Chapter 51 #2
“Then you have your answer. What applies in that man's situation applies to your current one with me.”
I crossed my hands behind my back. “I told Carter I saw you on my birthday, and I’m standing here right now, not wanting to stop. See, not that simple.”
“I bet you told him in anger. I doubt you would’ve told him if everything was good between you and him. You were trying to piss him off. Or you don't give a fuck if you lose him.” His eyes zeroed on my lips. “Any other questions you need a man to answer?”
“Can a man like Carter be faithful?”
“You mean a man like me?” He kept his hands in the pockets of his hoodie. “I’m not much different than Carter.”
I quirked a brow. “I thought you said you were a better man?”
“I am in regard to you. I mistakenly thought he was the better man back then because he offered what you wanted. But he was no more ready than I was to fully commit to a woman. To answer your question, any man, even men like Carter and me, can be faithful if he wants to be.” He pulled his hands out of his pockets.
“When you didn’t talk about what happened with you and Chelsea, I assumed everything you needed to know was answered. ”
“You don’t want to know what happened? Why?” I asked and crossed my arms.
He snorted. “Don’t lump me in with them. I’m not lying to you or withholding information about anything now. I don’t know shit beyond what happened in college and that Carter is her son’s godfather.”
“Chelsea told me you knew she was pregnant and that you knew she had been with Carter the night before my birthday.” I accused.
“Yeah, and? That was in college, right?” His expression was unguarded, open, and expectant.
“Why didn’t you tell me all that you knew about Carter? I was vulnerable the night I lost my virginity.”
“The night you gave it to me,” he smoothly corrected.
“Don't let them taint a beautiful night I always think about. You called me upset, and I couldn’t function knowing how much Carter hurt you. I texted Chelsea for your address on my way back to Houston, and she called me angry with Carter. How he was still fucking her and now wanted to fuck over you. Believe it or not, I didn’t come to your hotel for sex.
I wanted to be the friend I hadn’t been to you and just be there for you.
But when I saw your beautiful face, eyes puffy, tears still falling, yet happy and full of love for me when you opened the door, I had to have you.
I had to show you the depth of my feelings for you. ”
"It was better than I ever imagined," I whispered, briefly closing my eyes. Grey immediately took my clouds away that night when he unexpectedly showed up for me. The sacrifice he made to be there for me, and I was ready to give him anything he asked. My heart, body, and soul.
Grey continued, “The only time we ever fought in seven years of friendship was over Carter and what I felt about him. I didn’t want to keep fighting you over a man you clearly wanted, no matter who or what he was doing.
I would rather have you in my world as my friend than not speak to me because you couldn’t handle the truth about him.
And I only thought he was the better man after the conversation on the beach, he and I had, when I could see that he loved you and wanted to be committed to you.
We almost threw hands at his place when I stopped by to see him.
I felt guilty for leaving you. You chose me, and I let you down.
I had to see if Carter loved you enough to forgive you for being with me.
For a man to forgive a woman whom he believes cheated on him is a test of his strength or his weakness.
I told him I was leaving school and that you would need him.
That you loved him. More than me. Carter opened his door for me to leave and didn't tell me if he would be there for you.
I didn't know what he decided until he showed up at our condo the day I left.” He jammed his hands back in his hoodie.
“Chelsea didn’t tell me she was pregnant for Carter.
She told me she was pregnant right after I left Houston to prepare for the Olympic Trials.
I asked if she needed anything or if she needed me to help in any way.
She told me she could handle it. I thought Carter might have been possible, but Chelsea had been with several men that summer.
Hell, she’d come on to me so strongly a couple of times that when she first told me she was pregnant, I had to remind my overactive brain that we didn’t actually have sex.
” He shifted from foot to foot. “Can we sit and finish talking? Or is that too tempting for you?”
My eyes traveled over his body as I shook my head. “Just being here alone is way too tempting.”
His lips twitched. “Okay...tell me how I should move?”
“Stay right there. Moving closer definitely isn’t the answer.”
“Too bad for you, I don’t listen.” He walked past me and tugged on my hand. “We’re going to lie in my bed and talk. Pretend it’s the old days when we could lie next to each other, and sex wasn’t on your mind.”
I allowed him to pull me into the room that reminded me of our past. “My mind? So, was sex on your mind every time we were in bed together?”
He smirked. “Every single time.”
“I swear those crinkles around your eyes are so sexy,” I complimented, wondering if we could ever return to those friends, where all we needed was food and conversation.
“You mean wrinkles? My black already cracking.” He grinned harder. “Love how you romanticize aging.”
I popped his arm. “Stop making fun of me.”
“You hit hard.” He rubbed his arm before gesturing for me to sit on his bed. He kneeled before me when I sat and pulled off my heels. His hand rested on the back of my calf as he did it. I whistled internally. Grey had definitely become sexier as a grown-ass man.
“The same thing that Carter said later, after I slapped him twice.” I giggled. “You should have seen his face.”
“Um...do I want to know why you slapped him? You weren’t that woman back in the day.” He rose, and I had to force my eyes to look at his face instead of his crotch area that met my eye level, though he’d backed away when he rose.
“Because surprise...surprise...he was at the hotel with Chelsea.”
He immediately frowned. “The day after you and he talked?”
“The very next day. He called me like he was in Seattle when he never left the city.”
Grey head jerked back. “Fuck. Okay...maybe I am different from him. Why do you seem okay? That had to be devastating to catch them in the act.”
“Not in the act. They were together at the bar in the hotel. Turns out Chelsea is now in a lesbian relationship, and Carter gave them sperm so she could have a baby. He might be Uncle Carter, but that’s his baby.
” I laughed at the slackness in his jaw and his stretched eyes.
“I couldn’t wait to tell you because I knew you would truly get why this is all crazy. ”
“Chelsea is with a woman now as much as she loves dick?” He headed to his bathroom. “Let me take a quick shower, and you have to tell me everything.”
“A shower right now?”
“You know I don’t get in my bed sweaty.” He tossed the remote at me. “Watch something. I won’t take long.”
“Don’t take one of your long-ass showers. I only have a few hours before I get the twins.”
“Ten minutes...fifteen minutes, tops.” Grey grabbed clothes out of his closet before he disappeared into the shower.
I turned on the TV, flipping channels. After finding the truth about Elle, I didn’t expect him to be this cool with me.
I settled on Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives.
Ethyn and I had a running list of all the places we wanted to eat based on this show, and I needed to take him to one of the restaurants on the list—just a day for him and me.
I’d been watching for a few minutes when the doorbell rang, and I looked toward the bathroom.
Dread filled me. In the middle of the day, the only person who would stop by would be Tatianna.
Then again, she was his fiancée. Wouldn’t she have a key?
I knocked on the bathroom door. “You have company.”
He cursed loudly, and I heard the shower turn off. Grey hurried out of the bathroom, wearing sweats, pulling on his t-shirt. “Stay in here, okay?”
“Tatianna?”
“Yeah.”
“My car is outside. She knows you’re not alone.”
“Yes, but she doesn’t know it’s you.”
“I’m sorry.” I touched his forearm.
The doorbell rang again.
“Why are you sorry? I invited you. We broke up the other night, and I didn’t think she would stop by the house she hates.”
“You broke up?” I asked, hope lifted my voice.
He shook his head with a crooked grin. “Can you pretend that you’re sad about it?”
“Lock the door behind me. Unlike you, she is the one to fight.”
“Should I say something to her?”
Grey chuckled. “Darren, I just said that woman will fight you. Stay here until I open this door.”
I pressed my ear against the door, and I had second thoughts. This was their relationship. Their life. I moved to the side of the bed, farthest away from the door, and called Danielle.
“Thank God, you answered. Listen, if I end up dead, Tatianna, Grey’s woman, killed me. I just wanted you to know.”
“What?” She screamed. “Where are you?”
“At Grey’s place. She stopped by unexpectedly.”
“Darren, are you sleeping with Grey? I know we haven’t really spoken since Mama got back from LA, but you’ve been cheating on Carter?”
“Carter has been cheating on me and has an outside family. So, as far as I’m concerned, I’m doing me until we decide what to do about our marriage. And you better not tell Mama a damn thing until I tell you, or I swear I won’t tell you anything else about my personal life.”
“Okay...okay. I won’t say anything. Wow. Wow.”
I could hear them yelling, and I shrank even more. “I hear you’re excellent at holding things from me, so just hold on to this information, too.”
“Come on, you have to forgive me.” Her tone immediately became contrite.
“How was I supposed to know Elle would be his? I assumed the babies were Carter’s, or at least I prayed they were.
You know I love Grey, and at the time, Carter was there for you and seemed to be the better choice. Grey would’ve just confused things.”
“That wasn’t your place to decide. He wanted to marry me, Dani, and years later, I’m hiding out in his bedroom because his fiancée is pissed. She knows he has a woman in here.”
“She’s not going to leave until she sees your face, you know that, right?”
I groaned. “I know. I know.”
“Woman up and duck.” Danielle laughed.
“You partially got me into this mess. I could be married to Grey instead of preparing to fight. This isn’t funny.”
“It kind of is. You’ve had the most interesting life in the family.
You were the quietest, most studious, and nicest one of us all.
Yet, you married a hot NFL player, a gold medal winner is your best friend and wanted to marry you, you have twins with two different fathers, and right now, a woman is ready to hurt you over her fine-ass man. Yep. It is fucking hilarious.”
“I’m getting off the phone now, and you have to do a lot to make up for keeping Grey away from me.”
“If you survive, call me, and we'll figure out what I need to do to get back in your good graces. Bye, baby sis. Remember to bob and weave.”
“I hate you.” I clicked off the cell.
I stood up and looked around the room, wondering if I needed a weapon of some sort. Tatianna was the rageful one and would be so much stronger than me. Hell, she probably was stronger than me anyway. She was an Olympic runner.
I slowly opened the door and peeked out. They were on the patio. She yelled as she hit him on his chest and face. His voice was raised, and he kept trying to hold on to her wrists unsuccessfully. “Stop, Tati. Fighting isn’t going to fix us.”
“We were good until she came back into the picture.” She yelled. “And now I have to help raise her bitch of a daughter.”
He grabbed her wrists, then. “Shut the fuck up, Tati. That’s my child. My blood. You can hate me, curse me, hit me, but you won’t ever disrespect my daughter.”
Hearing her call my baby a bitch brought the fierce Mama Bear in me, and I rushed to the patio. He glanced back and shouted, “I told you to stay in the room.”
Tatianna’s brown face reddened, and she snarled like a rabid beast clawing his hands to get to me. Grey held her tight. “Not going to let you hurt her when I asked her to come.”
“You pissed because I’m talking about your bastard child. Huh?”
I yelled, “She’s innocent in all of this. Don’t say a damn thing about my baby.”
“Why can’t you just leave him the fuck alone?” She screamed. “I watched him struggle for years to get over you, and you come back here to fuck with his mind when we know you're not leaving Carter.”
With balled fists ready to attack if needed, I defended, “I’m not fucking with his mind, and I’m sorry you’re hurt in all this. Take it from me. You don’t want a marriage with a man whose whole heart doesn’t belong to you. You’ll just hurt worse trying to figure out how you ended up alone anyway.”
She viciously snapped, “Grey doesn’t even fucking want you.
He told me he hates you for keeping his baby a secret all these years.
Told me he can’t stand the ground you walk on and doesn’t want to have anything to do with you ever.
So, if you’re here, he just wants to fuck you and fuck over you. He’ll never love you again.”
Grey and I locked eyes, and Tatianna snatched away from him to punch me in the nose on her way out the door.
Blood gushed, and blinding pain knocked me on my ass, and I landed on my tailbone hard.
I howled, and when Grey tried to help me up, I pushed his hands away.
“Leave me alone. You’re just like everyone else.
Lying to my face while doing and saying whatever the fuck you want behind my back. ”
Grey stood up angrily. “I’m fucking tired of this shit. You kept my baby from me for seven years, and I’m still trying to be here for you. We don’t ever have to talk except if it’s about Elle. Pick yourself up and get the fuck out of my house.”
I covered my head and wailed. Unable to move or get up. This fucking hurts.