Page 27 of Still Forever
I didn’t respond. Just stared at him, jaw tight.
“You lucky they didn’t make an example out of you. Or her. And don’t act like you didn’t hear the Don when he said accidents happen every day.”
“I heard him.”
“Nah, youlistened, but you didn’thear, cause you have a point to prove, Jax.” He pointed a finger at my chest, firm, like he was stamping the words in. “You standing on the board with your whole chest out like you untouchable.”
“She ain’t collateral, Trouble. I ain’t folding on her.”
“And I respect that. Ido. But understand this, loving her don’t mean you get to be reckless, my nigga.” His temple flexed. “You brought heat to the family. You ignored my calls. Then risked us getting exiled. That’s not love, that’s pride. I ain’t defending that shit. But Iamstanding next to you because I know what it’s like and I’m the only muhfucka around this bitch that’s gone threaten y’all.”
I smirked slightly. “You done?”
“Hell no,” he muttered, walking toward the truck.
"Getting old, bro. Sound like Pops." I chuckled.
He shot me a glare. “I don’t lead with my pride no more. And I’m too seasoned in this game to be arguing with crash dummies in love.” He let out a frustrated laugh as he swung open the truck door and slammed it behind him.
We got inside the Suburban, and for the first time since I got the summons, I exhaled. I was ready for my consequences, but all I could think about was if I died, my girl would be left in this world to be with a nigga who still wore ties and followed rules.
CHAPTER 11
Kenn
The smell of Jaxon clung to my sheets, leaving me with the only proof that his visit the other night wasn’t just a delusion. Jaxon had sworn me to secrecy, so I hadn’t told anyone about him coming to see me, not even Storm. That gave me a little time to process things for myself, but I knew I would break and tell her sooner or later. Jax coming here and dropping the bomb about the reason why he had distanced himself blew my mind. That, coupled with the fact that he was set to be married, was overwhelming.
We had all seen what an arranged situation had done for Trouble and Storm. I would be lying if I said that I wasn’t skeptical about him saying he wasn’t interested in who I now knew asRemy.I had seen her at the birthday party; she was a pretty girl with brown skin, long hair, and a pretty smile. On paper, she was his type, and their interaction didn’t seem to be forced. But to his credit, I had never caught Jaxon in a lie that didn’t involve whether he’d be home by dinnertime. So I was going to give him the benefit of the doubt.
Still, I never wanted to be the woman who sat around and hoped that a man would show up and choose her.
It was July 25th, which means that he had a little less than thirty days to prove to me that he wanted to be here. If all else fails, and he walked down that aisle with her, then I was going to have to move on with my life and let him go once and for all. If he committed himself to another woman, contract or not, there would be nothing left for us to discuss.
I picked up my phone from the nightstand to check my emails. As soon as I unlocked the phone, I saw that I had several messages from Taj. Granted, I felt bad about what happened the other night. Taj was a nice guy, and I never wanted him to get caught up in my mess. But when I tried to end things with him, he was convinced that I was a victim and that Jax had made the decision for me. Things that couldn’t have been further from the truth.
Since then, he had been contacting me around the clock, and at first, his attempt to talk about it was flattering. Intentional even. But the more he made contact, it felt like he wasn’t respecting my decision to take a step back, and that was starting to concern me a bit.
Putting my feet in my slippers, I went to the bathroom to take my morning shower and tried to figure out how I was going to spend my day. Another day dealing with the traumas of everyone else, while I just barely navigated my own, wasn’t on my agenda. As soon as I thought about it, I went back to my phone and set my status toout of office. That was one perk about being the boss.
Sitting in the warmth of the tub relaxed my body, but did nothing for my mind. As I lay back against the marble with my eyes closed, my mind raced a thousand miles a minute. Flashbacks of Jaxon and me the other night crept into my conscience. Visions of him fucking me until I soaked the mattress caused me to groan at just the thought of him. If I had to describe it as anything, loving that man was like a drug. Ithought that I was okay without him, but once I had him again, I was craving my next high.
I lay there for a second before I stood to take a shower and tried to clear my mind. If I didn’t want to spiral today like I did yesterday, I needed sunlight and a distraction. Hell, maybe even a smile that didn’t come from a forced interaction or a memory.
My phone buzzed just as I stood from the tub and put the towel around me.
Bad and Bougie: Good morning, daughter. I love you and I miss you. Your father and I are on our way to the country club. Stop by if you get a moment to take a breather.
My mother and I hadn’t really spoken since she caused me to walk out of our breakfast date. I wasn’t mad at her; Karen had always been Karen. But I wanted her to respect my boundaries, so if that meant distancing myself until it was painfully clear to her, then that’s what I would do. But I’m sure she knew that dangling the fact that my father would be there was going to win me over.
Me: Good morning, mother. I’ll be there.
I kept it short and sweet before putting my towel in the hamper, grabbing my body butter, and choosing an outfit for the day. As much as my mother invited me there, I had so many pieces to choose from. I opted for a navy blue polo shirt, the matching shorts, and a burgundy sweater that I tied loosely around my neck. I slipped on some Christian Louboutin sneakers, layered two of my favorite scents, and then headed toward the door.
I arrived at the country club twenty minutes later and drove straight toward the valet, handing him my keys. Then I went to the 19th hole to find my parents.
No sooner than I walked onto the terrace than I bumped into my father. A smile spread on both our faces at the same time.
“Daddyyy!” I said as I damn near jumped on my father, Leon Davenport.
