Chapter 24
One Month Later
“ H ow long you gon’ sit out here?” Andres asked, caressing her hand with his thumb.
“I just want to be prepared just in case she needs me.”
“So you’re going to sit in the car all day?”
“Just until Dior gets out of school.”
“Bae…”
“I know you think I’m overreacting but it’s my baby’s first day of high school.”
“We did everything we could to make today as easy for her as possible. She’s going to be okay, beautiful.”
Layla pouted as she looked over at him.
Today would have been twice as hard if he hadn’t been by her side.
She hadn’t heard from Carlos at all, but that didn’t surprise her.
After their divorce, he didn’t hesitate to sign his rights over to Dior.
It hurt Layla for a brief moment, but she knew she shouldn’t have been surprised.
Because the domestic violence charge was his first offense, his lawyer was able to get him off with anger management and probation.
That didn’t matter because Andres and his brother took matters into their own hands.
While Andres hadn’t specifically admitted to being behind the attack on Carlos that put him in the hospital, she knew he was responsible because Andres came home that same night with bloody and swollen knuckles.
They’d already discussed Andres legally adopting Dior, but they were taking things slow.
Right now, their main priority was getting her adjusted in high school.
Everything else could wait.
“Okay. We can go inside. I need to start packing anyway.”
“Good.”
Andres got out of the car and headed to Layla’s side.
Carlos agreed to Layla keeping the house if it meant he didn’t have to pay her any alimony, and instead of staying there, she decided to sell it.
The profit was more than enough for her to pay all of their bills for the next two years while she finished school to get her hospital administration degree.
When Andres first offered his home to them, Layla declined.
Then, she asked Dior if she would be comfortable with it, and she was excited and looking forward to having the both of them around full time.
She even asked if they planned to get married and give her a baby brother or sister, which totally caught Layla off guard.
Still, she was happy that those were things Dior was looking forward to because they both, indeed, were going to happen.
Hand in hand, they headed into what would soon no longer be her home, and Layla was excited about this new phase in all their lives.
When she almost stepped on the box by the front door, she muttered, “Oop,” quickly as she released his hand.
“What is this?” She lowered to open the box.
“Is this what you came back to do before we left?” Layla gasped at the sight of the small sleeping Husky pup.
“Dreeee,” she stretched, lifting the puppy up and hugging him.
“I figured since Tiny was the reason we met in the first place, getting a dog of our own could be a good start to our new journey.” She pouted as she ran her cheek across the dog.
“I wanted to get one that was still small so Dior could train him and…”
Layla kissed his words away, wrapping her hand around the back of his neck to keep him right where she wanted him.
“You’re amazing, you know that?”
Andres smiled.
“Just when I’m with you.”
Her head shook before she took his lips between hers again, not pulling away until the pup began to whine in her arms.
“Look at you, trying to take all the attention already,” Andres teased, causing Layla to laugh before she rubbed the top of the pup’s head.
“You have nothing to worry about. Under God and Dior, there’s nothing in my life more important and worthy of my attention than you.” She paused briefly before declaring for the first time, “I love you.”
His hand squeezed her ass as he moaned before capturing her lips again.
“I love you too. Damn, I’ve waited so long to say that shit to you.”
When she opened her mouth to reply, Andres kissed her again.
It didn’t appear to matter how often they made love now…
it always seemed to be consumed by a fervent need to make it last.
As if they feared one day something would try to pull them apart again.
But it wouldn’t.
Ever.
Layla would make sure of that.
That Evening
Swallowing hard, Layla stared at her phone as Carlos’s call went to voicemail for the third time.
She hadn’t talked to him for a while and had no idea why he was calling her.
No part of Layla wanted to believe he was calling because he remembered it was Dior’s first day of high school…
but other than that, what could he have possibly wanted?
When he called again, she inhaled a deep, shaky breath and answered.
“Hello?”
“Layla… hey.”
His voice was softer than she’d heard it in a while.
Leaning against the wall of her bedroom, Layla nibbled her bottom lip briefly.
“What do you want, Carlos?”
“I wanted to check on Dior and see how her first day went. It was today, right?”
With a scoff, Layla rolled her eyes.
“Like you care.”
“Of course I care. She’s my daughter.”
“Yeah, the daughter you never wanted. The daughter you signed your rights over to.”
“She’s still my daughter, Layla. Just like you’re still my wi—”
“I’m hanging up.”
“Wait!” Carlos released a long sigh.
“Me giving up my rights just means I don’t have to pay child support and I can’t make any legal decisions for Dior. That also means you can be with that nigga or anyone else you want, and I have no say. But she’s still my child, Layla.”
“What exactly do you want?”
“I told you I wanted to see how her first day went.”
“It was fine. She did well. Is that all?”
Carlos didn’t respond immediately, and as silence built between them, Layla’s heart beat wildly against her chest.
The last thing she wanted was for Carlos to change his mind about staying out of their lives.
He’d already gotten off without jail time, and though she was sure getting beat up by Andres and his brother was a hit to Carlos’s ego, it still wasn’t the full punishment he deserved.
“Yeah. Uh, how are you?”
“Carlos, I don’t want to talk to you. I don’t want you calling asking about my daughter either. You made your choice, and it wasn’t us. Now you have to live with the consequences. Please… leave us alone, and don’t ever call me again.”
“Baby, I—”
After quickly disconnecting the call, Layla blocked his number and made the mental note to have her number changed in the morning.
There was nothing Carlos could say to make her believe he actually cared about Dior.
She had no idea what his true intentions were, and she wanted to keep it that way.
The last thing she wanted to do was uproot Dior, but she’d move to the opposite side of the Earth if she had to, to keep him away from them.
Once she was composed, Layla left the bedroom and met Andres and Dior in the living room.
They were watching a movie after their family dinner, during which, Dior had told them all about her first day of high school.
The sight of them together, so peacefully, put Layla back in her feelings.
As soon as she snuggled against Andres, he wrapped his arm around her shoulders and whispered in her ear, “You good?”
“Mhm,” she agreed quietly, gritting her teeth and fighting back her tears.
Her nostrils flared after she sniffled, and Andres leaned back to get a better look at her.
“What’s wrong with you?”
“Shh.” Dior’s pointer finger went to her lips as she shushed them, making Layla laugh.
Andres stood and led Layla into the kitchen by her hand.
He picked her up and set her on the island, then placed a kiss on her shoulder.
“Talk to me,” he commanded, massaging her shoulders.
“Tell me who did it.”
For a moment, Layla considered not telling him, but she didn’t want Carlos to say or do something to insinuate their conversation was more than it was.
Though she planned to change her number, Carlos showed her what he was capable of when he went and told Andres’s family about them.
He’d come between them once, and Layla refused to let that happen again.
“Carlos called claiming he wanted to know how Dior’s first day went, but I don’t believe that for one second.” Andres’s frame hardened as a scowl covered his face.
“I blocked him, and I’m getting my number changed tomorrow,” she added quickly.
Andres released a heavy exhale, then lifted his glasses and ran his hand down his face.
“This nigga wants me to kill him. I tried to show mercy when I beat his ass, but I should have done it then.”
“Andres, please. I didn’t want to tell you because I knew you’d get upset.”
“Forget how I feel. How are you?”
With a shrug, Layla’s head hung for a brief moment.
“I’m good. I was shocked more than anything and frustrated that he had the audacity to call, but I’m good. I don’t want you to go after him. I just… want him out of my life completely.”
“I can make that happen.”
Chuckling, Layla tossed her arms around his neck and pulled him between her legs.
“No. If something were to happen to you or you went to jail because of us, I’d never forgive myself. He doesn’t know where we live, and he won’t be able to contact me anymore. It’s over, baby.”
Andres stared into her eyes as he rolled his tongue over his cheek.
“I’ma let it ride for now, but if he causes you or my daughter any further dis-ease, there will be nothing you can say to stop me. Y’all are my family, and I will protect you always in all ways—and that includes mentally and emotionally. His ass better find something safe to do other than trying to reconnect with you.”
His daughter.
Even with them discussing adoption, that was the first time Layla actually heard Andres address Dior as his daughter.
Twiddling her thumbs, she swallowed back her tears.
Done with the conversation, Andres turned and headed back to the living room.
Layla sat there for a moment, amused and aroused by the man who’d come into her heart and healed it with his love.
When she made her way back into the living room, Dior was leaning on his left side as she ate popcorn, completely engrossed in the movie.
Layla sat on his right, snuggling against him as he placed a kiss on her temple.
Her eyes closed as a content sigh escaped her.
She had no doubt Andres would do anything to protect her and her daughter, their daughter, and that thought alone filled her with enough peace for her tired soul to finally…
rest.