Page 21 of Their End Game

Before speaking, he lifted his glass with his liquor on the rocks, taking a drink, having no reaction to the potent liquid. “I am not going to stand here and beat around the bush. I love you, Radiance, never stopped loving you. Knowing that you have my daughter intensified the love I have for you. I know what I want, and that’s you. The life we dreamed and talked about, I want that with you, and as much as you try to run from this, I know you want the same. I want to love you; let me. I leave in the morning. Come with me?”

I fought tears, listening to Ja’vari. I loved him, but things would never be what they once were. Too much time had passed. “Ja’vari, I ca—” I started, but my sentence was interrupted when Ja’vari grasped my waist, pulling me to him and kissing me.

The kiss caused my knees to buckle, and it felt so familiar. It felt just like that day he walked out of the hotel. “As much as I love you and want to do this thing called life with you, I can’t keep allowing you to break my heart by not letting our love happen.” He pulled back from the kiss, standing to his fullheight. “I am going to be a father to our daughter, but this is it.” He pointed between us.

My heart hurt. I didn’t want Ja’vari to chase me, but at the same time, I didn’t want what we did or didn’t have to be over. He lingered a bit before he nodded as if me not saying anything was the final answer he needed. The second Ja’vari turned from me, I exhaled a breath I didn’t realize I was holding, and the tears I’d been fighting fell. My emotions were all over the place. I was so caught up in Ja’vari that I hadn’t realized the first dance was complete, and Santia was staring my way. She didn’t speak, but her expression was loud. She was telling me not to let him go.

I shook my head. “I can’t,” I mouthed.

With tightly pressed lips, Santia tilted her head in the direction Ja’vari had just walked away to. My heart raced, and my mind was in overdrive. I was scared, but scared or not, I knew I couldn’t let Ja’vari go again. Not this time. “What am I doing?” I mumbled. I couldn’t let this happen again. Gathering up my dress so I wouldn’t trip over it, I hurried after Ja’vari. I was moving so fast in my heels I felt like Cinderella when she was hurrying out of the ball before the clock struck twelve.

Just as I reached the top of the stairs, I spotted Ja’vari heading for the door. “Ja’vari?” I called after him, taking the stairs carefully so I wouldn’t fall. “I’m scared, really scared,” I admitted once I was near him. “But I want to do life with you. I love you, so scared and all, I want to take that leap with you,” I said breathlessly.

Ja’vari smiled. “I love you too.”

Matching his smile, I wrapped my arms around his neck, tiptoeing his way before kissing him passionately. I couldn’t let him go; he felt so right for me. I had my man back.

Epilogue

One Year Later

I stood on the balcony, taking in the beautiful scenery from our penthouse apartment. I barely reacted from feeling Ja’vari’s strong arms encase my waist. “Good morning, Mrs. St. Clair.” Ja’vari’s deep voice sent a shockwave through my body as his breath tickled the tiny hairs in my ear.

“Good morning, husband.” I relaxed in his arms, my head resting on his chest.

Ja’vari and I married two months after our reconciliation, and we were now living in San Jose. Ja’vari worked at Samsung, and I was in grad school. We jumped back into things like we hadn’t left. Everything felt so right. Things were great for us.

After leaving Vegas, Vanessa reached out to apologize, and while she’d never be my favorite person, I did accept. That was the last we’d heard of her.

“How are you feeling?” His strong hand dropped to my protruding belly, rubbing it. I was five months pregnant. We were having a boy.

“Huge.” I knew I was being dramatic.

“Never that, beautiful.”

Ja’vari always complimented me, even when I looked like the Cynthia doll fromRugrats.

I prepared to speak but stopped upon hearing Ja’Lani cry. “I got her.”

I followed Ja’vari in the house, standing in the doorway of Ja’Lani’s room, watching as he held her and calmed her. Ja’Lani was now two and had Ja’vari wrapped tightly around her finger. Smiling, I loved the view. This was my life, and Ja’vari was indeed my endgame.

The end.

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