I slammed my hands on my hips at his audacity. “Well, you definitely haven’t changed. I’m supposed to blow up my world because you want to be in mine?” I jabbed his chest. “You stood me up for the Prom because breaking into houses was more important, and even after I forgave you, you disappeared out of my life like I didn’t matter.”
He glanced around the small, empty area before his gaze narrowed. “You also told me you couldn’t be with a man who only knew the streets to survive when you knew I didn’t have a choice back then. You remember that?”
“I was justifiably angry. One bad argument and we’re through? You knew you had me hooked, and you let me go without fighting for me when you promised you always would. Then, years later, I see you everywhere, with all this money and fame, glamorous women on your arm on the red carpet. Never a phone call or a text. You swore you loved me, and I gave you the one thing I only planned to give my future husband because I believed you. I didn’t care that you were trouble or that my father disapproved, you were my Freedom.” I huffed. “Now, you waltz in here like you have the right, as if I were a single woman instead of a married one with two children. Get the hell on, Freedom Cade.”
“You still love me?” he asked, simply cutting through my ranting. “You said you would always love me even if we didn’t end up together.”
“What?” I sputtered.
He grinned. “That’s all I needed to know.” He kissed my neck slowly and then said, “You’re the first to know that after my tour, I’m moving back home. I’ll be in touch, Jamaica.”
Freedom strode back into the party, and I slumped against the wall, my trembling legs unable to hold me up.
Through the slowly closing door, Lori eased past the growing crowd that swarmed Freedom and hurried to me. “Why do you look like you've seen a ghost?” She glanced toward Freedom and tried to hold back a smile. “What did he do? Kiss you or feel you up? Either one works for me.”
I groaned, “Worse.”
“Worse?” She perused my body quickly. “Naw, you didn’t have sex out here. That’s my thing…not yours.”
I glared at her. “Will you stop acting like I don’t have a husband?”
She shrugged. “Sure. Whenever your husband remembers he has a wife. It’s your night, and he’s not here.”
“Remind me not to tell you about my marriage…” The heat of Freedom’s gaze through the opening door stopped my flow.
We’d always been aware of each other if we were in proximity to each other. I dared to glance in his direction, capturing his dark eyes one more time before he donned his shades and moved deeper into the ballroom. The delicious chills that traveled through me were reminiscent of how I used to feel when I would pass him in the halls before I knew he felt the same about me.
“Ooh…that look.” Lori glanced between Freedom and me and shook her head slowly. “What are you going to do?”
“I know.” I pulled her into the nearby restroom and checked all the stalls before I admitted, “He said he wanted to see me again, that Kody can’t make me happy like he can, and that he was moving back home.”
She whistled softly. “Wow. After all the fame and the years, that’s what he says to you?”
“I told him he was crazy.” I blinked back tears as the swell of emotion threatened to overwhelm me. He had been my first love, whom I used to think would be my forever love.
“Are you planning to see him again?”
“If I see him, I'm one step closer to the devil.” I rested my back against the sink. “I know Kody messed up…” My words trailed off. I sounded weak to myself because I wasn’t sure my husband was capable of being the man I needed him to be.
Lori raised a brow. “Still messing up. Come on, Jamaica. KJ almost failed second grade because Kody was too caught up in himself and whatever woman he was messing with. And where is he right now?”
“It was partially my fault for not checking in on KJ, too. I know how my son can be when it comes to school. And Kody has been working with him, and his grades have already improved.” I took another drawn-out breath. “He told me he wasn’t cheating anymore and doesn’t want to lose me. I choose to believe him. Besides, our lives are so entwined with our sons and the business. Divorce would be too complicated, and I don’t even want one. We got together so young.” I laughed sadly, “Who does that anymore? I feel like I can give him a pass for cheating this time. Kody has his faults, but he’s been there with me. Not Freedom. I can’t ignore that because my ex strolls back into my life.”
Lori opened her mouth and then snapped it shut. “Who am I to judge? I’ve never been married, and I haven’t been in a relationship that lasted longer than a year. Hewasthere with you when a lot of brothers would’ve run from responsibility in a heartbeat.” She joined me against the sink. “Remind me to bite my tongue the next time I try to insult Kody.”
“Umm…you must not plan to have a tongue.” I nudged her shoulder. “It’s all good, sister from another mother. I know you only want what’s best for me, whether it’s Kody or another man. Like I want for you.”
She tilted slightly to face me. “But you can’t tell me you’re not tempted to see Freedom again? You were so crazy about him. Hell, we were all jealous that he only had eyes for you, too.”
“’ Tempted’ is the perfect word.” Placing my hands on her sturdy shoulders, I acknowledged, “I’m so tempted it’s crazy. He just said my name, and my heart damn near stopped. Maybe it’s because he’s such a big star now that I want to forget my life and go to him. Even if it’s for one night.”
“Maybe. I just know that I would so fail if he looked at me like he just did, AND my husband cheated. Ba-Bee, it would be so on.” She checked her watch. “Hey, we need to stop hiding out like we used to in high school to avoid the mean girls. We are in charge tonight.”
I nodded, and as we started toward the door, my stomach churned. I touched her forearm. “I don’t think I can go back out there and see him. Can you cover for me? Kody isn’t here anyway. Make up an excuse or something using Kody.”
“We still have a whole program that you planned.” She frowned.
“You know as well as I do that no one will pay attention to me. It’s all about Freedom now.” I opened the door to a few of my classmates, smiling broadly.
