Chapter 11
ELEVEN
Asim
“Happy birthday, baby, you look amazing.” I kissed the back of Ky’s neck, placing my arms across her stomach.
She smelled good and looked even better but I hadn’t expected any different.
I woke her up this morning by sliding between her legs for a few rounds before she spent the day with her sister at the spa and shopping on my dime.
The notifications I received all day were a clear sign that she had a good time.
A private dinner with just the two of us was next, followed by her party, then we would be flying out of the country for a few days to celebrate the rest of her birthday week because we both needed the time away. Alone.
“Thank you. Today was perfect.” Kyori turned to face me, pressing her body against mine, wearing a subtle smile. “And you don’t look too bad either.”
Her eyes moved across my body while she offered a pleased grin from the visual I provided. I kept it simple but was still killing the game as always.
“What part of today was perfect?”
“All of it, but I would have to say so far, the way my morning started was the best part.”
I chuckled and kissed her neck, enjoying the sweet scent that clung to her skin. “You sure because you seemed to enjoy swiping my card all day just as much as you enjoyed our morning activities.”
That smile grew wider. “That part was cool but this…” her hand moved between us and her fingers brushed across the front of my jeans, “…will always be the best part of my day.”
“Good to know.” I delivered another kiss before stepping around her to grab my phone and keys. “We have reservations.”
“I know, I know,” she muttered, ending with a pout. “But you know I’m okay with staying in tonight. Today was perfect.”
“I’m sure it was but it’s not done yet. Now bring your ass so I can show my lady how special she is.”
Without waiting for a response, I left the room and headed downstairs, hoping she would catch the hint and it worked.
Ky wasn’t far behind me but she stopped midway down the stairs, covering her mouth when she realized the entire foyer was filled with roses of various shades in crystal vases positioned on marble stands all over the damn place.
“Asim…” I extended a hand and she traveled the rest of the way to me, burying her face into my chest for a brief moment before she looked around. “These are beautiful. Thank you.”
I kissed her forehead and chuckled at Ky’s excitement before responding, “You’re welcome.”
“There are so many. You really didn’t have to do this much.” As always, Kyori’s smile was beautiful and made me appreciate the fact that my thoughtfulness placed it there.
“I needed to make sure I sent the proper message.”
“Which is?”
“True love, passion, beauty, perfection, friendship, gratitude, desire, and most of all…” I removed one of the massive white roses from its vase and presented it to her, “…new beginnings.”
Blushing, Kyori accepted the rose, bringing it close to her face. “New beginnings?”
“Absolutely, beautiful. Now let’s go so I can feed you then you can feed me.”
“Nasty.” She laughed lightly as I guided her to the door, kissing her cheek before I opened it so we could leave.
An hour later, we had dinner at one of the top seafood places in the city in one of their private rooms while we discussed her day and the growth of her online store.
I was proud of the effort she put in and it paid off.
Her sales were increasing and her brand was building.
It wouldn’t be an overnight success but she was doing her thing and serious about making it work.
After we finished, it was time to get her over to my restaurant for her party.
Bre and I decided to keep it short and sweet, considering Ky and I had a flight to catch.
One she didn’t know about, so we would be in and out of there within two hours tops, but that would be plenty of time for the people closest to Ky to celebrate her big day.
“Dinner was amazing but why didn’t we just eat at your place? I would have been okay with that,” Ky finally asked after we were actually heading in that direction.
“I figured we would do something different, more intimate. Tonight’s a busy night there and it’s pretty crowded.”
“Oh, well it was nice and I appreciate it.”
“You don’t have to thank me for making your night special, Ky. That’s my job.”
“I know but still.” She smiled softly and shrugged.
“Did you ever talk to your parents?” I cut my eyes at her and she rolled hers, pouting.
“No, I called and they haven’t called me back yet. Neither of them.”
Because I asked them not to.
“Damn, maybe they’re busy. They’ll hit you up.”
“I’m their favorite child, or at least used to be, but apparently not anymore. They forgot my whole birthday.”
Nah, they didn’t forget. I just wanted them to surprise you.
“Maybe they’re just over your spoiled ass.”
“They don’t get to be over me. They’re my parents, and if I’m spoiled, it’s their fault. So they better deal with it.”
The thought made me laugh because she was indeed spoiled but I assumed she didn’t agree because those eyes rolled again.
“It’s cool. Maybe we can fly out to see them soon. I think it’s time they know I’m in your life.”
“Oh you do?”
“Yes I do. You don’t agree?”
“I mean, yeah… but that’s serious.”
“And we’re not? If I remember correctly, you’re committed to me and only me or has that changed?”
She grinned, offering up that dimple. “No, it hasn’t.”
“Then we’re serious, Ky. I need to meet your parents. If mine were here, you would have met them already. Or at least my mom.”
“I wish I could have met her. You don’t really talk about her a lot.”
I knew we would eventually get around to it.
Ky didn’t see her parents a lot because they lived out of state but they were close.
She talked about her parents from time to time and I always shut her down or was short when she asked about mine.
She knew they both died years ago but that was about all I shared.
I didn’t talk about my mother much because I still had a hard time dealing with the fact that she was gone.
“There’s not much to say.”
“With the way you love her, it seems like there should be.”
So I see we’re not letting this go.
“My mother was an amazing woman. She was beautiful, loving, and smart with everything in her life… except my father. I didn’t really understand their dynamic until I was older, and when I did, it made me hate him and resent her.”
“Why?”
“Because she accepted far less than she deserved. She loved a man who tolerated her. She knew where he stood and stayed anyway. It made her miserable because he refused to love her. My mother would still be here if it wasn’t for the way she loved him.
That shit pisses me off. She had so much to give and she chose to fall victim to a broken heart.
Even after he died, she refused to move on and be happy. That shit killed her, literally.”
My tone was clipped because I felt that shit deep. I always had but I couldn’t do a damn thing about it. It was her life and she hadn’t been trying to hear my opinion on how to live it.
“She was loved.” Ky spoke softly but with confidence.
When I allowed my eyes to drift her way, she smiled.
“Did you ever think that she stayed because of you and your brother? Maybe she knew she couldn’t give you the life you deserved on her own.
She gave up her happiness for yours. You’ve always said that your father wasn’t the best but you lived good.
He taught you things that made you who you are and you wouldn’t be where you are without him.
She might have understood how valuable that was even when you didn’t, so she stayed. Did you ever ask?”
I stared at Ky for a long moment before I focused on the road again.
“No, I didn’t.”
“You can’t make judgments when you don’t know the entire story.
Even if your father didn’t love her the way she wanted or even needed, she loved you and Amir and both of you loved her.
It’s a fucked up situation, but when it all comes down to it, she was loved.
Maybe not the way she deserved to be from your father, but she had you.
She also did a pretty good job of showing you love because I see it in you. I feel it.”
I laughed sarcastically but Ky was right.
As fucked up as it was, my mother made a choice and I had to learn to get over it.
It had been years but it still messed with me.
Most days I was angry because I felt like she checked out on me and Mir by giving up on happiness, but maybe Ky was right, she’d stayed for us.
I never considered what life would have been like had she made the decision to leave and raise us alone or if our father would have even allowed her to try.
“So you think you know some shit?” I asked after we pulled into the valet at my restaurant.
“Yeah, I know some shit.” I chuckled and leaned across the seat to kiss her.
“Come on. I need to get something real quick. We won’t be in here long. I need to get you home and show you that I know some shit too.”
“Ohh, I like the sound of that.” Ky grinned and got out after the attendant opened her door.
I placed my hand at the small of Kyori’s back to guide us inside, and the second we stepped up to the hostesses stand, our small group yelled in unison, damn hear scaring the shit out of me when I was expecting it.
The chorus and chants of “Happy Birthday, Ky” had her almost jumping into my arms which was funny as hell because I had no idea how she’d missed the sea of silver and teal all over the place.
She buried her face into my chest until I pulled her away, needing to see the smile I knew was in place.
“You’re an asshole. You could have warned me,” she pouted just before I had to sample those lips, knowing she would be dragged away from me any minute now.
“That defeats the purpose of a surprise, doesn’t it?”