Page 25 of In the Lonely Hour

“I can do that.”

“The last thing is that we set up court appointed schedules for Dior, and you will have to also become involved with her program. Anyone that you want around her will have to meet with Andres as well, including Jasmine.” She sat up in her seat, voice lowering as she tried to remain calm. “I don’t know whatthe fuck you thought you were doing speaking about and to my daughter like that the other night, but it will not happen again. No matter how much you want to believe Dior is a normal girl, she’s not. You can’t talk to her like she is or expect her to talk to you like she is. This is beyond her control, and I’m not going to let you make her feel uncomfortable whenever she’s around you. I will keep her away from you before I let you do that.”

Carlos’s head shook. “I can agree to everything except that nigga. You gotta get somebody else to help out.”

“Why? Dior is comfortable with him. She’s safe with him. She trusts him.”

“I don’t give a fuck. I don’t want him around.”

“Okay, so we can just not have him around you.”

“Nah. I don’t want him around period.”

Her head shook as she stood. Not once did she think he was capable of having so much coldness in his heart.

“Why not, Carlos?”

“Because I don’t like him.”

“So what! Grow the hell up. It doesn’t matter if you like him or not. He’s the best at what he does. You’d know that if you kept up with Dior’s progress.”

“Like I said… I don’t want him around.”

As she stared into his eyes, Layla waited to find something to make his words make sense. The longer she looked at him, the more Andres’s words made sense.

“This isn’t even about Dior, is it? You don’t want Andres around me.” Carlos smiled and clenched his jaw, remaining silent. “You know that I… I feel something for him and you hate that, don’t you?”

“I saw you kiss him at Ruth’s Chris.”

Layla chuckled with a shake of her head. “You’re willing to risk your daughter’s progress just to keep me from moving on? Never mind the fact that you’re engaged to someone else.”

Carlos stood and made his way over to her side of the table. “The question is are you willing to risk her progress for that nigga? If that’s all you really care about, there should be no issue for you to find someone else.”

“But he’s the best…”

“There’s always someone better. You have one week to decide.”

He tried to place a kiss to her temple, laughing when she pushed him away.

Layla’s body shook as she watched him walk away.

Realistically, Layla was going to do whatever was necessary for her daughter. However, Carlos’s confident saunter out of the café had her wanting to do whatever it took to prove he wasn’t running shit.

It was a hell of a coincidence. Just as Andres’s mother asked him about who had been taking up so much of his time, Layla texted him and asked if they could talk. After sending her the address so she could pull up, he told his mother, “She’s on her way over here now.”

“Are you two dating?” his mother asked, stabbing her fork into a Brussel sprout.

He’d never liked them, but that didn’t stop her from cooking them at least once a week. Andres wouldn’t complain, though. He was just taking full advantage of not having to cook every other day. That would be changing soon, though. Andres had already started looking at houses. He might not have expected Layla and Dior to move in with him any time soon, but Andres wanted to make sure they knew they would always have a place in his heart, head, and home.

“Not really.” Andres avoided everyone’s eyes as he muttered, “She’s a client.”

“Oh. Is she autistic?”

Trevor chuckled, and their father shook his head.

“No, Ma. Her daughter is. Dior. I’ve told you about her.”

“Oh, yes. I remember. You and the mother have gotten close?”

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