Page 58 of Krash & Bern

“Save the stories. You and your little boyfriend need to pull up to dinner tonight. No excuses.” Her voice was final. She left no room to decline or reschedule. In all honesty, I didn’t have a reason not to go. I’d been so caught up in my life that I’d let too much time pass since I’d pulled up and spent time with my parents.

“Yes, ma’am. We’ll be there for dinner. Do you want us to bring anything?”

“Nope.”

“Okay. What’s on the menu?”

“Find out when you get here,” she grumbled.

“I love you, Ma.”

“Mmm hmm. I love you too, Bernice. I’ll see you both on time for dinner at six o’clock. I’m assuming you’ll be riding together since y’all be glued at the hip.”

“We will be there fifteen minutes early with our legs conjoined at the hip, just for you.”

She laughed. “Watch all that sarcasm, Bernie.”

“Okay, Mama.” A soft chuckle slid from my lips.

We ended the call, and I rolled over to see Krash grinning at me.

“Creep.”

“Good morning to you too, Bern.”

“I’m sure you heard Mama on the phone. This evening, we’re going over there to have Sunday dinner with my parents.”

He nodded. “I heard. I’m going to make sure to bring your mom flowers and something for your dad too.”

“Smart idea. Loosen them up with gifts.”

He laughed. “Something like that.”

I snuggled up to him again and pressed a kiss to his lips. “My plan was to sleep in, but now we have to go to my parents’ house later. Can we have a lazy morning with breakfast in bed? I’m really exhausted.” To emphasize the way I felt, a big yawn flew from my mouth.

He nodded. “I got you. Get you some rest. You’ve been working hard as hell these last couple months. I’m happy your business is booming, but I think you should take a couple more days off.”

I smiled. “Look at you, concerned about my health. I know when I need to take breaks, babe. I’m okay—just a little more tired than usual.”

He nodded. “Long as you know when to sit your ass down and rest, I won’t press the situation again. I love you, Bern.”

“I love you too, Krash. Now, can you get me some breakfast, amazing boyfriend of mine?”

I poked out my lips and he pecked them before he nodded. “I got you. What do you want?”

“I want an omelet, crispy bacon, and stack of pancakes. Maple syrup, a little hot sauce for the omelet, and a glass of orange juice.”

He chuckled. “I’ll call the chef. It shouldn’t be more than forty minutes to get you fed.”

“You’re the best.”

I loved that I didn’t have to cook a meal when I was over here. The only time I went in the kitchen was to get a snack. All major meals were prepared by his chef, and she did a damn good job with every meal she whipped up. If this was what being rich was, I should have invested in a personal chef long ago.

I decided to shower while we waited for breakfast. After I turned on the shower, I turned to look at my reflection in the mirror. My brown skin held a new shine. The dark clouds that once hovered over me were long gone now that Rodney was no longer a threat to my life.

After he’d gossiped to the media, Blake and Nehemiah paid him a visit and recorded a video of Rodney apologizing for everything he’d put me through. They put him on an economy class flight back to Massachusetts with promises of never contacting me again. It was a huge relief to know the man who’d done the most damage to my spirit and soul no longer had a hold on me.

My body had started to fill out a little more. My hips had gotten a bit wider, and my breasts had grown fuller. Over the last month, they’d gone up a full cup size. I was now in a D-cup bra. The weight spread all over my body and in my face. That relationship weight was no joke. All we did was eat, hunch, and go out. Krash didn’t feel the effects of the relationship because he worked out several times a week to keep in shape for his matches.

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