Page 39 of Forbidden Love

“I paid that nigga Sol half a million to run up in you and Ramsey’s rinkie dink apartment and blow his fucking brains out. Of course, it was after I found out that Ramsey was planning on kidnapping you in order to get ransom money. He was going broke and owed a lot of people money. I tried to sit back and letshit play out, let you find out who the fuck he was on your own time since he was fucking Bianca and a couple other hoes right underneath your nose. I drew the line when word got back that he was plotting on hurting my only fucking child. It disgusted me further when I found out that he was able to fuck my only child minutes before he took his last fucking breath. You was sleeping with the enemy. Sol killed him, and if you don’t believe me…take your ass to his house and search for the necklace and diamond earrings that was snatched off of you.”

He stepped past me like what he said was nothing, like I was nothing more than a lesson in progress.

“You don’t get to cry about what I let happen,” he added over his shoulder.

“You get to decide what you do with it now.” He stormed out of his study, slamming the door behind him.

My knees buckled just as my stomach turned. In slow motion, I fell to my knees and dropped my head and shoulders in defeat. I realized that what Bianca did was just small compared to what Casper let happen on purpose. I couldn’t be too mad at him because for the most part, I was vulnerable, stupid, and blind.

Chapter 21

Yeremy

My ceiling fan spun in slow circles above me as I laid on my side curled up. My pillow was damp from crying, face dry and stained. I had a slight headache and could feel the swelling in my eyes. The weight of everything had me running all kinds of different scenarios in my head on what to do next.

I felt hollow, like something inside me had been scooped out and tossed into the gutter. A soft knock came at my room door, seconds later it cracked open before I could answer. I turned a little and saw my mom walking in. Her hair was tied in a messy silk wrap. All her makeup was off, along with her long eye lashes.

I see why Casper couldn’t leave her alone, my mother was authentically beautiful. She had a comb in one hand, and a jar of Blue Magic grease in the other.

“Yes?” I croaked, barely recognizing my own voice.

She didn’t answer right away, just walked to the edge of the bed and sat down with a look of concern that I hadn’t seen from her in years. My mom loved me, she never mistreated me. In fact, she always tried to be there, but Casper took over, not giving her much room to have any say so in anything while I was growing up.

“You look like you been carrying the whole damn world on your head,” she said quietly.

“I’m just here to fix your crown and have a talk with you, baby.” She reached out and touched my sweated out, thick, tangled hair.

I sighed and sat up slowly, I was hesitant and confused. I could count on one hand the number of times she ever touched my hair. Casper had the best hair stylist hooking me up since the age of five years old. I watched her unscrew the jar, she dipped her fingers into the thick grease. She leaned in and started working it through my roots with care.

I closed my eyes as her sharp nails grazed my scalp. We sat in silence for a while as I rested my thoughts, just appreciating the moment.

“You surprised I came in here?” she asked after a while.

“Yes.” I nodded.

She parted my hair gently with the tail of the comb.

“I saw how your daddy talked to you earlier…the look you gave him…I seen it before,” she whispered sadly.

“I’m leaving.” My throat tightened as I swallowed down hard.

Her hands paused for a second then kept moving before she asked me where I was going.

“I don’t know yet, but I can’t stay here. Not in this house, under his roof.” I closed my eyes.

She didn’t argue with what I said, and I was grateful for that. I didn’t need anyone trying to convince me otherwise.

“Is it about what he let happen, or the truth of it all in him just simply loving you and trying to protect you by all means necessary?”

I turned to glance at her, but she stayed focused on parting my hair into thick sections.

“It’s all of it.” I spoke.

“I’m just tired, I got to live my life without him in the background trying to control it. I love Casper to death, but?—”

“I get it. You don’t even have to explain it, Yeremy.”

“Why do you let him treat you the way he does?” I asked.

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