Irish wouldn’t have been able to sit across from Emanuel and not gag. Suddenly, he was the world’s dirtiest man to her. Touching her inappropriately, making her blow on dice, and whispering affirmations in her ear caused her to feel so nasty. His exploitation of Irish had changed her views of Emanuel. What was once a man, who went to work and kept their bills up to date, was a predator who had taken advantage of her innocence.
“No, I wanna go home.” She folded her arms over her chest and looked out the window.
“Alright.” His voice was somber. “We’ll go back home.”
Irish was relieved to see them pulling back up in Havenwood. As soon as he placed the car in park, she hopped out and ran inside the house.
“How did it go?” Daisy asked, sitting on the couch.
Irish couldn’t fathom forming the words to reveal how Emanuel had used her. So, she ignored her mother’s question and ran to her room. Slamming the door, Irish fell face first into her bed and sobbed.
Five
Breaking news! Suspect Braye Hilson, wanted for the shooting at Baldwin National Park that left one injured.
“Dumb bitch. You better hope the police catch your ass before Rio do,” Cali muttered.
She had been reading most of the articles written about Braye all morning. He had gone on the run and wasn’t to be found. Cali was so bitter that she called the police station and gave known addresses to where he stayed. Despite that, she didn’t feel better. Trying to get revenge against Braye wouldn’t soothe the heart she had broken. She wondered what Rio was going through. Did he think of her? Was his love gone? Knowing him, the answer was a definite yes.
Cali hated herself. Her self-esteem had plummeted. Her self-worth was in the toilet. Why couldn’t she see the light sooner? Why did it take Rio almost dying for her to find her love for him? They’d just found their groove. Bliss was the theme in their marriage and because of her selfishness, she was now hiding out at her sister’s house until Douglas took care of her problem.
A knock at the door interrupted her scrolling. Seconds later, two sets of feet pattered inside the guest room. She lookedat her twin nephews, who were splitting images of their father. The only thing they inherited of Bria was her umber skin tone.
“TT, come eat with us,” Koda said, playing with the Van Cleef bracelet on her wrist.
“What are we eating?”
“Waffles,” Dallas answered. “And fruit.”
“Okay, well, let’s go eat.”
Cali got up from the bed and grabbed her robe. The twins held her hand all the way down to the kitchen where Bria’s husband, Lo, sat at the table and she stood over the stove.
“Did they wake you up?” Bria asked.
“No, I was already up,” Cali replied. “Morning, Lo.”
“What’s up?” He gave her a nod and finished his plate. He was so intimidating that Cali wanted to keep the conversation to a minimum.
“Here.” Bria sat a plate in front of her. “Hopefully, you found your appetite.”
Cali had been so depressed that she hadn’t eaten in days. Losing five pounds within a week had her looking gaunt.
“I’ve been trying to force myself to eat but I can’t.”
Lo stood up and put his plate in the sink. He then walked behind Bria and wrapped his arms around her. Cali immediately looked away, praying she wouldn’t burst into tears. Witnessing the act of affection triggered her. She missed Rio so much. His scent wouldn’t leave her nose, and his fingerprints were still imprinted on her skin.
I bet dying would erase all this pain…
The suicidal thoughts had increase since coming to Bria’s home. Cali wondered if she killed herself would Rio come to herfuneral. Would her family be glad that their problem child was out of their hair? The thoughts were so depressing, but it didn’t stop Cali from wondering about that possibility.
“Dallas and Koda, y’all wanna pull the car out for Daddy?” Lo asked.
“Oooh, yes!” They both hopped up and ran toward the back door with him.
Cali looked back as a faint smile covered her pouty lips. “I know he’s not teaching them how to drive at three years old.”
Bria chuckled and took a seat at the table. “Girl, they think they be driving. He sits them on his lap, and they pull out of the garage.”
