Page 18 of The Heart Of A Real Woman: Marilyn & Moses

Marilyn

The next day felt like old times. Back when we were just eighteen and nineteen, young as hell, trying to figure the world out.

Moses and I spent the whole afternoon walking along the beach, talking, reminiscing, laughing.

It reminded me he wasn’t just my husband.

He was my best friend. Conversation after conversation, we were slowly finding our way back to that happy place we used to live in.

“Of all things, what made you wake up and say, I want to buy her an island?” I asked, glancing over at him.

Moses chuckled, sliding his hands into his pockets as he stood near the water.

“A nigga caused a storm. I had to change the fucking weather.” He said, and I couldn’t help but laugh too.

“And that you did, hubby.” I replied, looking around at everything. The beauty of it all still had me in awe, even a day later.

“I want to renew our vows, baby.” Moses said, catching me off guard and making my head snap back to him.

“Renew our vows?”

“Yeah. What you think about that?”

“What you know about that?” I countered, arching a brow.

I was genuinely curious who he had been talking to.

Moses was as hood as they came, and he didn’t know a thing about stuff like that.

When it came to romance and intimacy, I had taught him a lot.

He was great at spending money once he got it, and even better at making love to me, but planning dates and doing the little thoughtful things? That was something he had to learn.

His shortcomings never came from a place of carelessness.

They came from his upbringing. He didn’t grow up seeing his father love on his mother.

He grew up in pure chaos. So, when he got with me, he was a gentleman in his own way, but still lost in certain areas.

I had taught him what love was supposed to look like.

He often said that my heart showed him how to be a real man.

“Told you I’ve been researching,” he said, flicking his nose. “Found out about it. Thought it was dope.”

“Boy, you are crazy as hell,” I said, laughing hard. And it felt so damn good to laugh like that again.

“Man, say. I didn’t even know you could do that shit.”

“Don’t I know it.” We shared another laugh. “But yes. I’d love to.”

He nodded and pulled me into his arms, towering over me.

“Imagine that. You left Melrose ready to divorce my black ass, and now you going back just to marry me again.”

My heart fluttered. “I love you with everything in me, Moses.”

“I see, baby. Still can’t believe you killed over a nigga.” He whispered, strumming my cheekbone with the tip of his thumb. “You been okay mentally?”

“I’ve been just fine with that. And if we could rewind time, I’d do it a thousand times again. You are mine, even when you disappoint me and I don’t want you to be.”

“And you already know how I’m coming ‘bout you.”

We locked hands, the half-heart tattoos on our edges aligning perfectly, two halves becoming whole, again .

A breeze rolled in from the water, brushing against our skin as Moses began rubbing on my body.

His hands moved slow and calculated, starting at my baby bump before sliding down to massage my thighs, then grabbing a handful of ass.

Ever since we made up, I couldn’t keep his hands off me.

He made love to me all last night and this morning.

And that was fine because I had missed him just as much.

∞∞∞

Around five p.m., we finally made it back to the villa to wind down. While Moses was downstairs letting the maid know what we wanted for dinner, I headed upstairs to shower and freshen up. Nausea had snuck up on me hard, and my body felt weak and drained.

I spent about thirty minutes scrubbing down and washing my hair.

By the time I stepped out of the steam-filled bathroom, I felt light again.

I strolled over to my luggage and pulled out one of the new lingerie sets Moses had bought and packed.

Nothing in that suitcase came from home.

Every single piece was brand new and beautiful.

Just as I slipped into the sheer negligee, my phone started ringing on the counter. I glanced over and saw Mr. Woods come across the screen, and just seeing his name made Moses’s slick-ass comment from last night echo in my head.

I picked up on the third ring. “Hello?”

“How you doing, Ms. Marilyn?” he greeted, smoothly.

“I’m good, Mr. Woods. And yourself?”

“I’m doing well today. Just wanted to give you a quick update. I went ahead and filed the request for a trial date, and I reached out to a colleague of mine who just started working at the courthouse. He’s going to help fast-track things for us.”

I leaned against the wall, caught off guard. My silence must’ve stretched too long.

“Ms. Marilyn? Everything alright?”

“Yes, I’m fine… I just wasn’t expecting you to move that fast. I thought you said you were going to contact the court next week.”

“Once I remembered my guy was working there, I figured no point in waiting. Is there a problem?”

“Well, I was just planning to call and catch you Monday morning before you submitted anything.”

“And why is that, might I ask?”

I paused, running a hand through my damp hair.

“I won’t be needing the court date after all. I’ve had a change of heart about the divorce. Thank you for your time, though. You’ve been great.”

There was a pause on his end this time.

“Oh… wow. Okay. Can I ask what changed? Did something happen? Are you feeling pressured or unsafe in any way? I noticed during mediation your husband seemed a bit—.”

“No. Absolutely not.” I cut him off before he could run with that narrative. “I’m good. Me and my husband are good. We made a mutual decision to work things out. That’s all.”

He went quiet again, then repeated back with a slight shift in tone.

“Work things out, huh.”

“Yes…”

He cleared his throat, and I could feel the shift. “I must apologize in advance for what I’m about to say, but I’m not one to hold back. Even if that means crossing boundaries to pursue what I desire, then so be it.”

“I’m listening.”

“I was actually looking forward to you finalizing that divorce, so I could ask to take you out. And I mean…I thought maybe you caught on. After that talk we had in my office—”

“Mr. Woods,” I cut in gently but firmly. “I appreciate everything you have done. I truly do. But like I said, I’m working on things with my husband. So… there’s that. I’ll take care of the final bill.”

“Understood. I’ll go ahead and close the case out. But… if you ever change your mind, you know my number and where to find my office, Marilyn.”

I didn’t respond, just hung up, took care of the payment in his company’s app, and finished getting dressed. I was still thrown off by that bold-ass conversation when I opened the door, ready to head downstairs. But to my surprise, Moses was standing right there. Butt ass naked. Eyes locked on me.

My heart skipped a beat.

I’m guessing he was coming to join me in the shower but decided to pause and listen instead. And by the look on his face, he’d heard every damn word. Still, he didn’t say a thing about it. Just offered me a smirk, deadly as ever, and said,

“Come get back in the shower with me before the food comes up. Dinner in bed tonight, baby.”

My breath caught in my throat as I scanned his body, nervous and flustered. But I didn’t say anything. I just nodded, letting him guide me backward, his hand resting softly at my throat.

After undressing me, Moses turned on the water and guided me beneath the warm stream. My body grew soaked all over again as he took his time lathering soap over my skin. Slow, patient strokes that made me feel so good.

When he finished, I returned the favor. I reached for the shampoo and stood on the tips of my toes, gently working it through his hair. My fingers moved in slow circles across his scalp, massaging it as he closed his eyes for a moment, then opened them to meet mine.

I watched him watch me as he began to massage my belly.

Steam curled around us, thick and warm. I rinsed his hair and then trailed kisses down his forehead, his cheeks, then lower.

I pressed my lips to his chest, letting them linger over the steady beat of his heart.

My hands moved down to knead his shoulders, his back, his sides. Every touch was intentional.

Every touch said, I’m sorry for neglecting you. I see you. I need you. I love you. I ain’t going nowhere. You the only man for me. You the only man I need.

∞∞∞

“What conversation did you and that nigga have in his office?” Moses finally asked, eyes fixed on the view from the balcony. He looked like he was going through it.

A slow-burning blunt sat between his fingers, smoke curling around his head. He stood out there shirtless, making sure the breeze caught the smoke since I was pregnant.

Meanwhile, I lay stretched across the bed, quietly watching him. It took everything in me not to laugh. He had been trying to play it cool all night, acting unbothered, like my time in the shower had settled him. Like he could handle what he had overheard.

But we both knew better. Moses was jealous when it came to me. The kind of jealousy that burned hot and deep. The kind that would make him torch an entire city behind me without a second thought.

“Hm?” I asked, though I’d heard him loud and clear.

He turned slightly, just enough for me to catch the tight clench in his jaw. “If you can hm me, you can hear me, Marilyn. The fuck kind of conversation did you two have in his office?”

I let out a heavy sigh and tied my hair into a high bun, noticing he had called me by my entire name. I could already tell it was going to be a long night. My stomach was full, my body ready to crash, but clearly, I had to put in some labor first.