Page 55 of A Don & His Doll

"Yes, but what does that have to do with anything?" Promise quizzed, making eye contact. When she looked at him, she didn’t miss the exhaustion that lived in his features.

“Forgive me,” Monroe said, boring deep into Promise’s soul. “I thought I had all this shit under control, but everything fucked up.”

Promise listened, but didn’t say a word. She knew there was more so she just waited.

"Her name is Sienna. I got a call from her mom asking me to meet her 'cause she wanted to chop it up about somethin' important," Monroe revealed. "But when I got there, her mom wasn't there, Sienna was."

"Wait a minute," Promise said with furrowed brows and squinted eyes. "How..." she struggled to form her next sentence.

"Yeah, you heard a nigga right. She popped out on a nigga from the dead, talkin’ ‘bout all this shit was set up by my mom. Said she ain't have no choice 'cause my mom threatened to kill her if she didn't leave a nigga," Monroe told her truthfully. "I know how insane all this shit sound, but I ain't lyin' to you. She said my mama told her she was a distraction so she had to go, and offered her money and everything."

Promise didn’t speak right away, but she’d heard him loud and clear.

"So who was that little girl?" Promise needed to know.

"She's mine, I can't deny her, Doll. I didn’t know Sienna was pregnant at the time, but she was." Monroe admitted.

Promise’s breath caught. "Oh my God, Monroe. Why would she do some heartless shit like that?" She was completely outdone. "How long have you known all of this?" She asked.

"Just a couple weeks. I'm just now gettin'-"

"You're just now getting around to telling me?" Promise said, her mind immediately connecting dots. "You've had several opportunities to tell me about this, Monroe. Why didn't you?" Promise had to know.

"Because I knew yo' ass was gon’ start askin’ questions I ain't have answers to yet. I needed to find out the truth for myself first. I was gon’ tell you. I just needed time. You gotta understand my position. I ain't been on no bullshit wit'chu. I ain't out here cheatin', nigga just found out I'ma father to a twelve-year-old little girl that I don't even know. Let that shit sink in, Doll. It ain't never been my intent to hurt you."

Promise finally understood why Monroe had looked so torn inside that living room. The hurt she'd carried hadn't disappeared, it had simply changed shape because everything she'd convinced herself was true, wasn't. Monroe hadn't played in her face, he'd been blindsided just like her, and the reality of that hit hard. Suddenly, clarity took a front seat in her mind, and everything made sense now. It took a moment to get out of her feelings to process what Monroe had told her. Promise's heart ached for him, not because she'd forgotten her own pain, but because she finally understood his. She felt bad for not giving him the benefit of doubt, and jumping to conclusions. But, she hadn't been wrong about the shift she'd felt in their relationship. She understood where Monroe was coming from, and truthfully, she'd be losing her shit if she found out that her mother had been the culprit in causing her to experience heartbreak to the capacity that Macie had.

Sitting in the weight of the moment was overwhelming, and almost impossible to think through, especially when one was as in tuned with not only themselves, but their man as well. Promise felt Monroe's inner turmoil, she felt the pressure he was under, and his heart...his heart was unsettled. Promise stood and closed the distance between them.

She needed to be close to him.

He needed to be close to her.

Promise reached forward and smoothed her hand down the back of his head, before letting it settle against his neck. Her touch unraveled him as he leaned forward and rested his forehead on her abdomen. He couldn’t deny it, Promise had that special touch that made him melt. Her hands gently caressing his back was a silent beacon for him to stand.

Obliging her unspoken request, Monroe rose from the chair and immediately wrapped both arms around her waist, pulling her against his chest with a desperation he'd been fighting ever since she'd walked out of his house. He buried his face in the curve of her neck and released a slow, uneven breath, while Promise closed her eyes as his heartbeat settled in her ear. And, for that moment, time stood still for them, and nothing else mattered in the space they'd escaped to. It was just them and it felt divine.

Monroe released a deep sigh.

As Promise slightly leaned her head back to gaze into his eyes, then forward as she brushed her lips against his without thinking. The kiss they shared was slow and tender. It wasn't fueled by passion, it was fueled by love. A love they both knew existed between them, but neither of them spoke the sentiments. They shared a love that didn't disappear simply because life got complicated.

Monroe rested his forehead against hers. "Without you there's no me. You the only woman in this world I want, Doll," Monroe confessed, his voice raw with rough emotion.

Promise felt his words and truly believed him. "I feel the same,” she said softly. “ But I think,” she paused to steady herself. “I think you need more time to get clear on your stance," Promise replied, stepping out of his embrace.

He started shaking his head before she'd even finished. The frustration written on Monroe's face spoke for itself.

"Fuck you mean, Promise?" Monroe couldn't hide his offense, he was about to lose his shit. He was terrified.

Promise cleared her throat.

"I listened to everything you said, and I think you need time to step into your role as a father. You missed a lot of time from your daughter's life, and your mother... If all you've said about her is true, and she's really been moving in all that treachery, then you have an even bigger problem that will need your attention because who knows what else she's capable of. Then you have to deal with your feelings for Sienna."

"What feelings, Promise? You don't see a nigga standing in front of you right now? If I wanted to be wit' her, trust me it wouldn't be hard."

Promise remained calm.

"That’s the thing, Monroe. You owe it to yourself to explore that opportunity, and see if that aligns best with what you want," Promise stated, reaching forward to hold his hand. "When she was snatched from your life, it wasn't because you two were done with each other, and it wasn't because the two of you fell out of love with each other. You need to figure that out, baby." Promise unselfishly stated. "You have to think about more than yourself now, you have to think of your daughter and what's best for her as well."