Chapter 6
6
M arshall
“Wait, what? How did that even happen?” I asked through my laugh. We’d finished our food and about half the bottle of tequila, and Demi was telling me about some of the craziest moments she and Denver had since he was born.
“I have no clue. All I know is, I went into the break room to get his bottle out of the refrigerator, and I saw his ass running down the hall naked with his diaper in his hand.”
“To his credit, it sounded like it was time for it to be changed, Demi.”
She fell over in laughter, and seeing her happy and relaxed was such a beautiful state.
“Maybe, but that was the day I decided he couldn’t come back to the office anymore.”
Our laughter continued for a moment longer before I felt the urge to be honest with her. It would probably shift the mood, but I had to be honest.
“Listen… I want to ask you something, but you don’t have to answer if you don’t want to.”
“Uh oh. This sounds serious.” She straightened her back and dropped her smile, but that made me smile harder.
“I’m just wondering is there a chance I have to worry about his father popping up and laying claim to the both of you.” When her mouth opened and snapped shut, I continued. “I love being here with the both of you. You mean a lot to me, and I feel myself growing protective of and attached to you. I guess I just want to be prepared.”
Demi cupped her hands briefly before giving me a sad smile. Her head shook as she poured herself a shot of tequila. We were in the home theater, and though it was our plan to watch Rush Hour , it was watching us as we talked.
After taking the shot she confessed, “He signed over his rights, so no. I’m the only parent my son has.”
I wasn’t expecting her to get emotional, but when her eyes watered, I resisted the urge to pull her into my arms. Instead, I held her hand.
“Talk to me. What’s going on in here,” I asked, gently tapping her mind.
“I failed Denny. I should have chosen better. He needs a father, and Andre chose not to be in his life.”
“You didn’t know that would happen. Don’t blame yourself. He will not miss the lack of his biological father in his life, and neither will you. He’s not a loss for y’all. You would have been a prize for his gain. Not the other way around.”
Her eyes dried and she smiled before tugging her bottom lip into her mouth.
“Thank you for saying that. That’s why I wanted a manny. He has my dad and the men in my family, but I wanted a male influence that could be around daily.” She cupped my cheek and stroked it with her thumb. “You’re so good with and for him, Marshall. He seems less antsy with you around. It’s like you provide a security and stability for us both that we were lacking.”
“I’m honored to be that for the both of you. I want to hear you say it though.”
She giggled as her hand dropped from my cheek. “Say what?”
“That you don’t need that nigga and my little man doesn’t either.”
“I don’t need Andre, neither does Denver. It’s his loss, and having you is our gain.”
Hearing her say that last part made my dick hard. I couldn’t take my eyes off her. In the past, I’d never been so attracted to someone I was working for. I didn’t need that to change now. As much as I wanted to lean forward and kiss her, I pulled back and refilled my glass. Suddenly, watching the movie seemed like the best thing to do.