Chapter 24
“Ionly have about twenty minutes so—"
“Why the fuck you ask me to come here if you didn’t have time to talk?” Reese glared at Nyelle, annoyed that she was basically hoeing him. She was completely controlling the narrative between the two of them right now and his ego was suffering because of it.
“Twenty minutes is all I need. I just want to be sure you’re clear on the difference in co-parenting and—"
“And you’re fucking another man trying to replace me in my son’s life and yours.
” Reese felt himself slipping but he couldn’t help it.
No matter how badly he had fucked up, he didn’t want to lose the one person he knew always put him first, stood by him, and would never do him dirty.
Even now, the two of them were ducked off in the corner of a small café near her job to discuss their future and he showed up with the child he cheated on her to create.
Did Nyelle trip? Not even a little. She doted over his daughter, kissed her face, and spoke on how beautiful she was.
Nyelle was a grown ass woman who he took for granted and basically shitted on for the childish person who was now the second person to bear a child for him.
Reese hated everything about Michelle but was stuck with her.
He loved Nyelle with everything he had but could no longer have her.
“Stop cutting me off or you can leave now,” Nyelle warned, not moved by Reese’s tantrum.
Her goal was to come to an agreement on how they could co-parent their son.
It had been two weeks since the incident with Vega and Reese.
Things needed to be settled because the unknown held her hostage.
During that time, she placed a lot of consideration on what she wanted, what made her happy, and how she planned on pursuing it.
At the root of everything was Vega. Since their talk after leaving his brother’s house he had fallen back some.
They talked and had seen each other in passing, but Vega made it clear that he needed Nyelle to be sure about what she wanted.
That was the reason she reached out to Reese.
Nyelle wanted Vega. That meant being clear to Reese that under no circumstances did she want him back and he would have to deal with watching her move on with her life.
“Aight. Go ahead and hit me with that bullshit you think I’m about to run with then I’ll tell you how things are really going down.
” Reese shrugged, leaning back in the metal chair, hands folded together and placed on top of the table.
Nyelle’s narrowed eyes traced his body from head to toe, with anger filling her by the second.
It made no sense for the man to be so fine yet so damn disrespectful and evil at the same time.
“I asked you to meet so we can talk about co-parenting our son. You show up with the reason why we are no longer together, yet I’m on some bullshit? You really got me all the way fucked up and life twisted, Resano.”
Shaking his head, Reese offered a smirk.
He knew he was dead ass wrong for bringing his daughter, but he was stuck.
Michelle dipped out on him without saying a damn word.
He found out where she was only when he woke up to his daughter screaming her head off.
After calling Michelle and getting no answer, she hit him back with a text saying she was with her girls shopping and would be home later.
Reese was pissed and knew he likely needed time away from her so he didn’t knock her fucking head off when he saw her.
But either way, it landed him here with his baby girl.
“Why you always bring her up if you don’t have a problem with her, Nyelle?”
“Because it’s fucked up!” she yelled, clenching her face and fists at the same time before she shut her eyes to regain composure.
“That baby is innocent. I can’t hate her even if I want to.
My point is this, you moved on. You have no right to try and tell me I can’t.
I am moving on, Resano. You need to get that shit in your head and deal with it.
No more popping up at my place or getting in your feelings because you see me kissing another man.
I’m going to be doing a hell of a lot more than that with Vega, so grow the fuck up, be a father to your son, and leave me the hell alone. ”
Reese wanted to reach across the table and grab Nyelle by the throat.
The thought of her giving herself to anyone but him was not only a punch to his ego, but it infuriated him beyond explanation.
The worst part was he had no dog in this fight.
Unfortunately, that didn’t stop Reese from pretending he did.
“You really believe that?”
Nyelle chuckled and shook her head. “Yes, because it’s the truth.”
“So you’re willing to fuck him knowing that’s all he wants from you? I hope you don’t think he’s about to be around my son.”
“You’re so gotdamn childish. If that’s all he wants then that’s something I’ll have to deal with. I’m a grown ass woman, Reese. I can handle my life choices. Can you?”
Nyelle’s eyes went right to Reese’s baby girl sleeping peacefully in her car seat on the floor next to her father. Reese’s nostrils flared at the same time his jaw tightened. Again, Reese had nothing he could stand on.
“He is not gonna be around my son.”
Closing her eyes with a silent prayer in the works, Nyelle summoned strength before she spoke her piece. “So, the same applies to your new bitch. She’s not gonna be around my son?”
“That shit isn’t the same and you know it,” Reese tossed out, like it was simply facts.
Laughing angrily, Nyelle stood because she now realized the conversation was going nowhere.
Reese was never going to face his truth.
He messed up and would never have Nyelle or her trust again.
She needed to let go of the idea of him owning his truth and instead she decided to force it on him.
“It’s the same, Resano. As long as she doesn’t do anything to disrupt my son’s happiness or physically harm him, then y’all do your thing.
I would never stop Nick from being with you or around her.
He needs to build a relationship with his sister and possibly that hoe too since she might be around for a minute.
What I need you to know is you’re going to offer me the same respect.
I would never have Nick around anyone who would do him harm.
Whether you like it or not, you know that, so grow the fuck up and deal. ”
Nyelle walked away, leaving Reese to face the reality he wasn’t ready to accept. He’d lost the best thing in his life. At this point, he wasn’t sure how to deal with it or if he could accept it, but Nyelle wasn’t giving him a choice. Without another word, she walked away, and he let her, for now.
When Nyelle made it back to her workspace, she opened her drawer to get her phone and noticed a missed call from Vega. Unable to help the smile that replaced the annoyance Reese had caused, she dialed Vega right back.
“You must be up to no good since you’re screening calls.” Vega’s deep voice flowed through Nyelle’s ear but was felt throughout her body. He had that kind of effect on her.
“I wasn’t screening calls. My phone was at my desk and I just got back to it.”
“Yeah, aight. Let me find out you doing something I don’t approve of.
” There was a teasing tone to Vega’s voice, but Nyelle was well aware that he was serious.
Vega wasn’t the jealous type that she could tell, but he also was very clear about what he wanted and how he was fucking with who he considers his.
In his mind, Nyelle was his, which meant anyone who shared her time needed to be approved by him.
“I was with Reese.” She hadn’t mentioned she was meeting him, so Nyelle paused, waiting for Vega’s reaction.
Reese hadn’t come up over the past week.
Vega spent his time addressing their growing relationship, his business ventures, and the things going on in Nyelle’s life, with the exception of her ex.
Vega didn’t give energy to anything he felt was irrelevant, and to him, Reese was irrelevant as a muthafucker.
“Oh yeah?” His voice was even and void of emotion. Nyelle couldn’t decipher how he felt about her meeting Reese, but knowing Vega, she was well aware he didn’t care. Confidence was not something he fell short of.
“I asked him to meet so I could be clear with him about my plans.”
“Which are?”
“To be with you.”
“And what did he have to say about your plans?”
Nyelle laughed and rolled her eyes. “He didn’t like it, but I don’t care. I want to be happy. I think I can be happy with you—"
“Think?”
Nyelle’s smile grew. “I know I can be happy with you. You’ve been giving me space to figure it out, to be sure, and I appreciate you doing so, but it’s not necessary anymore. I want this.”
“And what is this?”
“You, us. Trying to build something, that’s if you still want it to happen.
” Nyelle damn near held her breath. It was very possible he didn’t.
Vega was fine as hell, paid, and every woman’s dream.
He wasn’t perfect, but she noticed how women gravitated to him.
His personality, his looks, his whole being drew folks to him.
Putting up with drama from a woman who had a kid and an ex with no plans on moving on wasn’t necessarily a selling point.
“Since the night I met you, I have been consistent about what I want. It hasn’t changed, Pretty Ny.”
Nyelle’s entire soul relaxed as she exhaled a slow breath. “Are you busy later?”
“I have a few things but nothing I can’t move around.”
“Good, I want to cook dinner for us.”
“Us?”
“Yes, us. Me, you, and Nick,” she paused again, “that’s if you’re okay with that. If we do this, I need to know he’s comfortable with you and you’re comfortable with him. It’s important.”
“No doubt. What time?”