Chapter 16
“Oh yes, baby!” My fiancée Harper screamed into the pillow.
“Fix your fucking arch!” I smacked her while I hammered into her from behind. Sweat dripped down my chest as I fucked her with no mercy. It had been two weeks since we had seen each other, and I needed this release bad as fuck.
“Let’s change positions. You know I don’t like doggy style,” she requested. I rolled my eyes because I knew she was about to ruin my nut. We were barely intimate as it was, but then she pulled this shit, and it completely turned me off.
Harper flopped on her back with her legs spread. This was the only position she ever wanted to do, and after all these years, I’d grown tired of the shit. I closed my eyes, feeling my dick begin to get soft. Internally, I battled with whether I even wanted to finish, but I decided to push through. Images of Sunny in her scrubs crossed my mind, and I instantly rocked up. It might have been wrong, but I needed this nut, so I decided to push my morals to the background for a moment.
I hovered over her body and then lined myself with her opening. A groan escaped me as I pushed past her slick folds. Sex with Charae always seemed more spiritual than physical, but it wasn’t like that with Harper. There always seemed to be something missing. With Charae, I wasn’t always good with my words, so I made it my mission to make sure she could feel my love each time I entered her. Memories of her clawing my back while declaring her love for me took over, and I found myself reliving those moments.
“Oh, baby. You feel so good.”
“Shit,” I cursed, wrapping her legs around my waist as I dug deep inside her womb. In my mind, Rae was screaming how much she missed me and how empty she felt without me. I made it my mission to remind her of just how much she had missed in her absence. Stroke after stroke, her walls continued to spasm around my shaft.
“Fuck!” One, two, three—that was how many orgasms I counted while rocking in and out of her. My eyes remained closed tight in order to stay in the fantasy. I drowned out the sound of Harper moaning and replaced it with those melodious cries I used to draw from Sunny. Her sensual sex faces played in my head like movie clips. The way she used to bite down on her juicy bottom lip when she was trying to keep quiet turned me on even more.
“I’m cummin’!”
“Cum on this dick, Sunny,” I commanded, feeling my balls tingle with each stroke. My nut rose, and I quickly pulled out, stroking my seeds into the condom.
My body shook from the sensations, and I hastily hopped out of the bed to dispose of the rubber. I was surprised Harper didn’t complain about me wearing protection again. For some reason, she was on this baby kick, and I wasn’t feeling it. I wasn’t ready for another baby with her, and I wasn’t sure if I ever would be.
“That was incredible. What has gotten into you?” The sound of her voice irritated me in a way it never had before.
“We’ve both been on the road, so I guess I needed the release. What do you have planned for the day?” I needed to tell her about what was going on. Charae and I scheduled a DNA test for the boys and me. Since Harper was in New York for the last two weeks, I decided to wait until we were face-to-face before I broke the news to her.
“I have an appointment with Sienna at the Chanel store for some retail therapy. Speaking of appointments, have you thought anything about the sports reporter job Mickie mentioned at my father’s dinner? I think it would be a really great opportunity, and the salary is reasonable. You don’t want to let your name die in the public eye. I was actually thinking we should post some engagement photos and see if People Magazine wants in on the exclusive,” Harper rambled, but something she said caught my attention.
“Why would they need an exclusive? This is supposed to be something for our close family and friends,” I questioned, walking over to my dresser to grab a fresh pair of boxers so I could get ready to meet up with Charae and the twins.
“Oh, come on, Money. This is the last major event you’re gonna have now that you’re retired. If we make this public and really get the buzz going, we may be able to get a wedding special or something. It could open up some new money-making opportunities for us.”
“You know that’s not really my thing. I don’t like the idea of a bunch of strangers being involved in such a private moment between the two of us.”
“Yeah, but if we play our cards right, the wedding will pay for itself. Think of all of the sponsors!” She squealed. I realized it was a losing battle, so I left it alone. There were more pressing matters to address anyway.
“Look, I needed to talk to you about something important.”
“Okay, baby. You have my undivided attention for the next… seven minutes,” Harper replied, looking down at her watch to confirm. I took a seat on the edge of the bed, playing the words over in my head.
“There really isn’t an easy way to say this, but I’ve recently made contact with someone from my past. We dated back in high school and college, but we broke up before I entered into the draft. She has twin boys, and there is a possibility that I could be their father.”
“Wait, you’re joking, right?”
“No. Why would I play about something so serious?”
“Well, what’s her price?”
“I don’t understand what you mean.” Her question caught me off guard because it wasn’t the response I expected.
“Well, it’s obvious that she is after money. I mean, why else would she turn up after all of these years trying to pin her kids on you?” My eyebrows furrowed as I thought about how I wanted to address her questions. Harper missed the whole point of this conversation.
“Charae didn’t seek me out. We ran into each other, and that’s when I discovered her boys.”
“Okay, well then, why are you bringing life to something that doesn’t matter? If she never reached out to tell you about them, then you’re technically off the hook. You can continue to go on with your life, and she can go on with hers.” Harper shrugged her shoulders as if she said some profound shit. Instead, she managed to piss me off even more.
“What kind of man do you take me for? Why would you want to be with a man who neglects his responsibilities? If those children are mine, I’m gonna do right by them. Fuck is wrong with you?” I never talked to her aggressively, but she blew my mind with that stupid shit.
“All I’m saying is, why mess up your life for some kids you don’t even know? If the kids turn out to be yours, you don’t have to neglect them. Sit down with her and discuss a settlement amount so she can continue to take care of those little bastards, and you can continue to enjoy the life you’ve carved out for yourself.”
I chuckled angrily and decided to leave the conversation alone for now. At the rate things were going, I would end up saying some things I couldn’t take back. I headed to the shower so I could get my day started. There were no signs of Harper when I made it out. I questioned why I even stayed in a relationship where I wasn’t happy, but I guessed I was content. Harper didn’t kick up a lot of dust and allowed me to do what I wanted, as long as it never reached the internet.
To the outside world, we were a power couple, but behind closed doors, I lived my life as a bachelor. Since Harper couldn’t please me in the bedroom, she allowed me the freedom to fuck other women. At first, I wasn’t cool with it because I wasn’t the cheating type, but after a few threesomes with her, I became more comfortable with the idea. Due to being a public figure, I was cautious about who I lay with because you never knew who might be looking for their next payday. I kept a few NDAs in my gym bag as well as my glove compartment. Nobody would ever catch me slipping if I could help it.
When Harper and I first got together, it was due to her father’s insistence. After we discovered her pregnancy, Coach Monarch made it clear that he expected me to treat his daughter with care, regardless of how the baby was conceived. Once our daughter was born, he became more aggressive with his approach. I noticed him limiting my time on the field and excluding me from scouting opportunities. When I approached him about it, he gave me an ultimatum: Either I make Harper my woman and raise Milani in the same household, or he would make sure no NFL teams would be interested in me.
It pissed me off in the beginning, so I attempted to transfer, but his influence was far greater than I’d ever imagined. I hated the idea of someone having my future in their hands, but that was exactly what it was. The moment I complied with his request, everything began to fall in line for me. As much as I despised the man, I couldn’t deny that he helped me elevate my game and placed me in the best position to be drafted to a great team in the NFL.
The crazy thing about the whole deal was that Harper was well aware. She understood that I had no real feelings for her, but she insisted that they would grow over time. She wasn’t completely wrong, in a sense, because when she gave birth to Milani, we had no choice but to work together. Harper struggled with postpartum, so I had to step up for her and our daughter. Truthfully, Milani was the reason I agreed to give our relationship a shot. She deserved to grow up in a two-parent household, so that was what I gave her.
We did a DNA test on baby girl, and once it came back that she was mine, I decided to give the family thing a try. It wasn’t the path I chose for myself, but I wanted to give my child something I lost—a real family. She deserved to be able to wake up with her parents in the same household. Harper wasn’t the type to kick up any dust, so we easily fell into a routine over the years. I preferred to keep Milani off social media and out of the limelight, but her mother would post pictures of us all together. I didn’t police her about it because she was her mother. However, Harper knew my limits when it came to that. We weren’t in love with one another, but I’d grown to care for her over the years.
Lately, my feelings had begun to shift, making me question whether it was time to make some changes in my life. If Cashynn and Cashmir were my sons, things would have to adjust because I wanted them to feel welcome in my space. Regardless of the time I missed, I would love and care for them the same way I did for my daughter.
Moolah had been giving me his ass to kiss since I met him, and I prayed that I would be able to repair whatever damage my absence caused. As angry as I should have been with Charae, I wouldn’t pretend that the possibility of being a father again didn’t excite me. Seeing them on the field reminded me of my younger days. I longed to be able to show my dad my plays and dedicate my touchdowns to him. It would be an honor to share my first love with my children one day.
Charae texted me to let me know they were on their way to the testing center. I called in a favor to have the results rushed because enough time passed without me knowing the truth. I needed to know if they were mine or not. I threw on some clothes, grabbed my keys, and headed out the door.
“All done. We are going to get these samples tested, and you’ll receive an email within the next seventy-two to ninety-six hours. If you have any further questions, please feel free to call the number listed on the back of this pamphlet. Enjoy the rest of your day.” The nurse gave me the rundown before she sent me on my way. We were in separate rooms, so I wasn’t sure if they were finished yet.
My hands were sweating when I walked in, but now I felt a sense of calmness. Regardless of the outcome, we would have the answers we needed before the week ended.
“Well, that was painless,” Charae retorted nervously. Damn, she was perfect. I examined her pretty, caramel face, and aside from a few worry lines, she could have easily passed for her early twenties. Her pouty lips still made me feel weak in the knees after all these years, although I contained myself since she no longer belonged to me. Her hair had grown past her shoulders, and it surprised me to see her wearing it straight because she used to always wear it curly or in a bun.
“Yeah. The only thing we have left to do now is wait.” I stood there awkwardly with my hands in my pockets.
“Well, we should probably get out of your way. I’m sure my boys are hungry. I guess we’ll be in touch or not, depending on the results.” The energy in the room was uncomfortable, and I couldn’t take it anymore.
“I planned on getting food too. Do you guys mind if I join you? It’ll give you and I the chance to catch up, Sun—I mean, Charae. My treat.” Charae looked to them for confirmation. Surprisingly, Moolah didn’t look at me like he wanted to bite my head off, so I supposed this was a good sign.
“Are you guys okay with that?”
“It’s fine with me,” Cashmir, aka Cash, replied coolly. I thought it was cool that their names were a play off mine. It made me wonder if Charae wanted them to have those names because she hoped they were mine.
“It’s straight. I want to go somewhere expensive, though. If he’s footing the bill, then I want my money’s worth,” Moolah interjected.
I smirked, then allowed them to walk in front of me. Once we got to our respective cars, we picked the restaurant we wanted to go to. After I got in my car, I noticed I missed a call from Uncle Ro. You would have thought in all this time, he would have retired, but instead, he had been promoted to a global distributor and a contracted enforcer.
“What’s good, Unc. Long time no hear.” It had only been a couple of weeks, but I would have liked to hear from him more often. I worried about his lifestyle because people in his line of work could be cutthroat. Of course, he would coolly explain to me that he was built for this life and would never get caught slipping. He still deposited money into my account, even though I made plenty of money on my own. In his words, this money belonged to me no matter how much I earned. Arguing with him was a lost cause, so I chose not to waste my breath.
“Yeah, yeah. You already know how things go. How have you been, superstar? How has retirement been treating you?” I appreciated the fact that he still found the time to keep up with what I had going on. It made me feel like he at least cared about my life even though he wasn’t around to see it.
“I can’t complain too much. I’ve been working out every morning, trying to find things to occupy my time. I’m thinking about taking this coaching position that I was offered. It’ll be for a high school team out here.”
“I think that would be great for you. It will give you the opportunity to be a part of the game you love without the injuries. I’m sure the kids will appreciate having an experienced coach to train them. High school is when the scouts start to take an interest, and you, being an NFL legend, will almost guarantee the attention they need.” All the things he mentioned were the reasons I considered taking the position.
When Coach Hendrix offered me the position, I was given a lot to consider. I’d been trying to figure out what my next moves would be, and this opportunity would fill the void from being away from the game.
“Yeah, I told him to give me a few days to think about it, but I’ve already sent the contract to my lawyer to review. As long as everything checks out, I’m going to accept the position.
“I’m proud of you, baby boy. You have beaten all the odds and really made something of yourself. I know I haven’t been as present as I should have been, but know that I’ve always had eyes on you. There has never been a time when I didn’t know whether you were safe or not. You were born to shine, both on and off the field.”
“I appreciate the vote of confidence, Unc.”
“Always. Listen, I’ve got a meeting to go to, so I’m gonna get off this phone. I love you, Money. I’m really proud of the man you’ve become.”
“I love you too, Unc. Take care of yourself.” Something about his parting words seemed off. Unc wasn’t the type to express his emotions. He showed his love through money and gifts. I wondered if he was in trouble or something, but I brushed it off once I pulled into the restaurant. I made a mental note to get up with Tootie to see what was going on with him. They were no longer together, but they still kept in touch for some reason. She often delivered messages from him when he couldn’t get ahold of me. Uncle Ro was my only family, so if I needed to know something, I wanted to hear it sooner rather than later.
Charae parked a few spaces away from me, and I watched her get out of the car. Cash rushed to the driver’s side door to open the door for his mother, and she ran her fingers through his locs. I could see their love for their mother just from how they interacted with her. She was their queen, and they treated her as such. My heart swelled with pride to see two young men honoring their mother. If my mother was still here, I would have been doing the same thing.
It took no time for us to be seated, and the waitress handed us the menu. I had a taste for steak and seafood, so I planned to order the surf and turf.
When the waitress came over, we placed our food and drink orders. Of course, Moolah ordered one of every appetizer on the menu. Charae tried to stop him, but I let him rock. If nothing else, money would never be an issue for me; he could spend whatever he wanted. Charae and I engaged in small talk, which I expected. We were two completely different people than we were when we were younger. We would have to get to know each other all over again.
“I’m proud of you, Rae. You told me what you wanted to do with your life, and you did that shit, all while raising two boys by yourself. That’s some impressive ass shit.”
“I guess I get my foul mouth from you, huh?” Moolah joked. He may have thought the shit was cute, but as a young man, I would have never been caught cursing around my elders. Whether they were my parents or not. I never even cussed around Uncle Ro or Tootie growing up. To me, that was a sign of disrespect.
“I don’t know about that, but if I have anything to say, you won’t be doing it around me.”
“Oh, you want to play daddy now? Where were you when we were struggling and living in the projects? Now, all of a sudden, you want to come back like Captain Save-a-Ho when we no longer need you,” Moolah fired off.
“Cashynn, watch your mouth.”
“It’s cool, Rae. You have a right to be upset. However, you can’t blame me for something I had no knowledge of. I’ll take accountability for the role I played in your mother and I no longer being together, but that’s it. Had I known there was even a possibility that I had children in this world, you would never have grown up without me. I can’t change that shit. So, either you’re gonna allow me to be here now, or you’re gonna continue to punish me for something I couldn’t control.
“I don’t do a lot of back-and-forth, so if you’ve got some things you want to get off your chest, let me know, and we can take it to the field. The ball is in your court.” The waitress, along with a helper, began to set all the appetizers on the table. I’d never tried the fried gator, so Moolah ordering all this stuff turned out to be a good thing. I grabbed a few potato skins and gator bites and scooped some spinach dip on my plate.
“Do you guys have any other hobbies other than football?” I asked, stuffing my face right after.
“I play basketball, too, and I do a little gaming when I have the time. Sports take up the majority of my time, so I don’t get to do as much,” Cashmir responded.
“I feel you. I love watching basketball, but I never played it because my mind was singly focused on football. My dream was to go to the NFL, and I refused to let anything get in the way of that. I have season passes to the Kentwood Kings though. My homies and I hit up a few games throughout the year. Now that I’m retired, I want to go to a hockey game and baseball too. I might not play every sport, but they all interest me.”
“Can I come? I love basketball. Plus, I’ve always wanted to go to an NHL game, but our mom doesn’t like to be anywhere that’s cold,” Cash inquired. Charae’s mouth fell open in surprise.
“You already know I don’t care to go to any games that you all are not playing in, especially if I have to dress warmly in order to focus. I’ll pass on that one.”
“Yeah, you can definitely go.”
“Why are you making promises when you don’t even know if we’re your kids yet? We both know that as soon as those results come in, you’ll be back to your regular life, spending money on bottles and bitches, right?”
“Moolah! This is my last warning,” Charae hissed under her breath.
“I apologize, Mama. I just don’t want ol’ boy getting my brother’s hopes up when I know he won’t be around for long.” Life must have taught him not to trust, and as a result, he pushed against any form of change in his life. However, I wasn’t the type of nigga to say anything I didn’t mean, and he would learn that sooner rather than later.
“Do I break my promises, Sunny?” I folded my arms on the table as I stared directly into her eyes.
“No. No, you don’t,” she answered with her eyes shifting to her plate. Even though we didn’t end on the best terms, my track record spoke for itself. Whenever she needed me, I made myself available to her, and had she told me about her pregnancy, I would have been there for her from the very beginning. She denied me the opportunity, and her reasoning still didn’t sit right with me.
The rest of our lunch, Cash and I talked about all things sports related. Moolah only spoke directly to his brother, and I chose not to say much about it. He needed time to adjust to everything, and he wasn’t the only one.
“You have a bowling alley and a movie theater in your home? That’s crazy. I’ve gotta come check it out,” Cash expressed.
“Why wait? We can go right now if you want,” I offered, since Moolah was so convinced that I wouldn’t be able to keep my promises.
“Can we, Mom? Please? We don’t even have to stay long. I just wanna play one round of bowling,” Cash pleaded.
“I don’t know, baby. I have to be at work in an hour, so you wouldn’t have much time over there.”
“I mean, they can always stay with me until you get off. If that’s okay with you.”
Charae’s eyes widened at my suggestion. “Umm, are you sure? I’ve never left them with anyone outside of Tamia. Are you guys comfortable with that?” Once again, she took a moment to gauge their expressions and opinions.
“I want to go!” Cash expressed excitedly.
“You already know I’m not leaving my brother with a stranger, so if he’s going, then I’m going.” I chuckled. Moolah refused to acknowledge that he wanted to go on his own, so he used his brother. It didn’t matter one way or the other, as long as they came.
“Okay. Well, I guess that settles it. Can you take down Tamia’s number, just in case something happens to them and you’re unable to reach me for some reason?”
“What do you think is going to happen to them?” My face frowned up because you would have thought she was handing off two newborns.
“Look, I may know you, but you don’t know them. If an emergency were to come up, you wouldn’t be able to answer any of the necessary questions an EMT or nurse may need answered. I just want to make sure all bases are covered because these two are my lifeline. I’ll kill you where you stand if anything were to happen to them on your watch.”
“Man, get out of here. I wouldn’t allow anything to happen to them, nor would I put them in harm’s way. Besides, I’m sure they would jump my ass if I did something they didn’t approve of.”
Sunny looked at us skeptically as if she wasn’t sure if she should trust me or not. It did something to my soul to see that she had lost so much faith in me. I used to be the only person she could trust, and now she was grouping me with everyone else. The shit set me off, so I needed to get a few things straight before they came with me.
“You must have forgotten who you’re dealing with, but we’re gonna get that shit straight before it’s all said and done. I sent you my address, and you have my location. That way, you won’t have any trouble finding the place. The code to the gate is your birthday. Y’all say goodbye to your mama,” I instructed, walking off to unlock the doors to my Lambo so the boys could get in.
Once I got inside my whip, I sat there and watched her until she pulled off. I didn’t know what the hell we were going to do, but I planned to change all of their narratives about me.