Chapter 21
“Hello?”
“Hello. You miss me, baby girl?”
“Who is this?”
The question was rhetorical because I knew the answer. Getting a call from Devonte wasn’t on my Bingo card. As a matter of fact, I had no idea how he got my phone number, but this was typical of him over the years. He’d track me down and somehow find my phone number.
He would call me, and every time, I’d either block the number or get a new phone number. This time, I wasn’t going to do that. I was going to tell Devonte, plain and simple, I was with Stone, and if he had a problem with it, he might want to take it up with him.
I knew he wouldn’t do that, because comparing Stone to Devonte was like comparing a Cane Corso to a Chihuahua. Devonte looked like a little ass kid standing next to Stone. I knew he wouldn’t have the heart to take anything up with him.
“Why are you calling me?”
“I’m trying to figure out why you didn’t call me to check on me after that thug you were with hit me across my face with an alcohol bottle.”
“I wouldn’t call you if I had your number, and he should have done more than that. Springing that on him like that wasn’t cool, and we are not together.”
“Well, I told him that he needed to give me my girl back. He didn’t listen, so it’s time I move on to the next phase of my plan.”
“And what is that?”
“Meet me tonight, and I’ll tell you. I may even reconsider.”
“I wish I would meet you. We don’t have anything to talk about.”
“Oh, yes, we do, because if you don’t come, I’m going to ruin Stone’s reputation in this town before he even gets a chance to bring that gym off the ground.
I haven’t been in this city long, but my connections are high up.
I know you don’t know what he was into while he was away with the army.
If I leak it to the newspapers, that gym will never see the light of day.
Seven o’clock. I’ll text you the place later. ”
Devonte was exactly the type of person who would try to ruin somebody’s business, so I had no doubt he meant every word.
I didn’t know what he was talking about as far as Stone’s past, but whatever it was, I didn’t want it to get out.
I wanted Stone to have the life he’d been working hard for.
Stone was no longer in the army. He was a new father and soon-to-be business owner. That was all I needed to know.
Devonte was trying to threaten the future Stone had planned for himself, and I wasn’t going to have that.
It was my fault that Devonte was in either of our lives, so if one dinner with him could squash this whole thing, then I had to do it.
Once I left the table with Devonte tonight, this would all be behind us, because there was no way in hell I was going back to him.
I pulled up to the restaurant that Devonte had texted me exactly at seven o’clock. Like he said, he was sitting at a table by the window. I saw him before I even walked in.
I was not dressed up. I’d thrown on some jeans and a hoodie. I just wanted to see what he had to say before I dipped, and he had less than twenty minutes to tell me what the fuck he wanted. I sat down and got straight to business.
“What do you want?”
“I just want to apologize to you. I know what I did to you back then was wrong. I’ve been in therapy, and I’ve worked on myself. I’m a better person now. If you give me a chance, we could work this out.”
“You know what?” I stood to leave, but Devonte held out his hand to stop me. I couldn’t believe he would even waste his breath to try to get me back; it was baffling. If I hadn’t made it clear by blocking every number he ever had, I didn’t even know what else I could do.
“Look, even if you don’t give me a chance, I still wanted to bring you here tonight to apologize and let you know I am not that man anymore.”
“Devonte, I’m a different person too. You could be the Pope, and I still wouldn’t want nothing to do with you. I’m with the person that I want to be with now, and the best thing you can do is walk away now because if he knows that you are still contacting me, it’s not going to be nothing nice.”
“Oh, I have a feeling he’s about to find out.”
Devonte pointed behind me, and as soon as I turned around, I saw Stone standing behind me. Devonte had set me up, and he did it on purpose. I didn’t know how he knew that Stone would be here at this exact time, but he lured me here just so Stone could see us together.
“What the fuck?”
I was speechless. I didn’t have an explanation for Stone. I had no idea why I had even put myself in this position.
“Shanet, what the fuck are you doing here?”
“I just came to see what he had to say.”
“Why does what he has to say have anything to do with you?”
“I told you she was my girl.”
As soon as Devonte said that, Stone jumped over me and onto him. The first lick that connected with Devonte’s face could be heard throughout the whole restaurant. People moved from everywhere trying to break them up, but Stone had a grip on Devonte that couldn’t be broken.
“Stone, please!” I yelled, trying to get his attention before I moved to grab him. “Please stop!” I yelled again with my hand on his shoulder.
I could feel the tension in his shoulders release as he finally stood and let Devonte’s body hit the ground. I tried to calm him down, but it was too late. The police were already there, and Stone was being dragged out in handcuffs.