Page 76 of A Capo’s Love: Featuring A Don’s Love

It was just this hollow place inside me that had always existed. I walked around with an ache in my chest that went undiagnosed because it wasn’t physical. It felt deeper than flesh… deeper than loneliness too.

I learned to live with it over the years. I even picked up on heavy distractions like Serenity. I laughed through my pain, stayed busy with several women while my money piled up. Through it all, I still woke up to the same emptiness and the feeling of something significant missing in my life.

Then I laid eyes on Amaris, although I appeared in front of her for the wrong reasons at first. Just hearing her soft, direct tone settled something in me that always felt restless. Her presence made my chest loosen without permission, and she stared at me like she understood the anguish in my eyes that I thought I hid well.

On some real shit, Amaris looked at me like she could see my entire soul and understand what my purpose and existence was. The day she read me like a book, spooked the hell out of me and made me want to stay away. Yet still, she remained at the forefront of my mind like a force that couldn’t be reckoned with, even if I tried.

That’s what kept throwing me off. It didn’t make sense to feel this connected to someone I didn’t know that well. She was somebody who was technically still new to my life, but it felt like I’d known her forever. Amaris was the type of woman that weak and intimidated men knew not to step to because they knew they didn’t have what it took to even bag her.

They knew women like her liked to cut a nigga off if they didn’t meet their standards. I wasn’t sure what would all come with Amaris and me but I knew my soul recognized her before my mind could catch up. I already mentally prepared myself to open up to her tonight. Not to throw baggage on her, but to give her a decent insight of where I come from and the kind of man I was.

Eventually, Amaris would see how she didn’t even have to touch me for the noise in my head to quiet down. I felt restless the day before and started planning to go get her and bring her back here. Soon as I walked in her office, the pressure I carried in my shoulders eased. I lowkey hated how much I needed that feeling after seeing my momma beaten down once again then witnessing my abuser as a kid finally dead.

I needed to feel something… that something was Amaris Jovanni Reed. As a thank you to her, I spared no expense making tonight special for the both of us since this was truly the start of something new.

Through my massive window I could see my mom sitting near the firepit wrapped in a cream shawl with a cigarette between her fingers. A cup of tea or coffee sat on the glass table next to her. She gazed at nothing in particular. She looked healthier. Her bruises were still visible but starting to fade. The swelling from her broken jaw remained but went down a bit more.

She glanced up the second she noticed me stepping from the sliding glass and smiled.

“Royal, I can’t believe you paid for a helicopter to escort you and that sweet woman to dinner.” She shook her head.

I chuckled lightly, moving closer to her. I kept my thoughts to myself because hopefully if I had it my way after tonight’s dinner… I wanted to make filthy memories in the sky with Amaris long legs straddling me.

“You warm enough out here?” I leaned down and kissed her forehead. “I can bring the heater out from the shed.” I offered.

“No, I’m real cozy out here.” She waved me off, tugging her shawl closed.

She studied me for a second afterward.

“You look nervous… something tells me that this girl is the one since it’s the first girl I got to meet…even though I probably wouldn’t have met her had I not lived here now.”

“I’m not nervous.” Was the only thing I decided to correct.

I was feeling like a wear-my-heart-on-my-sleeve ass nigga for Amaris because she sure did feel like the one. I wouldn’t have had a problem bringing her to meet my momma either.

“You changed outfits three times.” She giggled.

I frowned confused because she hadn’t seen me while I was getting dressed until now.

“I raised you,” she retorted.

The helicopter lowered further overhead while wind brushed through the backyard, hard enough to move the pack of cigarettes that my mom had sitting on the table next to her. Even though it landed on the side of my house, the power from it had leaves blowing and the water inside my pool rippled in small waves. My mom looked up at the sky and sighed contently.

“She’s special to you… I saw it in the way you stared at her when you introduced us. I get good vibes from her too…and she calls you Ro Ro… Why I never thought of a cute nickname like that for you growing up?” She frowned wearily.

Because you were too busy dodging blows and surviving Ronald’s bitch ass… My intrusive thoughts got the best of me.

“I got to go, Ma. Shoot me a text if you need anything while I’m out.” I placed a quick kiss on her forehead again before swaggering back in the house to get Amaris.

And… Amaris got me.

I stepped back inside the house and forgot every coherent thought I had. She stood at the end of the hallway adjusting one of her gold bangles around her wrist. The yellow strapless gown sinfully hugged every curve on her body perfectly. I even appreciated the curve of her stomach and how it didn’t have to be flat for her to still look good as hell in the dress I picked out. I could see why yellow was her favorite color.

It made her espresso complexion stand out beautifully. Her honey brown eyes lifted toward me slowly and caught the light in a way that made them glow almost gold. She had on no makeup; she didn’t need it anyway. Her skin carried this natural soft shine to it tonight like she used good skin products that I know I didn’t have in my bathroom to make it glow the way that it did.

Her honey brown and gold locs sat pulled into a high bun on top of her head, exposing the graceful line of her neck while two long locs framed each side of her face. Her smell floated through the house as I stood still with the sliding glass open, looking dumb as hell. I wanted to say fuck dinner and feast on her fine tall ass right where she stood.

“Pick up ya bottom lip, Ro Ro,” she teased, lifting one eyebrow slightly.