I financed the mission and gave her all the resources she would need to make things happen. Aoko was a bad girl. She was better than Nyako had even stated. Within forty-eight hours of meeting her, everything was in place. It seemed that just as eager as we had been to make the meetup happen, so was the other party.
“Nya,” I called out, stepping into her room where she was resting in bed and watching TV. She had spent the entire day working on her magazine, and she had given two hours to doing an online tour of a few properties her real estate agent had set up. She decided that just because she was sick, that was no reason to stop house hunting.
“Hey, where have you been?” She flashed a beautiful smile at me.
“Getting dinner ready for you. Listen, before we head out into the living room, I wanted you to know that you have come to mean a lot to me in a short amount of time. I meant what I said when I committed to being on your journey of healing with you. I’m not going anywhere, and I’m interested in doing whatever it takes to see you whole.”
“Where are you going with this, Navy?” Her smile turned shaky.
“Let’s just say that I’ve made some decisions that might have you angry with me at first, but I need you to know that it was with the best intentions that I made them. I have your back on everything, but I took the initiative on something that I don’t take lightly.”
“Ookaay.” Although her tone was light, the look in her eyes was somewhat distant. I could sense her shutting down already, and I didn’t want that.
“Put this on,” I stated, grabbing the robe that matched the crop top and wide-legged pants of her loungewear set.
“Is someone out there?” She hesitantly put the robe on over her outfit.
“Yeah.”
“Who?”
I grabbed her hands in mine and stared into her eyes. “Would you please just trust me?”
“I don’t know, Navy. You’re scaring me.”
“Don’t be scared. Do you trust me, beautiful?”
“It depends.”
“Trust isn’t dependent on factors being favorable to your position or perspective. Trust should be given unconditionally, even when the circumstances are challenging and pushing you beyond your comfort zone, Nayoko. We have both been through heartache because of people we loved. We don’t have to let that be our legacy. You and I can create something completely different and beautiful. You have the power to define what the future looks like between us. Your decision, your answer, will determine how we move forward from this day on, and what our relationship will look like.”
I stared into her eyes as I held her hands in mine. Inhaling deeply, I exhaled quickly and loudly.
“Now. Do you trust me?”
Her voice didn’t waver, and her gaze didn’t blink. “Yes.”
“Come on.” I led her out of the bedroom and to the living room. Nyako’s eyes immediately turned to the dining room where I had everything set up.
Lamb chops were plated on a bed of saffron rice alongside roasted turnips. Red wine chilled in a bucket of ice, and three glasses stood at each place setting at the table. A candelabra sat in the middle of the table.
“What’s the occasion, and why are there three place settings?”
Movement from the kitchen caused Nyako’s head to swivel as someone stepped out of the shadows and into the living room. The gasp from Nyako was unsettling, and for a moment, I second-guessed my decision.
“What are you doing here?” she demanded.
JoJo’s gaze wavered briefly as she looked from Nyako to me and back to Nyako again. “It’s time for me to explain myself. I owe you that, Nya.”
Shaking her head almost violently, she crossed her arms over her chest and hugged herself protectively. “No, you don’t get to do that. You cannot call me that. Only family and friends are allowed to call me that. I don’t even know what to call you. I can’t say that you’re an enemy, more like a predator,” Nyako hissed.
“Nya, what I did was wrong. I know that?—”
“You shouldn’t even be here.”
“Maybe not, but it’s not fair that you haven’t heard me. At least let me explain. You came to my house, and I didn’t invite you. You walked up in there judging and ran out of there. How do you think that made me feel?”
“I don’t give a shit about your feelings.”
