Chapter 10 #2
Not even three minutes later, there was a knock on the door. I froze and placed my hand over Scottie’s mouth to silence her while using my other hand to turn off the LeapFrog. The knocks continued before I heard Truce’s voice come through.
“Jela, it’s me. Open up.” I stood with Scottie in my arms and looked out the peephole to make sure it was just him. I opened the door, and he had takeout bags in his hands. “I brought food and some cards.”
“I told you I couldn’t eat.”
“Well… I want you to try for me.”
Scottlyn started reaching for him and I handed her over.
“I’ll take those,” I said, grabbing the bags so he could secure her.
We walked further into the room, and I set the food on the table. When Truce walked by me, the scent of him made my nipples pebble.
Why was he in my room? Why did he have to come in here smelling like great dick and a lifetime of love?
He had to go. Expeditiously.
“You—”
“I came to bring you food, play with my niece, eat, maybe play a hand of tunk, and talk, then go back to my quarters. Control yourself, and I’ll do the same.”
He smirked at me as he began tossing Scottie in the air.
Her giggles always melted my resolve as I smiled and decided to just be quiet.
I wasn’t worried about containing myself because I wasn’t the type to be promiscuous.
There was no doubt that his presence did things to me, but I wouldn’t act on them first. Instead of staring at him and Scottie rolling around on the bed, I busied myself with unloading the food.
She was crawling all over him and trying to bite him, while his hearty laugh filled the space.
When I opened the takeout boxes, I saw the smothered lamb chops, mac ‘n’ cheese, dressing, and greens, and the smell damn near made me have an orgasm.
As much as I said I wasn’t hungry, the smell alone made my stomach growl.
After I prayed over my food and took the first bite, Scottlyn and Truce got the fuck ignored as I sat at the table, on a date with the dinner.
Truce chuckled. “Look at Mommy, Chunks. She swore she wasn’t hungry, but over there eating like she ain’t ate in years.”
“Shut up!” I covered my mouth while trying not to laugh.
He walked over to the table and sat down, opening the other box that only had dressing and mac ‘n’ cheese in it.
“I already fed her,” I told him when he started feeding Scottlyn.
“She don’t want that nasty-ass baby food. That little fake chicken and rice ain’t do nothing for her.”
“She doesn’t need to overeat. Look at her chunky self… I can barely carry her around now.”
“I saw you climb the pole, so I know you got upper body strength.”
I playfully rolled my eyes. “Whatever!”
“Besides, this is baby weight. Once she starts walking, the pounds are going to shed. Don’t come for my niece, lil’ mama.”
“So you say. The girl loves food.” Just as I said the words, Scottie dug her hand into the dressing and stuffed it in her mouth. “See!”
Truce guffawed as I took her from him to go clean her up. “Don’t be mad at her when you were three seconds from eating with your hands too.”
“If you’re going to talk trash, you can go back to your room!” I yelled from the bathroom. I cleaned her up quickly, then returned to the room to see Truce eating from the third box full of food like mine.
“There’s some banana pudding and sweet potato pie in the bag if you want dessert.”
I nodded. “I’ll eat it later. Where did you order this from?”
“A place called Harold’s—the best soul food place in all of Muskegon.”
“It’s really good. Have you guys lived here all of your lives?” I asked, placing Scottie on the floor to play with her toys.
“Yep. Grew up here.”
“Oh… so, you’re home. I have to find my way back home, if it’s the last thing that I do. I don’t know what I’m going to do to make money to get there, though.”
“I can get you home. That’s not a problem.”
I looked over at him. “You will?”
“Yeah. I’m not in the business of holding you hostage. Although I’ll miss my Chunks, I also know you miss your family.”
“I really do. I don’t want to take Scottlyn away from her father or your family, but I know if I stay here, he’ll come for me.”
“Do whatever you feel is necessary, Jela. No one has power over you but you. I’ll help you in any way that I can.”
“What about the relationship with your brother? I don’t want you two at war because you decided to help me.”
“Don’t worry about that. I just want you to focus on my niece and getting back to who you used to be. Everything else doesn’t matter, my love.”
“Your love?” I asked, feeling my heart flutter.
“Don’t take it the wrong way. It’s just how I speak.”
“Why are you single, Truce?”
He smirked. “Who said I was single?”
“You’re doing all of this for me, I just assumed you were. And you kissed me.”
“I haven’t found anyone yet who makes me want to settle down with them. I’m sure she’ll come along soon.” He shrugged.
“It’s just hard to believe that women don’t throw themselves at you.”
“Who says they don’t? Stop assuming things, Empress.”
“You’re right. My apologies.”
“You good.”
Scottlyn came crawling over to Truce, and he picked her up, sniffing her neck, making her giggle.
“You ever thought about being a father?” I asked him as I watched them interact.
“One day. I’m in no rush… I have to find the woman of my dreams first to make that happen.”
“You believe in marriage before babies?”
“I do. However, if the baby comes before the marriage, I’m not opposed to that either. I’ll just have to wife her during or after the baby comes.”
“I wanted that too,” I said, solemnly.
“What changed?”
“Your brother… He convinced me to give him a baby, and we would get married after. That was before he started putting his hands on me.”
His eyes lowered, and I could see the anger resonate in his eyes. “So he was hitting you?”
I didn’t want to confirm that Damien was physically abusive because the way Truce was looking, I had no doubt that he was going to do something to that man.
“It’s okay. I’m never going back, so that won’t be a problem anymore. So, please don’t be mad.”
“I’m happy you’re choosing yourself and your baby. I’m only upset because we both watched our mother go through the same shit. I don’t respect any man, brother or not, who could take advantage of a woman who can’t defend herself. That’s weak shit, and I tried to teach him how to be a protector.
“My father may not have been his father, but he never treated him any differently from me. He was always teaching us something that would bring longevity to our finances and our life spans. Dame knows better, but because he keeps talking to his bitch-ass daddy, he’s allowing him to get inside his head and undo everything that was taught to him. ”
“Your father sounded like a wise man.”
“He was. Losing him made me appreciate life more than I did before. I tried the drug-dealing life after he passed away, but it didn’t feel right. The consequences behind that shit wasn’t worth what I knew I was capable of. I knew what I wanted, so I went and got it.”
I smiled. “Were you any good at it?”
“Made a million in half a year. I’m good at everything I do.”
“Yeah?”
“Everything.” His heated gaze had me clamping my legs and mouth shut. I had to look away because if I wasn’t bleeding a river, I’d let him show me what that everything meant.
“Your name is unique. Who named you?” I asked, changing the subject.
“My father. He said I was the truce between him and God. Told me he had a personal beef with him for a long time until he met my moms and she became pregnant with me.”
“Why didn’t they stay together?”
“Moms was a hot girl back then. My pops was trying to settle her down, but she didn’t want that.
Enter Dame’s pops… She was running drugs with him and disguised it as work.
My pops didn’t like it and told her to quit, but…
she didn’t. Eventually, she ended up smashing the nigga, and here comes this big, bobble-head baby that I love dearly, and whose ass I’m going to beat as soon as I see him again. ”
“Truce, please…” I begged.
“Nah, shorty. What you gotta know is that when I ask my people not to do shit, and they do it anyway, that puts me in a position to have to flex my muscle. I don’t like doing that shit because I love the fuck out of my family.
But since he wants to follow in his father’s broken-ass footsteps, then I’m going to give him a reminder of who I am, and what I do to people who don’t listen. ”
“I don’t like this…”
“I don’t either, but it is what it is. I bet he won’t put his hands on you again.”
Scottlyn began rubbing her eyes, signaling that she was ready for bed. I stood and reached for her as Truce planted a kiss on her cheek. “Looks like someone’s sleepy.”
“Goodnight, Chunks. I love you, mamas.” He handed her to me, and I took her to the bedroom while Truce cleaned up the food.
Thirty minutes later, she was out. Truce and I sat at the table near the balcony, playing cards while I continued to ask him questions that he answered with no problem.
I found him to be intriguing—alpha, loving, caring, and very fucking sexy.
It was the hair on his head and the patch on his chin for me.
His facial expressions and demeanor added another level of attraction too.
Damien was fine, but Truce’s looks were unique and intoxicating—just like his name and his part-Lebanese heritage.
Learning he had Lebanese running through his blood was shocking.
I always thought the Lebanese culture didn’t date Black people.
Truce explained that his father’s mother was Lebanese, and she’d run off with his grandfather.
He told me he had a paternal aunt and two paternal uncles who lived in South Carolina, and he visited them once a year to ensure he got a dose of some of his Lebanese roots.
While we continued to talk and enjoy the views of the city, I finally felt a sense of calmness and peace.
If only for the night.