Page 138 of Captivated By Danger

“What do you mean? She’s been putting up with it for so long, why now? That’s what you mean.”

“Exactly. They’ve been together since before I was born, so, yeah, why now?”

“Your mother’s happiness is not important to you?”

I paused for a moment.

“I never thought about it, honestly. Well, I thought about it, but she stayed. She could have left.”

She looked at me, nearly wasting the water she was pouring in one of the glasses.

“She could have left? Would your dad have chased her? Made her life a living hell just because she left on her own terms and not his?”

“Grey.”

“Do you think your mother wanted to raise five kids on her own, one being terminally ill for years? Have you ever thought about your mother crying herself to sleep at night, begging God to free her from a man who’s caused her nothing, but pain the whole time they’ve been together? Have you given that a thought?”

“Grey.”

She grabbed my liquor glass and set it on the table roughly. With only a little more strength, she would have shattered it.

“What is your—"

“Have you ever thought that maybe she’s been conditioned by her parents or grandparents to stay with a sorry piece of shit ass man so long as he’s not physically abusive to her?”

The way she threw that rock of ice in my glass, I’m surprised the glass didn’t crack. She was struggling with the top of my Whiskey bottle, but I wasn’t sure if I wanted to go near her while that bottle was in her hand.

“You want me to help—”

“Have you ever thought about how she thinks the world will look at her for finally choosing herself? I’m sure your mother is one of those women who’ve had to save face in front of her friends regarding your dad several times. Maybe she didn’t want to feel embarrassed because she lied about your father. While she’s skinning and grinning in their faces and swiping his AMEX, she’s crying in the car because she can’t be honest about how empty she feels.”

She finally got the top of my liquor off and filled my glass. When she finally sat down, I could see that she was blinking back the tears.

“I’m sorry, I just feel her on so many levels. Finally choosing yourself and now you are the bad person.”

“I didn’t say she was the bad person, baby. I just wondered why now.”

“Hm. Who’s the woman?”

She started cutting her chicken.

“How do you know it’s a woman and not many women?”

“Your father is in his sixties. He’s not dealing with more than one woman. These T.V. shows don’t be too far off about rich men. A man his age only has one side chick and maybe get some new pussy every now and then.”

I raised my eyebrows in response.

“Well…” I took a sip of my drink.

Against my better judgment, I told her about Kandi. Since I was talking about it, I told her about the bank account situation and how I was introduced to my lifestyle. Though she’d turned fire engine red in the middle of the story, she kept quiet. By the time I’d finished telling her everything, she’d swiped at a few tears. She was quiet for what felt like forever.

“All of that, Diesel, and you can’t understand,why now? Your mother is on the other side of her life now, and I reckon she might want to spend the rest of those happy. And I think that you should be happy for your mother and encourage your father to leave her alone. He deserves everything he’s gotten and will get. Over twenty years with the same woman. His ass might as well marry her. The fuck. Shit, that woman may whoop his ass too.”

She took a big swig of her wine. That wine makes her ass get real nasty in bed. I wasn’t going to lie, fucking an angry Greysen would probably make me nut early. I was addicted to her thick pretty ass.

“I can see why you say that marriage and or companionship is not a top priority for you because Jesus Christ, I weep for your future wife and kids. Hopefully, you have a woman that’s crazy enough to start burning shit up. Maybe that’ll start to correct your legacy.”

I laughed. “So, I take it that means you are not going to be my mistress no more?”

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