Page 77 of One Good Reason

Flipping the covers back, I stood from the bed, stretched, and tipped toed across the bedroom floor. Law had just given me a glimpse into his life, and I wanted to know more. Sauntering across the heated bathroom floor, I snatched open the shower door and stepped in. “Shutting down on me already?”

Leaning down, Law placed a hard kissed to my lips. “No such thing.”

“Tell me more.” I begged.

“What you wanna know?”

“How did your father react to the way your mother was with your brother?”

“He tried to apologize for her actions. I was a grown ass man who had grown accustomed to her bullshit, so I didn’t let it phase me. I focused more on building my relationship with my brother.”

“Did you know infidelity had played a part in their marriage?”

“I had my assumptions; the shit was confirmed when Sincere came along. Prior to that, my father and I had been extremely close but that drove a wedge in between us.”

“Damn,” I drawled. “You weren’t lying when you said your life wasn’t perfect.”

“Absolutely not. I told you I understood why you were closed off.”

“I told you I was molested but the reason I dislike men with money is because the guy who took my innocence was the local basketball player that went pro. Ya’ know? The town’s hero.”

“Fuck that got to do with anything? The nigga still a sexual predator.”

“Oh, I know. But I come from a small ass town. He was the hero and I was the little girl who lied on him. My Mama didn’t make the situation better when she went around telling anybody who would listen that I was making it up. According to her, I had a vivid imagination.”

“They believed that shit?”

“Til this very day.” I huffed. “At five, my imagination was so wild that I somehow in my head convinced myself that this man touched me inappropriately.”

“That’s bullshit.”

“I know it. It happened and I have to live with it every single fucking day. Back to the money thing… He had money, still do in fact. Money kept them for pursuing the situation. So, when Papa Joe and Gema realized that, they made him pay. Threatened to tell the league and ruin his career. They settled on an undisclosed amount, and I wasn’t made aware until Papa Joe passed.”

“How’d you find out?”

“It was in his will. Prior to him passing, he and Gema controlled the money. I received a lump sum payment when Papa Joe first passed and now I receive monthly payments.”

“For how long?”

“For the rest of his life. When the league deposits his retirement check, an allotment goes to me.”

“How many people know about this?”

“My Mama knows about this money. The rest of the siblings know about the money Papa Joe left me out of his retirement. He wanted me to take care of Gema, so I receive that. When she passes, her money goes to me as well. They adopted me when I moved in with them, so I’ve always gotten a check from them.”

“So, you make a fuss about me having money, but you have your own. Might not be as much as I do but you ain’t lacking.”

“I make a fuss about you tossing money around for your convenience. It’s not the same, Harvey,” I stated. Turning my back to him, I grab the towel I’d used earlier to wash off with and proceeded to shower. I wasn’t mad at his declaration, but I’d shared as much as I was willing to share for the night.

We both had aired out a little bit of our dirty laundry and now I was spent. The only thing on my mind was finishing my shower and climbing back into bed. Not only was I tired but my body was aching from the illicit workout I received at the hands of the man standing behind me.

“Thank you for sharing that with me.”

“It’s you who I should be thanking for opening up to me,” I called over my shoulder.

“I’m guessing you had a good night last night?” Mrs. Jessie started up the minute I kicked my shoes off at the front door.

Instead of coming home last night, Baker had driven me home first thing this morning. When I made it to the house, Gema and Mrs. Jessie were both still sleeping. I was pressed for time because a certain someone woke me up with hishead buried between my thighs, so after washing my face and brushing my teeth again, I got dressed for work and left out.

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