Chapter 16 Dreka
Chapter Sixteen
Dreka
“What do you think, Mr. Cooper?” I beamed as he inspected his car that I’d done most of the custom paint job on myself.
His head bobbed in approval, a smile growing wider and wider across his face. “The work you do is unmatched in this city. It’s really incredible.”
His old school Cadillac now sported a two-tone, color shifting paint job that flipped from emerald to a deep shade of purple depending on how the sun hit it.
I was nervous about the blend at first because he had given me complete creative control.
I’d also put 5% tint on every window except the windshield and put custom emerald-colored rims on the wheels.
On the back window, we put “Mr. Coop,” in the same colors as the paint job.
“This is art, Rahdreka,” he finished circling the car, stopping in front of it. “Pure fuckin’ art. Your gift is crazy.”
I smiled proudly, relieved that he was satisfied. “I’m so glad you like it.”
“Nah, baby, I love this right here,” he grinned, swiping a finger across the hood.
“Baby?”
My eyes rolled the second I heard Xy’s voice. That nigga could fuck up a damn wet dream!
Mr. Cooper held his hands up in mock surrender. “No disrespect.”
“Yeah, it better not be,” Xy stepped from behind me, placing a kiss to my temple. “Hey, Angel.”
“Xy, go wait in my office, please.”
I quickly begged God for this man not to act a fool. After an intense stare off between me and Mr. Cooper, Xy kissed me on the lips and then headed to my office quietly. Honestly, I was shocked because the old Xy would’ve caused a scene so maybe he really was changing.
“Let me get out of here while I still can,” Mr. Cooper laughed. “I would hug you but…”
I held up my hand with a chuckle. “It’s all good. Win will cash you out and explain to you our insurance and refund policy,” I tilted my head towards the cash register.
“I damn sure ain’t gon’ need no refund. I’m flying through the streets of Norfolk in a one of one, Clutch Queens creations. I ain’t changing that,” he winked at me. “Be easy, Drek.”
“You too!”
Turning on the heel of my YSL stilettos, I walked straight back to my office to find Xy on the phone.
I wanted to fuss his ass out, but he looked and smelled so good that I lost all of my thoughts for a moment.
With his free hand, he pulled my body into his, and I instantly melted into him, like always.
Kisses were placed up and down my neck in between him handling business that I could tell had to do with his new collection that was set to come out.
When his hand tried to creep down the front of my pants, I smacked it away and peeled my body away from his. Too many people were in and out of my office for him to try that freaky shit.
“Why that nigga calling you baby?” he asked the second he ended the call.
Sucking my teeth, I rolled my eyes and sat on the edge of my desk. “Xyleek, I’m not in the mood. Men and women call me baby all the time. It’s just a thing people do.”
“As long as they not calling you Angel, I guess it’s aight,” he stepped in between my legs with his hands resting on my waist. “You having a good day, so far?”
“Yes, but what brings you by?”
Since our fight and fuck session in DC a month ago, I’d given Xy the benefit of the doubt and moved in with him.
So far, it had been smooth sailing, but I was still, unfortunately, holding my breath and waiting for something to happen.
Oddly enough, he had been home every single night.
His phone, that in the past he used to keep faced down on his nightstand, was now face up in the bed with us while we were chilling.
If he had to go to any event, and I was available, he made sure we went there together and didn’t leave without each other.
It was almost like he was domesticated now, and as shocking as it was, I had also been enjoying it to the fullest.
“I wanted to see if you wanted to go to lunch with me, my mom, and Vani.”
“No.”
He laughed a little, squeezing my waist tighter. “Drek. You can’t forgive me and still be mad at them.”
“I never said I forgave you though, Xy, so…”
“Angel,” he made a face that made me laugh.
“Angel nothing. When did I say, Xyleek, I forgive you?” I arched an eyebrow.
“This morning when you were raining all on yo dick,” he kissed on one side of my neck. “Last night when you were draining every drop of cum out of me,” he licked and kissed the other side. “The day you moved in with me and brought all that fuckin’ peace in the crib.”
I giggled as he nestled his face in the crook of my neck, wrapping my arms around him. “Are they expecting me to be there?”
“No, but I told them I’d ask you.”
I guess he did have a point about me forgiving him but not his family.
Honestly, I think I was struggling with forgiving them because I expected certain behaviors from Xyleek.
Lying was one of those behaviors. I never in a million years thought his mother would look me in my face and fake a full ass medical emergency.
And Vani didn’t open her mouth about it either, so I felt betrayed by them.
“If you have to think about it too long, then don’t go, Angel. I don’t wanna force you,” his lips brushed against my neck when he spoke.
Sighing deeply, I nodded my head. “I’ll go because I’m hungry. I can’t promise Ima talk to them, but I’ll go.”
He pulled away from me with a big ass grin on his face, taking my hand into his and leading me out of my office.
After telling Winter I’d be back in an hour, we got in his Rolls and headed to Fish n Slips.
I knew X probably picked that place since it was on the water, and he thought that would keep me calm.
Water was calming, however, with the way I was feeling, his mother or sister could very well end up at the bottom of the damn ocean.
Hand in hand, we walked into the restaurant and were led to the table where his mom and Vani were already seated.
“Drek, you came!” Vani’s face lit up with genuine happiness.
“Yeah, I’m hungry,” I replied dryly, taking a seat after Xy pulled my chair out. I cut my eyes at his mother. “You look so much healthier now.”
Vani broke out laughing. “Damn, Drek! You cool with Xy, so why we still getting the cold shoulder?”
“Because…” tears, real fuckin’ tears, began bubbling in my eyes, which was weird as hell. “I didn’t expect you two to ever lie to me to cover for his cheating ass!”
His mother sympathetically gazed at me. “We never would under normal circumstances, Rahdreka, you know that. When have we ever condoned his shitty behavior?”
Her question gave me pause because when I thought about it, she had a good point. They got on his ass worse than me about everything he did to me. Leaning my head back to prevent the tears from falling, Xy passed me a napkin and I dabbed at my eyes.
“Right!” Vani chimed in, punching Xy in the arm. “We don’t support this nigga’s bad habits. And I told Mommy not to go along with his lie!”
“Again, normal circumstances, that wouldn’t have occurred.
That time, he truly wasn’t cheating. He was in a predicament that he thought would make you leave him again, so he lied, and that’s the only wrongdoing that was committed.
It was the only reason I covered for him, but he absolutely should’ve told you from the beginning. ”
X squeezed my hand after I pulled myself together. “See, Angel? I told you that I don’t want to hurt you no more, and I meant that. I swear I’ll never lie to you again, either, even if I think I’m doing it for the right reasons,” he leaned over and pecked my lips. “I love you, and I’m sorry.”
His mom reached across the table and grabbed my other hand.
“I’m sorry too, Drek. You know I love you like I love my kids, so I don’t like seeing you hurt or upset either.
I was the first one telling you to leave his ass when he was doing all that running around, so you have to know I always have your back like I got theirs. ”
Sniffling, I nodded but couldn’t get any words out.
Why the fuck was I so emotional suddenly?
That wasn’t me by far, and then it hit me that my period was about to start.
I wasn’t emotional until that red devil was on the pullup, then I could cry if I had to wait in line at Chick-Fil-A for too long.
“I’m so glad us making up got you crying like a baby,” Vani giggled, coming over to me and hugging me tight. “I love you, sister, so much,” she kissed my cheek.
“I love you, too.”
“Why are you crying, Angel?” X grabbed another napkin and helped me carefully wipe around my make-up.
I shrugged, my eyes shifting towards the ceiling. “Maybe I’m just happy.”
“Your period about to start, my big baby?” He knowingly chuckled, and I nodded, making him laugh a little deeper. “Yeah, I already know the schedule. That’s why I went and got you the tampons and pads you like after you left the house this morning.”
My eyebrows snapped together as I looked at him with a deep pout. “Thank you, baby.”
“Anything for you, you know that. Now, stop crying and look at the menu so you can figure out what you wanna eat.”
“I looked at the menu on the way here, I already know what I want,” I told him, making everyone laugh.
“One thing ‘bout Drek, she gon’ check a damn menu before going somewhere,” Vani shook her head with a smile.
“And is!” I giggled, glad that I didn’t have to spend my entire lunch sitting at the table with anger in my chest. That would’ve ruined my damn appetite.
“Drek, let me talk to you for a minute,” Jewel requested as we all walked out of the restaurant an hour and a half later. “Y’all nosey asses go ‘head,” she waved her kids away from us.
I laughed at the look on Xy’s face. That nigga didn’t like for nobody to have too much of my time, family or not.
“Is everything okay?” I asked her, allowing her to loop her arm in mine.
“Yes, it’s great, actually. You know I’d be so honored to have you as part of our family for real, right?”