Chapter 17
I hadn’t stopped smiling since we made it to the yacht on Friday.
It was two days of sunshine, clear skies, my baby’s giggles, and her father showering me in affection that I couldn’t get enough of.
My eyes roamed to him sitting casually in the driver’s seat.
One hand gripped the steering wheel, while the other rested on the middle console.
I licked my lips before reaching over to rub my hand over the back of his head.
“It’s time for you to get a haircut,” I told him while messing with his tiny curls.
Getting his hair cut off took my man from a ten to ten thousand.
I damn near wished I could keep his ass locked up in the house.
He was always getting stares when we were out, but I could say he never gave me anything to worry about.
He paid other women dust, while worshipping the ground I walked on.
“Okay, can I get a house call?” he asked in a smooth tone. A sly smirk appeared on his face.
I laughed. “That is very unprofessional, sir,” I teased.
“Shit, I wanted you to sit on my lap while you did it, so I figured the crib would be better for privacy, ya know.”
I burst into laughter. “You’re nasty.”
He shrugged. “You like it, Princess. Can’t keep you from sitting on my face.”
I gagged because, why would he say that out loud? Even though I knew she couldn’t understand, my head snapped to the back seat, only to find our baby knocked out. I smiled, watching her little chest move up and down.
Leaning forward, I turned the volume on the radio down, and her little snores filled the truck. “My baby tired,” Port said with a smile.
“Very. I think she had the most fun out of all of us.” Turning to him, I said, “I feel like you’re gonna have to turn this into a yearly thing. She’s obsessed, and it’ll give her something to look forward to every summer.”
He chuckled and nodded. “I can do that.” Turning to me, he said, “All I want to do is create traditions with you.” His lips moved to say more, but his voice fell silent as he leaned forward, staring out of the windshield. “Now, who the fuck is that?”
I followed his line of vision and found Keiran sitting on my front porch. My heart rate picked up as I racked my brain for reasons he would have to pop up at my house. How long had he been sitting there?
“Looks like Kieran,” I said around the cotton in my mouth.
“Fuck that nigga want?” he asked with a frown.
I shrugged. “I really don’t know. I haven’t been talking to him,” I replied quickly. He pulled into the driveway, and I reached for my door handle to hop out. He pinned me in place with a death stare. “I wish you would open that door.”
I gulped and slammed my back into the seat.
When Port hopped out, I held my breath until he came around to open my door.
The force of his slamming the doors woke Precious up in the back seat, and she started crying.
He went to get her out while I walked over to Kieran, who’d come down the porch steps.
“Um, hey. What are you doing here?” I asked hesitantly. The last thing I wanted was any drama around my house. This was messy, and I didn’t like it one bit.
I hadn’t noticed the Bluey plushie in his hand until he lifted it in the air. “I know Precious’s birthday is coming up. I wanted to give her a present.”
“Oh, you didn’t have to do that,” I said just as she came running toward him.
“Kiki!” she yelled excitedly. He opened his arms for a hug, and she ran right into them. He picked her up, showing her the gift he’d gotten her. I turned to find Port standing by his truck.
He flinched before shaking his head. He forcefully shut the back door. My nerves filled my stomach, seeing the hurt in his eyes. I took slow and calculated steps toward him. Not once did he meet my gaze, and I knew that meant he was pissed.
“This is the last time I’m sparing this nigga, El. You better get rid of him for good before I do.” His voice was even, and he spoke loud enough for Kieran to hear, but he pretended to be too busy tickling Precious.
“Okay, okay,” I said quickly to assure him.
I tried to close the distance between us, but he backed away, and I let him.
This looked bad, and I could only imagine what was going through his mind.
By the death glare he was giving Kie, I knew murder was one of the topics crowding around in that brain of his.
“Gone by time I come home, Rockel,” he said through clenched teeth. I nodded while nibbling on my bottom lip. Home . . . Hearing him say that settled my nerves, but him calling me by my name told me how serious he was.
He put his truck in reverse then sped away. I watched him until I could only hear the roar of his engine. I took a deep breath before turning to Kieran. He was watching me innocently, but I wasn’t falling for it.
Walking toward him, I took Precious by the hand and led her up the porch. “What are you doing here, Kieran?”
He shrugged while stuffing his hands into the pockets of his jeans. “I wanted to see you. I miss you, Rockstar.”
I took my keys from my purse and sighed. I opened the door to let Precious inside before I turned around to face him. “Listen, I know we had a nice little vibe going on, but you can’t come around anymore. It’s over.”
He nodded and tucked his lips. I watched him look in the direction that Port disappeared in. “Y’all are going to be a family?”
“We are one. I apologize if I led you on in any kind of way. I didn’t know Perfect was going to come back into our lives, but he did, and my heart is with him.”
He tried to come closer, but I shook my head to stop him. Thankfully, he didn’t push my boundary. “How do you know you can trust him? I thought you told me he just disappeared on you.”
I folded my arms over my chest as if it could protect me from his analysis.
“Listen. I told you that in confidence, not for you to throw it back in my face and make me question my choice. Perfect had his reason for leaving, and I’ve forgiven him for it.
” I took a deep breath and turned to the house.
“Thank you for the gift, but please move on with your life. ’Cause that’s what we will be doing. ”
“I hope he doesn’t break your heart.”
“He won’t,” I said confidently over my shoulder.
“Bye, Kieran.” I went into the house, closed the door, and then locked us in.
I pressed my back into the door, feeling a little guilty for ending things so soon, but it would be wrong to lead him on.
I knew I wanted to be with Perfect, and he wanted to be with me.
I truly believed when I said he wouldn’t break my heart.
He was too invested in what we were building to ever leave us again. This was for life, and I stood by that.