22. Legacy
CHAPTER 22
LEGACY
I woke up in Bless' bed with our bodies still tangled from the night before. Her head rested on my chest, so her hair tickled my nose. I could smell the faint scent of her hair oils. I stared up at the ceiling, feeling so much peace. This was where I was supposed to be.
Waking up with her in my arms felt natural and right. It felt like coming home after a long trip. Bless was my other half, the missing piece that completed me. Waking up with her like this felt like a promise, a new beginning. I wanted to be the man she deserved, to give her all the love and support she needed. I wanted to see her smile every morning, to hear her laughter fill the room, to watch our children grow up surrounded by the love we shared.
I gently tightened my grip around her, savoring the softness of her skin against mine. The rhythm of her breathing, slow and steady, was a soothing melody that lulled my restless thoughts.
Bless had always been my anchor, the one who kept me grounded when everything else seemed to spiral out of control. I thought about all the years we had spent apart, the mistakes I’d made, and the hurt I had caused her. Yet here we were, still finding our way back to each other no matter what.
As my fingers traced lazy patterns on her back, I felt her stir slightly in her sleep. Her movements were gentle as she lifted her head and rested her chin on my chest. Her eyes were still heavy with the passion we had shared all night. I had seized that pussy all night. I hadn’t told her that I wanted her back yet, but I’d shown her with each stroke, with each orgasm I’d designed.
She gave me a soft, content smile and then sighed. "We should get up soon. The kids will be awake."
As soon as she mentioned the kids, her expression shifted. The light in her eyes dimmed, replaced by a serious look that made me uneasy. I reached out, brushing a strand of hair from her face. "What's wrong?"
"I think you should go to therapy with the kids, particularly Eden. He needs it, Legacy. He's holding onto a lot of resentment."
I nodded slowly as I thought about it. "I was hoping things would get better once I came back to Chicago. But you're right. Eden hasn't changed. If anything, he's gotten worse."
"He needs to talk to someone, to process everything. And he needs a safe space to tell you how he feels and vice versa."
"I'll schedule some sessions," I promised.
Sighing with satisfaction, she nestled against me closer as if she were trying to merge her skin with mine. I locked her against me with a tighter grip as I kissed the top of her head.
This moment felt perfect, but I knew we needed more than just moments like this to fix what was broken.
"I appreciate you coming to the therapy session with me. I want us to go to regular couple’s therapy sessions."
Bless lifted her head slightly, surprise flickering in her eyes. "But we're not a couple, Legacy."
I anchored my eyes on hers, willing her to see the sincerity in them. "I want us to be a couple again. I want to fix things, to rebuild what we had. I love you, Bless. I miss you. Looking at you, I even miss you when I blink."
Her eyes softened as tears began to form.
"I look at my life right now and see strangers everywhere. I'm successful, rubbing shoulders with celebrities, but I don't truly know them, and they don't truly know me. I don't feel like myself. With you, I was both the best and worst version of myself. I miss who I was when I was with you. I'm doing well now, but I miss being your man. I miss being your protector. I miss taking care of you. I miss loving you. Even in my darkest times, I was happiest when I was with you."
She remained silent, but her tears spilled down her cheeks. I gently brushed them away with my thumb.
"My life is good now. I’m blessed, but I miss who I am when I'm with you,” I confessed. “I want to feel like myself again. I want to be the successful, sober man I am now and the man I used to be—the one who existed for you. I want to be both. You make me feel whole like I'm both my past and my future. With you, I’m complete. I exist for you, and my last breath will be spent whispering your name."
Bless choked back a sob as her body trembled against mine. "Legacy, I love you too," she whispered. Her voice broke as she told me, "I want nothing more than to be with you, to fix us, to heal together."
Hearing her say those words, my chest rose with relief and possessiveness. Even when she left me, the feeling that she was mine had never left. Now, it felt like she was finally back where she was supposed to be.
“But…” She sighed. “Riley… Do you truly forgive me?”
“Yeah,” I was able to answer quickly.
Her brows furrowed. “How?”
I shrugged. “I don’t know. I just understand that I had you in a complicated position back then. And I’m trying to give you the same grace that you gave me for years.”
Her expression filled with admiration as tears pooled in her eyes.
“That’s my daughter. She’s mine…” I paused when I heard emotions cause my voice to crack. “That’s my baby.”
“She is, but for medical reasons only we should know for sure. She’s yours regardless, but I can’t truly be in this relationship knowing that you still don’t know the whole truth.”
I reluctantly gnawed on my bottom lip, but I nodded.
Watching the reluctance in my face ignited a fire in Bless' eyes. She sat up on her elbow with her loving, appreciative gaze locked onto mine. Without breaking eye contact, she leaned in and started to kiss me slowly, her lips brushing against mine with tenderness that made my dick rock up.
Her soft hand slid down my stomach and started to massage my dick. Feeling how concrete it was, she moaned into our kiss. She straddled me, her bare breast dangling in my face. The rising sun streamed through the blinds, bathing her brown body in its light. I took a nipple into my mouth. She quivered under my soft suction of each breast as she brought my leaking tip to her center. As she lowered herself onto me, the heat of her made my breath catch. She began to sink down with torturous, deliberate slowness that drove me crazy. Inch by inch, I felt her envelop me, her slick, tight muscles offering eager resistance before yielding and embracing me fully. Each moment was a symphony of pleasure, her insides gripping and molding around me, drawing me deeper into her warmth.
Finally, she settled on me, taking every inch I had to give. Our bodies fused together in a perfect, intimate connection. The sensation was overwhelming, her body fitting me like it had been made for me, and I was lost in the bliss of being so completely joined with her.
Sitting back up, she looked at me and exhaled. "I’m so glad this dick is all mine again."
I could only groan in total agreement, my voice a low rumble of pleasure. She rocked her hips softly, creating waves of ecstasy that flowed through both of us. I trailed my fingers over the smooth curve of her hips, savoring the way her body moved against mine. My hands traveled upward, brushing over her delicious, firm breasts, feeling the soft rise and fall of her breath beneath my touch. Her skin was warm and inviting. Every inch of her was a tantalizing promise of more. Each movement, each touch, deepened our connection, and I lost myself in her rhythm.
I reached up and pulled Bless down into a tight embrace and kissed her hard. In mid-kiss, I lifted up and rolled over on top of her. I smoothly slid myself back into her depths, savoring each second that her slick walls stroked me. I slid out slowly and then back in. Each stroke into her burning entrance was as long and deep as I could make it.
She struggled beneath me, unable to take all of me but so willing to.
"You feel so good, baby," she whimpered.
I fucked her with intent, driving my dick in and out of her as deep as I could while she whipped her head from side to side on the bed beneath me, trying to be a big girl.
We ground against each other, moaning in concert. I felt a surging in my loins, and since I clearly felt a reciprocal wind up in Bless’, I just rode the wave. Thrust followed thrust, and I let my ecstasy erupt. A gasp ripped from my lips as I unloaded inside her. I felt the blast of cum rip outward and into her, and her own release surged in answer. She bucked against me and thrashed back and forth, gasping in orgasmic response.
Our passion spent itself against one another. I collapsed with my face smashed down between her breasts.
“You came inside me,” she whined as her nails started to make circles on my back. I chuckled guiltily. Since we’d started having sex again, we hadn’t been using protection, but I had at least been pulling out.
“I know. I’m sorry.” I chuckled embarrassingly. “The pussy was too good.”
As Bless got the kids ready for school, I ran to Walgreens and got her a Plan B.
When I returned to her house, the savory aroma of breakfast greeted me through the doorway. Using the key she had given me to enter felt so right, like this was how life was always meant to be. This felt like home, like everything had finally fallen into place. The sight of Bless moving around the kitchen with a new pep in her step and a satisfied grin on her face made me smile. Finally, she was truly at peace, and so was I.
As we ate breakfast, I watched as Eden noticed that the cordial distance between us had vanished. Bless and I had decided to wait to tell the kids that we were back together until after my therapy session with the kids. And when I noticed Eden’s disapproving grimaces every time his mother laughed with me or touched my shoulder, I knew that session needed to occur ASAP.
After breakfast, I volunteered to drop the kids off at school. Once I got them to school, I headed back home to change. Bless and I had plans to spend the day at the Luxe Assembly around the rooftop pool with Vibe.
On the drive back, I talked to Bless.
“You took that Plan B?" I pressed jokingly.
She laughed softly on the other end. "Yeah, I did. As much as I love you and am happy that we’re back together, I'm not trying to have any more kids. The three we have are enough."
I chuckled in agreement. "Wholeheartedly agree."
Pulling onto my block, I told her, "I just made it home. I'll call you back when I’m on my way to pick you up."
"Okay, I'll be waiting. Love you."
"Love you too," I replied before ending the call.
I parked the car and sat for a moment, reflecting on how much had changed. Things weren't perfect, but we were on the right path, and that was all I needed. I finally had my foot and dick in the door, and I wasn’t about to fumble the ball.
I climbed out of the car, feeling lighter and more hopeful than I had in a long time. I barely had time to close the door before Aesop showed up out of nowhere, shoving a gun to my head.
I gritted, in disbelief that I had been caught slipping. I wanted to fight back, but hoping to spare my life, I went completely still.
“Yeah, nigga, it’s time,” he taunted me with an evil slur.
My heart stopped, and a cold wave of fear washed over me. My mind raced as I tried to process what was happening. I could feel the cold metal pressing against my temple, and every nerve in my body screamed with panic. My breath hitched, and for a moment, I couldn't think straight. This was real, and the fear was like nothing I'd ever felt before. My thoughts flashed to Bless and the kids. I had to find a way out of this, but the shock was paralyzing.
"I can’t let a soul get away with playing me for as long as you did," Aesop said in a deep, threatening tone. "You paid me back, but this is interest."
My mind raced, desperately searching for the right words or a move to make. But before I could say anything, the sound of the gunshot was deafening, and searing pain exploded in my head. I staggered, my vision blurring as I instinctively drew my own gun from my waist and fired back in defense. I heard Aesop grunt in pain, but the world was already spinning out of control.
The pain in my head was unbearable, like someone had driven a red-hot spike through my skull. I fell hard on my knees, feeling like I was having an out-of-body experience. My limbs felt heavy and unresponsive as if they were no longer mine to control. The ground rushed up to meet me, and I hit the pavement face-first with a sickening thud.
Everything around me faded into a haze. I tried to focus, but my thoughts were slipping away. Images of Bless filled my mind—her smile, her touch, the way she’d looked at me that morning with love and hope. I clung to those visions, desperate to hold on to something real as the darkness closed in around me.
Bless ...
My vision dimmed, and the world grew distant and surreal. I felt myself drifting away, my body betraying me as consciousness slipped through my fingers.
The last thing I saw was her face, and then everything went black.
My last breath will be spent whispering your name.