Intercept My Heart

Chapter 17

“Girl, hurry up and open that damn email!” Tamia fussed at me through the phone. I called her in a panic after I saw the email from the DNA testing center had finally come through. Dinero hadn’t texted me, which made me worry. I wasn’t sure if it meant he hadn’t gotten it yet, or he had looked, and the twins weren’t his.

“Did you forget that I have a date tonight? I don’t think it would be a good idea to open these until I get back home because, depending on the results, I may not even have an appetite,” I vented. We were supposed to get the results last week, but they reached out to let us know they were backed up and would get them to us as soon as possible. My anxiety spiked the moment these results hit my inbox, but they would have to wait.

I had put off the date with Therron for long enough, and mama needed a night to get cute and have a good time. Cash and Moolah were at a friend’s house, so I used my time wisely. Plus, if the date went south, I could make up an excuse that I needed to pick up my sons, which wouldn’t be a complete lie.

“Oh, yeah. I forgot you were going out with that sexy piece of chocolate. Even though I’m secretly rooting for you and your maybe baby daddy to get together, I wouldn’t mind you getting your back blown out by that fine ass giant.”

“You are terrible. Anyway, I don’t have time to fool with you. Just be here with a strong drink when I get back from this date.”

“I’m packing my overnight bag as we speak. I don’t think we’ll need the tissue, but I’ll bring some just in case. I’ve also moved my morning appointments in case we end up going to bed late. I’ve got you covered, boo.” Having someone like her in my corner made all the difference in the world. She got tired of me thanking her, but it would have been nearly impossible to get through these years without her by my side.

“I love you, Mimi. I’m gonna treat you to a full body massage and a manicure on me.”

“And I’ll gladly accept. Hell, these clients have been working me to death, so I’m overdue for a full rubdown. Now, get ready for your date and call me as soon as you finish.”

“How do I look?” I swirled in my outfit so Tamia could see a 360-degree view of the entire outfit in the camera.

“Bitch, you look fine as fuck! You might want to get a plan B because that man is gonna want to lock you down and make you his baby mama tonight.”

“Thank you, friend. I have no plans to give it up on the first date, but I hope I don’t mess this up. It has been so long since I’ve been out with a man. What if he thinks I’m boring?”

“Well, I hate to break it to you, best friend. You are a snoozefest ninety-nine percent of the time. If you end up in a relationship with a baller, we’re gonna have to get you outside. Otherwise, they are gonna be asking if you’re his sister.”

“Mimi! How can you say something like that?” I shrieked, even though she wasn’t lying. I enjoyed going out, but being a single mom with two kids made things difficult for me.

“It’s the truth, but we’re not even gonna get into this. You have a date to go on. After that, you need to open those results.”

“Goodbye, wanch. I’ll see you later.”

“Bye, heffa!”

I still hadn’t heard anything from Dinero, which kind of had me on edge, wondering if he had read the results yet. Therron offered to pick me up, and since I didn’t want to drive, I decided to allow him to do so. He sent me a text, letting me know he was outside, which kind of turned me off a bit. I guess I assumed he would come to the door. I shrugged, brushing it off for now, as I didn’t want to write him off when I hadn’t been on a date in ages.

When I walked to the car, I slowed my stride to give him the opportunity to get out, but he never moved a muscle. Once I got to the door, I stood there until he rolled the window down.

“Is something wrong with the handle?” he inquired with genuine concern.

“No, it’s fine.” I opened the door for myself and then took my seat. His car reeked of weed and some other miscellaneous odor. There were fast food bags and trash in the back seat, which took me by surprise. I expected him to be a lot cleaner since most professional athletes hired people to clean their cars and houses.

“Do you have an air freshener in here?” I asked.

“Naw. You can roll the window down if you need to. I planned to take you to this really expensive restaurant, but it turns out you need a reservation to get in that bitch. I ain’t have time for all of that shit, so we’re gonna hit up the Juicy Crab.”

Originally, I intended to turn my phone off so I could give him my undivided attention, but I was frantically texting Tamia to see what kind of an emergency I could fake in order to get out of this date. I loved seafood as much as the next person, but it wasn’t a place I would take someone for a first date. He seemed somewhat put together whenever he came into the office, but as I glanced over to his graphic tee and hoop shorts, I realized we were on two different pages on what dating in your thirties looked like.

Mimi:

Bitch, do you want me to call you with a family emergency.

When we got to the restaurant, my stomach began to growl. Even though this wasn’t the place I would have chosen for my first date, I was glad that it was something I actually ate. The moment we sat down, Therron began asking a bunch of questions as if we were doing an interview.

“I’ve been living here for several years, and my children love the school district so much that I don’t think I’ll be leaving any time soon.”

“So where is yo’ baby daddy at? Is he in the picture? ’Cause I really don’t do that whole stepdaddy thing when there’s a father around. Drama isn’t my thing. Plus, I don’t want another man raising my kids, so I can understand if he isn’t cool with that.”

I tried to hide my feelings about his comments, but I was the type to wear my emotions on my sleeve.

“That’s an interesting take. I believe in setting boundaries when it comes to parenting. Blended families are becoming more common these days, so I believe there should be discussions about expectations being set prior to getting serious in a relationship.”

“You never answered my question.”

“It really isn’t something I care to discuss on the first date. I don’t introduce men to my children right away, so when or if the time comes, we can sit down and discuss all of those things.”

“Oh, you must still be fucking him. Or you’re one of those bitter broads.” Therron chuckled, pulling out his phone to check it for the twelfth time this evening. I glanced around to see who he was talking to because there was no way that was what he took from what I said.

“No, I never said that. I thought you wanted to take me out so you could get to know me. Let’s stick to that for now, and anything else you need to know, I’ll gladly inform you about at a later date.” This would be the first and last date, so he had nothing to worry about. If it weren’t for the fact that I was starving, I would have ordered an Uber and got the fuck out of here.

The waitress who took our orders finally brought out the food, and I couldn’t have been happier. The sooner we finished our food, the sooner we could end this travesty of a date. Therron asked more questions, and I kept my answers short and plain.

“Do you have anything to ask me? Or have you already done your research on me?” he asked with an arrogant smirk on his face. Before I could respond, Dinero’s number flashed across my screen. I thought I’d turned my phone off, but I must have made a mistake.

“Hey, I need to take this. It’s about my kids. I’ll be right back.” Without even waiting for him to respond, I got up from the table and stepped outside to answer the call.

“Hey.” I wasn’t sure what his temperament would be, so I wouldn’t lie and say my heart wasn’t beating hard in my chest.

“Hey, where are you?”

“Umm, I-uhh, I’m out. What’s up?”

“Did you get the email from the DNA center?”

“Yes. I haven’t gotten a chance to open it because I’m on a date. I figured I would wait until I got home.” It wasn’t a complete lie, but the truth was embarrassing to express.

“Oh, umm, I haven’t opened mine either. Do you think maybe we should do it together?”

“If you want to, we certainly can.”

Honestly, being around him would probably make me feel ten times worse if the results weren’t in our favor. I still hadn’t told him the complete truth about what happened, but maybe tonight would be the best night to do so. The last thing I wanted was more secrets between us, especially if he ended up being their father.

“Okay. Do you need me to come get you?” My eyebrows furrowed as if he was able to see me through the phone.

“I told you, I’m on a d?—”

“Yeah, I heard that bullshit, and my question still stands. I know good and well you don’t expect me to wait until you finish smiling in another nigga’s face to find out if these are my seeds or not. Fuck you thought this was?” Dinero never raised his voice or cursed at me, so it caught me off guard.

“I wasn’t trying to be inconsiderate, but what do you expect me to do? Go in there and tell him that I have to leave?”

“Sunny, I don’t give a fuck what story you have to come up with. All I know is that I’m headed to my car now, so you need to let me know if I’m picking you up or meeting you at the house. You should have canceled that date the moment the email came through. Ain’t shit more important than our sons.”

Internally, I smiled at the fact that he called the boys his sons. From his lips to God’s ears because Lord knew, the alternative would shatter me into pieces.

“You are very rude. Lucky for you, I needed an excuse to end this date anyway. I can catch an Uber and meet you at the house. The boys are with a friend for a few hours. Do you think we should go get them or wait until after we find out the truth?”

“We can wait until after because, depending on the results, there are some things we need to discuss, and they don’t need to be there.”

“Okay, I understand. I’ll see you shortly.”

“Don’t play with me, Sunny. You have twenty minutes to get your ass to the house before I show up where you are and embarrass the fuck out of you. I’ll pistol whip that bitch ass nigga in front of the whole restaurant,” he warned. The deep roar in his tone caused a puddle in my panties, but I knew better than to test out his warnings. The Dinero I once knew never gave a fuck about a consequence, so I decided to take heed of his words.

“Well, I surely don’t want you showing your ass, so I’ll be there. I need to grab my purse and say goodbye. I’m not a complete jerk,” I rambled into the phone.

“Fuck him. I’ll see you soon.” I whispered a silent prayer that all would go well and, if not, that God would give me strength.

“Thank you, and have a great night,” the Uber driver said as I stepped out of his car.

“Thank you for getting her here safely. Here’s an extra tip for your troubles.” Dinero stepped up, peeling bills from the knot in his hand. Things like this used to turn me on when we were dating, and sadly, he still had the same effect on me. I had to remind myself that he no longer belonged to me because thoughts of stripping down and swallowing him whole flashed through my head.

“Oh, wow. That’s incredibly generous of you. You all have a blessed night.” The older black man waved as he drove off. Dinero and I locked eyes, and butterflies rumbled in my belly.

“I guess we can go inside now.”

Tamia was supposed to be coming over, but I texted her that Dinero was here, so she told me to text her as soon as I found out. Knowing her, she would come over after he left, just in case I needed someone to pull me off the floor.

Before I left, I turned the heat down, and the temperature had dropped since I left the house. I went ahead and turned it up a little bit to knock the cold off.

“Do you want something to—” My words were halted when I turned around to see him standing right next to me. His eyes flitted over my outfit, which made me uncomfortable. “What? Why are you looking at me that way?”

“How long have you known ol’ boy from your date?”

“Umm. A couple of months, I guess. He used to be one of my patients at the office.”

“Oh, so you offer your pussy as a parting gift?” His snarky comment pissed me off, but I also found his jealousy cute.

“Only for the ones who do exceptionally well in the program. A little extra motivation for them, you know?” I spat. Dinero glared at me as I bit down on my bottom lip.

“You’re a real comedian. Bring your ass on. I already know you’re trying to stall, and I’m not going for any of that.” He grabbed my hand in his, leading me into the living room. I felt like a kid about to give a speech in front of the whole class. My nerves were through the roof, and I was sure he could feel the sweatiness of my palms.

Once we sat down, I tried to put some space between us, but Nero wasn’t having it. He slid me right back to my original spot next to him.

“Do you want to look, or should I? Maybe we should both look at the same time,” I rambled.

“Relax. You have no reason to be nervous. I’m not gonna freak out or anything. We’re simply handling business so we can make sure these kids know where they come from.” His words would have been reassuring if the circumstances were different.

“Right.” Taking a deep breath, I pulled out my phone from my purse. Heading right to the email from the DNA center, my hands began to shake.

“I can’t do this. Can you look for me?” My chest heaved up and down, and a panic attack was setting in. Dinero must have noticed because I felt his hand on my thigh. He gave it a light squeeze for reassurance, but it did nothing to calm me down. Tears streamed down my face as I tried to put on a good front. I had no idea what was on those results, but the thoughts of how we even got to this place caused my chest to tighten.

I’d spent all these years trying to bury what happened to me, but all of this reminded me of just how serious the situation truly was. I loved my boys more than anything, but would that change once I found out the truth? What if they really did belong to Drake?

My head shook as I attempted to rid myself of any negative thoughts.

“Breathe for me, Sunny. It’s gonna be okay.” My eyes were closed, but I heard Dinero’s voice loud and clear. “Come on, baby. In and out. In and out. Breathe in deep, hold it for five seconds, then let it out.” I listened to his words, willing myself to follow the instructions. In and out, Rae . “You’re okay. I promise I’m right here.” He held onto my hand while his other one rubbed circles across my back. “Good job, baby girl. Nothing can hurt you unless you allow it to. You’re one of the strongest people I’ve ever met, so I know you aren’t gonna allow this to get the best of you.”

There was something about a person calling you strong that humbled you. Clearly, he saw something in me that I didn’t see in myself. We sat there for a few more moments, with me trying my best to get it together.

“Okay, I’m good now. I’m sorry about that.” I hated being so emotional and vulnerable around him because we were no longer in that type of space with one another. There used to be a time when I would go to him for everything in my life, but now so much had changed, and so much time had passed.

“Are you sure? As anxious as I am, I would be okay with us waiting a few more days if you aren’t ready,” Dinero offered.

“Weren’t you the same person who demanded I leave my date early to come home?” I chuckled, wiping the remaining tears from my cheeks.

“If we’re being honest, I would have made you leave that lame ass date whether the results were in or not,” Dinero declared, shrugging his shoulders as if what he said made perfect sense.

“And why is that?” My head turned to face him, and the frown adorning his handsome made me smile.

“Because whoever he is doesn’t have a clue what to do with someone like you.”

“How would you know?”

“Everyone doesn’t know how to handle fine China. Things of great value gotta be handled with care—something a lot of these fools know nothing about.” My words got caught in my throat, and when I glanced down, I realized our hands were still locked together.

“I’m ready. I’ve already made a fool of myself in front of you. We might as well get it over with.”

“Naw, you can never be a fool in my eyes. You must have forgotten that I know you. The real you. You couldn’t hide your emotions from me if you wanted to.” No lies were spoken. I guess I was in my own head, and it was time for me to put on my big girl panties.

Dinero looked at me as if he was waiting for me to change my mind. Nodding, I gave the okay to continue. He switched his hands before grabbing his phone. Breathe, girl . I gave myself a pep talk. Time seemed to move in slow motion as I waited for him to tell me what the test said. My leg began to bounce impatiently. I didn’t want to say anything so he wouldn’t think I was too pressed.

“Do you want to see it?” My head shook vigorously.

“No, just tell me what it says.”

“Well, I guess I can officially say that Moolah gets his stubbornness and smart-ass mouth from me.” He chuckled with a hint of pride in his voice. It took a moment for my brain to connect the dots, and once it did, I wanted to pass out. There were no words to express the pure relief in my heart when he said that.

“Are you serious!” More tears fell as I processed this news.

“And Cashmir?” I’d heard stories of twins having different fathers, so I wanted to make sure.

“He’s mine too, although I think he acts more like you. Quiet and loyal. He isn’t a hothead like his brother, but I can tell that if he had to throw hands on behalf of either one of y’all, he wouldn’t hesitate.” I giggled, thinking about the vast differences between my boys.

I’d never been around twins prior to them, but I always assumed twins did everything the same as one another. Now I would say the twins had their own language as babies and even now. However, they were completely different.

My emotions got the best of me, and all I could do was cry. I regretted all the time I wasted not taking the steps to learn the truth. I allowed my fear from my trauma to hold me hostage, and in turn, I robbed my children of a father for all these years.

“Hey, talk to me. What’s going on?”

“Y-you probably hate me. I-I’m s-so sorry!” My hands were covering my face as I sobbed. My body shook uncontrollably, and not even Dinero’s words could comfort me. Drake and his perverted ass father took so much from me, and I allowed them to take up space in my life for far too long. Tamia had been urging me to go to therapy, and I believed this was the wake-up call I needed.

“I could never hate you. As much as I could dwell on the past, it’s already done. Right now, the only thing we need to do is figure out what the future looks like for us and the boys. I don’t plan to hold this over your head because that shit doesn’t serve anyone. It’s time for you to forgive yourself so you can move on. I made mistakes, and as a result, you made a choice that you felt you had to. It’s unfortunate, but you know I could never hold a grudge against someone who once held a part of my heart. I promise I forgive you.” The words were on the tip of my tongue, but I had no idea how to let them out. In order for us to truly move forward, Dinero deserved to know the whole truth. Plus, if they were still friends, I wanted to make it abundantly clear that I never wanted that man around my kids.

“There is something I need to tell you.” I paused for a moment to gather my thoughts.

“Okay, what is it?”

“I didn’t sleep with Drake.” My voice was barely above a whisper. My eyes were squeezed tightly as I tried to fight the images threatening to come to the forefront of my mind. I must have been shaking my leg too aggressively because I felt his grip tighten on it.

“What do you mean? Isn’t that the reason we just had to do a DNA test? You weren’t sure who the father was.” Hopping up from the couch, I anxiously paced the floor. I hadn’t had to tell this story in over a decade, and the idea of having to open this wound caused my anxiety to spike.

“I didn’t have sex with him,” I murmured. Those were the words I repeated to myself the night after the attack and again once I discovered my pregnancy.

“You’re not making any sense, Sunny. If you didn’t sleep with someone else, then what did we need the test for?” My hands rested on top of my head as I coached myself on how to explain this to him. “I-I told him to stop, but he was so angry. He was so aggressive, and I-I tried to fight back. I swear I did.” I felt myself hyperventilating, but there was nothing I could do about it. The flashbacks were taking over, and I could still see the rage in his eyes. Drake glared at me as if he wanted to kill me.

“I waited for someone to come and rescue me, but nobody ever came. I was in so much pain, and I-I kept calling for you. I needed you to wake me up and tell me it was all a nightmare, but you never came. It wasn’t a nightmare. It was real.” Falling to my knees, I let out the loudest scream. My arms were wrapped around my body as I wept, letting out all the emotions I’d been holding in for all of these years.

For so long, I hated myself for allowing it to happen and, even worse, for not telling anyone. When I thought about going to the police and telling them what happened, I chickened out, thinking they would call me a liar. The room fell silent, and I wondered what was going through Dinero’s mind. This was a lot for anyone to take in, but being we all had history, I imagined it to be even tougher on him.

I probably freaked Dinero out from my outburst, but I couldn’t even bring myself to care about that. I needed this release more than I realized. After a few moments of silence, a pair of arms scooped me up off the floor. No words were spoken between us as he walked up the stairs, leading to our bedrooms. He hadn’t been here before, so I wondered if he even knew where to go.

Surprisingly, Dinero led us to the right room. He bypassed the bed and took me into the bathroom. Instead of pulling away, he remained nestled between my legs. I assumed he wasn’t trying to have sex after the bomb I dropped on him, so I relaxed my shoulders. I watched as he moved around the room without saying a word. Dinero grabbed a towel and a few other items before setting them on the counter.

“Do you want me to take them off, or are you okay to do it yourself?”

“I can do it.” His face was unreadable, which scared me. If he was angry or sad, then I could understand, but there was nothing to go on. I wondered if he was upset with me for waiting so long or if he even believed me.

After I took a shower and dried off, I found Dinero sitting on the edge of my bed, staring into space. I wasn’t sure how I wanted to approach him or if I should.

“Are you okay?” My question seemed to snap him out of his trance, but the angry expression on his face left me halted where I stood. When he stood up and began to pace around the room, it frightened me, although I knew he would never hurt me. As I stepped closer, I noticed the tears dripping down into his beard. My heart sank to my stomach. He hated me, didn’t he? I really fucked up.

“I-I’m trying really hard not to spaz out right now because this isn’t my home, and I can’t destroy your shit.” His voice shook as he spoke, sending tremors down my spine.

“Dinero, I?—”

“Don’t. Don’t tell me you’re sorry, Sunny, because that won’t do a damn thing except piss me off. Why the fuck wouldn’t you tell me something like this!” He exploded. My body leaped with fear while I watched him come undone. “I could have done something! I-I could have helped y-you. Fuck!” He swiped my perfume bottles on the floor. His fists were clenched, and I hated the fact that there was nothing I could do to help him.

“I didn’t know what to do. I was too ashamed to call you because I thought you would blame me for what happened. He was your best friend, and I was?—”

“My everything! Sunny. You were my fucking everything, and had I known what that sick mothafucka had done, I would have ended his sorry ass life that night. Fuck!” His hands rested on top of his head, and the tears never stopped. My heart ached because I wanted to hold him, but I was the one who caused this pain.

“I messed up, and I know that. When everything happened, my whole world felt like it was falling apart. Then, when I finally worked up enough nerve to pick up the phone and tell you, I saw the picture of the two of you together, and I freaked out.”

“I gotta get out of here,” he roared, rushing out of my room. I panicked, following him down the stairs. The last thing I wanted was for something bad to happen because he wasn’t in the right frame of mind.

“Dinero, where are you going?” I shouted as he picked up his keys and phone before stuffing them into his pocket. I attempted to lock him in so I could get an answer.

“Move,” he seethed. If I weren’t running off emotions and adrenaline, I may have listened, but I couldn’t stand by and allow him to do something he would regret.

“No. I can’t let you go out there and do something you’ll regret. Please.” I pleaded with him.

“You’re crazy as hell if you think for one second that I’ll regret anything concerning you. Now, move.” My hands flew to his chest to push him back, but he didn’t budge an inch. It felt like I had pressed against a brick wall. “I’m trying to handle you with care because you’ve been through enough, but if you don’t move, I’mma forget that I love you and toss your ass out of my way. I’m not playing.” This time, I slid to the side, crying as he headed toward the door.

“Dinero, please. Think about Cash and Moolah. If you do something reckless, they will lose you before they even get a chance to have you.”

“I’ll be in touch when I can,” was all he said as he slammed the door behind him. I walked to the door and opened it as he hopped into his car and pulled off. He never even bothered to look back as he peeled out of the driveway. What have I done?

I thought telling him would be the best answer, but had I made things worse for us? If Dinero ended up hurt or in trouble, then I would have another thing on my conscience. There was nothing that he could do to change what happened, and the last thing I wanted to do was cause more pain and destruction in his life.

So much had transpired in such a short time, and we were already off to a rough start. Once he was no longer in sight, I raced back into the house to call Tamia. Of course, my hysterical crying made it difficult for her to understand me. All she knew was that I needed her, and she assured me that she was on her way. Hanging up the phone, I sat on the couch with my legs folded under me. Just when I thought things were going smoothly, life threw me yet another curveball. As I rocked back and forth, I prayed for Dinero’s safety and that my sons wouldn’t hate me when this was all over.