Page 59 of Ruin Me

“No, I can’t accept that. I have to talk to Ife. Maybe if she heard…”

What? That I’d pursued her father while he was married to her mother? Or how about years later, how I taunted him, intending to seduce him as a way to exact my revenge for hurting me, but ensnared the both of us in my trap instead?

“Maybe you’re right.” I sagged against Kent, dispirited and unable to see a way for us to mend this rift. “But how long do you think we’ll have to wait?”

Kent wrapped me in his arms and kissed the side of my neck. “I don’t know, little bunny, but we’ll have each other to lean on until the time’s right.”

Would we though? One day, if Ife never forgave us, Kent would grow to resent me. Ife wasn’t just his daughter. She was Oye’s, too. A part of his wife. Ife was the embodiment and the living proof of his life with her mother, and I never wanted to be the reason he lost that reminder. Ife was also his princess. His little girl that he’d spoiled from the moment she was in her mother’s womb all the way until before she caught me and her father together. I grew up on stories about how Mr. Luxe went from an ice-cold business man to a puddle of water whenever Oye rubbed her stomach, his concerns always about his wife’s and unborn daughter’s needs. Then as I grew, I saw him interacting with Ife firsthand.

Even my dad didn’t pamper me as much as Kent indulged his daughter, and I was a daddy’s girl. Still am. Just like Ife. So I knew from the years I’d stopped visiting my parents how hard life would be for Ife, and I’d maintained communication. For her to tell Kent she was cutting him off from that minimal of contact would devastate them both.

“Maybe I should move back in with my parents until?—”

“That’s not an option I’m willing to entertain, little bunny. We’re a unit now, and units don’t live apart.”

I snuggled closer into Kent’s warmth, wishing I had his conviction while not arguing with him. I wanted what he wanted too much, even knowing that under enough stress, any unit could crumble to the eventual pressure. I didn’t want that, but I also didn’t want Kent to turn into a man full of regrets for not repairing the fractures in his and his daughter’s relationship. As I lay huddled within the loving embrace of the love of my life, I silently vowed I would do whatever I had to do to mend Ife and Kent’s bond. Even if it meant enduring the unlivable.

CHAPTER 25

Kent

I slammed my phone in its cradle as I stared at Madison’s empty desk. Despite understanding why she decided to work upstairs and avoid how her present reinforced the boards recent thirst for my ousting, I wished she were close.

Although only a day had passed since my confrontation with Ife, Madison’s presence soothed me, and I needed calm now as Ife ignored my calls and messages. I had Omar call her on the hour, every hour and transfer the call to mine, but all I got for my efforts was a custom voice message saying until I ended things with Madison the call would not go through.

While I brooded over my love life, Hal and Mal barged into my office. I glanced at Omar whose back was conveniently facing me then to my digital calendar that showed I had the rare hour free.

I glared at the two men, suspecting my free hour was by design. “Hal,” I barked. “Brought Mal in for reinforcement?”

Hal leveled a sheepish smile at me and shrugged at Mal. “I came to apologize.”

“With a buffer.” Mal sauntered over to me and studied my glower. “Saw Ife run out of here yesterday. Is that the cause of the storm building on your face?”

“What are you talking about?” Hal, forwent the safe distance he’d kept between us to approach.

“Hmm, did she learn about you and Madison?” Mal rubbed his chin as he voiced his thought.

I switched my glare to him, silently confirming his assumption and the motherfucker laughed. “My life is funny to you?”

Mal shook his head while hugging his torso. “No, but the irony is.”

“What are you talking about,” Hal asked.

“Don’t you remember the day Madison showed up, you and I expressed interest and our boss over here declared he wouldn’t protect us from Ife’s wrath when she murdered us for touching her best friend?” Mal chortled with unholy glee.

Hal, exercising a little more intelligence, covered his mouth to hide his amusement.

“Laugh and I’ll double the beat down I gave you when you spouted the shit you said about Madison.” I cracked my knuckles to remind him I was ready to go any time and place.

He raised his hand in surrender and wiped the smile off his face.

He was still on my shit list and hadn’t redeemed himself, even if the apology he alluded to was for his insults to my future wife.

No, I hadn’t asked Madison yet. I wouldn’t be. She already made her choice when she agreed to be with me, and I would accept nothing less than her becoming Mrs. Kent Luxe.

I turned my attention to Mal whose shoulders hadn’t stopped shaking. “I can give you a taste of what I gave Hal.”

Mal straightened and shrugged off my threat with a grin while grabbing my arm. “Follow me. We can’t do much about what went down between you, Ife, and Madison, but we can help you take your mind off it for a few minutes. Plus, you’ve been a real shit today.”

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