Page 10 of Falling for Lucifer

“ I can’t get enough of these chubby cheeks.

” Yasmine crooned as she kissed Etta’s face.

They sat outside at one of the many tables in Ellodie’s parents’ backyard with a large umbrella shading them from the sun.

Uncle Martin and Daniel, Ellodie’s father, stood at the grill while other family members milled about.

Everyone seemed to enjoy the sunny weather and the cool breeze.

Ellodie shook her head with the biggest smile on her face as her cousin made faces at her daughter.

Yasmine was lucky she wasn’t just anyone because Ellodie would have went upside her head for kissing her baby all over her face.

Nobody could tell Yasmine that Etta wasn’t her child, though, and really, if anyone deserved the other title of parent, it was Yasmine.

She went to most of the doctors’ appointments with Ellodie, funded the entire nursery, threw her baby shower, and made sure Ellodie ate well every single day of her pregnancy.

It was a cruel act of fate that she just so happened to be out of town for the actual labor.

But she was home now and had finally met her goddaughter, and just like it had been with Ellodie, Yasmine fell in love at first sight.

“Do you plan on hogging my grandbaby all day, Yasmine?”

Ellodie’s smile immediately evaporated as she turned to find her mother standing behind them with a frown on her face and her hands on her hips. The pink dress she wore popped against her dark skin, and her black hair hung just past her ears, and not a hair was out of place.

Yasmine didn’t even bother to look at Kamilah as she responded. “Yeah, actually.”

Kamilah scoffed but knew better than to get into it with Yasmine.

The two of them had been in more arguments than Ellodie could count.

Since Yasmine was young, she made her distaste for her auntie known.

Her father didn’t play about his daughter, either, and would get involved at the drop of a dime.

That was smoke Kamilah didn’t want, because she never won those battles.

It was easier for Kamilah to bow out gracefully instead of making a scene, especially in front of all these people.

As soon as her mother walked away, Ellodie giggled. “You and your daddy about the only ones she won’t curse clean the fuck out.”

Yasmine sucked her teeth. “You baldheaded mammy ain’t about shit. Plus, she only wants Etta so she can show her off. I ain’t playing that at all.”

Ellodie had to agree. When she got there earlier, before anyone else, her father teared up and was enamored by Etta.

Her mother, on the other hand, held her for all of two seconds until Etta cried and hadn’t been interested in her since.

Now that people were there, she wanted to gloat like she was about to win grandmother of the year, and Ellodie didn’t want that either.

“Make sure she doesn’t get her hands on my baby, please. ”

“You know I got you, girl. Now, when is your fake baby daddy getting here?”

Ellodie almost choked on the sweet tea she had just taken a sip of. “Yas, hush. That’s supposed to be a secret.”

Ellodie looked around the backyard to make sure nobody heard her. Luckily, they were ducked off in the far corner of the yard with nobody around.

“Yeah, yeah. Where he at?” Yas asked as she patted Etta on the bottom since she suddenly got fussy.

Ellodie checked her phone, and her eyes grew wide. “He sent me a text a minute ago saying he’s here.” She stood, nearly knocking the metal chair over. “You okay with her for a second?”

“Go get ya man.” Yasmine grinned and waved her off.

Ellodie’s cheeks warmed at those words, but she shook them off.

She had to remember this was just for pretend.

After a few months, she could break it to her parents that she and Lucifer had broken up or something.

The thought of having that conversation caused her heart to ache for many reasons, but she refocused her mind on the task at hand.

Quickly, Ellodie zigzagged through the maze of tables with large umbrellas scattered through the backyard. A few family members she had yet to see congratulated her on her baby. She thanked them quickly and kept on her way.

When she made it to the back door, she slid it open and rushed through the massive home.

Her father had been the Ellwood city manager, handling the city’s finances and a ton of other things Ellodie was uninterested in.

He made a lot of money, though, and he also owned a couple of low-income apartment complexes that not only served as help for people in their city, but they also provided a good sum of extra income.

She finally made it to the front of the house and saw Lucifer standing on the doorstep through the glass door. A smile graced her face as she took him in when she opened the door. He wore white linen pants and a royal blue shirt today, a change up from his typical all-black fit.

His smile matched hers as he leaned down and gave her a hug before kissing her cheek. Ellodie’s insides flip-flopped at the feel of his lips and the smell of his cologne.

“Hey, love. How you?” he asked with that deep voice of his.

Stressed. That was what she wanted to say.

She was nervous their little act wouldn’t be believable.

Telling her parents who her baby daddy was and how he was a piece of shit who ran the streets was embarrassing.

Getting caught pretending a man she had only known just over a week was her baby daddy was even more embarrassing. This had to work.

She put on a fake smile. “I’m fine. How are you? How is Harley? I forgot to ask you what they named the baby. I told myself I would ask as soon as I saw you.”

He chuckled at her rapid-fire questions. They’d talked often since they last saw each other, and she kept telling him that baby brain wasn’t just a thing during pregnancy. Post pregnancy was taking her through it. She definitely would have lost her head if it wasn’t attached to her.

“Her name is Kali. Harley is good. The baby is good, I think. I told you I only got like five minutes with her before Hades decided he wanted to kick everyone out. I been trying to give them some space, but I’m definitely going to pop up on them in the next day or so.”

“Get pictures when you do.” She shifted from foot to foot and fidgeted, jittery energy dancing around her.

He chuckled. “You nervous?”

She let out a shaky giggle. “That obvious?”

He ran a hand from her shoulder down her arm. “Yeah, but it’s cool. We can play it off like you’re just nervous about me finally coming around.”

She beamed up at him. “That could work.” She cocked her head. “You never answered my question. How are you?”

“My bad. I’m cool. You ready to do this?”

She nodded. “Yeah, let’s get this over with.”

Lucifer grabbed her hand as they walked through the home. She couldn’t remember the last time she held hands with a man. It felt good, and she immediately felt a bit of relief from his touch.

“Your people got money.” It was a statement, not a question.

“Yeah, I guess you could say that.” Ellodie shrugged.

She grew up with money and never had to go without, so this big house wasn’t really special to her.

In fact, she couldn’t wait to leave it when she turned eighteen.

When she did, she never looked back. It would be a cold day in hell when she moved back in with her parents.

Her father paid for her college tuition and then fronted the money for her wedding planning business, and since then, she had been on her own.

Lucifer didn’t respond as he took in his surroundings. He didn’t look impressed or in awe, only observant.

When they reached the back door, before she slid it open, she stopped and looked up at him. “You’re sure about this?”

A smile graced his face, and he pinched her chin. “I told you I can’t tell you no.”

She beamed up at him before opening the door. “Then let’s put on a show.”

With their hands linked, they stepped into the backyard.

The smell of barbecued food hit Ellodie, reminding her that she had yet to eat for the day, and it was already three in the afternoon.

She’d been doing better lately, though, thanks to Lucifer.

He’d been sending her food every day since he brought her breakfast. He also made a point of FaceTiming her to make sure she actually ate it.

The fact that he wouldn’t allow Etta to be an excuse that she didn’t eat warmed her heart.

He had unknowingly taken the place of Yasmine while she was out of the country.

Ellodie led Lucifer straight toward her father, ready to get those introductions out of the way.

She peeped her uncle Martin nudging her father and pointing toward them.

Daniel turned, and a smile graced his handsome face.

He was over sixty years old but didn’t look older than forty, with smooth dark skin and a freshly lined goatee.

“The man of the hour,” Daniel said, reaching his hand out to Lucifer to shake.

“It’s nice to finally meet you, sir,” Lucifer replied as he gave him a firm shake.

Ellodie squeezed his hand and pointed at her father. “Lu, this is my dad, Daniel. Daddy, this is Lu.” She pointed at her uncle. “And this is my favorite uncle, Uncle Martin.”

“Nice to finally meet the man who put a baby in my niece.”

“Uncle!” Ellodie’s eyes grew wide before she looked up at Lucifer. “Please ignore him.”

Lucifer chuckled. “Nah, it’s all good, baby. This is long overdue.”

“Damn right it is.” Ellodie rolled her eyes as her mother waltzed up to them with a scowl already etched on her face. “Lu, is it?”

“It is,” Lucifer responded coolly.

“And what’s that short for?”

Lucifer stared her down for a moment before he finally responded. “Nothing. It’s just Lu.”

Kamilah screwed her face up. “That don’t sound right?—”

“Kamilah, leave that man alone,” Daniel demanded before looking at Lucifer. “Come have a drink with us. The food is just about ready.”