SOLEI Two Days Later
SOLEI
Two Days Later
Sunday morning came in the blink of an eye, and while I was excited to see my kids, I wasn’t thrilled to see Money. This was the transition day. I had to face him and pretend that seeing him didn’t affect me. I had to act like a co-parent, not like a woman torn between her heart and her mind.
I pulled up to the massive mansion he’d bought when I was pregnant with Solina. The house was filled with good and bad memories, promises, and lies.
Taking a deep breath, I said a silent prayer that this exchange would go as normally as possible.
I checked my reflection in the rearview mirror, making sure my makeup covered the dark circles under my eyes.
I’d barely slept since the coffee shop encounter, since Darius’s accusations, since everything had started spiraling out of control.
Stepping out of my Mercedes, I spotted a brand-new black Lamborghini out front.
The front door opened before I could knock, and there he was.
Money looked good as usual. He wore gray sweatpants low on his hips and a white t-shirt that showed off tattooed arms I’d traced with my fingers a thousand times.
His lineup was fresh, and his beard was gleaming.
“Right on time,” he said, eyes running over me. “Kids are almost ready.”
I walked past him, careful not to touch him or breathe in his cologne. Thanks to the maid, Ms. Shirley, the house remained organized and clean. Along the wall in the foyer, I noticed he’d recently put up pictures of us from our younger days.
“Junior! Soso!” Money called up the stairs. “Your mother’s here!”
Thundering footsteps preceded Solina as she came flying down the stairs. Flinging herself at me, she greeted me with the kind of enthusiasm only a seven-year-old on the autism spectrum could muster. “Mommy!”
I caught her, breathing in the smell of her. Coconut and vanilla. “Hey, baby. You have a good week?”
“So good! Daddy took us to the arcade the other night, and I won a stuffed unicorn, and Junior beat the high score on the racing game, and we had the cheesiest pizza and…”
“Breathe,” I said, laughing despite myself.
Junior came down more slowly. At thirteen, he was already almost as tall as Money at six-two with the same sharp features and intense eyes. He was going to break hearts someday. “Hey, Ma.” He hugged and kissed my cheek.
Money cleared his throat. “I refilled her prescription and Junior’s got a history report due Tuesday.” He looked directly at me. “We need to talk.”
My stomach tightened, then I exhaled, trying to push through my anxiety.
“Y’all go wait in the car. I’ll be right there.
” Solina ran to hug and kiss Money while Junior dapped him up.
I watched as Solina skipped out of the house.
Junior hesitated, his eyes flicking between us, uncertainty and worry clear on his face as if he sensed the tension hanging in the air.
“Go on,” Money said, gentler. “I just need to talk to your mom.” Junior still looked wary but followed his sister.
The second the door closed, the room's temperature dropped. Money didn’t move closer. He just stood there, hands in his pockets, watching me with those dark eyes that saw too much. “Five days, Soul,” he said quietly.
“What?”
He tilted his head. “You remember our conversation at the coffee shop, right? Or were you not payin’ attention?”
“Money…”
“I told you to handle that situation with this nigga.” His voice was calm, almost conversational, but there was steel underneath. “That was Friday. Today’s Sunday. Which means you have until this Friday to do what needs to be done.”
“You really can’t just give me ultimatums.”
“I can do whatever the fuck I want.” His voice was still calm and controlled, but the edge was there, sharp enough to cut. “And what I want is for you to stop playin’ house with that nigga and remember who you belong to.”
“I don’t belong to anyone.”
He smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes. “You keep tellin’ yourself that, baby, but we both know it’s a lie.” He took a step closer, and I forced myself not to back up. “I see you didn’t show up here wearin’ that ring, and I know he ain’t been there all weekend. Y’all beefin’, right?”
Rolling my eyes, I shifted my weight. “Stop having me followed, Montana.”
He took another step with his eyes locked on mine. “I know you’re runnin’ out of ways to lie to him about how you feel.”
“I don’t have time for this.”
“Maybe you think I’m playin’. Maybe you think this shit is a game and that I’m gon’ just sit back and watch you walk down the aisle to another man.”
“Get over it. Get over me!”
“Why? You haven’t.”
“Money, do not hurt him.”
“I might not have to,” he said simply, so matter-of-factly that it sent chills down my spine. “Darius is a smart man. He already knows he’s losin’ you. He’s just waitin’ for you to confirm it.” He leaned in with his mouth close to my ear. “Five days, Soul. That’s all you got.”
He pulled back just enough to look at me, and the expression on his face made my stomach drop. It wasn’t anger or even jealousy. It was cold, absolute certainty.
I suddenly felt like I couldn’t breathe or think straight.
The man in front of me wasn't the Money who’d held our babies and made me laugh, who’d once promised he would change.
Now, his cold certainty reminded me of the kingpin–the man who ruled with fear and never lost. The warmth I remembered was replaced by a terrifying sense of control.
“I’m not afraid of you,” I whispered.
“Yes, you are.” He said it gently, almost kindly.
“You're terrified. Not of me hurtin’ you ‘cause you know I’d never do that shit. You’re scared ‘cause you know I’m right.
You know you’re gonna choose me. You know this nigga doesn’t stand a chance.
” He stepped back, giving me space. “Five days, Solei. Use them wisely.”
“And if I don’t?”
The smile he gave me was cold enough to freeze blood. “Then I guess you’ll see just how far I’m willin’ to go to keep what’s mine.” He walked to the door and opened it. “Don’t forget about that Richardson problem as well. Drive safely, baby.”
I practically ran for the door, my hands shaking and my breath coming in short, panicked gasps. My body trembled as I slid behind the wheel, trying to calm myself. “Ma?” Junior’s voice broke through the haze, his concern clear. “You okay?”
“Fine.” I started the car, refusing to look back at the house or at Money, still framed in the doorway with that same cold certainty on his face. “Everything’s fine.”
There wasn’t a damn thing done, though. Too much was happening, and I could barely keep up. And I had five days to figure out what the hell I was going to do with my love life before Money made the decision for me.