As my parents continued to discuss Sheila’s situation, I fell silent. They would never understand the suffocation of growing up under the pressure of trying to meet their expectations, especially given that they themselves had married at the tender age of sixteen.
I couldn’t shake the feeling that I had ended up in my mundane marriage partly because I was trying to fulfill theexpectations ingrained in me since childhood. The desire to please my parents, especially in matters of love and marriage, had always affected every decision I made.
Thoughts of Mythic lingered like a bittersweet ache. I was still drawn to him, as I had been back then. But the disapproval I imagined from my parents had always kept me from fully embracing the passion and excitement Mythic offered.
I always wondered if I had made the right choice. I often wondered if I had followed my heart instead of bowing to the pressure of my parents’ expectations, would my life have turned out differently. Regret, as it always did, gnawed at me. But dwelling on what-ifs only caused me more suffering. All I could do was accept the path I had chosen and find peace in the small moments of happiness my marriage had, even if they fell so short of the passion and excitement I’d had with Mythic.
Stepping out of my parents’ house, every nerve in my body came to life as soon as I spotted Mythic walking up the block. It wasn’t surprising to see him in the neighborhood. He still had ties there. But his presence never failed to send my nerves into a frenzy.
As our eyes met, a jolt of electricity shot through me. My heart pounded unsteadily in my chest.
With shaky hands, I approached him. Mythic stood tall and imposing. His presence cast a shadow over me as I stopped in front of him while standing on the sidewalk in front of my parents’ home.
My breath hitched. His appearance kidnapped my attention, demanding it. It dared me to find the ability to look away. Despite his bad-boy swag, he was still angelic in a fitted white tee. Diamonds glistened in his ears and on his neck, competing with the sun.
“Avi.” His voice was so smooth and deep, sending shivers down my spine.
“Hi, Mythic.” My voice was weak as my heart raced with excitement.
My stomach lurched with regret knowing that Damar never made me feel this way.
He took me into his large embrace, smothering me with his woody scent. The familiar pull of obsession tugged at me. He was so intoxicating that it swallowed me. His irresistible grip on my heart tightened around it.
“Why haven’t you called me?”
Pushing back against his chest, I looked up at him with a wrinkled brow.
He answered my silent inquiry. “Mia came to the club last night.”
I pried myself from his embrace. Frustrated, I began to charge toward my car. “She told you? So, she seriously thinks that I did this?”
Mythic followed close behind me. “Of course she told me. We’re tight.Youshould have told me.”
“I was going to. But it’s not something that I felt I should talk about over the phone, especially since she’s being investigated.”
Looking back at him, I saw Mythic nod. “That’s smart.”
“You don’t think I really told on her, do you?”
His steps halted. His head tilted dramatically as his striking glare anchored on me. “Hell no, Avi. I know better.”
I swallowed hard, forcing myself to focus on reality. “Then why doesn’tsheknow better?”
Mythic shrugged. “I think she’s just lashing out. She’s frustrated and has to let it out on someone.”
“But on me?”
“When people are going through something, they often lash out on the person closest to them.”
Sucking my teeth, I pouted. “That’s fucked up.”
“Don’t worry about it. She’ll figure out that she’s tripping soon enough. Her lawyer will figure out the evidence against her, and she will realize how she got caught up. I’ve been trying to call her to talk some sense into her, but she hasn’t been answering all day.”
“It shouldn’t take all of that for her to realize that I would never do something like this.”
“I know.” He slightly poked out his hefty bottom lip, mocking my own expression. Then he softly grabbed my chin, causing my body to quake. “It’s going to be okay.”
I craned my neck to meet his towering height. I had to squint up at him as the sun’s rays blinded me.
