would have to brave the elements for 60 miles to get to him, but she couldn’t leave him on stuck. It wasn’t a coincidence that he had been arrested the day of their son’s funeral. She knew he was in emotional turmoil, and whatever he had done was a result of that.
Chapter 13
Sky, you’re out of here.”
Demi stood and sauntered out of the jail cell he had beenheld in for hours. He had called Lauren hours ago, and he knew they had purposely made her wait to get him out. The police played games that way, and he mugged the officer as he bypassed him, while walking out. He stopped at the front and retrieved all the items they had taken from him. His phone, wallet, keys, belt, and shoestrings. He was a disheveled mess when he emerged to find Lauren waiting in the lobby. She was barefaced and dressed down, which was unusual for her, but even in this state of distress, with her eyes red and swollen from crying, she was gorgeous. Even after their divorce, her presence felt like an answered prayer. Lauren had been his partner for years. Any time he was uncertain, in trouble, or something heavy was weighing on him, she came to his rescue. They would sit and discuss a problem for hours and game plan together until Demi worked out whatever dilemma he had brought home with him that night. She was always his right hand, and tonight was no different. He couldn’t pay for loyalty like hers. Despitethe hurt he had put on Lauren, she had still shown up.
“Thank God,” she sighed in relief while shaking her head. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah, man,” he answered. He put himself back together, lacing his shoes and all before he followed her to the car.
They settled into the car before either of them spoke.
“You want to tell me what happened?”
“Not really,” he said.
“Well, tell me anyway, Demitrius,” she ordered.
“This some bullshit,” he drawled. She wasn’t even his wife anymore, and he was still reporting to her bossy ass. He rested his elbow on the door and rubbed the top of his head. “I got into it with this nigga Charlie fuck with.”
Lauren scoffed. “Wow,” she said. “Karma gon’ do her big one every time. That explains why you called me instead of her.”
Demi knew that Lauren felt a bit of victory in his situation.
“So, you cheated on me only for her to turn around and cheat on you,” Lauren stated. She shook her head. She laughed, and Demi grimaced because she was gloating like a motherfucker. “I’m sorry. Shit is funny, though.”
“Nice, Lo. Real fucking nice,” he said.
“Where am I taking you?” she asked. “You going home?”
