Chapter 16 Mythic Grey #2
And she was pregnant by him. While trying to purposely get me pregnant, he knew that my best friend was carrying his child.
Lying in bed, wrapped up in Mythic’s arms, I felt like a complete mess.
My face was buried in Mythic’s chest as I let the tears flow freely.
Every breath I took pulled his scent into my nostrils.
It was a comforting reminder that he was here, that I wasn’t alone.
I clung to him like a lifeline, my body shaking as I cried.
I didn’t want to face the reality outside these walls.
I just wanted to hold on to him and forget about the pain, if only for a little while.
“I’m sorry,” I whispered into Mythic’s shirt.
“Why?”
“I feel bad that you’re lying here comforting me while I cry over another man.”
“You feel bad because you know the feelings that I have for you. But despite how much I love you, I’m still and will always be your best friend, so you don’t have to feel bad about shit.”
The warmth of Mythic’s love and attention wrapped around me like a comforting blanket.
He was so loving and attentive. His gentle touch and comforting words were a soothing balm, making me feel cared for in a way I hadn’t felt in a long time.
It hit me how much he truly cared for me, despite the chaos surrounding us.
I could feel his strong heartbeat beneath my head, reminding me that I wasn’t alone.
Even in my darkest hour, he was there, ready to hold me together when everything felt like it was falling apart.
He was giving me space to grieve for another man while holding me. He was giving me space to let my guard down.
“I can’t believe I was so blind. How could I not see Damar and Mia deceiving me right in front of my face?”
Mythic shifted slightly. I soon felt his fingers running through my hair. I closed my eyes, enjoying the touch of his fingertips on my scalp.
“You shouldn’t feel stupid, Avi. Some people are just master manipulators.”
I sniffled, wiping my tears with the back of my hand. “But how did I not notice? I thought I knew them both. I thought I could trust them.”
“You trusted them because you’re a good person. That’s not a weakness,” he said, rubbing my back gently. The way he touched me made me feel safe, like I could let my guard down.
“Thank you for being here for me,” I said weakly.
“I don’t know what I would do without you.
I would be so alone if it weren’t for you because I can’t even bring myself to explain any of this to my parents.
I have no strength for that. They’ll want to know what’s going on, and I can’t even wrap my head around it myself. ”
He sighed softly. “I get it. You don’t have to explain any of this to your parents right now.”
I leaned into him, finding comfort in his presence. “I just feel so lost,” I admitted, letting my emotions spill out. “It’s like everything I thought I knew has been turned upside down.”
“You can feel lost, but know that you’re never alone because I’m right here,” Mythic reassured me as his fingers still raked gently through my hair. “I got you, baby, I promise.”
Standing on Stephanie’s porch felt surreal.
Even breathing took effort. The weight of this death and betrayal was on my chest like bricks.
I squeezed my eyes shut briefly, trying not to crumble where I stood.
If I felt this suffocated, I couldn’t imagine what Stephanie was going through.
Jeremy was only my stepson, and still, the grief felt unbearable.
I reached out and pressed the doorbell. As I waited, I wondered if Stephanie would even answer. I knew the detectives had already delivered the same horrific news to her.
My palms turned cold as footsteps finally approached on the other side of the door.
When Stephanie opened the door, her appearance took my breath away.
Her eyes were swollen. The whites of them were bloodshot from endless tears.
She looked fragile and broken, as if a gentle breeze might even cause her to collapse.
“I’m so sorry, Stephanie,” I choked out as tears pooled quickly in my eyes.
Before I could finish, Stephanie broke down completely, burying her face in her hands. Instinctively, I stepped forward and wrapped my arms around her, pulling her against me. Her body shook as she sobbed.
We stood there for a moment, crying in each other’s arms.
“Come inside, Avi,” she finally whispered between shaky breaths, pulling away slightly.
She closed the door softly behind me and led me toward the living room.
My eyes immediately fell on the couch. It was scattered with used tissues and crumpled blankets.
There was a noticeable indentation where Stephanie had obviously spent days curled up on it. The sight made my heart ache even more.
“Have you been alone all day?” I asked quietly. “Someone should be here with you.”
Stephanie sounded exhausted as she exhaled slowly. “I sent everyone away. I wanted to be alone.”
I nodded in understanding. “Then I won’t stay long. I just had to come check on you.”
She sank down heavily onto the couch. Fresh tears slipped silently down her cheeks.
“The detectives told me everything. They played the recording for me.” Anguish carved deep lines into her face.
“The gunshots…God, those gunshots just keep playing in my head over and over again. I can’t even imagine how Jeremy must have felt.
” She cringed and shuddered. “The fear, the betrayal… It was his own father.”
Her words came out so broken. My chest tightened painfully. Nausea swirled in my stomach. I sat down beside her, gripping her trembling hand.
“I feel like I don’t even know who Damar is anymore,” I admitted shakily. “I’m sick to my stomach thinking I’ve been married to someone capable of this. Jeremy was only my stepson, but the pain—I can’t even imagine yours.”
Stephanie’s shoulders shook violently as her sobs deepened. “I don’t know how I’ll get through this. Only God can help me now.” Pain and fury battled openly across her face.
“I don’t know what to do with all this rage inside me.
It’s eating me alive. I can’t sleep. I can’t breathe without thinking about what Damar did to my baby.
And I know exactly what he was thinking—he thought nobody would care.
Because of our neighborhood and Jeremy getting caught up with those boys, Damar thought the police would just sweep my son’s murder under the rug.
” She paused, taking a shaky breath. “But Jeremy was smart. He knew to record that conversation, even though…” As her voice cracked, my heart broke even further.
“Even though he didn’t know he was recording his own murder. ”
“Honestly, I can’t believe Damar didn’t take Jeremy’s phone.”
Stephanie scoffed bitterly. “He probably never even considered Jeremy would be smart enough to record him. But my baby proved him wrong.” Fresh tears spilled down her face, but I could still see the pride in her eyes.
“I’m so proud of Jeremy. Even now, even after everything, my son is the reason the truth came out. ”
I nodded softly as tears ran unchecked down my face. We sat there in shared grief, helpless in these dark shadows of everything we’d lost.
DAMAR SCOTT
Standing in line for the shower at Cook County Jail, I felt like I was losing my shit. It was only a few days since they’d denied my bail, and already, I could feel the walls closing in. I wasn’t built for this, and deep down, I knew I wouldn’t survive long in here.
My lawyer had come by earlier. The state’s attorney had offered me a plea deal of twenty years—the minimum for first-degree murder.
I couldn’t wrap my head around it. Twenty years was still a lifetime, but it was better than the alternative.
If I turned it down, I’d be looking at sixty years, and I knew I couldn’t handle that.
I couldn’t imagine spending one more day in this hellhole, let alone decades.
The thought of being locked up for twenty years felt suffocating. I’d be missing out on everything I had killed to maintain. I wasn’t willing to do twenty years—or sixty.
As I shuffled forward, my eyes met those of a few 111 Boyz. They’d been whispering and glaring at me since I got here. I assumed that they’d heard that I had been charged with Jeremy’s murder. They shared the same loyalty and bond of the 111 Boyz that Jeremy hung with.
“This bitch-ass nigga.” One of them sneered. He had that dangerous glint in his eye, the kind that told you he was itching for a fight.
I tried to ignore them, focusing on the ground and shuffling my feet. I knew better than to give them any reason to come after me, but they were intent on fucking with me.
“You think you can just walk around like you didn’t kill one of our homies?” another voice cut in, louder this time. The group started closing in as their taunts grew more hostile by the second.
Before I could react, one of them pushed me hard in the back.
I stumbled forward, trying to catch my balance, but it was too late.
They were on me. Fists and boots flew, each hit landing with bone-jarring force.
I barely had time to raise my arms to protect myself before the first punch connected with my ribs, sending a jolt of pain through my body.
“This for Jeremy, nigga,” one of them spat as another kick landed on my side. I could feel the sharp sting of every blow. My vision blurred from the pain. I was gasping for air, trying to curl up into a ball to protect myself, but the hits kept coming.
It felt like the world was collapsing around me with each punch and kick. I wanted to scream, to fight back, but the relentless and merciless hits just kept coming. The sounds of their taunts mixed with the pounding of my heart, and I couldn’t keep track of how many times they struck me.
The pain was so intense that I hoped and prayed that I would pass out. It felt like they were trying to beat the life out of me, and I was powerless to stop them.
All I could think was that this was how it was going to end for me. The realization hit me hard, leaving me gasping for breath as the assault continued.
AVIANA SCOTT
I slowly stirred awake. The soft rhythm of Mythic’s breathing brought me back to consciousness.
His arms were wrapped around me, and it felt like the safest place in the world.
I had been dozing on and off all day. It was as if now that I finally had some answers, my body relaxed, letting me sleep.
Mythic had been out cold for hours. He’d told me he hadn’t slept at all the night before, so he needed the rest.
When he’d gotten to the suite earlier that day, I could sense something was off with him. It wasn’t just the drama with Damar and Mia; there was a shadow hanging over him that he was trying to hide in order to be there for me.
Now, it was around the time that he usually opened Enchant. I rolled over. We had been spooning, so now I was nose to nose with him.
I gently nudged him, whispering, “Mythic…Mythic, get up.”
He slowly began to wake up, groaning as his eyes fluttered open. Even with a groggy frown on his face, this man was beautiful.
As his eyes adjusted and focused on me, his full lips curved upward into a small smile. “What’s up?” he croaked.
“You’ve been sleeping for hours. It’s getting late. Don’t you need to open the club or check in with Lelani?”
He shook his head as a slight scowl crossed his expression. “Nah. I don’t have to do either.”
Confusion creased my brow, and I wanted to push for more answers, but before I could, he leaned in and pressed his lips against mine.
It was a gentle, lingering kiss that washed away all my worries.
I moaned softly into the kiss, and for a brief moment, everything else faded away, leaving just the two of us in our little bubble of peace and serenity.
When we finally pulled away, his eyes locked onto mine, and I could feel the flirtatious tension sparking between us. I broke the gaze as my cheeks flushed with heat.
“I–I need to shower,” I stammered, suddenly feeling shy under his intense gaze.
He softly pinched my side as I sat up. “You hungry?”
I looked down on him, allowing my hunger to show in my gaze. But I wasn’t hungry for just food. Having him here—near me, touching me, holding me—without the feeling of shame or guilt was so electrifying that it was only increasing my desire and longing for him.
“Actually, I am.”
Mythic raised an eyebrow in response to the longing twinkling in my eyes. His lips curved into a smirk. “I’ll order something then.” His deep rumble was low and teasing, and his eyes glinted with perverted mischief.
I was unable to hide the way my heart raced at the way he looked at me. I exhaled slowly in relief of the peace this man gave me. I bit my lip as I glanced away, feeling the heat creep up my cheeks. “Okay.”
His gaze locked onto mine like he was searching for something deeper. “What are you in the mood for?”
I shrugged, trying to maintain my composure. “Surprise me.”
Mythic chuckled softly as he watched me with eyes filled with admiration and something much more intense. “I know what you like. I got you.”
I felt a flutter in my stomach. The tension was suffocating as we exchanged flirtatious glances, each moment stretching longer than the last.
I playfully shook my head and tore my eyes away from his. As I slipped into the bathroom, I realized that everything was shifting between us, and I wasn’t sure what it all meant. But for now, I just wanted to savor this moment and ride the wave.