Page 31

The majority of my time in Milly Grove has been spent with Skip, and I hated to see our time together come to an end.

The reality of what was waiting for me back home was anxiously sitting in the back of my mind.

Yet, I knew what was expected of me. Chandler had been blowing my phone up, so I knew there would be more bullshit to deal with once I arrived back in Florida.

For now, I was continuing to ignore him and my conscience. I wasn’t back home yet.

“You want to be from the Grove so bad.” Jordan chuckled as he came from the back room. “You might as well pack up and move here.”

“If only…” I sighed as I continued to look over my outfit in the mirror.

I thought I looked cute in my team jersey, denim shorts, and sneakers from Wild Kicks.

My face was bare, and my locs were pulled into a messy bun.

The Milly Grove Shooters basketball team had a home game tonight, and I told him I wanted to attend.

He didn’t complain like Chandler would have.

The only thing he asked was if I wanted to sit in the press box or get floor seats.

“I don’t want my vacation to end.” Turning to face him, I wrapped my arms around his neck.

“I think I might miss you, best friend.”

Since the night he pulled me out of the lounge, we’ve been almost inseparable.

The time he wasn’t spending with his daughter or at work was with me, and I loved it.

While he and I haven’t had sex, he’s been working the hell out of me with his fingers.

I wanted him to fuck me so badly, but he refused.

He’s told me more than once that he wouldn’t fuck me knowing I was set to marry someone else.

While I respected that, I couldn’t care less. My coochie was willing and ready.

“Is that right?” He chuckled, slapping my ass. “If you want an indefinite vacation, I can make it happen. All you have to do is say the word.”

Not giving me time to answer, he kissed my nose and took an incoming call from his daughter.

I’ve yet to meet her, but he’s shown me pictures.

Jordan couldn’t deny her if he wanted to.

She was his twin through and through and was a gorgeous little girl.

While I waited for him to finish his call, I had an incoming call of my own.

“Hello, Rosier,” I answered the call from my brother with a smile. While I was still pissed about the predicament he’d thrown me in, I could never stay mad at my brother forever. “To what do I owe the pleasure?”

“I’m saying, sis… do you still work for me or not?

I mean, a direct deposit just hit your account a few days ago, but I don’t recall the last time you worked.

” We shared a laugh because I’ve always done what I wanted to do at that job.

“I was just calling to let you know I was in the city and was about to pull up on you. I’ll be there in about five minutes. ”

Disconnecting the call, my heart damn near jumped out of my chest. I peered over to the other side of the room and watched Jordan as he talked on his phone.

He was so handsome in his black and green jersey with the matching sneakers that were a replica of mine.

His hat was pulled down low over his eyes, and the diamonds in his ears twinkled brighter than the stars in the sky.

The tattoos on his arms and neck were so damn sexy that I wanted to lick all over them.

As I gazed at him, I began to think about all the nasty shit I wanted him to do to me until the knock at the door reminded me why he had my attention in the first place.

“Oh shit!” I jolted as the knocking continued. “You have to hide!”

“The fuck you mean?” he asked as he stuffed his phone in his pocket and mugged me. “What the fuck are you talking about, Mi? This is my shit.”

Speed walking to the door, I stood on my tiptoes and looked out the peephole. Rosier and Dre were on the other side of the door with frowns on their faces.

Why the hell were they here? Rosier had hung up before I could protest his stopping by, and he didn’t even mention Dre.

“What I told you about answering doors, Mi?” Jordan grabbed my wrist and pulled me backward. “Watch out, baby. Go finish getting ready.”

With sweat forming over my brow, I took slow steps back as he opened the door. My brother and cousin looked from him to me before slapping his hand and coming inside.

“Well, what do we have here?” Dre trailed his eyes to me as he dug into his bag of Hot Cheetos. “Y’all look cute dressed alike and whatnot.” Rosier eyed me and had yet to say anything, but Dre was on a roll. “Y’all got a lil’ date or something?”

“Something like that.” Jordan closed the door behind them as they walked further into the beach house.

“Y’all cool? If I knew y’all were coming to the city, I would have planned something for all of us.

You can be a third and fourth wheel if you’d like.

Either way, I’m taking Noemi out tonight.

” Nodding toward me, he winked. “We gotta leave in thirty, baby girl.”

Giving him a small smile, I turned on my heels to head to the room but stopped. Glancing over my shoulder, Rosier and Dre’s eyes were still on me. Walking over, I hugged and kissed both of them on the cheek, saving Rosier for last.

“I just want to have a little fun before Doomsday, brother,” I whispered in his ear. “Don’t be mad at me.”

His face showed no emotion, and for a minute, I thought I’d fucked up until he gave me a small smirk. Kissing my forehead, he pulled me into his embrace. Feeling as if I could breathe again, I left the guys in the room to chat because they clearly weren’t here for me.

As I walked into the room, I could hear my vibrating phone on the dresser. Seeing that it was Chandler, I rolled my eyes before answering. “Chandler, what do you?—”

“You think I’m something to play with, don’t you?” He gritted his teeth into the receiver, and I held my laugh in. “You’ve ignored me the entire time you’ve been gone, and it ends now! You will come home in two days, and you will step into the role of being my wife. If you don’t, so help me God….”

Seeing as though the line went quiet, I glanced down at my phone to see he had disconnected the call. Clicking on the incoming text from him, my eyes watered at the attachment.

Keep thinking shit is a game with me. We’re both down a father, but only one of us will be left with a mother.

In the attached picture, he was smiling and speaking with my mother. The look on her face was one of kindness, so I knew she was oblivious to what was happening. My heart pounded in my chest at what harm he would do to her.

With shaky fingers, I dialed him back, and he answered immediately. “Ready to see things my way?” I could hear the snideness in his tone. “I knew you would.”

“What do you want from me?” I whispered. I could still hear my brothers in the living room, but they were wrapping up their conversation. “You don’t want this marriage, Chandler.”

"That’s where you’re wrong, baby. I do want to marry you, and whether you want to or not, you’re going to marry me too.

” I could hear a female’s voice in his background, but I didn’t care enough to call him out on it.

“Just know this, I don’t care where you are or who you’re with…

you’re mine, Noemi. If I ever find out you’ve been with anyone behind my back, I’m killing not just him but you too. See you at home, wife .”

Placing my fist into my mouth, I screamed as loud as I could.

Chan had a way of frustrating me to the point where I was ready to lash out.

I was no longer crying about the situation with us but the potential harm that could happen to my loved ones if I continued to refuse to do things his way.

Before I let him hurt anyone in my family because of my own selfish ways, I was going to do what I needed to keep them all safe.

“Mi, you cool?” Rosier knocked on the door to the bedroom, causing me to spin in surprise. “I’ve been calling your name for three minutes.”

“I’m good,” I lied, giving him a crooked smile. “Just checking emails and messages.”

The look he gave me let me know he didn’t believe me, but he said nothing. I wanted to tell him about Chandler, but I didn’t want to cause more problems than I already had.

“Dre and I are going to get out of here.” He stuffed his hands in his jeans as he leaned against the door. “We’re done with business and headed back home. You know we can’t sleep without the girls.”

“Don’t I know it?” I chuckled, still uneasy about the call with Chandler. “It must be nice to have someone waiting on you after a long, stressful day.”

Moving around the room, I grabbed my Brahmin bag and reapplied my gloss. Regardless of what’s transpired, I was going to enjoy my last couple of days here with Jordan. I would deal with the backlash later.

“Let me ask you something…” Rosier pushed off the door and walked further into the room. Standing near the patio door, he placed his hands behind his back and zoned in on the waves of the ocean before glancing over his shoulder at me. “You like that nigga Skip? Before you lie to me, don’t.”

Dropping my purse back on the ottoman, I crossed my arms and raised my brow at him.

“Yes, I like him. So, what? Before you say it, I know nothing will come from it. I just want to let my hair down for once and have a little fun before I enter the hell that awaits me. Jordan has been my saving grace in all of this, and I love him for that. We’re friends, nothing more. Okay?”

“Okay…” He smirked and walked back over toward me. “Enjoy your date night with your friend .” Wrapping me in his arms, he kissed my forehead before letting me go. “I love you, sis.”