Chapter 3
Icouldn’t believe it. Out of all the men in this damn city, it had to be him.
The same man who gave me one of the best nights of my life, sexually, would make or break my current business goal.
The one whose face I thought I’d never see again after I snuck out of that hotel room before sunrise.
He would be the man who owns Fuego Azul.
When I stepped into that office and saw him, I damn near passed out. My stomach dropped, my palms went slick, and for a split second, a bitch prayed the floor would just open up and swallow me whole. I wanted to vanish at that moment.
He looked the same. His beard was a little thicker and rougher, but still fine as hell.
It was crazy how a whole year passed, and I still got butterflies every time that man crossed my mind during that time.
That tailored suit hugged him just right, tattoos peeking from the open collar of his shirt as if they had their own attitude.
And that smirk? Lord, that smirk still did something to me.
My pulse jumped like it was that night again, in the hotel.
And the way he kept staring into my eyes when he dragged his tongue across those thick lips, slow and smooth, my mind went straight to places it shouldn’t.
I know he did that shit on purpose. For a split second, I wanted to jump across that damn desk and ride his face like I lost all my home training.
“Jesus, Zanova,” I muttered under my breath, shifting in my seat. “Get it together, girl. Ain’t no way in hell you about to let that man fuck you again.”
It was Friday, and since I didn’t have any cake orders, I opted to take the day off to do some cleaning, leaving my trusty employees to handle the bakery.
By the time I finished cleaning my entire house, I had polished off a whole bottle of wine.
I was tipsy and tired, but I still needed to get dinner started.
I had some chicken legs marinating in the fridge and all I had to do was throw them in the oven, along with some potatoes.
I’d put some asparagus in the steamer while I took my shower.
Finishing my nighttime routine, I made my way downstairs with some spare luggage for Nyala and placed by the door.
She wanted to borrow them for our trip to Ibiza.
We were leaving in two weeks, and I was happy to be getting away, even if it was for work.
I was waiting for dinner to finish and decided to put on some music.
Mary’s ”Your Child” came on, and I began to sing at the top of my lungs.
Tears streamed down my face, mixing with the lyrics that spoke of heartbreak and confusion.
I thought about the nights I spent wondering where Jerome was; the lies he told, and the moment I discovered the truth.
The red flags were there. I was just so in love, I looked past all the deceit and manipulation.
The melody wrapped around me, a bittersweet reminder of the love that once was and the trust that was shattered.
As I sang, I felt the ache in my chest intensify, but also a strange sense of release.
The music became my solace, a way to express the turmoil I felt inside.
The room seemed to hold its breath, absorbing my sorrow and offering a silent comfort.
At that moment, I felt broken and needed to find strength.
Suddenly, the music was cut off, breaking me from my personal concert when the man who was the cause of my heartbreak came strolling into the kitchen.
Our eyes met, and the reality of my pain settled in once more.
“Really, Nova?” Jerome looked at me with squinting eyes. He knew when I had Mary playing, it was because he’d fucked up.
“What are you doing here? Did you just break into my house?”
“Don’t worry about how I got in. And why is your luggage by the door? Where are you going?”
“None of your damn business, nigga! Don’t worry about me. Now get the hell out of my house before I shoot your ass for trespassing.”
Jerome's eyes turned cold once he realized what I said. Before I could blink, Jerome lunged at me. I went to take a step back, but he was quick on his feet. He wrapped his hands around my neck and slammed my back against the counter. The blow knocked the wind out of me.
“Who do you think you are talking to? Huh? I’m tired of your slick-ass mouth!” he yelled with spit flying out of his mouth.
This nigga had me fucked up putting his hands on me. I reached for the pot of water I had on the stove and tossed it onto his face. It wasn’t scorching hot, but it did the trick. As he hollered, gasping for air, I pulled a knife from the drawer and pointed it at him.
“Nigga, are you crazy? Don’t you ever put your filthy hands on me! You ain’t Ike, and I damn sure ain’t Tina. I’ll cut your ass!”
“Nova, I’m sorry, baby. I didn’t mean to do that. I don’t know what came over me. Please give me a chance to fix this and make things right.”
“Fix it? Can you rewind time and take back the first time you cheated? No! Can you take back that you have a fucking baby? No!” My voice trembled in anger.
He sighed heavily with his arms stretched out. “Baby, if I could, I would.”
“But you can’t! Now get your dirty dick ass out of my house!” My hand trembled as I held the knife to his chest.
“This house may have been given to you in the divorce, but I paid for it. Like I told you, I’ll give you some time to come to your senses. But just know, I’ll never let you go. And I damn sure won’t let another man have you.”
“Nigga, fuck you! And fuck your threats.” I felt a surge of anger as I stood my ground. “And I’m selling my house. Ain’t shit in here but bad memories anyway.”
As much as I loved this house, I wasn’t trying to have this nigga popping up as he pleases. Jerome committed the ultimate disrespect when he created life with another woman. Ain’t no coming back from that.
His eyes narrowed, smacking the knife out of my hand as he got in my space. “You think you can just walk away from me just like that?” He let out a sinister chuckle. “Nah, we are in this for life. Even divorced, it’s to death do us part, sweetheart. I’ll be seeing you, baby.”
With that, this crazy-ass man walked out of the kitchen laughing like he didn’t just threaten me.
I can’t front, he low-key scared me, but I wasn’t going to let him know that.
I’ve never seen this side of Jerome before.
He was acting out of character, as if it were I who cheated.
I knew I should’ve pulled the plug on my marriage a long time ago, but I forgave my husband for his initial infidelities out of love. But fuck that! And fuck love.
After the night I had last night, I woke up, got dressed, and took my ass straight to a real estate office.
Once I went through a good number of properties, I put in a bid for a nice condo instead of a house.
It was just me, so I didn’t need as much space.
I let the realtor know that I’d need to see it as soon as she could set it up.
She explained to me that she had a few openings in a new high-rise and that it was move-in ready.
Once she told me that I could have my keys in just a few days if my background check came back good, I handed over my down payment with the quickness.
Afterwards, my mother and I met for a late lunch at some brunch spot in downtown Melville. We’d just finished furniture shopping for my new condo, since I wanted all new furniture. I didn’t want to take anything from the house Jerome and I shared—not even a damn spoon.
“I know I’ve been telling you this all your life, sweetheart, but your dad and I are so proud of you. And I know your grandfather would be as well.”
“Aw, Mama. Thank you.” I smiled softly, hearing her say that and especially knowing my grandmother would be proud. It’s the reason I worked so hard. Zanova’s Tasty Treats gave me a piece of my nana with every cake I bake.
Swirling my mimosa glass before setting it back on the table, I responded truthfully, “Some days I don’t feel like it, but I'm trying.”
My mother reached across the table to grab my hand. “Baby, surviving what you've been through, still having the strength to get up, build a business, and now start fresh… That’s more than enough. That's a strength most women don’t even realize they have.”
Her words hit deeper than I expected. I blinked fast, fighting off the tears threatening to spill. I hated crying in public, but damn, I needed to hear that.
I cleared my throat and tried to lighten the mood. “Well, don’t go getting all sappy on me now. We still have to figure out how I’m gonna get a couch delivered before I move in.”
Mama chuckled, shaking her head. “Don’t worry about that. Your daddy already said he is going to help you get everything put together. You just focus on making that condo yours. New space, new energy. Leave the past right where it belongs.”
Her words replayed in my head as I leaned back in my chair, looking out at the bustle of downtown Melville.
For the first time in a long time, I felt something close to peace.
I wasn’t fully healed, not by a long shot.
Jerome’s threats still echoed in the back of my mind, like a storm I hadn’t seen the last of.
But sitting here with my mother, knowing I had a new place waiting for me, and a deal I’m sure I was going to get with Fuego Azul, my life was shaping up the way I planned.
I took a moment to promise myself that this time, I wasn’t letting anybody take these wins from me.
That Night