Chapter 23 Khloe #2
Coffee raised her glass in approval and disappeared back into the crowd. Before I could fully turn around, strong hands wrapped around my waist and I knew it was Kairo. He pulled me to the side, away from the party.
“You did amazing,” he said, smiling at me. “She’s really enjoying herself. I’m so proud of you, baby.”
There was nothing in the world that made me happier than hearing that from him. Between Kennedi and Kairo, my entire world revolved around making them proud of me.
He leaned down and tongue kissed me like we weren’t at a teenage party. I was getting hot, but I had to catch myself. I pulled away laughing and I just looked at him. God… he was so damn fine. His suit fit perfectly, and I was proud to say that he was my husband.
What are you doing? I already have everything I need right in front of you, I thought.
He smiled against my lips. “Are you ready to give her the car?”
I gasped because I had forgotten all about it. “Oh my God, yes!”
We still hadn’t shown Kennedi her gift, and the thought of her reaction made me grab his hand immediately as we headed toward the foyer to make sure everything was set before announcing for everyone to come outside.
As we turned the corner near the bathrooms, we ran into Ty walking out, laughing with another woman and a little girl trailing behind them.
“Ty!” I smiled, pulling her into a hug. “Thank you for coming.”
Ty was Niv’s best friend, but over time she’d become a friend.
“Wouldn’t miss it,” she said.
She turned slightly. “This is my girlfriend, Mariah.”
I paused just a fraction. Girlfriend girlfriend Or friend who is a girl girlfriend? It wasn’t the time to investigate, so I just left it alone.
Mariah was beautiful, but what caught my attention was the ring on her finger that looked like an engagement ring. That instantly confirmed what I thought I’d heard at our last girls night. I was too drunk to remember what all we talked about.
Still, I smiled and hugged her. “Thank you for coming.”
She returned the hug politely. My attention shifted to the little chocolate girl standing beside her, holding a little cute purse almost as big as her arm. She couldn’t have been older than four or five.
I bent down to her level. “And who is this beautiful princess?”
Mariah smiled. “This is my goddaughter.”
“What’s your name, baby?”
The little girl smiled so big. “Silver.”
Something inside my chest just warmed. She was so beautiful.
I smiled back, but my mind scrambled. There was something familiar about her.
Her smile and the way she tilted her head.
It was like I’d seen her before… or she reminded me of someone I knew.
I searched my memory, trying to place it, but nothing came.
“Well thank you for coming, Miss Silver,” I said, hugging her little body. “Make sure you get all the snacks you want tonight, okay?”
She nodded before grabbing Ty and Mariah’s hand. I stood up slowly, still feeling that strange sense of recognition tugging at me. But Kairo was already standing in the entrance, placing the bow on her truck for the big reveal, so I shook the thought away and hurried to catch up with him
He turned the second he felt me walk up beside him.
“You good?”
I nodded. “Yeah.”
Before I could say anything else, the doors swung open and Coffee came rushing outside, heels in one hand, drink in the other.
“The DJ is about to announce for everyone to come outside!” she said dramatically. “Y’all better get ready!”
Kairo laughed. “Alright, alright.”
The photographer hurried over next. “Mr. and Mrs. Givelle, can I grab a few shots before the crowd comes out?”
We looked at each other and nodded. “Of course.”
The truck sat behind us under soft lights, ribbons tied perfectly across the hood. The pink shimmered even prettier at night. We stood together in front of it, smiling as the camera flashed.
“Closer,” the photographer said.
Kairo wrapped an arm around my waist, pulling me against him.
Click.
Click.
Click.
Then, from across the parking lot, Coffee screamed at the top of her lungs. “KISS HER AND GRAB HER BUTT, KAIRO!”
I doubled over laughing.
Kairo shook his head looking at the photographer. “She’s drunk.”
But he did it anyway. His hand slid lower, squeezing my ass while he kissed me. I laughed into his mouth before pulling back, still smiling. Instead of letting me go, he kept his hand on my waist.
He looked at me like he was looking at my soul.
“I know… over the years you’ve had a lot on your plate. Balancing everything. Being a mom, holding our house together, loving me even when I was gone more than I should’ve been…”
“I appreciate you,” he continued. “And I see you, Khloe.”
My eyes immediately filled with tears.
“I hate that it took me so long to really see you,” he said softly. “But I do. I see how hard you’ve been loving us… loving me. I’ll spend the rest of my life showing you how much I appreciate you.”
Those were the words I’d been waiting on for years. My throat tightened as emotion rushed through me.
“Thank you,” I whispered, barely able to speak.
He brushed his thumb across my cheek. “You deserved to hear that a long time ago.”
The DJ’s voice suddenly boomed through the speakers.
“Everybody make your way outside to the front entrance!”
Kairo kissed me again. “It’s time,” he said, stepping back. He walked toward the entrance to help gather everyone, leaving me standing there with my thoughts. And my guilt.
In that moment, everything became painfully clear. Stacks fulfilled me in pieces. Excitement. Escape. Attention. Fantasy. But Kairo… Kairo was my entire life. My history. My family. My home. He wasn’t a chapter. He was the whole book. My hands trembled as I pulled my phone from my clutch.
A message from Stacks sat waiting.
Stacks: You good? Just checking on you.
My chest tightened. For a second, I almost didn’t do it. I almost convinced myself I could keep balancing both worlds. But Kairo’s words echoed in my mind.
I see you.
I typed before I could change my mind.
Please don’t make me explain this in person. Our friendship… everything… has to end today. I’m married, and I need to work on my marriage. Please take care of yourself. I’m sorry for any hurt I may have caused you.
Then I pressed send. The message disappeared and with it… the illusion I had been living in did too. I slipped my phone back into my bag just as the doors opened again and Kennedi stepped outside.
Her custom pink Grand Cherokee sat glowing under the lights like it had been waiting her entire life for that moment.
She froze before her hands flew to her mouth.
“Oh my God… OH MY GOD!” She screamed, jumping up and down before bursting into tears. I laughed through my own tears as she ran toward us, throwing her arms around both me and Kairo.
“I love y’all so much!” she cried. We hugged her tightly, both of us emotional watching her reaction.
Seeing her happy like that made every stressful moment worth it.
Every sacrifice. Every sleepless night. Every worry.
She pulled back, wiping her face, staring at the car like it might disappear if she blinked too long.
Kairo had begged her to choose something more luxurious, but Kennedi wanted a pink Grand Cherokee.
It was her dream car. Maybe it was my fault—years of Barbie Jeeps and toy SUVs for her dolls—but I loved how humble she was despite everything we could give her.
Kairo still upgraded it to the newest model with every feature imaginable.
She posed for pictures nonstop—with us, with friends, with family—laughing harder each time. We assumed she’d want to drive off immediately, but instead she waved us off.
“I wanna finish my party first!”
Kairo laughed. “That’s my girl.”
I didn’t mind. She wanted to soak in the moment to laugh, dance, and just be sixteen.
As everyone flooded back inside, music growing louder again, I stood there for a second longer watching her through the glass doors happy, free, and unburdened.
I felt like I had finally chosen the life I didn’t want to lose.
I walked back inside while everyone ran back to the dance floor. I saw Mamma G standing off to the side near one of the tall cocktail tables, watching everything like she always did when she was proud but trying not to cry.
She wasn’t watching the crowd, she was watching Kennedi.
Watching her laugh, dance, and become a young woman right before all our eyes. I walked over and wrapped my arms around her. She hugged me tight, rubbing my back the same way she had when I told her that I was pregnant and terrified of motherhood.
“Our little baby is just growing up,” she said. “I remember when you and Kairo were sixteen… and now she is.”
I smiled, blinking back tears. “I know. It makes me cry every time I think about it… we were babies raising a baby.”
“Tell me about it.” She laughed. “And y’all stubborn asses wanted to be so independent.”
I laughed too because that conversation never changed. We had it at least three times a year.
“Because I wanted to be mature,” I admitted. “We made that decision. She was our responsibility. I felt like if I was grown enough to lay down and make a baby, then I needed to be grown enough to raise her.”
Mamma G shook her head, smiling. “You’d rather hire a nanny before asking family for help.”
“She was great, and Kennedi loved her.” I laughed.
“And it hurt my feelings every time I came over and saw my baby with her while you studied and Kairo worked,” she said, rolling her eyes.
I leaned into her side. “You know I love you.”
“I know, baby.”
She looked me up and down. “I like that dress.”
I smiled. “Thank you.”
She nodded slowly, sipping her drink. “Yeah… it’s good to see you dressing up again.”
“What do you mean?”
She tilted her head. “You went from classy never half stepping Khloe… to jeans and T-shirts Khloe overnight. You were never home and rarely at your dad’s office like Kairo thought you were.”
My stomach dropped and confusion flooded my face. Where was that coming from? Why was she saying all that?
She smiled gently, almost sadly. “You know I look at you like a daughter… not a daughter-in-law.”
I swallowed hard bracing for whatever she was about to say.
“I understand my son hasn’t always been the husband you deserved,” she said, grabbing my hand. “Ambition can make a man absent without him realizing it.”
My hands started to feel cold.
“But be careful,” she said looking into my eyes. “Because if I can recognize the signs… please know someone else can too.”
My heart started pounding so loud I could barely hear the music anymore.
I shook my head quickly. “Mamma G… I don’t know what you’re talking about—”
She lifted one finger and pressed it gently against my lips.
“Aht. I’d rather you stay quiet than lie to me.”
My heart was beating so damn fast.
“I am a woman before anything,” she said. “And I have lived in the exact shoes you’re standing in. Loving a man whose ambition sometimes feels louder than his love.”
Tears burned behind my eyes.
“You had an itch,” she leaned over whispering in my ear. “And you got it scratched.”
I felt exposed, seen, and completely undone.
“I hope you had fun,” she said. “And I hope you learned something about yourself.”
Her expression shifted to more seriousness but still loving.
“But I will not standby and watch you hurt my son.So do what you need to do and end it,” she finished, “before I have to step in.”
My chest tightened.
“I love you,” she said before hugging and kissing my cheek. Then she walked away like she hadn’t just rearranged my entire soul.
I stood there frozen, stunned, humiliated, and shaking. I felt small, embarrassed, and reckless.
The signs to end things with Stacks were happening back to back. If that wasn’t God speaking through her… I didn’t know what was.
I slowly pulled my phone from my clutch. I had three missed calls from Stacks.
I felt bad seeing his name. He was probably confused, hurt, and blindsided by the message I sent.
Guilt weighed on me again. He had been kind, attentive, and present. Breadcrumbs that I thought I needed since I didn’t get it from home.
But standing there… watching my daughter celebrate her life… hearing my mother-in-law’s warning still ringing in my ears…
I finally understood that someone was going to get hurt no matter what.
And I hated to admit it, but I’d rather that be Stacks… than to destroy my husband, my family, and the life we built together.
I silenced my phone, slipped it back into my purse, and forced myself to breathe. Then I wiped my eyes, lifted my chin, and walked back toward the dance floor.