Page 105 of Crash: Love in Scrubs
“Daddy, no,” Sametra protested, but I was already standing. I didn’t need her to intervene. He was a grown man, and so was I, and as long as he treated me as such, all would be well.
“It’s okay, baby,” I said, caressing her cheek. “We’ll be right back.”
As I followed John-Dale toward the front of the restaurant, I could feel Sametra’s eyes burning into my back. This wasn’t how I’d planned to have this conversation, but it was happening whether I was ready or not.
We stopped near the entrance, far enough from the dining room that we wouldn’t be overheard but close enough that Sametra could see us.
“Pregnant, huh?” John-Dale said, crossing his arms. He was upset and rightfully so.
“Yes sir. And we didn’t plan this, so I apologize for not making an honest woman out of your daughter first. But I plan to rectify that as soon as she lets me. You have my word.”
“She’s been taking care of herself and that boy for seventeen years. Independence is all she knows. Can I trust you with my family?”
“You can, sir, I have no intention of hurting Sametra. We hit a snag, but the minute we get on track, I will marry your daughter and ensure she is more than well taken care of. Samaj too. I’m a father now, so I understand. Please give me your blessing.”
“I don’t like her not being married, but things happen. This rough patch is fixable right? You didn’t cheat, did ya? We ain’t seen you in weeks.”
“Never, I only have eyes for Sametra, John Dale. I broke her trust and she’s freezing me out. That’s why you haven’t seen me. But understand that I’m not backing down, and I’m not leaving her to deal with this alone. I love her. I’m going to a different realm about her, if you feel me. She’s good with me.”
“I don’t know. She seems to be thawing a little,” he said, nodding his head behind me. I turned to see her smiling at us.
“About damn time,” I joked as he shook my hand and brought me into a hug.
“You have my blessing, son. But the minute your word turns to shit, I’ll be going to that other realm. Clear?”
“As you should. Clear.”
“Well, let’s finish dinner.”
We went back to the table. I was already feeling ten pounds lighter. I had John-Dale’s blessing, that was more than I’d dared hope for when I walked in here tonight. We made it to the table, and I wrapped my arms around her, pulling her close. I’d missed how her skin felt under my fingertips, missed the way she fit perfectly against me. She melted into my embrace, and I knew then that I had my woman back.
I leaned back and tuned into the conversation. Samaj was going on about how now that he had his car, Mustangs were all he noticed on the road.
“It’s like they came out of nowhere,” he was saying with animated gestures. “I swear I seen five today alone.”
“That’s how it always works,” John-Dale chuckled. “You don’t notice something until it’s yours.”
Sametra grabbed the gift box from the table and shook it gently. “What is it?”
“Open it and find out.”
She looked up at me with those beautiful eyes before carefully opening the box. When she saw the Pandora bracelet nestled inside, she squealed and danced in her seat.
“Malik...”
I helped her take it out, pointing to each charm as I explained. “S for Samaj, a sweet pea for our baby, your initials, with an H, of course, and a cap because you’re about to be Dr. Andrews. I figured you should have something to commemorate this wild journey we’re on.”
As I clasped it around her wrist, she grabbed my cheeks and kissed me deeply. I slipped my tongue into her mouth for just a moment before I had to pull back, it had been way too long since I’d gotten to touch my woman, and we were in public with her family.
“It’s the sweetest thing anyone has ever given me,” she whispered against my lips. “I love it. I love you.”
“I love you too, baby,” I said.
We settled back into the conversation, Lorana beaming at us from across the table and John-Dale nodding his approval, I felt like everything was finally falling back into place. We still had things to work through, conversations to finish, but for the night, we were a family again.
The cool night air cooled me down as I walked out of Sheena’s, my heart still racing from everything that had happened inside. Malik was right behind me, his presence warm and familiar as we made our way to the parking lot. I could feel him watching me, and when I turned around, he was already moving toward me with that determined look in his eyes that I’d missed so much.
“C’mere,” he said softly, his voice carrying that sexy ass commanding energy that made my knees weak.
