Page 15 of Terrez and Shalene (D-Ville Projects #4)

Shalene

Sliding my feet into my Crocs, I grabbed my keys and left my apartment.

I was getting my baby back today and couldn’t wait to hug and love all over her.

Surprisingly, Brevin allowed her to call me a few times over the days she’d been gone and it only made me miss her even more.

The first day Amayah left, I thought I’d be walking around miserable.

As the days went by, I realized the break was needed.

Outside of Terrez bringing me to bliss time after time, I was able to relax and lounge around.

I asked Pat if she wanted to go out for drinks, but she had pre-existing plans.

Once I was in my car, I pulled out of the parking lot and headed in the direction of Brevin’s parents’ house.

I was slightly irritated that I had to drive over thirty minutes to get there, but seeing my baby overshadowed that.

When I finally arrived, I decided to park on the street so I wouldn’t block anyone in.

I planned on running in and right back out, but didn’t want any inconveniences while inside.

The front door was pulled open before I could reach the porch and Brevin’s mother greeted me.

“Hey, Shalene, how are you?” she asked with her arms outstretched.

“I’m good, Mrs. McGregor. How’ve you been?” I returned as I embraced her.

Aretha and I weren’t ever close, but over the years we’d developed a bond and mutual respect. I was happy things turned out like that. With Brevin and I now being divorced, breaking up with his family wouldn’t be so hard.

“Oh, I’m Mrs. McGregor now?”

“I’m just trying to be respectful,” I stated.

“I’ve never felt disrespected by you, Shalene. But I can see how this is all going to turn out.”

My intentions weren’t to be petty, but I also wasn’t about to come into this lady’s house referring to her as “mom”.

As far as I was concerned, she’d probably already met Brevin’s new piece of ass.

As a mother, I knew Aretha would always be on her son’s side and rightfully so.

All I knew was I wasn’t dealing with shit I no longer had to.

“It’s not gonna turn out any kind of way. Everything is good,” I half lied.

When I stepped into the house, Brevin and his father were on the couch watching ESPN. The house smelled just like Sunday dinner. Knowing Aretha, I was sure she made one hell of a spread. She may have raised a bitch of a son, but the woman could cook.

“Hello, everyone,” I said as I looked around for my baby.

“Amayah! Come here, princess,” Brevin shouted.

Moments later, footsteps could be heard from Amayah followed by their family dog, Lucky. When Amayah saw me, she ran and jumped into my arms. It had been a long few days and I was happy that she was happy to see me. Lord knows it would’ve hurt my feelings had her reaction been anything different.

“Hey, baby. I missed you.”

“I missed you too, Mommy.”

“You ready?”

“Yes!”

With a smile on my face, I looked over to Brevin, hoping he’d get up to retrieve her things.

“Her bag is upstairs. I’ll go get it.”

“Okay. I’ll start putting her in the car.”

After helping Amayah say goodbye to her grandparents, I picked her up and carried her to my car. By the time I had her strapped into her seat, Brevin was approaching us with Amayah’s pink bag in hand.

“Thank you. I’ll have her call you sometime tomorrow.”

“Damn, Shalene, can you hold the hell up? You come in and leave right back out, like these aren’t the same people you used to spend time with.”

“I’m not trying to argue with you. Like I said, I’ll have her call you tomorrow, and if that’s not gonna work, then she’ll call another time,” I said as I closed the back door.

“So, it’s true, huh? You really out here with another man?”

“Brevin, what the fuck are you talking about?”

“My cousin told me he saw you at the steakhouse the other day. When I asked him what the man looked like, he described the same nigga you had come to the house to move your stuff.”

“Oh, okay.”

Before I could open the driver’s door, Brevin grabbed my arm and pinned me against the car.

“What the fuck is wrong with you?” I shouted as I yanked out of his grip.

“No, what the fuck is wrong with you? I give you years of my damn life and you just move on with the next man?”

“Move on with the next man? Brevin, you have some damn audacity to be in my face talking about another man when you had a new piece of pussy before I was even moved out. You couldn’t wait for me to move out so you could move her in?—”

“I didn’t move that girl in. She wasn’t even supposed to be there because I knew you were coming for your things.

She showed up when I was in the middle of a shower.

By the time I was finished, she’d taken it upon herself to move the boxes outside.

The only reason I didn’t speak up that day was because you brought some nigga to my house.

It’s just crazy to me that you think you deserve to be happy after everything you put me through. ”

“You have to be smoking the purest shit in Diamond Falls if you think I’m the one that put you through anything.

My mother is gone, Brevin! That shit hurts and still hurts every day.

You see how you’re over here spending time and having Sunday dinner with both of your parents?

Well, I can no longer do that. So again, I’m sorry that my grief became a burden to you.

Instead of doing all you could to be there for me, you ran to another woman to fulfill your needs. ”

“I tried with you! It had been months, Shalene! Months of nothing but looking at a shell of the woman I loved more than I loved myself. I felt like I’d waited a lifetime just to get you to have a conversation with me. I thought we would never get back to us.”

Hearing the crack in his voice let me know Brevin was being honest about everything he was saying.

Truthfully, had Brevin not been so disrespectful, I would have given us another try.

It was too little too late though. Not only had he played in my face on several occasions, but he had been sexually involved with another woman.

“Brevin, leave her alone, son. Shalene, please get home safe,” Brevin’s dad shouted from the porch.

After staring me down for a few long beats, Brevin stepped back and walked away.

Prayerfully, that would be the last time we had to rehash the past. Our marriage was over now, thanks to him.

He was bedding another and I was enjoying Terrez doing the same with me.

Once I was in the car, I looked over my shoulder to see Amayah was knocked out.

An incoming call came through from Terrez and I couldn’t help the smile that broke out.

Even after that shit with Brevin, Terrez was still the man on my mind.

I didn’t know if I was being dick dumb or if I was truly falling for him.

The feeling was scary, but the thrill of it was what kept me on the ride.

“Hello?”

“Hey, baby. Did you get the princess already?” he quizzed.

From how quiet his background was, I couldn’t tell where he was, but I was hoping he was back at home. I hadn’t seen him since this morning and was missing his presence something crazy.

“I just picked her up. We’re on our way back home now.”

“You wanna do dinner tonight? I know you got the baby, but I’m not tryna drag this shit out. I fuck with you the long way, baby. You got my word on that.”

Quickly, I mentally ran through the pros and cons of having Amayah around another man.

I trusted Terrez, but adding my baby to the equation made the stakes higher.

With how small she was, there was a chance she could grow attached to Terrez.

The thought of us not working out would affect her greatly.

“Are you sure this is something you want to do? Like is being a father to another man’s child a responsibility you’re ready to take on?”

“If I wasn’t ready for that responsibility, we wouldn’t be havin’ this conversation right now.

I would’ve let you know from jump if I wasn’t with the shit.

As long and you and that nigga ain’t messin’ around, I’m cool.

I’ll stay out his way and he’ll stay out of mine.

Take care of the princess and move his ass along. ”

“Okay. I’ll take your word and hold you to it. What were you thinking for dinner?” I questioned as I maneuvered through the city traffic.

“Shit, something unhealthy as hell.”

“Like what?”

“Artery cloggin’ soul food.”

“I got you. It’s too late in the day for me to really get down, but I can do fried chicken, sweet potatoes, and homemade mac and cheese,” I suggested.

“Bet. That’s good enough for me.”

“Okay. I’m gon’ stop at the store then I’ll be on my way home.”

“Okay. Send me your email so I can send you money for the groceries. Make sure you call me when you pull in the parking lot.”

After acknowledging his statement, I ended the call and went to the nearest grocery store.

“Goodnight, little one,” Terrez said as I carried her to her room.

When I made it home from the grocery store, Terrez and a few of the men who helped me move were in the parking lot waiting.

I was instructed to not touch a bag. Once everything was brought into my apartment, Terrez helped like he always did, and we cooked together.

It seemed like cooking was how we bonded and I loved the experience.

I had no issue being in the kitchen alone, but Terrez made it his priority to be in there right next to me.

The meeting between him and Amayah went nothing like I expected.

I thought her curiosity would’ve had her trying to be around him, but no.

She paid neither one of us any attention as she played with her toys and watched cartoons on her iPad.

She wasn’t pressed about Terrez’s presence and I was okay with that.

When I realized he was comfortable being in the same space as her, I stopped overthinking and relaxed.

Since tomorrow was Monday, I went to Amayah’s dresser and closet to get her things ready.

My baby wasn’t a morning person, so I made sure she was in the bed by no later than eight o’clock sharp.

I truly enjoyed my time off, but it was time to get back to reality.

“You good, baby? You look tired,” Terrez said as I walked back into the living room.

“I am. The food we just ate has a lot to do with that.”

“For sure. I won’t keep you too long, love. Come sit with me and let me hold you for a few minutes. I missed yo’ lil ass today. I’ve been living in your skin these past couple of days and now I’m having withdrawals.”

Laying my head in his lap, I exhaled a breath, followed by a yawn. I still had to clean the kitchen and get in the shower myself, but my body was tired.

“I missed you too. I didn’t think I was gonna see you today,” I admitted.

“Why not? You can see me anytime you want.”

“Can I?”

“Hell yes. That shit isn’t even a question. Call me and I’ll come.”

“I’m trying my hardest not to fall in love with you.”

“Why is that? Please don’t say time, because it doesn’t always mean shit when feelings are involved.”

“I’m scared, Terrez. Love broke me and I never want to feel that pain again.

I went from grieving the loss of my mother to the loss of my marriage.

Everything I worked so hard for and dreamed of came crashing down because of love.

I don’t know if I can come back from that type of heartache a second time.

Neither of us knows what the future holds, but I’m scared yet happy to be here with you. ”

“I feel like it’s reasonable for you to feel that way, but I’m not your ex.

Me and that nigga are two different types of men.

Shit gets hard in any relationship, but it’s how you go about it that matters.

Believe me when I say dude gon’ regret ending his marriage for something that could’ve been resolved.

All I’m askin’ is for you to trust me and I got you.

If I ever wake up and decide this isn’t what I want, I promise to communicate that with you. ”

Tears skated down my cheeks as I lay in his lap with my eyes closed.

I truly had no clue what the hell I was doing right now.

A man should’ve been the last thing on my mind right now.

Terrez had this aura about him that I couldn’t shake.

Call me dumb, but I believed every word he spoke.

I never brought up the encounter between Brevin and me, so he didn’t even know that part of his statement had come to pass.

I trusted Terrez, but would do things differently this time around and have a plan.

“I trust you,” I whispered.

Leaning down, Terrez wiped my tears and kissed my forehead. This man was so damn fine that I couldn’t help but admire his chocolate self.

“Good. Welcome to Death Row, baby,” he said, making me laugh.

“But seriously, DP has some events coming up that I want you and lil momma to come to. The block party will have kids of all ages from the community comin’ out.

We like to do it big when we give back. You down? I’m ready to show my woman off.”

“I’m down as long as you’re sure it’ll be safe.”

“Always, baby. I told you safety comes first. But let me walk you to the room. I’m about to go handle some business. Hopefully I won’t have to be out too long tonight.”

The two of us stood from the couch and walked to my room.

When we stepped inside, Terrez helped me into bed and kissed my lips.

Trying my luck, I grabbed his waistline and tugged at his basketball shorts.

When that big Black dick was exposed, I stroked it until he was completely hard.

Once it was standing at attention, I crawled to the edge of the bed and took him into my mouth.

Doing my best to swallow him whole, I closed my eyes and got in my zone.

I hadn’t done this in so long, but from the way Terrez was trying to hold his moans back, I knew I still had it.

“Shit. You don’t have a gag reflex, girl?”

Instead of answering him verbally, I tightened my jaws and sucked him harder.

Giving him head was supposed to be just that but turned into something much more.

The two of us ended up going at it for over an hour.

By the time I’d gotten out of the shower and Terrez had left, I was tired as hell.

I could already feel tonight would be some of the best sleep I’d gotten in a while.