“This is crazy.” I stared at him in disbelief. This man was blackmailing me. I got not wanting to miss another second of his son’s life but moving in with me? There had to be another way.
“What’s crazy is finding out I got a whole five-year-old son and not getting to see him on a daily.” His voice stayed calm, but the edge underneath it was loud as hell.
“KO—”
“It’s already done, Lyrius. I’m staying here until we figure this shit out.”
I stared at him, completely lost for words, and before I could even figure out what to say next, I heard little feet slapping against the hallway floor.
“Mommy, who is at the—” Dae-Dae froze, then his entire face lit up. “Daddy! You here!”
KO looked up just in time for Dae-Dae to launch himself at him. The sound that came out of my son when KO caught him almost broke me.
“You stayed the night!” Dae-Dae yelled.
“Yeah,” KO lied. I guess he figured Dae-Dae didn’t need all the logistics. “I’m gonna stay here for a minute. You cool with that?”
“You’re going to live with Mama and me?” Dae-Dae looked between both of us, excited as hell. “Like a real family?”
That last part made my chest hurt.A real family.
“Looks like it.”
“You gotstuff!” Dae-Dae gasped dramatically, noticing the large duffel bags sitting on the floor. I pressed my fingers against my forehead. “You have a turtle?”
“Yeah.” KO glanced down at the tank like he’d forgotten it was even there. “His name is Ali.” Dae-Dae dropped to the floor in front of the tank so fast it almost gave me whiplash.
“Like Muhammad Ali?” he yelled.
“Yeah.”
“Oh my God!” Dae-Dae pressed both hands against the glass. “Can Ali stay in my room? Daddy, can Ali sleep in my bed? Are you sleeping in my room with Ali? Does Ali like dinosaurs? Does he eat pancakes? Do turtles bite? Can we buy him a turtle friend?” The questions started flying so fast, KO actually looked overwhelmed for the first time since he’d shown up at my door.
“Dae-Dae, give KO a minute?—”
“Nah, it’s cool.” KO waved me off.
“Daddy, does Ali know karate?”
“Nah. He just mind his business.” KO snorted, and Dae-Dae laughed like that was the funniest thing he’d ever heard in his life.
“Daddy, come on!” He grabbed KO’s hand and started pulling him toward the hallway. “Come put Ali in my room!”
“Me and Ali finna go get settled.” KO looked over at me nonchalantly, already letting Dae-Dae drag him away. “Try not to stress yourself out while we’re gone.” They disappeared down the hallway with that damn turtle and left me standing there in complete silence. I turned slowly in a circle in the middle of my living room. This man had really moved into my apartment.
“What the hell?” I whispered to myself. This was unreal. Before I could even process another thought, Dae-Dae came running back out of the hallway.
“Mommy!” he yelled excitedly. “Daddy said we getting pancakes!”
“Pancakes?” I blinked. “Dae-Dae, it’s barely six in the morning.”
“So?” KO’s deep voice came from the hallway. “Breakfast spots open early.”
I looked up just as he came walking back out, completely comfortable in my space.
“KO—”
“Get dressed, Lyrius.” The audacity in his voice pissed me off and turned me on at the same time.
