Page 15 of Her Loyalty

Tiana One month later

"Fuck." I moaned quietly, closing my eyes tight.

"Mm-shit." I dragged, accidentally hitting my head on the headboard.

"Fuck, Dominic!" I screamed out as I finished myself off.

"Shit." I stressed, breathing heavily as I dropped my silver bullet, yanking the covers off of me.

Days were obviously becoming more and more stressful for me. I was a month in without being with Dominic and the constant sex we used to have was no more so I had to pleasure myself.

Something I wasn't too fond of because I'd rather be with him.

But, I still hadn't built up the courage to see him. I didn't know if he'd want to talk to me at all or if I could finally come clean about the worst part of what happened with Connor.

Things were just too confusing for me right now so I was chickening out. I couldn't just pop up on him with nothing to say, that would only make matters worse.

"Tiana!" I heard my mother calling me as I quickly stood to my feet and threw on some clothes.

"Tiana?" She called again, getting closer to my door as I pulled my shorts up.

"Yes, mom?" I answered in an annoyed tone and the door finally opened.

"Hey, honey."

"Could you come downstairs for a moment?"

"I need to talk to you." She said politely and I simply nodded, watching as she left.

What the hell does she want? I thought to myself.

Deciding I would give this woman only a few minutes out of my day, I quickly went to the bathroom to pee and then completed my hygiene routine.

Once I was finished, I made my way downstairs to the kitchen where she was.

"Hi.." I trailed off, genuinely confused.

"Hello, my beautiful daughter." She smiled and I stared at her blankly.

"Um, hey." I stood there.

"What is it that you wa-"

"Have a seat." She told me and I stood there for a while longer before finally sitting down at the table.

"Yes?" I asked awkwardly.

"Why are you being so stiff?" She asked and I shrugged. I was simply preparing myself for the bullshit that I knew was about to leave her mouth.

"Alright, so listen. I just wanted to talk to you for a few moments."

"I feel like I've seen you in a lot in the house these days but you've been so quiet."

"Yeah.." I trailed off.

Because of you . I thought to myself.

"You haven't been going to your friend Stephanie's place much and you've rarely been eating." She went on and I shrugged.

"Haven't been hungry." I said simply and she just looked at me.

"Um, is there an actual problem or-"

"So I'm guessing you and Dominic broke up?" She blurted out, making me jolt my head back.

"Huh?"

"You and Dominic.." She went on, completely throwing me off.

"I know that you guys were still together, Tiana. I'm not an idiot."

"What are you-"

"The two of you broke up?" She asked, cutting me off and I sat there quietly, looking down at my hands.

"Listen."

"I was twenty one before too and I made a lot of mistakes when I was your age."

"Partying, drinking, dating your wild, incompetent father.." She trailed off.

"I knew everyone around me had a right to say something or speak up about my actions but there was one thing that no one could tell me." She went on.

"No one could tell me to stop." She spat, making me look up at her.

"I was twenty one years old, dating your crazy ass father and though he put me through a lot of things, no one could tell me anything about him."

"I loved him." She spoke sternly.

"But though I loved him, I knew some of the things that they were saying about him were true. I knew he was addicted to coke, I knew that he'd cheated on me multiple times but I loved him."

"And he loved me."

"Me. Nobody else."

"And I guess the only reason I tried my hardest to keep you away from Dominic was because I'd put my own life into perspective. I didn't want you falling hard for someone that could possibly break you."

"You're so much more than that, Tiana. You deserve the world. And I figured a white man was the only person who could give that to you. I wanted you to marry up, not down. You know?"

"But.."

"These past few days, this past month, Tiana. I've seen a switch in you."

"The light, the fire, the spark you had in you before, it's been dimmed. It went away, baby and I can't help but to think I played a huge part in that." She went on, tears falling from her eyes as did mine.

"I refuse to hurt you like I allowed them to hurt me."

"I refuse to do you the same way." Her voice cracked.

"I left your father after I had you, listening to everyone else. Finally falling for everything they were telling me."

"Then two years later, he was found overdosed in his home. He left a note, confessing his great love for you and I and it haunts me to this day."

"To this day, I regret allowing others in my head. He told me himself, if I ever left him, he no longer wanted to live on this earth. He could no longer live knowing he didn't fulfill his godly purpose and that was being the love of my life and your father."

"Your father." She pointed to me as I wiped my tears, listening to every word she spoke to me.

Staying quiet for a few moments, I watched as she dried her eyes with a napkin.

"I'm sorry about that." She spoke, getting herself together.

"It's fine." I told her, clearing my throat.

"Listen to me, Tiana."

"I don't know what happened between you and Dominic but I'm telling you, if you want to make it right, if you want to be with him.."

"Baby, I fully support it."

"I support you." She continued.

"He's obviously the light in your life and you need to keep him close, honey."

"You don't want to lose him like I lost your father."

"There's no way to make it right once they're gone."

"..and that's the worst feeling ever."

"Make it right, honey." She spoke finally, standing to her feet.

And just like that, she walked out of the kitchen and I sat there considering everything she'd just told me.

I had to make this right. I needed to.

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