Page 174 of Save Room for Us

I shutmy eyes for a second to enjoy the foot massage Asif was giving me as we sat in his big ass tub. He wasn’t exactly a fan of baths but would always agree to take them with me, especially after sex because he thought it was a gateway to round two. Often, it was.

“Pretty ass feet.” He kissed the bottom of one, making me smile. We exchanged flirty grins for a bit after, and I could tell by his lustful gaze he would be trying his luck soon.

“I wanna open a women’s center for abused women and for women who are struggling financially with children,” I said. “I’m telling you because other than the fact that you’re my man, I think it could be something we could do together. The center will need protection, and it could be something your soldiers could do, something else to make them look legit all the while protecting the ladies who reside there.”

Asif regarded me momentarily before saying, “I like that. When you decide on this?”

“Kind of recently. Jacinta came to me for help, and I really didn’t have any options for her. Also, back when I was dealing with Cedric, women’s centers weren’t an option, because he would barge right in there and snatch me out.”

Asif’s jaw twitched a bit, so I would be sure not to mention Cedric again for the night. I knew he wanted to put hands and anything else on him but couldn’t, which was frustrating. So it didn’t help when I brought up things he’d done to me.

“Makes sense,” he finally said, taking my other foot to massage. “You feel bad for that girl? After all she did?”

“I do.” I scrunched my face, knowing it was foolish to. “I don’t forgive her, but I feel bad that she’s in that situation. I feel bad for any woman in that situation because even the shadiest hos like her don’t deserve that. And I’ve been there, feeling scared and hopeless, and like you’re gonna die being miserable and afraid. I didn’t like seeing her like that; it truly bothered me.

“She had to be hurting, too, because having to tuck her tail between her legs and admit she was wrong probably took a lot. And he is hitting her in the face, something he doesn’t typically do. He only did it to me the night I shot him because he was so vexed that he’d lost all control. Then talking to Scotland, her having nowhere to go when she was with her ex, I just think we could help a lot of people.”

Tugging me across the large jacuzzi tub, Asif made me straddle him. “Yo’ man is wealthy as hell, so use my fucking money to do what you want to, to help. I don’t care what it cost.” He kissed between my breasts as I smiled hearing that. I wasn’t asking him to pay for it. I hadn’t thought about the finances yet, but it was nice to know he would. “You a good person, you know that?”

“I can be.”

“Nah, you are.” His lids lowered for a minute like he was studying me. “You care about muthafuckas, even when you shouldn’t. You put yo’self on the line for the people you care about, and ain’t a lot of people like you. Not too many women would tell a nigga not to kill his old jump off causing issues.” I giggled as he smirked subtly before getting serious. “You rare, and I’m fucking lucky. I want you to understand that shit, love.”

“I’m lucky too.” I cupped his face to kiss him.

“Nah, you getting what’s owed to you out of life, but I’m gon’ double that shit up. I meant it when I said I’m gon’ make sure you get every fucking thing you want, need too. Put a cape on yo’ ass, call you Super Satisfied.” I tossed my head back to laugh, and he joined before it ceased. “Niggas gon’ know it’s impossible to impress you, Sophie, and any other daughters we create, and I put that shit on everything.”

“I love you.” I spoke against his mouth before we kissed.

His mouth dropped down to my neck then my collarbone, before he took my nipple into his mouth, making me moan.

“You so fucking soft. I wanna eat yo’ ass up.” He gripped handfuls of my ass under the warm water.

“Do it then.”

Before I could finish, the nigga was up out of the tub, still holding onto me as he took me to the bed, continuing his reign as the best eater I’d ever met.

THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA V. CHASE…

As I took my seat on the stand, I already felt nervous, mainly because Cedric was staring a hole through me, right along with his family. I could tell by the way he twisted his jaw he wanted to jump over here on me, and as crazy as he was, I wouldn’t be surprised if he did.

Thankfully, my people were here, too, including my mother, Analicia, Asif, and even Lisara and Prime, which I appreciated. Sophie was with my aunt Fiona, and we’d retrieve her this evening.

Bashar approached me, giving me a look that told me to focus on him and not on Cedric across the room, slinked back in his wheelchair like a buffoon.

“Ms. Chase, how are you today?” Bashar questioned.

“Okay as I can be.” I gave him a half smile.

“Good.” He nodded. “Why did you shoot Cedric Pete?” He got right to it, hands in the pockets of his expensive slacks.

“Because he was abusive, and I wanted to get away from him.” I answered truthfully like Bashar had advised of me.

Nodding, he frowned. “Why not just pack up and walk out the door then?”

“I did once, when my younger sister told me he’d flirted with her. But when he found my whereabouts, he snatched me up and proceeded to try to drown me until I agreed not to leave him. From that point on, I was afraid of him.”

I tried to keep my composure and focus on just answering versus recalling the actual events like Bashar had instructed me to. If I started to visualize the things that happened to me, it would affect me too much.

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