23. Khalil
The sound of my phone ringing and the rain outside woke me out of a peaceful sleep. My head lifted, and I looked over to see Piper’s side of the bed empty. My first thought was that she left me . . . again.
I reached over and grabbed my phone, seeing Anais’s number on the screen.
Why the fuck was she calling me at five in the morning? Her ass never made it out of the bed before sunrise.
I sent her to voicemail, sat up, and rubbed my eyes. Swinging my legs to the side of the bed, I located my briefs, slid them on, went to relieve my bladder, then went in search of Piper.
I promised that if she left this time, there would be no more chances.
I wouldn’t lie and say a nigga wasn’t impressed by her efforts to win me back, but I was still emotionally traumatized about letting her back into my heart.
I loved her, no doubt, but I needed to get reacquainted with the Piper of today.
I didn’t know if she’d changed, but I was willing to give her a chance to prove that she wouldn’t run when shit got rough.
After ten years, Piper’s pussy was even more powerful than it was back then. I knew once I dipped back in her shit, it would be a struggle to stay mad at her.
If I chose her, shit would most definitely get rough.
When I entered the living room, I saw her leaning on the wall by the sliding doors, wearing a bathrobe, and looking out at the rain with a mug in her hand.
Her long, curly hair was wild, and her face held a solemn look. Her eyes came to me. When she didn’t speak and diverted her gaze back out the window, I moved over to her and wrapped my arms around her waist.
I pushed her hair to the side and kissed her neck. “Why you up so early? What’s wrong?”
She shook her head lightly. “Just thinking.”
“About?”
“Us.”
“What about us?”
“Our future. . . If you’re going to choose me and make me suffer or choose her and return the heartbreak.”
I turned her face to me and pecked her lips.
“I’m choosing you, baby. I won’t lie to you, though.
My first thought when I didn’t see you lying next to me was that you ran again.
But when I saw you were still here, I was grateful and happy that you were.
I know I’ve been giving you a hard time, but I’m exhausted from fighting the way I feel about you.
I love your ass. Even after you broke my heart. ”
She sighed. “I know. I came here and did all of this to prove to you that I’m here, and I’m invested. I’m not running anymore, Khalil. I don’t want to come in making things complicated for you, but as your wife, I feel as if I have to exert some kind of force if I want to get a different outcome.”
I frowned and stepped around her to face her. “I see what you’re doing, baby. So just say what you’re really trying to say.”
“I want her gone today.”
I froze. Not because I didn’t want Anais to be gone, but because there were things at stake if I chose to get rid of her.
I knew the saying that hurt people hurt people, but I didn’t want to hurt Piper.
Not like that or at all. I knew I was being an asshole because she honestly did fuck me up when she left, but now that she was back and doing everything to get me back, I wouldn’t play with her like that.
Regrettably, I told her, “I can’t do that yet, Pipe.” She pulled away from me, but I pulled her back. “Listen to me—”
“No. I feel like this is going to be a bigger situation than when we were in college.”
“I know. And to keep it real with you, it will be, but I need time to figure this out. I didn’t expect to see you again, and I was going to send the divorce papers, but being around you made me realize how much I missed you.”
“Did you propose to her to try to get over me?”
“You want the truth?”
“Of course.”
“I proposed to her because her father encouraged it. I’m a man who has his own mind, but at the time, I was thinking in business terms. Marrying her would have given me leverage to be the first pick for any endorsement deals and to take his seat once he retires.
In return, she still gets taken care of and is able to do whatever the fuck she wants, being a kept woman. ”
Piper scoffed and shook her head. She didn’t say anything for a long moment, and it made my heart thump in my chest.
“Talk to me, Pipe. You thinking about leaving me again?”
“No, Khalil. I agreed to fight for you, and that’s what I’m going to do. I know this road won’t be easy. I’m not giving up, but I also can’t fathom the thought of her touching you, claiming you, and you giving her the same in return.”
“I’m claiming you. But you have to promise me that you won’t run away when shit gets heavy. Once I tell her it’s over, my career may be over with the Vipers as well. I have to be sure that when I do this shit, you’re riding with me, even if I have to move to another state to play for another team.”
She looked me in the eyes and said, “I’m not going anywhere, and neither are you. We’ll figure it out, but you need to get rid of her soon, or I won’t have a choice but to out us.”
I dropped my head in defeat. “Come on, baby.”
She tittered softly. “I’m just kidding. But soon. I have to try to win my PGK back as well, and I’d like to start on that as soon as possible.”
“You will soon. Just let me handle this my way, and put your faith and trust in me. It’s all the way in or nothing, Piper.”
“I hear you, babe. I’m all the way in. No holds barred.”
“We’ll see. In the meantime, get your ass back in this bed and take care of me. Then we gon’ get some nourishment and spend all day getting to know each other again before my flight back home tonight.”
“What about your mistress? Won’t she get mad about you not answering her calls?”
“Piper.”
“Yes?”
“What I say?”
“Fine,” she replied, storming off into the room. I would deal with that shit later. Right now, I had a wife to slime out and figure out my next move.
The house was quiet when I entered. It was unexpected because my moms, sister, and Kiy were supposed to have been here, but I didn’t see either of their cars in the driveway.
Spending last night and today with Piper was unexpected, but I wouldn’t lie and say I didn’t enjoy our time together. I hated that we had to stay secluded in the room, but we made the best out of it. It brought back memories and the good times we used to share.
“Yo! Where everybody at?” I called out.
Donnie appeared from the west wing of the house.
“Evening, Mr. Grey. Let me get those bags for you. Can I get you anything?”
“Thanks, Don. Nah, I’m good for now, but where’s everybody at?”
“Your mom and sister took Ms. Kiy to visit your grandmother earlier and haven’t returned yet. Ms. Anais is waiting for you in your bedroom.”
“She’s here? I didn’t see her car outside.”
“She arrived by way of car service, sir.”
I didn’t feel like dealing with her right now, but I knew since I hadn’t talked to her since last night after my game, she would eventually show up. I had plans to kick it with her tomorrow, but clearly, that wasn’t happening.
“A’ight, thanks, Donnie.”
“No problem, sir. I’ll be in the west wing if you need me.” He walked away, and I headed upstairs to the fourth level, where my master suite was located.
Pushing open the double doors, I spotted Anais perched on the chaise in the living room area of my bedroom.
Before I could greet her, she stood, walked over to me, and slapped me hard as shit.
When I saw her hand coming toward me a second time, I grabbed her wrist. She tried to use her other hand, but I grabbed that one too.
“You got your one off. You won’t hit me a second time. Calm the fuck down before I throw you the fuck out of here.”
“Let go of me! You must think I’m some damn fool, don’t you?”
“No, but I think you got me fucked up. Sit your ass down and talk with your mouth, not your fucking hands.”
“Fuck you, Khalil! I won’t let you embarrass me like I’m some fucking hoodrat! Where the fuck have you been?”
“You know where I’ve been.”
“You’re a liar! I called the Ritz, and they said you never checked in!”
“Because I moved to the Waldorf, Ana.”
“And you didn’t think to call me and tell me that? You’ve been moving really funny since that tacky stripper gave you a lap dance on the court! Is that who you were with?”
“If I say yes, what is that going to solve?”
She gasped extra loud like I’d sucked the air from her. “Oh my God. Is this what you want, Khalil? After six years of knowing me, two years of dating, and three months of us being engaged, this is what you do to me?”
I could smell the liquor seeping through her pores.
She was drunk and acting reckless. No woman ever dared to put their hands on me, because I never gave them a reason to.
She didn’t even have a reason to get violent with me.
I understood her anger, but it wasn’t enough for her to put her hands on me.
“Anais, I’m really trying not to go there with you tonight. I got a lot of shit on my mind, and I think it’s best if you head home for the night before shit gets crazy around here.”
“I’m not going anywhere! You’re being a fucking walking cliché! I did not invest all of my time with you and deal with your smart-mouthed, disrespectful child, just for you to cheat on me and treat me like I don’t matter!”
I stared at her for a minute. Her red flags were dangling in my face, clear as day now.
The first one was when she got on a live television show and announced our engagement before I could even tell my family about it.
The second one was her inserting her unsolicited advice and opinions to my daughter about the way she dressed and acted.
Now, the shit she just said proved that she didn’t fuck with my kid, and that was a no-go.
“I-I didn’t mean it like—”
I held up my hand to stop her from talking. “You meant it. When people are drunk and angry, they say whatever is on their hearts,” I told her, shaking my head. “You know, onions have a lot of layers, Anais.”
“What does that mean?”