Page 18

COCO

Seeing Dr. Grace in Adir’s face, I coolly tamped down my jealousy at her standing so close to him.

She wasn’t the only woman breaking her neck to be next to Adir.

The audacity of some of these women going out of their way to make my man notice them should’ve been studied.

My man… Adir was my man.

My husband. Surely, it was time I acted like it.

Like my first impression of Dr. Grace, her entire aura personified wealth and luxury.

I loved that for her.

What I hated for me was knowing that this woman was someone Adir had been intimate with.

When I saw her heading my way, I gathered up every ounce of patience I owned.

This meeting wasn’t about to go well.

I could feel it from the way she didn’t crack one smile as she stood in front of me.

“Russ, give us a minute,” I requested.

Dr. Grace looked as if she had something to get off her chest. I’d give her the privacy she needed to unload whatever bullshit she was about to try and bring my way.

“I’m just a couple steps away,” Russ informed me, causing Dr. Grace’s expression to sour.

Once Russ stepped back, she let her eyes roam from my toes to the top of my head until her light gaze tackled my eyes.

“Genika Grace. You are?” Her eyes dropped to my left hand and bore a hole into my ring finger.

If my ring were a match, my hand would’ve caught fire from the way she stared so hard.

“Coco,” I replied.

“You can’t be serious.”

“I’m very serious.”

She chuckled.

“You know, I find it funny how a man can, in secret , marry one woman one day, while another woman is carrying his child. A child he knows full well about.”

Resisting the urge to react the way she wanted me to, I pulled a smile out of thin air.

It was a smile I reserved for little old ladies who I passed in the grocery store.

“Aw, how sweet!” Giggling, I continued, “Let’s hope for a girl. We have enough boys.” My response wasn’t well received.

She narrowed her eyes.

“You think this is a game?” she hissed.

Russ caught the energy, but I discreetly shook my head to keep him back.

“I don’t think this is a game. Babies are gifts we should celebrate—”

“Don’t be dense, ho.”

“—and cherish.”

“You’re beneath me, bitch,” she continued.

“Is this your first baby?”

She opened her mouth to speak, however I chuckled, silencing her.

“I hear carrying a baby is both beautiful and rewarding. I haven’t had the pleasure yet. My plan is to wait at least a year.” Playfully, I rolled my eyes.

“He’s ready now.”

“Like I said before, you’re beneath me. I don’t care if you wear his name. We share that man.”

“Share?”

She nodded.

Across the way, Adir and I locked eyes.

Only I saw through that stern stare and recognized concern behind those eyes.

“You’ll have to forgive me if I don’t share the same view as you do. If that is my man’s child, your child will have him as a father. That’s it. And while I’m at it, I should tell you… I’m not in the business of one upping any woman, not about anything . So, if you see my belly swollen in the next few months, chalk it up to my man moving my one-year timeline up a few months.”

Genika seethed.

However, she wasn’t about to blow a gasket in front of all these people.

“Do you know who I am?” she questioned indignantly.

Smiling, I shook my head.

“Unfortunately, I don’t. You know who I am. That seems to be the issue here.”

“The issue is that I refuse to come off Adir. I am the mother of his child. Do you think you’re just going to slide in and take what belongs to me? Clearly, you’re not from around here. Everyone knows not to fuck with me or anything that belongs to me.”

“Is that right?” I smirked.

“Well, I’m not from around here, I’ll give you that. What I won’t give you is Dr. Adir Bryant Bell. So, tonight, I’ll be sure to speak to him about this little matter. That way your mind can be at ease.”

“My mind is at ease, ho. You better get yours right before I have it handled for you.”

I chuckled.

“That’s mighty unladylike of you.”

“I wouldn’t be the one putting my hands on you. I’m having a baby.” She smirked.

“But trust… if you come between me and Adir, I’m going to make your life hell.”

This broad was crazy.

Going back and forth with her was fun.

However, it was time she learned that I wasn’t the one to take anyone’s commands, let alone a bitter ex.

I surely didn’t take threats lightly.

“When I beat the skin off of whoever you think is gon’ touch me, I’ll be sure to tell them this could’ve all been so simple. You could just walk away with your dignity and leave me alone.”

She snickered.

“Okay, okay. I see you’re not hearing me.”

Just then, the announcer came over the microphone, prompting everyone to head for their seats and for all remaining speakers to head to the stage.

Casually she smiled.

“See you around, Coco.”

I settled at my table with Russ, who glanced at me like he wanted to say something but thought better of it.

He didn’t want to be in my business, and I commended him for that.

As the ceremony commenced, I listened with one ear.

My mind was light years away, wondering how the hell I’d allowed myself to really think this could be my fairytale beginning.

Dealing with a woman like Dr. Grace wasn’t something I wished to do.

Her baby wasn’t even here yet, and she was already acting like the bitter woman that I knew she was.

He said it’s not his baby.

“I know,” I mumbled to myself.

He stood on that stage at the podium, maintaining eye contact with me as he gave his speech.

Hopefully, he wouldn’t ask me how he did because I didn’t know.

I didn’t hear a word he said.

When Dr. Grace graced the podium, she smiled big and commanded the room.

Her black dress was stunning, and she presented to be all the grace and magnificence she looked to be.

By the time she was done, the room erupted in applause.

Reluctantly, I clapped to keep anyone from capturing me not doing so.

Adir shook everyone’s hands, then exited the stage as the announcer called the ceremony to a close.

Everyone went back to mingling as before.

Adir came back to the table and addressed Russ.

“Have the car pulled around,” he said.

Russ ducked his head and spoke into the tiny device on his watch.

Adir reached for my hand.

All too quickly, I took it.

If he was ready to leave, so was I.

The night had been great until Dr. Grace came with the bullshit.

Even then, I didn’t want it to ruin the night.

So, I plastered on a smile and waved bye to people as Adir and I followed Russ to the exit.

The car waited for us, with Zel standing by the back door with it propped open for me.

Camera flashes didn’t subside until Adir was inside the sedan, and the door was closed, blocking out the cacophony of noise going on outside.

Once Zel slid behind the wheel and Russ took the passenger seat, Adir enabled the partition, separating us from the front seat.

“Are you sure her baby isn’t yours?” I asked without preamble.

“We already went over this.”

I chuckled lightly.

“Please, don’t do that. A baby isn’t something to casually push to the side.”

“Just as well as you’re getting to know my sons, if I had another child out there, you’d know about them, too. I wouldn’t put you in a position to have any woman thinking they have one up over you.”

“She’s before me, though.”

“Yet my answer still stands. You would’ve known long before signing those papers and saying I do to me.”

One minute I was poised to spew a comeback, the next I was seated across Adir’s lap.

His fingers went to the back of my neck, where he massaged the stressed cords until my shoulders relaxed.

“You’re upset and worked up for absolutely no reason. I had her more times than I can recall. However, each time I was good and protected. Whosever baby she’s carrying is not my concern.”

“So, I’m just supposed to pretend she doesn’t exist? She’s made it clear that she won’t let me forget who she is to you.”

“She’s no one to me, but an ex. I made vows to you . Nothing or no one will make me go against them.”

“How can you know that, Adir? We’ve gotten to know each other the last several weeks, but now I feel like I’m back at square one.”

“Nah, baby. Don’t say that. As unconventional as our coming together is, I’m a man of my word. Everything you’ve learned about me, so far, is exactly who I am. Loyalty is drenched in every blood cell that I have. I’ll bleed to death before I ever get mentioned in the same breath as disloyalty.”

His hand had thoroughly removed the strain I felt.

Sighing, I hoped that Dr. Grace would come to her senses.

Because one thing was clear: Adir loved his boys.

I couldn’t see him being that man to turn his back on anything belonging to him.

His fingers played along my jawline until he brought my lips to his.

His eyes watched mine as he kissed me.

“All I want to do is…” Another kiss .

“Take you home...” A longer kiss .

“And join us together as husband and wife.” His tongue entered my mouth.

I locked on and let him kiss me like we both had been craving for so long.