Chapter 26 Still The Same #3
One thing I got from the time I’ve spent with my mother these past two months was that she was lonely. She has lived an extravagant life. She’s had everything she thought she wanted at least once, and none of it has ever fulfilled that emptiness inside her.
I won’t lie to myself and say that had she stayed with us, she would’ve been happy as if we were what she needed.
No, I think Evelyn’s problem is internal.
The poverty of her childhood did more than just scar her from being poor.
There is something else to that story that needs to be fixed.
However, I no longer care if she ever figures it out.
“You did a good job raising me, Daddy,” I say not for the first time. But sometimes, people need reminders.
My dad chuckles. “That’s all that matters, baby girl.”
My father and I spent a little while longer on that back patio talking and bonding. We discuss more of my childhood and reminisce over some of the fun things and people that contributed to my growth. It’s way past midnight when I walk into my bedroom.
Nico is lying on top of the covers, one arm behind his back, his head propped up on the headboard, his feet crossed at the ankle and his eyes closed.
I climb onto the bed and straddle my husband.
Leaning down, I lay my head on his chest. He wraps his arms around me.
His scent of warm amber, sweet jasmine, and spicy saffron, greets me.
“I’m sorry,” he says, his warm breath brushing against the hair at the top of my head. “I should have told you what she tried to do.”
I lift my head, lying my hands over his chest, I place my chin on top as I stare up into his dark brown eyes.
“You don’t need to apologize. I know you were just trying to spare my feelings.”
I purposely didn’t tell Nico anything today. I wanted to master my emotions before I dumped all this on him. Either Ms. Rose informed him or one of the other household staff filled him in. Hell, knowing Nico, he might have cameras all over the house and watched it all play out this morning.
“I appreciate you wanting to protect me. But in the future, let’s not keep things from each other. Trust that I’m strong enough to handle stuff, and if I’m not, you can be my shoulder.”
He nods, placing a kiss on my forehead.
“I’ll be your shoulder, your neck, your arm, whatever you need.”
I laugh and roll my eyes playfully before sobering up. Taking a deep breath, I know it’s time I admit my wrongdoing.
“I should never have invited her into your home. I was so stupid.”
“Shh, don’t say that. You couldn’t have known she would try something like that.”
I shake my head feeling even more disgusted with myself.
“This wasn’t her first time doing this.”
His brown eyes widened before narrowing at me. Nico is intelligent. He knows I’ve only ever had two other boyfriends before him. One was in high school, so that would make my mother a pedophile. It takes him no time to realize who the other person is.
“Marcus?” he asks.
“Yeah,” I admit feeling sick to my stomach.
“Right before Marcus got drafted, Evelyn came back into my life. She reached out to me and asked to see me. Told me she wanted to talk to me about her health. I thought she was dying. She said that she’d had a bad health scare, and it made her realize life was short and she wanted to mend our relationship. ”
I roll my eyes at all the lies I believed from this woman.
“I started allowing her to come around more. The relationship wasn’t exactly a good one, but she would come to see me sometimes.
Marcus and I were both seniors in college.
We had a small apartment off campus. I didn’t think anything of her being at my house when I got home.
She’d usually be sitting in the living room waiting to take me out to lunch.
“Two nights after he was drafted, I came home early from work. We were in the midst of packing to head to California. Marcus had to get there in order to start training camp the following week. I walked into my apartment to find my mother on her knees with my boyfriend’s dick in her mouth.”
The image of Evelyn jumping up off the ground, her dress unzipped and falling down in the front. Her hair was ruffled like someone had drug their hands through it.
“I charged at the both of them, ready to beat the shit out of them. Marcus stood up and stumbled. It was then I realized he was drunk off his ass. He started apologizing, saying he thought it was me. They both admitted to being drunk and not knowing what they were doing.”
Looking back now, I can’t believe I was ever that stupid.
“I believed them, and until this day I have no proof that they were lying. But something in me, even then, knew that they weren’t drunk.
I distanced myself from my mother. Kept what I caught them doing to myself.
I’ve never even told my father. Every time I’d bring it up to Marcus, he would say he was drunk, and that I needed to let it go, but I couldn’t.
I guess last night proved what I already knew. ”
Nobody wants to admit that their own mother tried to take their man from them. I think that’s why I quickly believed the lie about being drunk. However, last night, she was sober, and I’m so thankful that Nico isn’t like Marcus.
He tucks my hair behind my ear. “I’m sorry that she hurt you and that she couldn’t be who you wanted her to be.
I’ve learned over the years that family is who you make it.
There are ties stronger than blood relations.
You have me, Noah, my brothers, Mira, your dad, and Ms. Rose. We’ve got you forever.”
I turn my head and place a kiss on the palm of the hand he has cupped to my cheek. “I love you. And I’m happy you didn’t take my mother up on her offer.” I grin. “I would’ve really hated to have to kill you.”
Nico makes a face and then laughs.
“There is only one woman I want, Tiff. The same woman that stole my heart the first day I saw her in that club. There will never be another for me….or you.”
I grin. “Now how do you get to speak for me?”
He smacks my ass playfully, but a pool of heat settles between my thighs.
“Until the grave, Ms. Basille. The time frame is up to you.”
The threat is loud and clear. And though it should be taken seriously, and don’t get me wrong, I believe him, it only makes me smile. Yes, something is wrong with me. I think that was established when I stayed with him after I found out he killed Marcus.
Sitting up, I place my hands down on his chest before leaning over and dropping a kiss on his lips.
He grips my ass in each palm and squeezes.
Our tongues dance to the tune of our passion.
I slant my head to the side so I can take the kiss deeper.
He runs his hands underneath my silk pajama top and up my back.
When I pull away, his eyes are half closed and his lips are wet from our kiss.
“I need you,” I moan as I grind down in his lap.
“Take from me whatever you need.”
I do just that. That night, I made love to my husband until my sweaty body finally begged me to stop.