Chapter 37
Chapter Thirty-Seven
CHAUNCEY
Breathe. Imagine that. I really tried to breathe without Rhy for at least two days, like I said I would. Tried to give her space. Tried not to smother her. Tried not to immediately hop on a jet and pop up in Dallas like some emotionally unstable husband going through withdrawal.
But after we talked earlier? After hearing her voice crack through the phone? After hearing her tell me she loved me before boarding that jet?
Yeahhh nah. I couldn’t do it. And the crazy part? Once she landed in Dallas… she ain’t checked back in with me again. That alone had my mind running laps. Because one thing about me? My imagination is dangerous as hell when it comes to Rhy.
And I already knew another man was in that city, emotionally attached to my wife. I may not know all the details yet, but I know enough. I can feel it.
So yeah… I knew it was time to catch a flight to Dallas. Not tomorrow. Not next week. Tonight. Vince stayed on standby exactly like he promised. Smart man. Because the second I called him, he already knew what time it was.
I ain’t even packed a bag either. Because truthfully? I don’t plan on leaving Texas until my wife is ready to leave with me.
Simple.
Whew.
I’ve been sitting in Dallas for almost three hours now, and honestly? This city is already irritating me. Traffic ridiculous. Everybody is moving too slowly. Too many niggas looking at women they can’t afford.
And imagine my surprise when I finally pulled up to Rhy’s townhouse and realized she ain’t even here.
Yeahhh.
That instantly fucked my mood up. I walked through the house slowly, anyway, taking in the unfamiliar space she built her life in without me.
Her scent still faintly lingered around the place.
Shoes near the door. Throw a blanket across the couch.
Nursing books stacked on the counter. Lip gloss in the bathroom.
Pieces of her everywhere. But no, her. Damn. I thought about calling her. My phone was already in my hand. But surprisingly? I stayed patient.
Barely.
Because if Rhy goes out with her girls, cool. I ain’t tripping on that.
But if she doesn’t make it home tonight? Yeahhh… It’s definitely going to be some fucking problems. I checked the time on my Richard Mille again for what felt like the hundredth time tonight.
Almost 2:00 a.m.
And Rhy still hadn’t made it home.
Whew.
Yeahhh… I know I gotta be evolving as a man because old Chauncey would’ve been crashed the fuck out hours ago. Especially considering how earlier she was talking about getting rest, going home, lying low before work.
Meanwhile, I’m sitting here in her condo alone like a damn house sitter.
And honestly? This bed is empty as hell without her.
I tried lying down for a little while, but that shit lasted all of five minutes.
The second I stretched across them, cold sheets without her curled up against me, I got irritated and got right back up.
Nah.
I can’t relax until I know where my wife is. I paced through her townhouse slowly again, trying to stay calm and occupied. The city lights poured through the windows while Dallas stayed loud somewhere in the distance, but inside?
Too quiet.
Dangerously quiet.
Whew.
I grabbed one of her nursing hoodies off the couch and sat back down, inhaling her scent like a damn addict trying to survive withdrawal. Yeah… I got it bad. But I’m trying to be patient.
Really trying.
Because I know Rhy has grown. I know she’s probably out with her girls. I know she deserves space after everything we’ve been through emotionally.
I know all that logically. But emotionally? Every minute she doesn’t walk through that door, my mind starts creating scenarios I don’t even wanna think about.
And I already know another nigga in this city emotionally attached to her. That alone is enough to have me fighting demons internally tonight.
I glanced back toward the clock again before rubbing my jaw slowly.
Aiight.
I’mma give her twenty more minutes.
That’s it.
Because if Rhy doesn’t walk through this door soon? Yeahhh… I’m definitely calling her to see what type of time she’s on. I could feel myself getting closer and closer to crashing the fuck out.
Whew.
Rhy was officially running outta time with me tonight.
I checked the clock again.
2:27 a.m.
Yeahhh nah.
At this point, my thoughts were running absolutely wild. Every possible scenario was playing in my head back-to-back, and I hated that shit because I was genuinely trying to evolve. Trying not to jump straight into anger. Trying not to let jealousy make decisions for me.
But damn. I cared too much to sit here comfortably, not knowing where my wife was this late in a city where another man was emotionally attached to her.
Fuck my ego. I just needed to know she was okay. And if I’m being honest?
I needed reassurance too.
Whew.
I rubbed my hands over my face and leaned back into the couch, trying to calm my thoughts when suddenly?—
Click.
The front doorknob turned slowly. Yeahhh. Finally. Instantly, every emotion in my body collided at once: relief, irritation, jealousy, love, anxiety.
All of it.
And it took EVERYTHING in me not to jump up immediately and meet her halfway at the door like some desperate ass husband starving for affection.
But nah. I needed to observe first. Needed to read the room. Needed to feel her energy before I reacted emotionally. The front door finally opened fully, and Rhy stepped inside, flipping the lights on softly.
And the second her eyes landed on me sitting there?
Her whole face lit up. “Chauncey…” She smiled softly.
Whew.
Yeahhh nah.
Rhy was definitely on one tonight because why the fuck is she stepping back inside this house looking single as hell?
That denim set is still hugging every inch of her body. Hair is slightly bigger from the humidity outside. Gloss still shining on her lips.
And Lord…
No bra.
Rhy always sat up naturally. Perfect. Never needed extra support. And selfishly? That was something I always felt belonged to my eyes only.
The second she started sliding her jacket off her shoulders casually, my jaw tightened immediately.
“Keep your jacket on…” My voice came out lower than intended. “And come here.”
Whew.
Rhy paused briefly before doing exactly what I said without argument.
That alone softened me slightly.
She walked over slowly and stood right between my legs while I sat there studying her face carefully.
I wrapped my hands around her waist and pulled her closer instinctively before inhaling her scent.
And that’s when it hit me. Another man’s cologne.
Damn.
I knew that scent immediately. The hospital.
Him.
Whew.
My whole chest tightened instantly, but I kept my expression calm because right now? I wasn’t looking for a fight. I was looking for honesty. And suddenly it made perfect sense why she tried to take that jacket off so fast the second she walked in.
Rhy wrapped her arms around my neck the second I pulled her closer, and damn near instantly, I buried my face between her neck and shoulder, holding her against my chest like I needed reassurance she was really here.
Because honestly? I did need it. Bad. Her skin warm against mine instantly calmed some of the chaos that’d been eating me alive for hours.
Whew.
“You have fun tonight?” I asked quietly against her skin.
“I did.”
Something about that answer irritated me and comforted me at the same time.
“You look good as fuck,” I muttered honestly.
And she did. Dangerously good.
“Thank you.”
Whew.
I tightened my hold around her waist slightly before speaking again.
“You want me to catch a few bodies?”
That made her laugh softly against me almost immediately.
“I don’t.”
Good.
Because honestly?
I was trying really hard not to crash out tonight.
“I missed you,” I admitted quietly.
And damn… saying that out loud felt vulnerable as hell.
“I missed you too.”
Whew.
I finally pulled back just enough to look at her face carefully.
“You sure about that?”
Because after sitting in this townhouse alone for hours, imagining every possible scenario known to mankind, I needed to hear certainty from her directly.
“I’m positive.”
Lord.
I studied her expression for another second before finally deciding to stop dancing around the real shit sitting in the room between us.
“I’ve been here for a few hours waiting on you,” I admitted quietly. “I ain’t think you was gone show up.”
That visibly softened her instantly.
“I was out with my friends,” she explained carefully. “Before I pack my things and leave this city.”
Whew.
And despite everything?
Hearing her talk about leaving Dallas for me still felt unreal.
But then I finally asked the question that’d been burning holes through my chest since she walked through that door smelling like another man.
“You see him too.”
Silence.
Then finally:
“I did.”
Damn.
My jaw tightened automatically, but I kept my composure because, truthfully? I respected her more for telling me the truth immediately instead of trying to hide it.
“What happened with that?” I asked evenly.
Rhy looked me dead in my eyes before answering.
“We had a conversation.”
Whew.
“And I told him I’m back with my husband… so it’s a wrap.”
Damn.
“I can no longer continue this.”
That line hit me differently because now I understood: Whatever existed between them? It was real enough to need a goodbye.
Fuck.
“And what did he say?”
“He accepted it.” Her voice softened slightly. “As long as I’m happy and this is what I want.”
Whew. That response humbled me in a way I wasn’t expecting. Because any man mature enough to let her go peacefully while heartbroken? Yeahhh… he probably loved her for real too.
I stared at her quietly for another second before asking the only thing that truly mattered to me now.
“Is this what you want?”
No ego. No pressure. No manipulation. Just truth. Rhy held my face carefully between her hands before answering softly:
“It is.”
And somehow?
That one answer finally let me breathe again. I slid Rhy out of her jacket and wrapped my arms tightly around her waist, pulling her flush against my chest like I was making up for every second we spent apart.
“I appreciate your honesty,” I admitted quietly. “And keeping it real with me.”
Rhy ran her fingers slowly across the back of my neck.
“It’s too hard keeping up with lies,” she whispered softly. “Being honest is easier.”
Whew.
I stared at her for a second before laughing dryly under my breath.
“On some real shit, Rhy…” I tightened my hold around her waist slightly. “This world ain’t big enough for me and another man to roam around loving you in the same capacity.”
A small smile tugged at the corner of her lips.
“Jealous.”
“I am,” I admitted without hesitation.
Because at this point? There was no reason to lie about any of it anymore.
“I don’t know what tomorrow is going to bring,” I continued softly while brushing my thumb across her cheek. “But I wanna spend the rest of my life cherishing you… loving you… waking up beside you every day if you’ll allow me to.”
Whew.
Rhy’s eyes softened instantly.
“I’m holding you to each and every one of those things.”
And honestly?
That’s exactly what I wanted her to do.
I lifted her up instinctively, and she wrapped her legs around my waist while laughing softly against my lips. I carried her through the condo toward her bedroom like my body already knew the way.
But tonight, didn’t feel like lust. Not fully. This felt like relief.
Like healing.
Like finally finding our way back to each other after spending too much time lost.
I laid Rhy gently across the bed and hovered over her for a moment, taking her in quietly. The woman I almost lost. The woman I never stopped loving, even when I was too immature to love her correctly.
Whew.
Rhy pulled me down toward her by my chain and pressed her forehead against mine.
“No more chaos,” she whispered softly.
“Never again,” I promised.
And for the first time in a long time…that promise didn’t feel impossible to keep.
I kissed my wife slowly while the Dallas skyline glowed quietly outside her bedroom windows, sealing every broken piece of us back together with one final kiss.
The End…