“I found out where that nigga lived the same night, went over there strapped. I had used a gun before, hadn’t killed nobody, but I had shot at niggas on some tough guy shit, so I thought it would be easy. The nigga had violated my mama. It was the heaviest trigger I had ever felt. He saw me hesitate, and he came at me, took my gun, put it point blank to my head, and the gun jammed. I was supposed to be dead right then and there. He was a big nigga, had a lot of weight on him. I remember thinking of my mom as a little girl under all that weight. He grabbed the pole first. I don’t even know where it came from.”
Sloan’s hands moved to her throat. She felt like she was choking because she remembered this part of the story from the trial. She remembered the bruises on his neck. The defense had made the old man sound like a victim who had fought back and lost.
“He choked you with it,” Sloan whispered. Her tears flowed, creating a salty river from her eyes to her mouth.
“The whole room was fading out. My shit was burning so bad. My lungs just needed air. He was a drunk, and I was grabbing for anything. The bottle on the floor beside me was what my hands found first. I hit him as hard as I could, and it was enough to get him up off me and get him to drop that pole. I grabbed that bitch, and I swung. Iain’t let up off that nigga until I was sure he wouldn’t get up. I swung what felt like a hundred times,” Cassidy whispered. He sniffed and thumbed away a tear that had escaped. He cleared his throat, and she felt him stiffen behind her, restoring his strength.“The nigga violated my mama, so I handled that for her. Nobody protected her, so I did, and no, Sloan, you, or nobody else will ever make me regret that. I gave up half my life. They buried my mama while I was in there, wouldn’t even let me out to come to the funeral. I missed birthdays, holidays. My sister became a grown woman, and my dad aged and got sick. Friends forgot about me. You outgrew me and became Superwoman. It was all a sacrifice, but it was worth it because my mama got to know what protection felt like before she died. She felt safe. She visited me every week, until she was too sick to come, and even then, she wrote me letters, and she never judged me. She thanked me. She was proud of me, and that’s enough. I’lleat those years every time for her. You’re the first person I’ve told.”
“But Ellie knows,” Sloan whispered.
“Ellie don’t know,” Cassidy said.“She’s guessed pretty damn closely over the years, and she put a story together in her head based on what she heard at trial, and what she saw at the grocery store that day, but I’ve never come out and told her. I never had to. She knew that I killed him, and she knew I had a reason, and she never questioned if I was justified or not. She knew I was because she knew me.”
Sloan had to fold her lips in to trap her emotion. That last part was for her. She had treated him like a stranger, like everything she knew about him didn’t exist. He was right. She should have known. She turned to him, kissing his lips.“I don’t deserve a second chance at this. I should have known.”
“I understand why you have doubts. I watched niggas finesse women from prison for years. I watched dudes come and go with the worst of intentions. Niggas who hated women. Niggas who planned the ways they would hurt the very women who held them down while they were locked up. It was woman beaters, scammers, rapists, pedophiles, murderers of women. Prison is hell. It’s a lot of devils in there. I went through a lot, especially being so young when I went in, but I held my own. I kept my head down, and I did my time as honorably as I could, Sloan. I’ve got my own demons I fight from being in that place. None of them will ever make me harm you. Not ever!” She snuggled her face into his chest, and he lifted her chin to force eye contact.“Not ever, Sloan,” he stressed.“I’m not like the man who killed your mom.”
She turned to him and snuggled close as she placed one hand to the side of his face. She breathed his air, she was so close.
¡°You¡¯re the man who saves women like my mom.” She had always been attracted to Cassidy, but she was in awe of him, of his sacrifice, for the most important woman in his life…his mother.¡°Your mom always told me and Ellie that the way a boy loves his mama reflected the way he would love a woman.I¡¯d be so lucky if you loved me that way.” It was like she was discovering the depth of his heart for the first time.¡°I¡¯m so sorry for ever disrespecting you with my fear. I was so wrong about you, and a part of me always knew that I was wrong, but I was too afraid to follow my heart.I¡¯m so sorry, baby. I hurt you, and I don¡¯t want to do that. You’ve been hurt for too long. You were trapped for so long, Cassidy. I want to love you so well you feel free. You¡¯re free with me, Cassidy. I love you.”
¡°I’ve loved you from the first time I put eyes on you, Sloan. I thought it would go away as I walked down those years, man. I thought I would forget you. I thought I would get out, and you would be married with a family or some shit. But none of that shit happened.I¡¯m here and you¡¯re here. We finally in the same place and on the same page and a nigga just want you, Sloan. I don¡¯t give a fuck about the walls you got up, or the demanding job, or none of the other difficult shit you come with. I just want my girl.I¡¯ma do my job with you.I¡¯ma love you likeI¡¯m making up for lost time, Sloan. All you got to do is let me.”
He kissed the top of her head, and she wrapped her arm around his waist, resting her head on his chest. For the first time since he had been snatched away from her life, Sloan didn’t worry, she wasn’t afraid. She was safe, and he was safe, and they were together. It was a young dream fulfilled.
Chapter 25
New Year’s Eve
Four Days Later
Ellielooked around her new home, and her soul felt full. Her friends and family scattered about, filling the walls with noise and love. Her home was big enough for everyone, and Loyal had spared no expense on the furnishings. It was the perfect place to bring in the New Year.
“Thank you so much, Ellie, for letting me and Christian stay here until I can get on my feet,” Courtney stated as she walked up to Ellie, offering a hug.
“Don’t even mention it, girl; we’re happy to have you,” Ellie said.“And it’s no rush for you to get out. My home is your home. Have you spoken to James?”
“Not really. He sends me notes from his therapy sessions. I’m glad he’s going, but I don’t want to go back to that situation. Until he’s better, I’m not comfortable with Christian being there without me, either, so Sloan’s going to help me with a lawyer so I can file for full custody.”
“I think that’s smart, and how about you? You scheduled your next therapy session yet?” Ellie asked.
“It’s January 2nd, actually. I want to start the year right. I’ve got a lot of healing to do.”
“You’re taking all the right steps, Court,” Ellie said, cupping her friend’s pretty face.“You’re so beautiful and so deserving of good things. Never let another nigga play you small again.” She put her forehead to Courtney’s, and they shook their heads like they used to do in middle school.“I love you, my girl.”
Courtney was emotional as she whispered,“Oh, Ellie, jumping your ass in the bathroom in 7th grade is the best thing that ever happened to this friend group,” Courtney whispered.
“Jealous-ass bitches,” Ellie snickered.
“Knock, knock!”
Ellie turned toward the door as Sloan announced her arrival. Ellie smiled when Cassidy walked in behind her. Seeing their shorthand with one another was amazing. They were a beautiful couple who radiated their love for one another wherever they went.I really don’t know how I didn’t see the shit before, she thought. They just fit, and if Ellie knew her brother at all, she knew it wouldn’t be long before he asked Sloan to marry him. They were already spoiling one another. They had missed Christmas together but didn’t hesitate to make up for it. Cassidy had purchased her a stunning diamond necklace and tennis bracelet, which she wore proudly. Ellie could see the matching ring coming from a mile away. He was just waiting for the right moment; she was sure of it. Sloan had forced him to put his classic car up for the winter, and they had gone car shopping. She forced him to join the Mercedes club by gifting him an S-Class AMG. They were a successful, sexy couple who exemplified Black love, and Ellie had gone from their biggest hater to their number-one cheerleader. She couldn’t get one without the other, these days, because whenever she called Sloan, she was with Cassidy, and whenever she called Cassidy, Sloan picked up the damn phone. They were the annoying-ass couple, and Ellie loved it. She knew her mother would approve.
“Is that my daughter-in-law?” Papa called out.
“You know it is,” Sloan replied as she kicked off her snow-covered boots and rushed to hug Bishop first.
“Not you over here sipping. What you got in that cup?” Sloan asked playfully while giving Ellie the eye.
“Not you over here snitching,” Papa shot back.“Go’nback over there.”
