Page 13 of Aquarius Awakening (BLP Signs of Love #20)

Cleaning Out My Closet

My lease for my new home was officially signed. Debby had earned her commission on this deal. She made the process quick and easy for me. I decided to call Jacob to share my good news. For once, I would be calling him with good news. I dialed his phone number, and he answered on the second ring.

“Hey, love. How’s your day going?” he answered.

“I just signed the lease on my new apartment, so my day is going amazing.” I gushed.

“That’s big, love. Congratulations on your new beginning. How are you feeling about the move?” he asked.

“You know, I feel so much better than I have been. The only thing I’m dreading is going back to my condo to get the rest of my things,” I admitted.

“When do you plan on doing that? I don’t want you going over there alone, especially not after what you told me about ole boy.”

Jacob’s concern for my well-being made me feel warm inside. He didn’t just say he cared. Jacob made a point to show me he cared.

“I was going to stop by today. I’m tired of buying clothes, so I’ll grab what I can. Whatever is left, I can hire movers, or Mason can throw them away. I just need to see what I have before I figure that out,” I explained.

“Let me drop Jada off at school, and then I’ll make my way to you,” he offered

“Aww, Jakey. See you in a few,” I replied as we disconnected the call.

Here I was ready to go alone. I appreciated Jacob not wanting me to face Mason on my own. While I needed my things, I was kind of nervous to come face to face with Mason.

While I waited for Jacob, I called the front desk of my condo. Before I headed over, I wanted to be sure Mason wasn’t there. I found the contact and dialed the number. After one ring, the call connected.

“Thank you for calling The Double. This is Austin speaking.”

I was glad it was Austin. He was one of the cool doormen.

“Morning, Austin. This is Mrs. Baxter,” I stated.

“Mrs. Baxter, good morning to you. What can I do for you?”

“Quick question for you. Has my husband left for work already?”

“Why, yes, Mr. Baxter left out twenty minutes ago,” he confirmed.

“Perfect. That was all I needed. Thanks,” I replied as I disconnected the call.

With that out of the way, I felt better about heading to the condo.

Next, I ordered a car from the car service I usually traveled with.

I also ordered a large truck to transport my things back with me.

I scheduled the car to arrive in thirty minutes.

Twenty minutes later, there was a knock at the door.

As I opened the door, I was face to face with Jacob’s beautiful visage.

He flashed his perfect smile then pulled me in for a hug.

After he let me go, he kissed my forehead.

“I missed you, beautiful,” he admitted after the kiss.

“I missed you, too, I guess,” I teased.

“Stop playing with me. Are you ready to roll?” he asked.

I looked down at my phone to check the time. A text came from the car service, alerting me that my driver was downstairs.

“Just let me grab my bags. The driver just pulled up, so you got here just in time.”

Jacob waited for me in the living room as I grabbed my two duffel bags and my pocketbook. When I made it back into the living room, he took the two duffel bags from me.

“There’s nothing in them, you know. I can carry them,” I protested.

“All you need to carry is your pocketbook, and if that gets heavy, I’ll carry that, too. Come on so we can get this over with. I’m trying to spend some time with you today,” he affirmed.

I walked ahead of Jacob so he couldn’t see me blush.

“You look really good today, love,” he complimented as he peered down at me.

I noticed Jacob’s eyes lingered on my hips. He appeared to be trying to get a glimpse of my ass. I giggled as I playfully spun around. Jacob’s eyes gleamed as he stared at me, while he tried to respect our boundaries. Jacob made me feel desired in ways I had never experienced before.

When the doors opened, I quickly stepped off the elevator. The doorman grabbed the door for us. We exited the building into the awaiting truck. Before I could reach for the door, Jacob grabbed my wrist.

“If I won’t let you carry a bag, why would you think you could open doors?” he asked in a serious tone.

I opened my mouth to say something but quickly closed it. The Jacob I remembered was a lot like me. He didn’t do a lot of back and forth. If the man didn’t want me to touch the door, who was I to argue with him? I threw up my hands in surrender.

“You got it, big man,” I teased.

I slid inside the truck and prepared for the ride. Thirty minutes was a long time to ride with a man who had my body on fire, so I busied myself by checking work emails as we rode in silence. When I looked over at Jacob, he was also on his phone.

When Jacob finished whatever he was doing, he put his phone away.

“Do you ever take the time to sit back and relax?” he asked.

I took the hint and put my phone away. Jacob reached down and placed my hand inside his. I laid my head on his chest and relaxed into the comfort of the man who wanted all my attention.

Forty-five minutes later, we pulled in front of my soon-to-be former home.

“Are you sure you’re ready for this?” Jacob questioned.

“I just want to get this over with,” I answered.

Jacob opened the door as we made our way inside the building. I looked around but didn’t see Austin. Instead, there was another doorman at the front. We headed upstairs to the tenth-floor Unit 10C. I used my phone to unlock the door.

“I’m going to head into my closet. You can hang out here,” I advised.

It was surreal being back here. A little over a month ago, this was home. However, now it felt like a foreign space that I never belonged in.

The first stop was to get my jewelry. I went into the safe to grab everything.

After that, I stopped in the walk-in closet.

I grabbed everything that I may actually wear.

My focus was on ensuring I didn’t leave any custom or vintage pieces.

The commotion coming from the living room halted my movements.

When I stepped out of the closet, it sounded like Mason had come home.

Knots formed in my stomach at the idea of how bad this was.

Mason and Jacob both had tempers. I didn’t want to think of how badly this could potentially end.

When I reached the living room, they were in a heated exchange.

“You bringing men to my house now?” Mason shouted at me.

“I brought my friend with me to help me get my things. Why aren’t you at work?” I asked.

“What things? I know you aren’t taking anything I bought out of here. You and your little friend need to leave!” Mason continued with his rant.

“My man, I’m not going to tell you again to watch your tone and lower your voice. I don’t care how you are used to speaking to her! You ain’t gon’ talk to her like that while I’m around!” Jacob shouted.

I stood next to Jacob, hoping I would calm him.

“I tried to come while you were at work to avoid this. If you give me an hour, I’ll get out of here,” I explained.

“Nah. Y’all can get up out of here now!” Mason sneered.

I touched Jacob’s arm to try to stop him from saying anything.

“She asked you nicely. How about you just give her some space?” Jacob interjected.

“You’ve got an hour and nothing more. If you’re still here when I get back, I’m calling the cops,” Mason threatened.

I let out the breath I had unknowingly held in. “Let me hurry before he comes back.”

My nerves were all over the place. That interaction could have gone a very different way. Mason was so unpredictable that he just might call the police on me. This wasn’t the man I fell in love with. He had proven he didn’t give a damn about me.

“You don’t have to rush because of him. This is as much your home as it is his,” Jacob reminded me.

While I appreciated Jacob’s words, I didn’t need the police involved in our situation.

We all had a lot to lose with our respective careers.

Thirty minutes later, I had filled up four suitcases and two duffel bags.

A feeling of sadness came over me as I looked at my life packed into so few bags.

I stared into the bare closet as a tear trickled down my cheek.

Jacob was waiting for me in the living room. When I walked out, he immediately pulled me in for a hug.

“It’s okay, love. I got you,” he whispered in my ear as he held me close.

When I was ready to leave, I broke our embrace. He looked down at me to make sure I wasn’t crying.

“I’m okay. Let’s get out of here,” I said.

For the very last time, I walked out of the home that Mason and I had shared for the last four years. Mason had tainted every fond memory this place ever held. His actions today and over the last few years showed me who he truly was. Deep down inside, I was glad to be free of Mason.