Chapter 9
“ I s it okay if I hug you?” Layla’s mom, Sharon, asked.
Andres smiled and nodded.
“Yes, ma’am.”
Sharon wasted no time pulling him into her arms.
Only a few seconds passed before her body was shaking from the tears she released.
Layla turned her back to them as she wiped her own tears.
When Sharon released him, her father gave him a firm handshake and pulled him in for a side hug.
“Trust me, we don’t usually act like this,” Jasper assured, causing them both to chuckle.
“We’ve just been waiting for this for so long,” Sharon explained.
“This is the first time Layla has allowed us to keep Dior for a few hours in over a year, and we pray this can lead to her being able to stay overnight.”
“But we’re not going to rush it,” her father interrupted.
“We’re going to take it slow and get what we can get.”
“Thank you,” Layla replied, making her way to Andres’s side.
“I know she’s going to be okay with y’all. It was my own issues more than anything. Not being able to count on Carlos made me feel like I couldn’t trust anyone. Plus I was ashamed of how things had turned out. It was a mess, but Dre is helping me get out of my own head.”
“It doesn’t matter anymore. We’re just happy we get to have her for a little while. And see you of course. We’ve missed you both.”
“We’ve missed you too.”
After Layla gave them a brief rundown of what they could expect, Andres gave them a list of things to avoid saying or doing to send Dior into a meltdown or shutdown stage.
She didn’t have them often according to Layla, mainly when she was overwhelmed or afraid.
Because this was another new experience for them, Andres planned to spend the time they would be apart with Layla to be her support.
Normally, it would have been her spouse, but since he didn’t know what the hell was up with her and Carlos, he didn’t mind taking his place at all.
Two weeks had passed since their trip to the botanic garden, and though it had been hard, Andres had been on his best behavior.
All that bullshit about not wanting a relationship and keeping things professional went out the window when he was around Layla.
It was something about her that made him feel like they’d been partners in another lifetime, and maybe that was why he felt so comfortable and attached to her already.
It didn’t help that he wanted to be literally everything she and Dior needed.
As they walked out of the house, Layla asked, “Are you taking me to get food? I’m starving.”
Andres chuckled, casually taking her hand into his.
He pulled away quickly, reminding himself that he said he’d fall back.
“I made us a reservation at Ruth’s Chris. Is that cool?”
“Ooh fancy. I haven’t had a good steak in a while.”
That hadn’t been Andres’s plan, but when he saw her in that peach bandage dress that accentuated every curve she had and added ones she didn’t, he knew he had to take her somewhere nice and show her off.
Her hair was pulled up into a high bun for a change, showing off her striking facial features.
This evening, her face was lightly made, and his eyes kept going to her peach colored lips.
Andres was surprised when she took his hand back into hers.
“You’re teasing me.” When she tried to pull her hand out, he held it tighter.
“I like it.”
Layla laughed softly as she wrapped her arm around his.
“I don’t mean to tease you or seem hot and cold. My mind is telling me this is wrong but my heart definitely wants to explore something with you.”
“I’ll make sure I handle both properly so you’ll know which one you can trust and listen to.”
“You saying things like that only makes this harder,” Layla confessed, getting inside of his SUV.
“How so?”
She didn’t answer right away, thinking over the right way to express herself.
“Two of the biggest things that I think my marriage and household lacked are present partnership and seeing to each other’s needs. You’re so present and gentle with me and my daughter and you care for us in a way that…” Her eyes blinked rapidly as they filled with tears.
Sniffling, she hung her head briefly and composed herself.
When her eyes were dry she looked at him again.
“In a way that I wanted her father to. I’ve been really lonely over the past couple of years and your companionship means a lot. It’s one thing for you to be kind toward me but the way you handle my daughter… that’s what makes me crave you most. And I keep telling myself not to take it personally because this is your job but…”
“It’s not,” he interrupted, cupping her cheek and brushing it with his thumb.
“Don’t get me wrong, I’d treat y’all just as well regardless because I’m genuine and passionate about what I do… but I go above and beyond for Dior and you. With anyone else, I would work with them two or three days a week max and let my team handle the rest. Me being with y’all almost every day is because I want to be, not because I have to be for work.”
“But why? What is it about us that makes you do the things you do?”
His hand dropped as he breathed deeply.
“I’m still trying to figure that part out, beautiful.”
“Can you tell me when you figure it out?” Layla requested, gripping one of the belt loops on his gray slacks.
“You’ll be the first to know.”
She smiled softly, shoulders hiking as she giggled when he kissed her cheek and neck.
Closing the door, Andres headed to his side.
As they headed to their destination, they listened to Leon Bridges latest album within a comfortable silence.
When they made it to the restaurant, they were seated almost immediately.
The small, dimly lit section only had one other couple in it, and when Andres saw who it was, he cursed under his breath.
“You wanna go somewhere else?” he asked as Layla stared at Carlos.
Prying her eyes away from him, she gave Andres a forced smile before shaking her head.
“No, it’s fine.”
“Are you sure, Layla?”
She nodded.
“Yes. I’m fine. Really.”
They sat next to one another in the booth, and Andres was glad they weren’t at a table sitting across from each other.
He needed her close.
She might have been able to lie with her words, but her body and vibe would tell the truth.
His arm wrapped around her and he relaxed into his seat as their waiter introduced himself.
They gave their drink orders and Layla waited until the waiter left to say…
“I’m sure you’re wondering why my husband is on a date with another woman.”
“It crossed my mind.”
She smiled softly.
“When we legally separated, he was free to date other women. He just can’t marry anyone else until the divorce is finalized. Before that, we pretty much had an open marriage on his end. I told him to be honest with me about everything, so the first time he cheated, he told me. It was pretty much downhill from there.”
“Have you been with anyone else?”
Her head shook.
“No.”
“Were you okay with him being with other women?”
Layla released a shaky breath.
“Not really, but I didn’t have a choice. I wanted to make my marriage work and I understood that he needed an escape. I felt like even if he cheated, he would never leave us. Then he met her.” She looked over at them briefly.
“And don’t get me wrong, it’s not just on Carlos. I may not have cheated but I definitely wasn’t a present wife. I didn’t take care of his needs like I should have for quite some time, and that’s why he had to go to someone else.”
“That’s bullshit.” Andres thanked their waiter for their drinks and ordered them an order of the spicy shrimp and shrimp cocktail as their appetizers before he continued.
“If he wasn’t satisfied, he should have said something so you could correct the issue, not step out and get that shit from someone else.”
She smiled bitterly and shook her head.
“I just… try to take some kind of blame and responsibility so I can try to heal somehow, you know? Because how else am I supposed to heal from his actions when he clearly doesn’t give a fuck or see the wrong in his ways? I’ve devoted my entire life to him and his daughter. I gave up the vision I had for my own life. And this is how he treats me. Us.” Her chin trembled before she clenched her jaw.
Body shaking violently, Layla inhaled a deep breath as Andres took her hand into his.
“Look at me,” he commanded.
“You will not break down over him in his presence. Do you understand me?” Her head bobbed once as she released another shaky breath.
“Breathe and count with me,” he ordered.
“Okay,” she agreed, voice cracking.
“Inhale while I count to four.” She did.
“Hold your breath for four.” She did.
“Exhale for four.” They repeated the action until her body stopped shaking and her eyes dried.
When she released her last breath she laughed, gaining Carlos’s attention.
He wasted no time standing and heading in their direction.
“Do you want me to get rid of him?” Andres checked.
Quite frankly, he’d wanted to knock Carlos out since the day they’d met.
“No, it’s fine. He feeds off reactions. If you acknowledge him, that will only motivate him to go harder.”
“Good evening,” Carlos spoke, looking directly at Layla.
“Where is my daughter?”
“With my parents.”
“So what is this? A date?”
“If you would have answered my call earlier, you would have known I needed a support partner while Dior was away this evening. Since you weren’t available, Andres offered to come to dinner with me so I wouldn’t obsess over how things were going with our daughter.”
Carlos’s face softened briefly but he quickly returned to his stone expression.
“You should have left a voicemail.”
Layla chuckled.
“If that’s all you wanted you can go now.”
His eyes shifted to Andres.
“Y’all look mighty cozy over here. I don’t think I like that.”
“Look.” Layla’s fist pounded the table.
“You don’t get to come over here and play the possessive spouse. If it’s a date or not, it has nothing to do with you, especially since you’re on a date with your fucking fiancée.”
“Don’t bring her into this.”
“Well don’t bring him into this.”
“How do you expect me not to? You need to be at home with my daughter not out here fucking off with the nigga that’s supposed to be helping her.”
She chuckled as her leg began to shake under the table.
“You don’t care about me being out with Andres; you’re mad that I’m out period . Because for years I’ve suffered in silence at home while you had the time of your life jumping from bitch to bitch. You didn’t give a fuck about my moves as my man until you saw what you thought was me putting my heart in another man’s hands. Well those days are over! You will regret fumbling my heart. I can promise you my next will be the biggest flex on you. And you won’t have no one to blame but your damn self. Now get the fuck outta my face so I can enjoy my dinner in peace.”
“Is everything okay over here?” the woman that was seated with Carlos asked as she stood next to him.
Layla chuckled.
“You better get her the fuck away from me, Carlos. Now.”
Carlos took her hand into his and kissed it before leading her back to their table.
After tossing a few bills onto it, they left.
But he made sure to stare at Layla for a few seconds before doing so.
“Thank you for not saying anything. I’m sure that was probably hard for you.”
“More than you will ever understand. As a man, that was probably the hardest shit I ever had to do.”
She smiled but Andres was dead fucking serious.
It took everything in him not to handle that, but it wasn’t his role.
Until Layla gave him permission, he didn’t have a choice but to let her take care of it.
“I needed that, though,” she admitted.
“For so long, it’s been all about him and Dior. Very rarely did I express what I wanted. How I felt. It felt good. Overwhelming but good.”
“I could tell. I thought he was about to blow a fucking gasket when you said that shit about your next being a flex.”
They shared a soft laugh.
“I’ve been listening to too much Tink.” She laughed again.
“Honestly, though, I haven’t even wanted to date once the divorce is finalized. I had made up in my mind that it would be just me and Dior.”
“For forever?”
“Well…” She grinned and shrugged.
“I hadn’t really put a timeframe on it but yeah. After dealing with him, I didn’t want to put myself in a position of being with another man who felt more like a burden than a partner.”
“I feel you, but that don’t mean you have to be single. That just means you need to choose up.”
“I think that’s why I’ve been staying around for so long too. I didn’t want to go through that process again. Hell, a part of me felt like Carlos was the best I could do.”
Andres took her hand into his.
“Maybe that’s why we’re so drawn to one another. Maybe God knew you wouldn’t leave until you trusted He had someone better who would be waiting for you.”
“And who is that supposed to be? Surely not you.”
Andres feigned offense and scoffed before releasing her hand.
“Tell me how the fuck you really feel, Layla. Damn.”
She laughed and covered her face as her head shook in embarrassment.
“Oh my God, no! Not in a bad way!” She giggled.
“I just mean…” Layla shrugged.
“I got a lot of emotional baggage. Plus, I don’t really have anything going at the moment besides being a mom. I wouldn’t feel like I had anything to offer you. And there’s Dior, and she’s a lot at times. I don’t ever want to get with a partner who couldn’t fully accept her. She’s the whole sun and moon for me and I’m absolutely obsessed with her, but I know not everyone will have the patience and same unconditional love and acceptance. So it never really crossed my mind that I could be with someone like you.”
“I don’t think you should be with someone like me.” Andres paused.
“I think you should be with me.” Her mouth opened slightly before she licked her lips, closed it, and swallowed.
“I’m enjoying helping you find yourself and heal. I think you’re fly as fuck and I love your energy. There’s more inside of you to offer than you know, and I would be honored to help you figure it out. And Dior is my lil homie. She’s chill as hell when she wants to be, and when she has her moments, I know how to help her come out of them. If you asked me… I’m more like a baggage handler… ready and willing to help sort and carry your load.”
Layla’s fingers slipped through the inch of curls at the top of his head before sliding down to his neck.
She used it to pull him closer before connecting his lips with hers.
Andres gripped her waist, eating her soft sigh as he deepened their kiss.
Slipping his tongue inside of her mouth, he resisted the urge to knock all that shit off the table, put her on top of it, and feast on her .
Even though he was sure they’d made progress tonight, Andres still wanted to take things slow.
This situation was delicate.
Besides, there was no point rushing to what could potentially lead to forever.