Page 24 of Trading In A Broken Heart

“That don’t get old?” I wasted no time getting straight to it.

“Solei, why don’t you mind your business?” Ma frowned.

“That is my business.” I mumbled underneath my breath. My phone vibrated in my purse. When I pulled it out, I saw it was Daddy calling. I’d been avoiding him and the entire family, especially after I found out that Grim had found Savion in my apartment. I knew he went back and ran his mouth.

“Who is that?”

“Daddy,” I replied and faced the phone down on the table.

“Why you didn’t answer?”

“Don’t feel like hearing his mouth right now.”

“Lord, what have you done now?”

Ma knew all about the Savion situation from the first time. She was mad as hell how they were treating me. Ma always thought they treated me differently because I wasn’t Liliana’s, but they treated me fine to me. My brothers and sister loved me. They didn’t care that we didn’t have the same mama. They stepped behind me the same as I did them. I think Ma tried to put those negative thoughts in my head because she knew they outcasted her. No one wanted Daddy’s mistress around, especially Daddy. I couldn’t blame them, though. Ma tried to destroy their family, but that didn’t stop her from showing up to family functions to cause chaos.

“I asked his ass for some money the other day, and he wouldn’t even answer the phone.”

“That’s not his job, Ma. He has no reason to be giving you any money. What you need money for anyway?”

“One of my lil friends took care of it, but that doesn’t matter. If I asked his ass for something, he supposed to give it to me.”

“He’s not your man.” I rolled my eyes. Ma fell into the delulu department. Daddy was gon’ have hell on his hands ’til the day she or he died.

“Whatever. You ain’t told me where you been at, though.” She lifted her hand in the air for the waitress.

Fiddling with my fingers, I tried to figure out how I was gon’ explain this, especially after it didn’t smooth over with Imani when I told her.

“I’m married, Ma,” I said and grabbed my ring out my purse and slipped it onto my finger. I wasn’t sure why it was so important for people to know that Savion and I were married, but I was gon’ play along with his stupid games for now.

Ma frowned. “To who? You ain’t been dating anyone. Your last husband ain’t even cold yet.”

“Ma, that was two years ago.”

Lord, rest Zayden’s soul. His family just thought that he’d disappeared after his cousin’s death, but that nigga was fish food. He got exactly what he deserved for fucking with me and my family. I didn’t know why he thought I was gon’ let him live after he shot me when trying to shoot Wicked.

“Who the hell you married?”

“His name is Savion Corvo.” Ma choked on air after I said his name. “You okay?”

She patted herself in the chest. “I’m fine.” I knew that was a lie from the moisture in her eyes. “Did you really just say Savion Corvo?”

“Yeah.”

“Just wanted to make sure you said that right.” For whatever reason, I didn’t believe her. Ma got up from the table and went over to one of the waitresses.

A week later

I looked down at my phone ringing and the unknown number on the screen. For the last week, that number had been calling my phone. Shit was getting annoying as hell.

I sat there in the living room, waiting for Solei to make her grand entrance. This was our first time going out as husband and wife. She’d better be on her best behavior. I had Ma take her a dress and let her know that we had somewhere to go. I wasn’t sure if there was pushback or not, but I’d been sitting here for thirty minutes, waiting on her ass to come out. We were supposed to had been left the house. If she didn’t come out of that room soon, I was going in there and dragging her ass out by the ankle. Dressed or not, we were about to leave the house.

My ears perked at the sound of heels clacking against the marble floors. Standing, I faced the entrance of the living room just as Solei appeared. She stood there wearing this rose gold floor-length dress. Her hair was curled to one side. Her skin glowed—golden as if she’d dipped herself in gold. Beautiful.

“Let’s go,” I said, gripping her by the forearm and headed toward the garage.

“You need to find a new place to stay if you want me to continue living with you. I don’t know how much more of this I can take. I need sunlight.”