Alicia was going to learn that, although I worked for her, I was a man who didn’t tolerate bullshit—even if it did cost me my job and the woman I wanted to get to know and heal.
I satin my computer chair and gazed out of the bay window at the open space in the backyard. The grass hadn’t had maintenance for months, because Leo stopped paying the landscaper. He said he’d take over, but he never did, and now the grass was withering just like our marriage had done.
I hated that Basil and his nieces and nephews had to see me that way. It was embarrassing and truly baffling how this man broke my heart, broke up with me through a fucking text, refused to pay me alimony, hadn’t seen his kids since he left for work the morning of our anniversary, and had the gall to bring his ass to my house and act a fool.
His reason for coming over was to see the kids, but I didn’t want him to give them false hope and empty promises. Leo just wanted to be nosy. I could tell he just wanted to see what I was doing, not concerned with the kids at all.
His actions were truly blowing me, and the fact that he kept saying “my”was confusing as well. Tears flowed from my eyes because I honestly had no clue what was running through Leo’s mind. He must have forgotten that he was the one who leftme.He was the one who broke my fucking heart and left me with three kids, kids that he swore he didn’t ask for but did and said nothing to prevent them from being here.
I hated that bastard.
I couldn’t wait until this hearing so that I could take back my life and my last name. The more I sat stewing on this bullshit, the angrier I became at myself for allowing so much shit to slide, giving him years of my life when I could have been with someone who truly loved me and wanted a life with me.
I didn’t realize how selfish he was, and it pained me to be so foolish to allow his ass to play me like this for all these years.
Before I could stop it, the tears came down my cheeks like raindrops as my chest quaked from the inner turmoil I endured. I carried so much on my shoulders, and not once did that motherfucka acknowledge all the shit I’d done to keep our family together. Everything was so perfect before the children; then all of a sudden, things went downhill before I could even blink.
It was niggas like him who made women like me go completely insane, be vindictive and fucking crazy.
The soft knock at the door made me perk up, swipe a couple of Kleenex from the tissue holder, and dry my tears quickly. I couldn’t let my kids see me like this, and I certainly didn’t want Basil to see me so brokenhearted. The way he stood up to Leo didn’t really shock me. Although Basil was really sweet, he had a certain look in his eyes and a certain energy that told me he wouldn’t have hesitated to put Leo on his back without much effort.
I cleared my face as best as I could before telling whoever was at the door to come in. Moments later, Basil appeared, standing in the entryway, looking like two of the seven deadly sins—lust and gluttony.
Jesus be a blind spot.
His locs were pulled up on top of his head, and those light-brown orbs stapled to me with worry etched in them. I could tell he was trying to read me, so I busied myself with the papers on my desk. When I should have been going over yet another case, I was sulking over a nigga who didn’t deserve my fucking tears.
Before I knew it, Basil was at my side, pulling me up from my chair.
“Basil, what are you?—”
He wrapped those strong arms around me and held me tightly. I didn’t want to like it. It was inappropriate and could be misleading, but I couldn’t deny the strength of his arms slowly relieving the tension in my body. We didn’t speak for a long minute, with me allowing myself to feel comforted in this moment.
I needed it.
While I felt like my world was crashing down around me, Basil’s embrace made me feel as if everything was going to be okay. I tried so hard to keep my tears at bay, but when he said, “Let it out,” I gripped the wings of his back and bawled.
He rubbed my back in a soothing manner and allowed me to soak his shirt. After two minutes of standing there and crying on this beautiful stranger’s shoulder, I finally settled and pulled away from him. He brushed my hair from my face and handed me another tissue.
“Better?” he asked.
I nodded. “Yes. Thank you.”
“No problem.”
“I feel foolish, standing here, crying on your shoulder. You’re not supposed to see me this way.” I sniffled.
“Seeing you this way is beautiful. It allows me to pinpoint exactly where your heart is broken so I can fix it.”
“Basil . . .” My voice trailed because I knew we were crossing the line, and I liked it. “I’m your boss.”
He took a step back and nodded. “Right.”
“But thanks for the hug. It was needed.”
He smiled lightly. “I know.”
“Was there something that you needed? Are the kids okay?”
