Chapter 4 #3
As soon as she was close enough, Reese stepped to Nyelle, pulling her into a one-armed hug and kissing her cheek like they were cool.
I haven’t seen your ass in two months and barely talked to you.
She immediately snatched away as politely as she could, not wanting Reese to touch her, even if she missed it and longed for it.
He got me all the way fucked up. Nyelle made a point of putting some distance between them.
“We can talk out here.” She motioned to the hallway outside and Reese’s face contorted into a scowl. He knew she wasn’t really feeling him lately, but he still expected the same privileges he always received from her.
“Nah, we can go in there by your desk.”
“Out here or you can leave, Reese. I’m busy, so can we hurry this up?”
He gritted his teeth and Nyelle had to will herself not to be turned on by it.
There had been many nights when the two were at war—arguing, yelling obscenities, and cutting each other down—only to follow it up with the best sex she had ever experienced in her life.
He wasn’t her only, but he was her first. She had just recently experienced other men after she had proof of his infidelity by way of a very pregnant woman showing up at her job to tell her Reese was no longer hers.
“Your ass is really trippin’, Ny. It’s your job, so I’m not gon’ make a scene.” Reese wanted to snatch her up, but he knew better. A man like him would be found guilty on sight.
Reese stood six foot three with tatted arms, chest, neck, and hands. His entire demeanor and appearance reeked of all things illegal and he didn’t want any unnecessary smoke with the law.
Once the two were in the hallway and had stepped out of view from the massive glass doors that would give April a visual of them, Reese walked up on Nyelle.
She wasn’t intimidated by him like others were.
After years of being loved and protected by this man, she knew his heart.
He would never physically harm her, but emotionally, he had destroyed her entire being.
“Why you acting up? You really need to stop trippin, Nyelle.”
Her face was tight within seconds. “Acting up? Get the fuck on with that. How’s your daughter, Resano?” He wants to use government names then I’m gonna play along.
Reese knew she was trying to be funny, but he bypassed it and moved on. They had bigger issues. “I would tell you if I thought you really cared, but I know you don’t. I’m here about Nick. I wanna get him today.”
“I care about her wellbeing. She’s innocent in this. The actions of her trifling ass daddy that got her here are not her burden to bear and you can’t have Nick. He’s with my mama this week.”
“Then I’ll get him from there. I’m sure he needs a cut. Bank said you haven’t brought him by there.”
A smile stretched across Nyelle’s face. It was smug and her eyes showed amusement at the fact that Reese even let that flow from his mouth. “He just got a cut a few days ago.”
“Where?” Reese knew good and damn well she didn’t disrespect him by being up in a shop with a bunch of dudes who would be trying to fuck her.
Yeah, he dropped the ball, but that struck a nerve, knowing how muthafuckers were. At Bank’s shop, everyone knew him and would catch a hot one if they so much as looked at Nyelle too long. They didn’t want issues with Reese.
“East’s, down in midtown. It’s—”
“I know exactly where that shit is. Why you didn’t just take him to Bank’s or call me so I could? You don’t have no business up in a place like that.”
“Oh, word?” Her brows quickly hiked. “Single mothers do it all the time, Resano. How else you think shit is gonna get done?”
“You aren’t a single mother. Don’t fucking play with your life like that. I’m a father to my son, Nyelle.”
“Bruh, really? Two months. That’s how long it’s been. Why should I have to call you about shit that you know you need to do? Your daughter isn’t hurting for your time, but Nick can’t get that same consideration.”
“I don’t take care of you and Nick, Nyelle?
You trying to say I’m a deadbeat or some shit like that?
You really want to go there? I just put ten grand in your account a few days ago.
That expensive ass truck you drive is paid for, just like the condo you live in, and that shit is all in your name. So, miss me with that bullshit.”
“Your slow ass doesn’t get it. It’s not about money. It’s about time. Time that your daughter gets, but my son can’t.”
“See, why you so damn hateful? You keep bringing her up, but then say you don’t have any hard feelings about her.”
“I got hard feelings, but not toward her. Toward you. If you weren’t happy, all you had to do was tell me.
I’m grown enough to have let you move the fuck on, but nah.
You got me out here looking crazy. Had a whole baby when I thought we were in a good place.
And I knew. I knew shit wasn’t right. I kept asking you and you lied every time until your new bitch showed up with receipts, but that’s on me, though.
That’s my bad, but what you’re not going to do is get in your feelings about a simple haircut, when I know for certain that baby girl is straight. ”
“See, that’s all you can focus on.” Reese elected to skip everything else that she said, which Ny picked up on.
“How can I not when the hoe keeps tagging me in shit?”
“She only does that when it’s about the kids. Meela is Nick’s sister.”
“You must think I’m dumb. If it was a picture of Meela and Nick that she was tagging me in, cool.
But he has never even met his sister. I still wouldn’t like her playing me like that, but I would get it.
The hoe is tagging me in shit like her baby’s first bath and her baby’s first time out with your trifling ass.
She’s gon’ make me beat her ass with that petty shit, so you better check her. ”
“Aight, you got that. I’ll handle it.”
Reese knew that Michelle was doing too much, but he didn’t have time to police her every move.
He was making money most days. He also knew she did things like that because she knew no matter what, he would always be in Nyelle’s life, and she couldn’t stop him.
The only reason he wasn’t now was that he’d fucked up and was giving her space.
Michelle was insecure as hell, and for good reason.
He cared about her, but he loved Nyelle.
“First and last warning, Reese. I mean that shit.”
“I said aight, man, damn. But can I get Nick or what?”
“Have at it, playboy. I would like to see how that works out for you.”
Brenda Reid was a woman who loved and protected those dear to her. That meant Nick and Nyelle. The fact that Reese crushed her daughter’s heart placed him on her shit list. If he showed up at her house, she would likely shoot him and not think twice.
“Tell her I’m coming. I want to see my son, Ny. You not gon’ keep him from me.”
“Is your ass serious right now?” This time, it was Nyelle who wore a look of anger and disbelief.
“I have and never will keep your son from you. You want to see him, go see him. Come to the house where he lays his head, go pick him up from his grandmother’s house, see him whenever you want.
Hell, I would prefer that he saw you every day, but I know it won’t happen because he’s not important to you right now.
There is nothing stopping you from seeing Nicolas but a gotdamn choice to be a man. ”
Reese clenched his teeth and walked up on Nyelle again. She didn’t flinch nor did she move. She would fight anyone or anything for her son, a lion, a bear, a shark, even her pussy ass ex.
“You really on some shit. Tell your mother I’ll be by there.”
“I’m not telling her a gotdamn thing. Just show up.”
Reese glared at Nyelle and wanted to say more, but he knew he was at a disadvantage.
“Aight, bet.” He turned to leave but stopped mid-stride with his back to her.
“Oh, and if you’re mother of the year now, why you out drinking and shaking your ass when you should be at home with my son?
I know everything, Ny. Don’t forget who I am and what I’m about. You make it because I let you make it.”
“Kiss my ass,” she yelled at him before heading back to her office.
She knew that tracking her movements was only his way of making sure she wasn’t doing to him what he had done to her.
Nyelle hated to admit that Reese did indeed have eyes everywhere, but she was grown, single, and didn’t care about his feelings.
The second he said fuck hers, she shut down her ability to be concerned about what he thought or felt, and she didn’t see that changing anytime soon.