Page 55 of If You Love Me

I chuckled. “Don’t mess around and throw out your hip.”

He waved me off. “I’m in great shape. Look at these guns.”

He flexed a muscle, and it made me playfully roll my eyes. “Okay, sir. Put the muscles away. I don’t need anybody mistaking you for my sugar daddy instead of my father.”

He laughed. “Oh, please. Even if I were a single man, I could never be a sugar daddy, baby girl. I’m not that desperate, and I only spend money on women I love. If their names aren’t Cheryl, Evenie, or Summer Rose, they can’t get shit out of me. Please believe that.”

The server returned with our drinks, and we placed our orders. I didn’t miss her smiling extra hard at my dad, but he paid her no mind at all. Not even the slightest acknowledgment.

“So… how was your session?” he asked when she was gone.

“It was… a breakthrough. I actually talked to her today.”

“That’s good. I’m proud of you. Your mama and I try to give you space and not ask too many questions, but you know we are always here for you if you need to vent.”

“I know, Daddy.” I took a sip of my drink. “I think I need to slowly ease myself into coming outside alone. I have to get over this fear of being taken again.”

“Move at your own pace, baby.”

“I will. What do you think about me getting a gun?”

His eyes widened. “You ready for that?”

“I think I would feel better with protection on me. I mean, I can fight, but fists can only do so much in desperate times.”

“Well, if you want, I can contact a buddy of mine that teaches a gun safety course. With the amount of time that’s passed, I’m sure your concealed weapons permit has expired.”

I’d gotten my permit at the same time Nina got hers. I just never had a reason to carry a gun because she always had hers or Tyrion had his. Being that I was rarely without either of them, I didn’t see the need. Times had changed, and the need had risen.

“I’ll take you up on that,” I said.

“I’ll make the call, and it’s on me.”

“Daddy—”

He cut me off with the wave of his hand. “I ain’t trying to hear no lip about it, Evenie. I take care of the women in my house.”

I shook my head. This man was never going to change, and I loved that about him. If I could count on anybody to always be himself, it was David Long. Our food returned after another ten minutes or so. My father said grace, and we dug in. Like always, I enjoyed our time together. We took a trip down memory lanewith my childhood, comparing me and Summer Rose at her age. She was more like me than I ever could have imagined, and I loved that.

After an hour and a half, we were headed back home. With the itis kicking in and my body feeling the effects of not sleeping much, I decided I would take a nap. When we walked into the house, the first thing I noticed was the look on my mother’s face. My father immediately went to her. They spoke softly for a minute before he turned to me.

“What’s wrong?” I asked, setting my things down.

“Baby…” my mother said faintly, “you uh… you got a package today.”

“A package?”

She picked up a manilla envelope and handed it to me. I frowned as I reached for it. There was nothing written on the front, not even my name. I could tell my mother had opened it. When I unwrapped the string from the tab and reached inside, my eyes widened at what I pulled out.

Divorce papers.

18

Tyrion

I’d officially set myself up for failure.

If the last two weeks had taught me nothing, it was that I was unhappy as hell. There was no denying it. I was walking around here miserable. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t shake Evenie from my system. I’d prayed and asked God to align my life and actions with my heart, but the truth was, I was the only person who could do that. I knew what I wanted, and I knew what I had to do to have it.

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