Chapter 13 #2
When I glanced down at the contents of the bowl, I immediately turned my face up. The sight of fat-free ranch and carrots had me wanting to toss the bowl at him. What did I expect though? He was eating healthy to maintain weight.
“Why are you looking like that? It’s not like you made me anything. Stuck with this nasty ass ranch and stale ass carrots.” He was finally seated.
I laughed. “Didn’t I teach you how to make it yourself?”
“Didn’t I tell you I wasn’t retaining any of that? I respect what you do, but nah, that ain’t me and you know it.” He grabbed a carrot.
I laughed. “Well, you have those stale ass carrots.”
“Nah. Right now I do, but tomorrow probably not.”
“How do you figure? Khia must be coming through tomorrow to make you some snacks.”
“Nah. You got me. Don’t front and say you don’t because I can tell in your eyes you do.”
He was right. I did.
Hours later we were lying in bed after watching a movie and staying up too late. I was at peace in his arms, falling asleep without a care in the world when his heavy voice cut through the dark silence.
“Are you falling in love with me, Selah?”
My eyes popped open, greeted with nothing but darkness. “I don’t know, are you falling in love with me?”
“I asked you first.” He pulled my body closer to him.
“I said maybe. You’re alright or whatever.”
“Selah.” He pulled me under his now hovering body.
“Yes, Indiri. I am falling in love with you.”
“Good, because you don’t have no fucking choice.” His response was in a matter of fact tone which made me immediately lift my head.
“That’s all you have to say?” I stared in his direction in the darkness.
“I love you too, Selah. Now go your ass to sleep before I get you up to train with me in a couple hours.”
I was smiling hard as hell and so glad he couldn’t see me. I turned back around and pushed against him, closing my eyes. “And by the way, I wasn’t the one who initiated this conversation. I was on my way to sleep.”
He didn’t respond, instead spooning me tighter before kissing the back of my head.
Telling me he loved me quieted the moments of doubt in my heart.
After what I had gone through, doubt was normal, but I never wanted to take my past experiences into a new situation.
With Knockout I always felt like there was some sort of love bombing as a way of distraction, but Indiri laid everything on the table.
With him I never had to question where I stood or what was going on.
I appreciated his transparency and our similar qualities so much that everything in me wanted to protect our bond from anything threatening it.
That also included the internet and all those people online.
I’d allowed Jordyn to talk me into social media cleanup and a post, but I wouldn’t be doing that too often.
My relationship with the man I loved wasn’t for people who didn’t touch grass. Fuck them and their opinions.
When I woke up the next morning, Indiri wasn’t in bed.
I hadn’t expected him to be though, because I’d heard him moving around and rummaging through things to get dressed earlier this morning.
From what he’d said last night, he was running before this training session, claiming Unc liked to try to run him to the ends of the earth.
It took me a minute for me to finally get out of bed and even longer to get into the shower.
I wanted to be productive and go into at least one of my bakeries today, but the way I was feeling had me ready to shower, eat, and go back to sleep.
I didn’t do that though. Instead I made a quick call to check in before I got into the shower.
Lori was my general manager, and good at her job, so I didn’t worry too much in my absence.
But my bakeries were still my babies, so I hovered from time to time.
Lori assured me everything was fine. I got in the shower and took care of myself.
After I was moisturized and dressed, I moved toward the kitchen to find something to eat.
I wasn’t used to living in a space like this.
There was nothing wrong with it, but there were more people in the house than I was used to.
When Knockout conditioned for his fights, I spent the majority of my time at my condo.
I never really experienced things like I did with Indiri.
Though he was such a private person, he had many working parts in his life.
When I entered the kitchen, Jordyn was seated at the island with her phone to her ear and Journee was seated next to her tapping away at her laptop. They were both into their work until I entered the room.
Journee looked up with a smile on her face. “Good morning, Selah.” Her greeting was warm and inviting.
“Morning.” I looked from her to Jordyn who waved silently.
“How are you? I know Belize was beautiful and being back here is so bleak.” She made a sad face.
“Yes it was. Everything was so beautiful and quiet.” I reached for the coffee pot and poured myself a glass.
“Yeah, I could only imagine. With everything going on, a few days in paradise is necessary.”
I shook my head. “I just can’t believe people are so invested in the business of others.”
Journee cackled. “Given they have no business of their own, it’s easy to be invested in yours. You’re handling it well though, especially with such a narcissist for an ex.”
“Money made him big. Money filled him up and made him feel like he was untouchable.”
“Some people can take fame and some can’t. He talks so much that I wonder how he trains when he spends so much freaking time in front of a camera. How did you deal with that?”
I laughed because she had it down pat. “I wouldn’t know because I was never really around him then.
He has all of those people around him and in his face, I wasn’t one of them.
I value my privacy, space, and peace; he didn’t.
Funnily, I thought he did and was protecting me, but I was wrong.
He was using it to cheat all over the damn world. ”
Journee’s expression was sympathetic.
“Well, I’m happy you’re here now, away from that prick.” Jordyn’s tone had me smiling before I sipped my coffee.
“I am as well. He might not say it, but Indiri needed you. Right now things may seem rocky with the media and everything, but it’ll blow over. Stick with him, his heart is good, even though sometimes his head is hard.”