Page 32 of Perfect Rhythm
NYX
I failed, and I failed miserably.
I wasn’t supposed to sleep with Shade, and I damn sure wasn’t supposed to do it more than once. But I couldn’t help it. I wanted him, and one time just wasn’t enough.
After going for round two on the couch, we finally told Trace to send the massage therapists home and any other staff that was still lurking around. Nothing else was happening besides what we were doing, which went off and on for the rest of the night, and a few more times this morning.
Now, I was sitting in the backseat of the black Mercedes he’d gotten me, thinking about him.
Truth be told, I didn’t want to leave. But it was my dad’s big day, and it was probably a good idea to break away from Shade for a few hours.
I needed to hit the reset button, and I needed to put my boundaries back in place.
Before I left, Shade and I had a long talk. I told him that none of what we did could happen again because I was in no position to be with anyone like that. My emotions were all over the place.
He agreed. Well, he didn’t actually agree. He just told me that he would do whatever I wanted to do, which wasn’t really helpful since fucking him seemed to be at the top of my list.
I needed to take my ass back home.
There was no way I would be able to spend another two days under his roof and not let him dick me down. It just wasn’t possible. Then again, maybe that’s exactly what I should do. Instead of a mini vacation, I could just call it a dickcation.
I bit down on my bottom lip, savoring the memory of Shade’s big, brown?—
“Ma’am, we’ve arrived.”
“Huh?” I blinked, snapping my gaze toward my driver as he held the car door open. “Oh, okay. Thank you.”
I stepped out and looked around, making sure no one was lurking.
The coast was clear.
“Hey, baby, I’m glad you made it,” my mother said as I stepped into the building. Crystal chandeliers sparkled above linen-draped tables and soft jazz played in the background. “You’re late.”
“Sorry, I had a hard time figuring out what I wanted to wear.”
Lies. I had a hard time climbing off of Shade’s dick before getting in the shower.
Oh, we did go one more time after I set my boundaries. You know, just to seal the deal.
“Well, you look amazing. Where did you get this dress? I don’t think I’ve seen you in this one before.”
That’s because my man, who isn’t my man, bought it for me.
“I don’t remember. It’s been sitting in my closet for a while.”
“Hmm...well, it looks good on you.”
“Thank you.” I lowered my gaze, admiring the sleek, off-the-shoulder cocktail dress that skimmed my curves with effortless grace.
I must say, the man knew what I liked.
“Oh,” my mother said, giving my wrist a gentle squeeze. “Your father’s been waiting for you. He’s over by the food, talking to Eli.”
“Talking to who?” I asked, my throat tightening.
“Eli,” my mother repeated. “He got here over an hour ago. I asked him why you two didn’t come together, and he said that he came straight from a gig.”
Clearly, my mother didn’t keep up with the blogs.
“Well, I’ll let you go chat. We’re about to sit down and eat in a few.” She gave me a quick pat on the arm, then strolled away to make small talk with the other guests.
As soon as my eyes landed on Eli, I could feel my insides flood with rage.
Skye bumped my arm. “Bitch, why is Eli here? And where have you been? I thought you would’ve been here way before me.”
“I couldn’t decide what I wanted to wear, and I don’t know why the fuck Eli is here. Has he said anything to you?”
“No, he hasn’t.”
“Hmm...” I folded my arms over my chest, then looked at Skye. “What are you doing here? I thought you would’ve stayed home after everything that happened.”
“Are you at home?”
“No. But it’s my father.”
“Yeah, well, he’s like a father to me too. I’m not about to let Mecca’s bitch ass keep me away from people that I care about.”
“Is he still blocked?”
“Yep.”
“Has he come by your place?”
“Yep, and I had the police escort his ass of the premises just a few hours ago.”
“Oh, wow, you’re really done fucking with him, huh?”
“Hell yeah. I know I’ve been dumb for a long ass time. But that’s over now. I don’t give a damn how much it hurts, I have to do what’s best for me.”
I lifted my hand in the air and gave her a high five. “That’s what I’m talking about.”
“Hey, Nyx, can we talk?” Eli said as he walked toward us.
“No, the fuck we can’t. Why are you here?”
“Because your mother invited me.”
“That was when we were together. We’re not together anymore.”
“Look, about that?—”
“No, not about that. You and I are fucking done.” It came out as a whisper, but I made sure my words were loud and clear.
“Hey, baby,” my father said as he planted a kiss on my forehead and pulled me into a hug.
“Hey, Daddy. Happy birthday.”
“Thanks, baby.”
He squeezed my arm gently. “You know, Eli and I were just talking. He told me he just landed a new role in an action film. I know you’ve got to be pretty excited about that, huh?”
I didn’t respond. Instead, I forced out a grin and turned my attention back to Eli. “Is that right? This is the first I heard of it.”
“Oh, really?” My father frowned. “My apologies, I didn’t mean to spill the beans.”
Eli smiled. “Oh, it’s fine, Pops. It wasn’t a surprise. I just hadn’t gotten around to telling her yet.”
Pops? Since when did he start calling my father Pops?
Skye leaned into me. “Oh, he’s laying this shit on real fucking thick, ain’t he?”
“Too thick.” I grabbed Eli’s arm. “Daddy, excuse us for a moment.”
“Sure.”
I turned to pull Eli with me, but he didn’t budge. Instead, he dropped to one knee and pulled a small box from his pocket.
“I know you fucking lying,” Skye muttered under her breath.
“Eli, what the hell are you doing?” I whispered, panic rising in my chest.
“Nyx, I love you more than words could ever say. I haven’t always been perfect, but being with you makes me want to be better every day.
You’ve stood by me through everything…never wavering, always pushing me forward.
You’ve loved me unconditionally and been my backbone when I needed it most.” He nodded toward my father.
“I was a little hesitant about doing this here, but after getting your father’s blessing, I realized there’s no better time than now. ”
My eyes widened as I looked over at my father, who was grinning from ear to ear.
He loved Eli, and in his mind, he was the perfect man for me.
The thought of breaking his heart with the truth made my stomach turn.
Without question, he would hurt for me and hate Eli for the rest of his life.
Any other day, none of that would’ve mattered.
But this was his day, and he didn’t deserve to feel bad on his birthday.
Eli knew exactly what he was doing, and the more I thought about it, the more it pissed me off.
He grabbed my hand and placed the diamond ring in front of my finger. “Nyx…love of my life...will you marry me?”
My heart screamed, absolutely not , but my lips stayed sealed.
Instead, I smiled…strained, shallow, and far from real.
And just like that, Eli ran with it, oblivious to the storm that was raging inside of me.
“She said yes,” he shouted and slipped the ring on my finger before placing his lips on mine.
I didn’t attempt to kiss him back. But none of that mattered to him. He was too high off of the yes he’d conjured in his mind.
“Congratulations,” my father said as he hugged me, then reached for Eli with open arms. “Welcome to the family, son.”
I bolted outside, my stomach twisting with every step.
Skye stormed out after me. “What the actual fuck? Why didn’t you say no?”
“Because I didn’t want to ruin my father’s birthday, and I didn’t want to answer all the questions that would come along with it. Not tonight.”
“Okay, but now you’re about to marry a nigga that you don’t want.”
“I’m not marrying him. As soon as this night is over, I’m telling him that.”
Skye lifted a brow. “Why wait? Do that shit now. I’ll go get him, and then we can have security escort his ass off the premises.”
“No, not tonight. I already told you that I don’t want to deal with all the extra shit.”
Rolling her eyes, she sighed. “Okay, fine. But I think this is a terrible idea. I wouldn’t give that nigga another second to believe he had his hooks in me.”
“Trust me, he won’t get to enjoy it for too long.”