Page 54 of A Don & His Doll

“I will,” he said before disconnecting the call.

As Monroe's neighborhood came into view, Promise's grip tightened around the steering wheel, and her stomach had twisted itself into knots. This street had once brought her comfort, but now she was filled with so much uncertainty as she neared his home. She had been so caught up with her myriad thoughts, she didn't realize how fast time had flew by. She pulled into his driveway and cut the engine, but didn’t move. She just sat there and stared at the front door for a while instead of rushing to get out. This wasn't just Monroe's home, this was where he'd cooked for her for the first time. They'd danced barefoot in the kitchen at two in the morning, and Promise had fallen asleep listening to his heartbeat. Monroe had looked her in the eyes and promised she'd never have to question where she stood with him. It was funny how life could make a familiar place feel like foreign territory overnight. She reminded herself of the memories that lived inside those walls, and the nights they had they laughed until sunrise.

Promise released a slow breath. You gotta face it, Promise told herself as she reached forward to get her keys, and the envelope that held the pictures inside. Promise used the feature Monroe had downloaded on her phone to disarm the house alarm just before letting herself into his home. Everything about entering Monroe’s home felt familiar, but everything after that wouldn't be unbeknownst to Promise.

As soon as Promise stepped in, she heard a cluster of unfamiliar laughter echoing through the house. Promise secured the door behind her, then followed the noise that came from the living room. Taking a few steps forward, Promise walked to the end of the hall, and when she rounded the corner, her whole world crashed. Her heart flopped out of her chest as soon as she saw Sienna sitting in the living room with a little girl who looked just like Monroe, and it damn near took Promise's breath away. The three of them sat comfortably in the living room around a board game. Promise's heart sank so fast it almost made her dizzy. Monroe wasn't careless, she knew him. He didn't have random people knowing where he rested his head.

He had too many enemies.

Too much money.

Too much at stake.

The people allowed inside it were people he trusted with his life, which further led Promise to believe Sienna wasn't just visiting. Her heart didn't wait for Monroe to explain, it reached its own conclusion. This woman wasn’t random, she belonged there. This little girl belonged here. And Monroe belonged to them.

"Promise," Monroe whispered, immediately considering the way the setup appeared. He stood to his feet and started walking towards her.

Promise was speechless and frozen in place, as one hand trembled covering her mouth. One single tear slid down her beautiful face as the envelope she held slipped from her grasp, scattering across the hardwood floor, revealing the evidence she'd been sitting with all week. But it was no match for the reality she stood face-to-face with. Monroe's heart damn near stopped the second he saw the first tear fall from Promise's eye, and caught a glimpse of the images in the envelope. The photos rested at everyone's feet like pieces of a lie that had finally found its way home. His stomach hollowed when Promise backed away before he could touch her. She looked at him like she didn't know him anymore. Like every promise he'd ever made to her had been swallowed whole by the scene standing in front of her.

“Promise," Monroe's words trailed off barely above a whisper because he knew.

One look in her eyes, was telling of one fact…she’d tuned him out. He felt her. Felt her pain, and it killed him because he knew she was dying inside. Monroe knew how fucked up things looked, but he needed time to make her understand what was really going on. That was the thing though, his time had run out. Promise looked at Sienna again, then at Monroe, and shook her head; suddenly feeling like she was intruding in a space she was never invited into. He has another family, Promise thought as another single tear betrayed her, sliding rapidly down her face. The reality of it all had hit her harder than the pictures ever could.

Monroe took another slow, but cautious step towards Promise like one wrong move might shatter what little was left between them. She immediately stepped back again, her subtle movement landed like a bullet to Monroe’s heart. Monroe froze because it was at that moment he realized that he may have lost Promise. Not because he cheated, but because he couldn't protect her from believing he did. Promise had run into his arms more times than he could count. She'd climbed into his lap during business meetings just to steal a kiss. She'd reached for his hand in crowded rooms without thinking twice. But, not once had she ever stepped away from him.

As Sienna stood back watching the whole scene unfold right before her eyes from across the room, she felt a deep sense of guilt settle heavily in her chest. And for a moment, she recognized the expression written across Promise's face because she'd once worn that same look herself. It was the look of a woman who believed the man she loved had chosen another life that didn’t include her. The thing about it was that Promise wasn't standing in the middle of a misunderstanding she'd created. She was standing inside one Macie had carefully orchestrated, and Sienna hated that another innocent woman had become collateral damage. There was a part of her that was happy that things were working out, and her family was slowly but surely coming back together; she just hated that it was at the cost of another woman's heartbreak.

"Promise..." Monroe tried again, taking another step.

Promise immediately took another one back, and Monroe didn’t move again after that. He couldn't. The distance between them wasn't measured in feet anymore, it was measured in trust, and right now Promise didn't have any left to give him. She looked directly into his eyes, and God...she loved that man.

She loved him enough to fight for him.

Enough to pray for him.

Enough to build a future around him.

However, standing there watching another woman look so comfortable inside the space that was supposed to be their haven, Promise didn't know what to believe anymore.

“Doll, let me explain,” Monroe tried again, but it was too late.

Promise shook her head slowly while gazing directly into Monroe's eyes, swiped a stubborn tear from her face, then turned to walk out the front door. Monroe watched Promise disappear, every instinct in Monroe's body told him to go after Promise, but he couldn't because going after her meant leaving Monae, and he refused to walk away from her. She didn't deserve to feel abandoned, not on his watch. Just give me a little time, Doll. I'ma make all this shit right again. I promise, he thought as he watched Promise walk out of the door.

It was almost four o'clock in the morning, and sleep still hadn’t found Promise. Nova Sole’s Open Hand played lowly as she sat in the center of her bed with her knees pulled to her chest as she gazed through the bedroom window. New York never really slept, but on this night the city felt unusually quiet. Respectful, and almost like it understood that her heart had taken more than it could bear.

She questioned how Monroe could hurt her the way he had. How he could be so deceptive, knowing when she'd shown him nothing but truth and transparency since the day they'd met. She wrestled with the thought of their whole relationship being a lie because what she'd felt for Monroe had been genuine. He was her safe place, and what hurt the most wasn't believing Monroe had cheated. It was knowing that the safe place she'd trusted with every piece of herself had become someone who had deceived her so easily. How did we end up here, she thought, taking a deep breath.

In the distance, Promise heard noise that jarred her from the flow of her thoughts, but she didn't budge because she knew who it was. She felt him before she got a chance to see him. Slowly, she scooted to the side of the bed, and reached over to turn on the lamp on her nightstand beside her bed. Monroe stood by the door with his hands tucked inside the pockets of his sweats, and waited for Promise to acknowledge him. He didn't care what she said, he just wanted to hear her voice.

"You shouldn't be here," Promise rasped just above a whisper, pain dripping from her words like blood from an open wound.

"This is the only place in the world I call home, Doll,” he protested. “Where else a nigga gon' go if I can't come home to you?" Monroe charmed with so much seniority it drew a fresh flow of tears from Promise's eyes. "You ready to talk to me?" he asked.

Promise nodded, but didn't say one word. She couldn't.

Monroe walked further into Promise's room, but instead of sitting in the bed with Promise, he chose to sit across from her in the chair that allowed him to see her face. He didn't feel like he'd earned the right to sit beside her tonight. The dried tear streaks on Promise's face made Monroe feel like shit, but he still had to come clean with her. The distance between them felt foreign, but necessary after all that had happened.

"Do you remember when I told you my ex was killed in a home invasion?" Monroe asked?