Chapter Twenty-One #2
“She’s fucking gorgeous.” Jack pops his face out of Drew's ass long enough to add his two cents.
“Pretty fades, but you know what doesn’t?” Shaun asks.
“Food.” Quincy replies. Both men laugh.
Drew shakes his head. “Yeah, that food is what had my last wife fat as hell.”
I cut into his laughter. “A lot of men find it hard to please a woman with meat on her bones. I guess when your dick is big enough, you don’t have that problem.”
Drew’s laughter dies immediately. However, Quincy burst out laughing beside me.
“I know that’s the fuck right,” Devon cheers.
I don’t take my eyes off Drew. His gaze narrowed at me. He’s still trying to read between the lines to see if there is anything going on between me and Ella. But I know his arrogance won’t let him believe it.
He smirks and shakes his head. “Trust me, Ella never complained about my dick. In fact, I’m sure if I wanted to, I could have her on it tonight.”
Though his words hit their mark, I don’t show any outward sign. Gritting my teeth, I leaned back in my seat.
“You think so?”
He grins. “Oh, I know so. See, in all the years we've been together, not once did she ever step out on me. To this day, my dick has been the only one she’s had. That pussy still bends to my curve.”
“Come on now, Drew,” Devon asks teasingly. “Ella’s single now. Has been for a year and some change. You think she hasn’t slept with anyone else?”
He turns to Devon briefly before looking back at me. “No. I know my wife.”
“Ex wife.”
He stares back at me for a moment. “It doesn’t matter. I said what I said.”
I pick up my glass of bourbon and take a swig.
“Spoken like an arrogant man that has never had any competition.” I grin while swirling the brown liquid in my glass.
“Even the best athletes know that there is always someone watching and waiting to take their place. Why do you think there are so many players in the Hall of Fame? You can’t be the best at something if you’re the only one playing the game. ”
“He’s right,” Shaun says. “You might have been her best because you were her only, but when she gets that next big thing, you may be an afterthought.”
“Yep,” Quincy says as he gulps his drink.
Drew’s face turns red and his nostrils flare. I don’t think he even thought about the fact Ella could be fucking someone else. I truly believe Drew assumed she would be single and celibate forever without him.
“Andrew doesn’t care,” Jack says, smacking Drew’s arm. “Right, Andrew, you got Kiely.”
Even though the others are talking around us, Drew and I have not looked away from each other. His nostrils continue to flare as he glares at me. I keep my face neutral.
I know Drew. I’ve known him since he was five years old. He’s talked all that shit about upgrading and young pussy, but I know the truth. He hates the idea of losing control over Ella. Despite all the fake happiness he’s spouting about Kiely, I know he misses his wife.
Drew smiles and then leans back in his seat. “You’re right, Jack. Why should I care who Ella fucks? If her pussy wasn’t trash, I’d still be with her. But at the end of the day she will always choose me.”
Drew shrugs his shoulders haphazardly. Before he can drop them back down from his ears, I toss my glass to the table, shoot to my feet and grab the collar of his shirt, dragging his ass across the table. Everyone jumped to their feet. Drew looks up at me in shock.
“Say that shit again?”
“Fuck you,” he snarls.
I flip his ass over onto his back and grab him around the neck, cupping his chin in the crook of my elbow. His feet kicked out across the table as he fought to get out of my hold.
“You’ll learn to keep her name out of your mouth,” I snarl down in his ear.
“Let him go, Mitch,” Jack screams like a bitch.
Shaun looks around as if he’s not sure of what to do. Quincy and Devon both grab me, trying to pull me off him. I knew that if I didn’t let him go soon, he’d either pass out or die. Finally, with a shove, I let him go.
Quincy and Devon pull me away from the table.
“What the fuck, man!” Shaun shouts.
Jack helps Drew off the table. Once Drew is on his feet, he snatches away from Jack and turns to me as if he had the mindset to approach me.
“You’re out of your fucking mind.”
“Don’t ever disrespect Ella in front of me again.”
Devon and Quincy have yet to let me go.
Drew’s face scrunches up. “All this over that bitch?”
I charge toward him, pulling both men with me. Shaun jumps in between us.
“Aye, calm down, Miller.”
It’s only because Shaun is between us I let it go.
“You were supposed to be my friend,” Drew shouts. “You took sides.”
“You abandoned your family. Left Ella to fend for herself. Someone had to step in.”
“It didn’t have to be you.”
I wasn’t going to argue with him. After that announcement at the restaurant, Drew basically left Ella high and dry.
He didn’t care that she was mentally struggling or trying to find a place to live with her two boys.
All he cared about was himself. Yeah, I took fucking sides because any decent man would have.
Snatching away from Quincy and Devon, I tug at my shirt.
“You don’t have to agree with what I did, but you will respect Ella in my presence.” With those last words, I head for the basement door. I’m halfway to my truck when I hear my name being called.
“Miller, wait,” Devon says behind me.
I stop and turn to face him.
“What the fuck was that about?”
“I already said it; I don’t like him disrespecting Ella.”
Devon stares at me, his brown gaze fixed on my face as if he might find something.
“Nah,” he finally says, shaking his head. “You’ve been on shit since you got here. The moment anyone brings Ella up, you’re ready to tear into them.” He steps back, looking from my head to my feet, then back to my eyes. “You’re fucking Ella.”
I let out a fake laugh while running my hands through my hair.
“What? No.”
Devon is shaking his head as I speak. “I may not have known you as long as Andrew, but you’re my boy. I know you. You’re fucking his wife.”
“Ex wife,” I shout. Why the hell do I have to keep reminding people of that?
Devon shakes his head again, his face balled up. “That’s messed up, Miller. I know shit has been off with ya’ll, but that’s still your homeboy.”
“Fuck him,” I say, shifting my weight. “I knew her first. She was supposed to be mine, and he took her.”
He stares at me, and I can tell he’s still not okay with this. “So what? You’re trying to get back at him for that? That’s why you’re messing with her?”
I take a step toward him, my fury boiling at the insinuation that I’m using Ella.
He holds up a hand to stop me. “Okay. Okay. You’re not.”
Running a hand down my face, I turn away from him. “I’m not saying the shit is ideal, but it is what it is. And I’m not changing it.”
“And what happens when this gets out?”
I turn back to him, a brow raised. “What do you mean? You know I don’t care what people think of me.”
He shrugs. “Yeah, that’s true. But we both know that in situations like these, the men aren’t the ones who suffer the consequences. She’s the one who will bear the brunt of this if it gets out. Are you okay with that?”
I turn away from him. He knows full damn well I’m not. He and I both know that it would be hard on Ella. She’s too peaceful and too loving. Having everyone against her would eat her alive.
“I didn’t think so,” Devon says. “I’m not going to tell you what to do, but you need to be smart about this. Too many people can get hurt. And not everyone has thick skin like you.”
He turns around and walks back toward his house. His words repeat in my head over and over as if it’s a song. Once he gets to the door, he stops and turns to face me.
“For what it’s worth, I’m happy for you. I always knew there was something between ya’ll.” He grins. “And don’t worry, my lips are sealed.” He turns and walks back into his basement.
After climbing into my truck, I headed home. My mind is reeling from the events of the night. I had no hangups about nearly choking Drew out, but Devon’s words bothered me. I’d do anything to protect Ella, but could I give her up?