Chapter 12
Jatavia
Iwoke up feeling like I was still dreaming. Dreu’s bed felt like I was sleeping on clouds in heaven compared to my hard mattress back at my apartment. His bed was massive, so big that my body barely took up space on one side. The sheets were cool, soft and didn’t cling to my skin.
I turned over thinking I was going to see Dreu beside me, but he was gone. His curtains were closed; I appreciated that because I didn’t like sunlight being the first thing to wake me in the mornings. We made it to Cali at dawn. The sun had begun to rise when we both trekked to his room together.
I don’t even remember seeing his home nor did I care to tour it.
I was so tired and exhausted from talking to him the entire drive.
I brushed my hand against the smooth sheets where Dreu occupied, and it wasn’t warm.
Knowing me, I probably slept until late in the evening.
His house sounded alive as I sat up. I could hear muffled music and voices coming from somewhere beyond his bedroom walls.
I relaxed against the pillows and took in Dreu’s room.
It was beautiful, very intentional for a man of his caliber.
He had dark wood floors. His bed frame was upholstered, tall and elegant as hell.
Dreu had minimal art on the walls, with gold and platinum plaques in between to remind him of his success.
His room smelled woodsy and masculine like him. His dresser matched the charcoal floor to ceiling curtains that looked like heavy linen. A huge flat screen TV was embedded in the wall with a built in electric fireplace beneath it. It wasn’t too flashy; it was just right and cozy.
I yawned and swung my legs over the edge of the bed but paused when I noticed neatly folded clothes with price tags still attached to them. Instead of standing up, I scooted my ass to the end of the bed and picked up the clothes from the bench at the foot of the bed.
Dreu had leggings, soft cotton joggers and ribbed tanks that matched the leggings for me.
A cropped Nike hoodie, matching sandals rested on the rug.
On the other side were bras, panties along with dark blue skinny jeans and a light blue pair.
My eyes scanned the room, and that’s when they landed on more shopping bags.
Did he send somebody, or did he go to get all of this himself for me?
Everything was in my size down to the bra and panties.
I stood up slowly with my heart fluttering in my chest. I silently thanked God that his bathroom was inside of his room.
Soon as I entered his bathroom, I marveled at how luxurious it looked.
My eyes darted from his huge glass shower with several jets built in the walls to his big garden tub that sat perfectly on the other side of the shower.
I loved to soak in a nice bubble bath and planned on doing that while I stayed down here for a couple of days. I didn’t have anything planned or figured out. I went from walking off of my job because of cramps to being five hours away from home in luxury.
Tammy was a deep sleeper but by now she knew who I left her home with.
I shot her a text while me and Dreu were on the freeway.
Normally, I took my time looking in the mirror when I entered my bathroom at home.
Dreu’s bathroom forced you to look at yourself even if it was the last thing you wanted to do.
The sink was his and hers. Its marble counter tops stretched far out followed by the wide mirror.
On the far-left side of the sink was a white bag, next to it was a new toothbrush and toothpaste.
Soon as I peeked inside of the bag my breath got stuck in my throat and I found myself getting emotional over something that would probably not mean much to somebody else yet meant a lot to me.
Inside the bag were toiletries. It wasn’t just the basics either, Dreu put thought into each item.
A gentle facial cleanser for my sensitive skin.
Hydrating toner. A niacinamide serum. Spot treatment for acne.
A rich moisturizer for dry skin. Under-eye cream and my favorite lip balm.
All of it was expensive as hell. I picked up one of the jars and just stared at it in disbelief.
I smiled at the bag of Always overnight pads inside.
I never wore tampons because I didn’t like how they felt stuffed inside of me throughout the day.
I loved that he remembered. The acne on my forehead.
The breakouts along my cheeks because of me eating sweets and stuff that my skin was against. My skin was always dry, especially in the winter.
So I cared for it with good body butters that lasted all day.
It was shit like this that mattered a lot to me because he paid attention and took note of it even when he didn’t have to.
Dreu didn’t have to accommodate me, but he did without asking any questions or second guessing.
It was the simple care he put into getting all of this in order to make me feel comfortable while being in his space.
I shook my head slowly because I refused to get all emotional again like I’ve been doing since laying eyes on him again.
Maybe it was time for me to embrace having Dreu back into my life.
I needed to also embrace the fact that I’ve been living paycheck to paycheck.
Stressed the hell out and unhappy with a man that never paid attention to me enough to even notice the small things about me.
Devin never mentioned any concern for my mood swings and whenever things were off with me.
Not that it was his responsibility to take note of it…
it just spoke volumes to me that Dreu still remembered things that he had every right to forget once I cut him off.
The only hurdle between Dreu and I was that he was a ladies’ man when we first tried at a relationship together.
He hurt me, it was actually my first heartbreak ever.
I was a stubborn woman, that was raised to never let a person get over on you.
I loved to forgive but never forget. I also pledged before I got in any relationship that a man cheating on me was an unforgiveable thing.
Something that I wouldn’t take them back for at all.
Hell, I didn’t even like second chance romance books. I looked at those women as being weak or a little too forgiving. Now I stood in his massive bathroom looking at myself in the mirror questioning all my beliefs. I could put up a front to Dreu but not myself.
I wanted him after saying I would never talk nor entertain him again.
Me being in his home felt right, it didn’t feel like we were strangers moving at a fast pace.
Instead of frowning in the mirror or looking at myself with no emotions.
The corners of my lips stretched slowly into a big smile.
I could already imagine my cousin Tammy pumping all of this up.
I turned sideways, placed my hands on my knees and did my best twerk dance.
I laughed even harder when I looked at myself in the mirror.
I ended up turning the shower on then took a second to really take in Dreu’s bathroom.
Just from his bedroom and bathroom, I knew the rest of his house was banging.
I felt this calm confidence wrap around me as I really thought about my current situation.
Steam filled the room fast as I stepped inside the shower.
Soon as the hot water hit my chest and shoulders, I sighed out loud feeling all of the tension that I had melted off me inch by inch.
It’s been a while since I even felt this good to the point of not giving a damn about nothing.
Not a bill, a job, or a man that I wasn’t really into to begin with just wasting time and energy on.
The only thing Dreu forgot to get me was a shower cap. I wasn’t tripping off of that because I saw a brush, comb, and my favorite hair jam with ponytail holders so I could slick my hair into a neat ponytail for the day.
“Mmmmm if, onlyyy you kneeewww…how much I doooo, do loveee you!” I sang from the bottom of my stomach and that made me feel even better.
I was mid-note when—
“Damn, Pancakes, who got you feelin’ this good?”
I screamed at the top of my lungs nearly jumping out of my skin. I almost slipped and fell inside of the shower. Grateful that I grabbed onto the handle, my chest heaved up and down as I straightened my posture still flustered.
“Dreu!” I shouted, still clutching the shower handle. “You tryna give me a damn heart attack!” I panted out.
I swiped my hand against the glass to clear the fog to get a good look at Dreu.
He always managed to look so damn mouthwatering fine.
Dressed down casually in a fresh white crewneck shirt, red cotton Nike shorts that stopped right at his knees.
His chocolate skin was smooth, dreads pulled back with a fresh line up from what I saw last night.
“My bad ma,” He licked his lips, his gaze went up and down my body slowly. “Just wanted to check up on you to make sure you were straight.”
His grin was smug and cocky; my eyes instantly went down to the big bulge in his shorts. It was evident I always turned him on. His dick always had a response. With my hormones raging, I tried to think of something else other than the length, nice curve and width of his piece.
“I’m fine, what time is it?” I gave him another once over.
“Almost four, you slept really good… How you feeling though?”
“I feel good actually,” I slid the glass door open.
My breath hitched as desire ignited inside of me.
“You looking good as fuck, Pancakes.” He bit into his bottom lip.
Every gesture coming from him seemed seductive as hell in the moment. I wanted to wrap my short legs around him and ride his dick until we both fell to our knees in this shower.
“You happy?” he raised a thick brow.
It was a loaded question. Dreu hooded eyes gazed into mine as I slowly nodded my head to answer his question.