Page 4 of Blinded By Hate

He was living the life all men wanted to live. In the spotlight with girls falling at their feet, with money overflowing out of their pocket.

Hayden was living the dream and me calling him would ruin his dream.

So, I left him alone and took care of myself and Junior.

After Junior started getting older and I finished my online college classes, I got offered a job to work at a press company in New York. I have been saving money and was ready to be a part of the world again.

Moving to New York was one of the best things to happen to me.

I’ve always heard the saying, “You can’t heal in the same place that broke you” and that was one of the truest things I’ve ever heard.

New York was a good decision and Junior likes the city.

“Hey,” Brandon says, making me look at him standing in the kitchen in his usual blue dress shirt and black trousers.

He has two plates filled with bagels, eggs, and bacon. There is a smaller plate on the island that has a half-eaten bagel and then left over eggs with cheese on it.

“Morning.” I smile before taking the plate from him and sitting on a high top chair at the island. “Were you here before he woke up?”

Brandon sits next to me at the island and starts digging in.

“Yea. Thought I’d let you get some sleep so I took care of breakfast this morning.”

“You’re literally a god,” I say before taking a bite out of the bagel.

I met Brandon the first day I moved into this building. Brandon lives a couple doors down and he has been here ever since.

Brandon originally asked me out but I told him I couldn’t get into a relationship of any sort because of Junior and because I wasn’t ready. One time I got drunk while Junior was with my mom in California and Brandon and I ended up hooking up. He saw the scar on my side and asked about it the next morning.

I told him everything and then cried in his arms right after. He understood why I needed to just be alone and not get into any relationship. I told him if he wanted to stop talking, that’s fine because I didn’t want to lead him on but he said he was here to stay, even as a friend.

Brandon and I never hooked up again after that. I don’t like Brandon like that. That night I was just missing the feeling of being wanted and Brandon was there and I was drunk.

I hated myself afterwards because next thing I knew, I was feeling guilty.

“How’d you sleep last night?” Brandon asks.

“Better. Sleeping with Junior always helps,” I say before looking at Junior.

He turns his head and smiles wide before getting up.

“Mama!” he yells while running towards me.

He knocks into my legs and I grab him and place him on my lap. I move his hair out of his face and kiss his cheek, making him laugh. A smile instantly pulls at my face.

“Hi, baby.” I turn him to face me and hold him tight, making sure he doesn’t fall off my lap. “Any crazy dreams last night?”

Every single morning, either during breakfast or on the way to school, Junior always tells me his dreams. He has the craziest dreams and that’s only because he has such a creative mind.

“Well there was a dog and then there was a talking lion. They didn’t like each other very much,” he mumbles while playing with the ends of my hair.

“No?” I raise my eyebrows at him.

“No. They were fighting over who got to hang out with Spiderman that day.”

“Spiderman was in the dream too?”

“Yea, he was swinging around and everything, mama. That’s why the lion and the dog was fighting. They wanted to go on with him.”

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