Chapter 3
Stassi couldn’t grab her coat fast enough.
Demi had one time to talk to her with a bit of bass in his voice, and she would put him in his place.
She didn’t believe in disrespecting a man in his home, so she had to leave before she said something.
Demi’s unmitigated power and inconsideration just bugged Stassi.
To be fair, he didn’t know what she had been through that day, but the audacity to put out a room full of people who had gone out of their way to be present for him and Charlie was too rude to disregard.
What Charlie found appealing, Stassi found condescending.
Demi needed a big house because his ego needed its own square footage.
She was sure she would be hearing from Charlie the next day after she came up for air because there was no doubt that Demi suffocated her with dick, money, and love.
He kept her sister drunk on his lifestyle.
Stassi wouldn’t hate it so much if she thought Charlie was safe with Demi.
She was the type of girl who believed in judging a man by his actions, not his intentions.
Demi had proven to be a liar. She wouldn’t forgive or forget anytime soon, no matter how convinced Charlie seemed to be.
She hurried to her car, fighting the wind and wet snow, but when she discovered she was blocked in, her patience left her.
Stassi sighed so hard her breath froze in mid-air as she turned back to the house.
“Hey, do you know whose car this is?” She asked one of the partygoers.
“I think that’s Day’s assistant’s car. They’re in the studio,” the girl replied.
“Great,” Stassi said sarcastically.
Stassi just wanted to go home. She trekked back toward the studio and up the stairs. The sour stench of weed greeted her as her heels clicked against the wood.
Demi, Day, and an entourage of people filled the space.
“Apparently, this is the after-party,” she said.
Day’s attention was on her as soon she walked through the door.
“Apparently,” he replied, smirking. “Come here.”
“I’m blocked in. I just need whoever’s driving the red Audi to let me out,” she said.
“My boy rode to the liquor store with someone else. He won’t be back for a minute. Take my car. I’ll call the driver around,” Day said. “Your car will be dropped off to you later.
“Wait, what? I don’t want to take your car. When will he be back?” Stassi protested.
“You can wait, or you can take my car,” Day answered.
“You niggas think you run the world. Oh my god,” she groaned in frustration.
Day lifted from his seat and walked over to her. “Not the world, but a lot of shit moving on my say-so,” he replied. “Like you getting home. I’ll walk you out.”
Stassi didn’t have a choice but to follow. Her stubborn nature made her want to refuse, but it wasn’t a battle worth fighting.
They were silent until they made it to the street. A black Escalade pulled up.
“This is very extra,” Stassi said. “You can’t drive yourself?”
Day scoffed, then bit his lip. “I try not to when I know I’ma be lit. It ain’t really for the lifestyle. I lost my brother to a drunk driver, so I try not to be that guy.”
“Oh.” She was dumbfounded.
The foot in her mouth stopped her from saying more.
Day opened the door. “I’ll have your car dropped off to you later. My driver will stay with you to take you anywhere you need to go in the meantime.”
“You don’t know where I live,” she said.
“I know where you stay,” Day answered.
The revelation floored her because was this nigga a stalker or just that powerful?
“Oh.”
It seemed to be the only word in her vocabulary tonight. She slid into the car. He held out his hand. “I’ma need the key.”
“Of course. Yeah, umm… right,” she stammered as she dug into her handbag and handed him the fob.
“I’ll hit you when I’m on my way to swap it out,” he said.
He closed the door, and she watched him through the rear window as he made his way back up the driveway. The car pulled away, and Stassi melted into her seat, overwhelmed. Day made such a simple exchange complex.
There was an anxiety that came with him having her keys because she knew they would have to see one another again later that night. She wondered if that was his plan all along or if this show of chivalry was his norm. Only time would tell.
Demi was aware that he was doing the wrong thing as soon as he pulled up to the darkened house.
Lauren had forgotten to turn on the porch lights again.
He had seen it from the Ring system that reported to his phone.
He should have uninstalled the app months ago, but he couldn’t bring himself to.
His son lived there, and he had protected Lauren for as long as he could remember.
It still felt like his responsibility to secure this house.
He climbed out and fought the pangs in his gut that told him to turn around, but arrogance pushed him forward.
He didn’t even bother with the doorbell.
He used his key and entered without announcement.
“Aye yo!” He called out, finding his son in the living room.
“Hey, Dad! What you doing here?!”
His son’s excitement to see him would always thaw Demi’s heart. If there weren’t anyone else in the world who deemed Demi as good, his son always would.
“Coming to check on my guy,” Demi stated. “I had an important dinner that I wanted you at. Your mom said you didn’t want to come.”
DJ lowered his head.
“You look a man in his eyes,” Demi schooled. “If you my main man, you should be able to tell me anything. So, keep it real with me. Why didn’t you want to come?”
DJ shrugged.
“DJ, go get ready for bed.”
Lauren’s order saved DJ from replying and Demi put a stern eye on her.
“We’ll talk tomorrow, a’ight?” Demi said. He and Lauren had made it a point to not undermine one another over the years so he didn’t protest. “Wash behind them nasty ears, boi.” He lightly tapped the back of his son’s head. “I luh you.”
“Love you too, Dad,” DJ said before heading out.
Demi felt Lauren’s disdain from across the room.
“You couldn’t call first?” Lauren asked.
Demi’s authority over this house could still be felt. He didn’t answer because they both knew he didn’t have to call in advance. He pulled up when he pulled up, no warning necessary.
“I cooked,” she said.
Demi stared at her. Lauren was as beautiful as the day he had met her, but her eyes were sad.
He had done that to her. He had shrunken her.
He thought about her every day. Her heartbreak was one thing he would always regret.
She hadn’t deserved it. He was aware of that much.
“I like the hair.” It was shorter, sexier, edgier.
She ran her hand down the back of her neck insecurely. She was still getting used to it.
“Thanks,” she said softly.
He walked by her, heading for the kitchen.
“Fix me a plate?” He asked.
He stood at the island as she moved silently around the kitchen. It felt so routine that they both almost forgot they were no longer together.
He didn’t speak until she put a plate in front of him.
“I won’t let you keep my son from me,” he said as he dug into his meal. He didn’t look up at her. “His visits are fewer and shorter. It’s always an excuse. You playing with me, Lo.”
“You need to talk to your son about this. Like I said, if he doesn’t want to be there, I’m not making him come. You know I don’t play that. He will be where he’s comfortable. He’s comfortable here.”
“Because you make it uncomfortable for him,” Demi stated. “You show resentment to my lady…”
“Don’t bring that bitch up in my house,” Lauren said. Her fuse was lit with just the notion of Charlie.
Demi set down his fork.
“This the shit I’m talking about,” he said. “He’s uncomfortable getting to know her because you’ve let it be known that you don’t like her. You got him thinking she’s the reason I’m not here.”
“Isn’t she?” Lauren shot back.
Demi sighed. “I just want to spend time with my son, Lo. Time that he doesn’t feel guilty about. You want me to miss time with our boy? You know he’s my life.”
Lauren’s eyes glossed, and Demi felt like he was looking inside a snow globe.
The life they used to share was like the little village inside the dome.
He craved it sometimes, the routine, the familiarity.
If Lauren didn’t know anything else about him, she knew what made him comfortable.
It was the reason why she made sure his food didn’t touch.
She knew his preferences, his limits. She understood him, and the safety of predictability she provided was the reason why their marriage had lasted so long.
“I used to be your life,” she whispered. “How could you just box me out? You met this girl and just forgot about me.”
“I haven’t forgotten,” Demi answered. “I’ma always make sure you’re straight.”
He had been more than fair in their divorce.
Lauren had walked away with every property he owned as well as a hefty settlement and a percentage of his company.
She hadn’t even had to ask for it. He had given it freely because he knew what he was taking away was worth more.
Her future. Her identity as a wife, as his wife.
He took away her dream but left her with a son and eight figures.
He could see that even still, it would never be enough.
“Yeah, that’s what you say, but then you walk out of our home and go sleep next to another woman,” Lauren said.
Demi grimaced because that’s exactly what he would do. The routine of Lauren didn’t compare to the pulse of Charlie.
“Exactly,” Lauren said, scoffing.
Demi lifted from the table. He couldn’t give Lauren what she wanted.
His heart was somewhere else. Time meant nothing when put against the right bond, and Charlie had imprinted on him the moment their paths had crossed.
He wasn’t proud of the way it had gone down, but the reality was there was no going back to the way things used to be.