Page 6 of Essence of his Soul

“I didn’t forget,” he muttered, his eyes tracing over me too slowly before they landed back on my face. “But I also didn’t forget your father is a Baptist minister.”

His words made me squirm. The intensity of his gaze and the way he was getting under my skin was too much. I hated that he could still make me feel this vulnerable. “I told them the truth,” I said, my voice shaky. “I told them I’d try again to find you when it was time.”

“When would that have been, Essence? After he started college?”

I clenched my jaw, my frustration rising. “Before Tyler started asking questions. That’s when.”

“I plan to provide for my child,” Mark announced, his voice low but intense, his eyes boring into mine like he was challenging me to argue.

“I don’t need your help,” I snapped, standing my ground, trying to hold onto some control in this conversation.

“What about what I need?” he shot back, his tone sharp.

“And what’s that?” I asked, crossing my arms, still trying to keep that edge in my voice even though I knew where this was heading.

“I need to be a father to my son,” he said, and this time, there was no room for argument in his voice. “If it was up to you, I wouldn’t even know he existed.”

Those words stung because they held a truth I didn’t want to admit. Mark had a right to be here, to know his child. But the idea of him being a permanent part of our lives scared the hell out of me.

Mark leaned in, closing the distance between us. His voice softened, almost pleading. “Talk to me, Essence. Why didn’t you tell me?”

“I tried,” I said, but even as the words left my mouth, I knew they were only half true.

“No, you didn’t,” he said, shaking his head. “Even if those letters didn’t reach me—which they didn’t—you could’ve contacted my unit. They would’ve made sure I knew I had a son.”

“And then what, Mark?” I snapped, my patience finally cracking. “You would’ve what? Called on Christmas?”

“I would’ve been here, Essence,” he said, his voice steady but laced with hurt. “I would’ve been there when he was born.”

Those words landed hard, and I couldn’t breathe for a moment. Mark was right. He wasn’t heartless. When he left Delaware, he had no intentions of returning to me. Tyler changed everything, and we both knew it.

“You’re right,” I whispered, my guard dropping just enough to let the truth slip through. “You have a right to be in his life. I was scared... scared you wouldn’t care.”

Mark shook his head slowly, disappointment written all over his face. “That’s what you think of me?”

“I didn’t know what to think,” I admitted, my voice small. Butdeep down, I knew better. I knew Mark wasn’t some heartless man. Even in the short time we were together, I saw the goodness in him. I didn’t want to get hurt again.

“You think I didn’t care?” he asked, his voice low, eyes searching mine. “You think I forgot about you? Forgot about us?”

I looked away, my anger and pain swirling together. “That’s what I thought.”

He leaned in closer, his voice a husky whisper. “You’re wrong. I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about you, Essence. Those weeks we shared weren’t just a fling to me.” He licked his lips, and I felt the heat between us rising. “I still remember the way you sound calling my name. I remember how you taste…, the way it feels inside you.”

My breath caught as he spoke, every word pulling me back to memories I had tried to bury. His eyes were locked on mine, and for a second, I felt like I was falling back into something I wasn’t ready for.

I jumped up from the chair, needing space. “All that’s in the past, Mark,” I said, my voice shaky as I tried to regain control.

He watched me with that same fire in his eyes, but I wasn’t about to get pulled in. I handed him the remote, avoiding his gaze. “While you wait, make yourself at home,” I mumbled before fleeing to the kitchen, needing to put distance between me and the man who still knew how to shake my whole world.

* * *

When Essence returned to the room, I couldn’t help but watch how her hips moved. Those yoga pants were doing the most, hugging every curve like they were tailor-made for her. That pert ass, those slim thighs... man, she had my mouth watering. It was like time hadn’t touched a thing about her. My hands practically itched, wanting to trace the smooth curves Iknew all too well. She moved around, picking up a stack of mail on the coffee table. I saw the everyday chaos in her world—laundry piled up in the corner, toys all over the floor. With a toddler running around, I couldn’t imagine how she found time for herself. Sleep? Yeah, that probably felt like a luxury to her now.

Looking closer, I could see the toll it was taking on her. She still had that beauty that stopped me, but the puffiness under her eyes? That was new. The strain of doing this solo was written all over her face.

I tossed the remote back on the coffee table and stood up. “Let me help,” I said, meaning it.

Essence glanced over her shoulder, shaking her head like she wasn’t trying to hear it. “Nah, I’m good. I don’t need any help.”

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