Page 8 of Bully

“It’s been nine months.”

“So? I have a thriving business and a six month old. I’m not thinking about no man right now.”

She sucked her teeth and crossed her arms over her chest. “You need to be. I don’t want to see you turn into a shell of yourself. You never do anything anymore. Even when you don’t have my grandbaby you spend your free time cooped up in that house.” Her voice softened when she added, “I just… want to make sure Bully didn’t… break you.”

Gritting my teeth as my eyes watered, I nodded. I understood and appreciated where she was coming from. She was right. Since the wedding, I hadn’t really done anything fun consistently beyond play around the house or park with my baby. It wasn’t an intentional shrinkage, and I certainly wasn’t trying to let the darkness of that day dim my light. But it was easier said than done when you had to move on from what you thought would be your forever. Bully wasn’t just my fiancé—he was my person. My soul mate. My best friend.

We did everything together, shared everything together.

I didn’t know how to do life without him in it now, and this was the only way I knew how to adjust. It wouldn’t last forever, but for right now, it was what gave me peace.

“I’m not broken, Ma. Maybe just a little bent. I feel like I have to grieve a relationship, a person, that’s still alive. My method might worry you, but I’m doing what’s best for me. I’m okay. Really.”

“If that changes, there’s a nice young man working at the clinic now,” Daddy said. “He has a three year old daughter. The mother is in the picture, but they have a healthy coparenting relationship.”

All I could do was smile and shake my head because they were impossible. I sat around for a few minutes more until he was done with the yogurt bowl. I gave my baby all my love in hugs and kisses before saying goodbye to my parents and heading out. When I made it to my spa, I could have sworn that same dark car from earlier was outside but that was impossible. Shaking my paranoid thoughts off, I headed into my spa for what I needed to be a smooth and successful day.

* * *

That Next Morning

I underestimated the fall.My body was sore, the cuts burned, and my leg waskillingme. I was in so much pain I got me and baby girl dressed then got right back in bed. The last thing I wanted to do was cancel my appointments for the day, so I planned to take some Advil and hoped that made the pain go away. At the sound of the gate opening, I tried to shoot up as quickly as I normally would andinstantlyregretted it. Limping over to the window, I smiled at the sight of Moore pulling my bins back into the gate.

There was no way I’d be able to make it downstairs before he left, so I lifted the window and called his name. He looked up at me and smiled. Unlike the dressed down version of him I saw yesterday, Moore was dressed in a black suit that made him look twice as good.

“Up!” I turned to see Innah holding her arms up, wanting me to pick her up. I wobbled over to the bed and grabbed her then returned to the window.

“Good morning,” I spoke.

“Good morning, beautiful. Y’all good up there?”

“Yes. I just wanted to thank you again for taking care of that.”

“No problem at all. Your daughter is a cutie pie. Those chubby little cheeks!”

I beamed in pride as I looked at Innah. She was truly all the good things about her father and me wrapped up in one. She had Bully’s skin tone and eyes, but everything else about her face looked just like mine.

“Thank you, Moore. The cheeks definitely have the power to help the little one get away with anything.”

“I bet,” he said through his chuckle. “You have a good day, aight?”

“You too. Um… I usually cook dinner around six.”

Confusion covered my face as I pouted, unsure why the hell I’d just told him that. Moore licked his lips as they spread because of his smile.

“Is that an invitation for me to join you?”

“I’m not exactly sure.”

Moore’s head bobbed. “Well… when you are… I want you to let me know. I’d love to join you, but only if you’re sure.”

Nibbling my bottom lip, I considered his words. Quite frankly, it was nice talking to a man that wasn’t attached to Bully. Still… I wasn’t sure I was ready to have a full conversation over dinner with a stranger.

“I’ll let you know.”

“Good.” His eyes shifted in Innah’s direction. “Bye, pretty girl.”

“Bye bye!” Innah yelled with a rapid wave, bucking against me and making us both laugh.

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