Chapter 9
Chapter
Nine
Zander
Regardless of Navy saying she was cool and didn’t blame me for what happened over the weekend, that wasn’t good enough for me.
She was my whole heart and it broke when I saw someone violate her because of me.
If a man violated her, I would have made sure his family was making his funeral arrangements this week.
Venus and Twyla handled business for my sweet girl, though, and I appreciated them for that.
After court was over for the day, I went and picked up a few things for Navy—twenty-five thousand dollars, two big ass bouquets of red roses, and five pairs of Christian Louboutins. My last stop was to her favorite candy shop. I got five pounds of candy and chocolate, then headed her way.
When I made it outside, I told her to come to the door.
Deon helped me take everything to her, and as she clapped and cheered, I chuckled.
I knew gifts and service were her love languages, just like service was mine.
We both were affectionate, but I didn’t need to be touched to feel loved. That was a bonus.
“Bookie! I told you we were good. You didn’t have to do all this.”
“You want me to take it back?” I teased, holding the gift bag that had the cash inside away from her reach.
“No, I want it all.”
Her arms wrapped around me, and she gave me a tight hug. “Thank you, Z.”
“You’re welcome, sweet girl.”
We carried everything into her room, then I went downstairs to speak to her parents.
They invited me to stay for dinner, and since I hadn’t eaten all day, I agreed.
While we waited for their chef to finish dinner, we talked in their great room.
That was one of the things I loved about her parents.
They talked. We could turn up and have a great time or lock in with recreational activities, but they were old school and didn’t allow people to be consumed by their phones around them.
While me and Luke talked about the box Chevy he wanted to restore, Navy extended a charcuterie tray in my direction.
It wasn’t my intention to scrunch up my face as I looked over what it was, but I didn’t recognize hardly anything on it.
Giggling, Navy said, “Don’t even worry about it, bookie.
I’ll pick the things I know you’ll like. ”
I chuckled and thanked her before redirecting my attention to Luke. He waited until she’d walked away to say, “The hell wrong with you, son? When you gon’ stop with this best friend bullshit and make my daughter yours?”
I didn’t really talk to people about my relationship status except my parents, and no one knew about my true feelings for Navy.
Even with that being the case, Luke was the kind of man you couldn’t lie to or withhold the truth from.
Regardless of if I confirmed I had feelings for his daughter or not, he knew I did.
“Pops, we’re just friends.”
“That’s not what I asked you.” I chuckled as he continued. “I asked when you were going to commit to her.”
“I’m not sure why you think I am. I mean, we’re literally just friends.”
“Yeah, but that ain’t all you want to be.”
I ran my hand over my waves and shook my head. “It doesn’t matter what I want. She deserves better than me.”
“Bullshit,” he rejected before taking a sip of his cognac. “That might work with everybody else, but you know it ain’t gon’ work with me.”
“I love your daughter,” I admitted vocally for the first time, and it caught me so off guard I couldn’t continue immediately. After taking a deep breath, I added, “I’m in love with your daughter. Always have been, always will be. But I’m not the kind of man who takes relationships seriously.”
“Why not? It’s one thing for a man to simply not want to commit, but it’s like you go out of your way to ensure women can’t get close to you.”
There was nothing funny about his revelation but I couldn’t help but chuckle. Navy handed me the plate, and just her knowing what to put and avoid didn’t help her father’s interrogation. Her eyes shifted between us before she went back over to the sofa where her mother was seated.
“I’ve had horrible luck with women,” I said.
“My parents taught me well. They didn’t just teach me how to be a good man, but they instilled what I’d need to be a good husband and father too.
For the last fifteen years, every woman I’ve tried to be in a committed relationship with has either taken advantage of me, used me for my money, or didn’t reciprocate what I was giving her. It’s gotten worse recently.
“Women expect to be taken care of in all ways but they don’t bring anything to the table but pussy.
A lot of them aren’t even good friends. We can’t align, yet they expect to be taken care of starting on the first date.
Now money ain’t a thang, and I don’t mind taking care of any woman, but I want to feel like I’m with someone who can give me loyalty and respect in return.
I actually value love, though a lot of men these days act like they don’t care about it.
I just . . . haven’t found a woman worth all I have to give.
“And in this time, your daughter has seen me jump from one situation to the next. She wouldn’t even take me seriously if I pursued her. That’s why I said she deserves better than me. Can I love her properly and take care of her? Yes. But she’d laugh in my damn face if I even offered.”
“Hmm . . .” Massaging his chin, Luke sat back in his seat. He looked at Navy as she leaned into her mother’s embrace. She was laughing sweetly at whatever Melanie was saying. “I don’t think she’d say no. I think she’d make you earn her and prove yourself, but she wouldn’t say no.”
I didn’t want to get my hopes up, but I couldn’t help but ask, “What makes you say that?”
“She’s in love with you too. If she wasn’t, she wouldn’t let you treat her boyfriends the way you do.
My daughter has never looked at any of them the way she looks at you.
She looks at you the way her mother looks at me.
” He paused, mouth opening and closing before he said, “Don’t awaken love before its time, but when you’re ready, have the confidence to know she won’t reject you, son. ”
I was speechless, which was rare for me.
I nodded and allowed his words to settle within my heart.
Less than thirty minutes later, dinner was ready.
We shifted to the dining room, where we feasted and continued to commune.
Though I remained locked in and present, my mind kept drifting to what Luke had said.
I started paying attention to the way Navy looked at me, the way she smiled at me, the subtle way our hands seemed to find some part of each other’s body.
I knew I was in love with Navy . . . but was there a chance that she was in love with me?