Page 33 of Through Treacherous Weather
“He’ll be back,” Yaminah declared confidently.
“Speaking of comebacks, I want your ass up out of this bed and this house. We can go to breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Now, I’m about to go visit Sage. I love you.” Trinity stood up and gave Yaminah a hug.
Kadafi wasn’t related to her by blood, but him, his kids, and his girl were her family just the same. Trinity always told herself that if she wasn’t meant to have kids or a husband, she had to thank God for giving her a huge family. She could literally keep a different kid every night for a week the way her brothers and nephews reproduced. Fatima and Winter seemed to be going in the right direction and she loved that for them. With or without a man, her nieces had the means to give a child a great life. And while they had been traveling and having amazing experiences since they were young, she wanted themto really enjoy adulthood and get to know their partners before they started having kids.
Trinity didn’t have to be a mother to know that having kids was lifechanging and stressful. If a relationship wasn’t strong, bringing a child into it could complicate things. Babies didn’t usually give her baby fever or make her feel any kind of way, but holding Sage and peering into her perfect face made Trinity swallow down a lump. Was she really only put on this earth to love on other people’s kids? Was she a bad person and that was why God didn’t think she should be a mother?
She was around couples and kids all the time but after being with Lauren, Justice, and the kids for a few hours, her heart felt heavy. Dessi was out of town with her child, and she didn’t really feel like bothering anyone else. When Trinity left Lauren and Justice’s home, she went to her favorite lounge to have a few drinks and smoke hookah. Trinity had barely been seated for five minutes when a gentleman sent a drink over to her via the bartender. Not in the mood to be bothered, she forced a smile at the handsome older man that was pointed out to her. Salt and pepper beard. Muscular physique. He was a looker for sure, but Trinity was tired. Her lips were all kissed out from the abundance of frogs that had been sent her way.
As she sipped her drink, Trinity found herself praying that he didn’t come over to try and hold a conversation. Her prayers fell on deaf ears because Mr. Salt and Pepper began to amble in her direction after her third sip of the beverage. She took a larger sip as she watched him make his way over because she needed a buzz in order to keep from being rude. Trinity made a mental note to start rejecting drinks that men sent her way.
“No, I’m not one of those men that buys a pretty woman a drink and stalks her for the rest of the night. I just wanted to tell you that you are beautiful and to ask your name.”
“Trinity. Thank you.” Her smile was genuine, but she still wasn’t in the mood for conversation.
“Ms. Trinity, my name is Andrew. Are you single?”
Usually, she would tell the truth. But Andrew looked persistent. Even if she told him she was single and not looking, she could see him trying to change her mind. “Actually, I’m not.”
“Figures.” His eyes dipped down to her cleavage. “You’re too damn gorgeous to be single. Enjoy the drink and the rest of your night.”
“You do the same.”
As he walked away, she finished off her drink while her orbs scanned the room. When they locked with Grey’s, she almost choked on the liquid that was sliding down her throat. The Universe was a cruel trickster indeed. Why did she always have to run into him when she was out drinking? Why did she always have to run into him when she was angry with him? Diamond Cove wasn’t that damn small. Seeing his handsome face only reminded her that he’d ghosted her. She was usually the one that did the ghosting, and men would beg her to give them another chance. The way Grey was too comfortable dismissing her and acting like she was regular didn’t sit well with her. And Trinity didn’t know she wasn’t regular because she had money. It was something her father and brothers had instilled in her since she was a child. Any man would be lucky to have her.
Trinity stared at Grey for a moment before looking away. Her server came to check on her, and she ordered another drink and some wings. Despite the fact that he didn’t seem to mind ghosting her and acting as if she didn’t exist for days at a time, Trinity still half expected him to come over to her. When he hadn’t by the time she was done with her second drink, Trinity was pissed. Her plans were to ignore him and leave. She didn’t desire to be in the same room with him. She would go home,take a nice, long shower, smoke a joint, and get in her king bed. Trinity was fine before Grey, and she would be fine after him.
Fumbling through her purse to see if she had cash, Trinity kissed her teeth when she didn’t find any. That meant she had to wait on the server to bring her debit card back. The crowd had gotten thicker, and she was ready to leave. Instead, she was going to have to wait on her server to get a spare moment.
“I’ll take the wings to go,” she smiled and handed the woman her card after waving her over.
“I’ll be right back with your box and card.”
Nine minutes later, she was walking toward the exit and to her dismay, so was Grey. Trinity didn’t plan to deviate from the original goal. Ignore him. But when he looked over his shoulder before letting the door close and saw her, he had the nerve to give a slight head nod.
“What’s up, Trinity?”
With a deep scowl covering her face, Trinity pushed past him without uttering a word.
“Damn, I’m in the doghouse again? For a single man, I stay in some trouble.”
Whirling around with a sneer, Trinity looked him up and down as her eyes cut into slits. “You damn sure don’t have to worry about that anymore. I’ll no longer be spreading my legs for a man that acknowledges me when he chooses.”
“That’s fine with me because I don’t have the energy to kiss your spoiled ass. Everything is about you. Have you ever stopped to think that I could be going through something? That despite what you think the world doesn’t revolve around you. Of course you fucking don’t. I already told you what was up with me. I wasn’t about to chase you and be shot down because what I do or don’t have. If you felt differently, you could have made that known. Fuck outta here with the dumb shit.”
Trinity’s jaw slacked, but she didn’t respond. Grey turned his back on her and walked away. It was very rare that a man told her off. Very rare. And the way he’d just barked on her had Trinity livid. But what could she do about it? Especially when he hadn’t said anything wrong.
Chapter Fifteen
Esco’s mouthwent dry as he walked into Grey’s living room and saw a toddler that was the spitting image of Star sitting on the floor playing with blocks. It had been two days since the test results came back. Two days since he found out that he had two daughters instead of one. Two days since he found out that his life would never be the same. He could see the despair in Grey’s eyes when he opened the door. As Esco stood staring down at the toddler, she looked up at him, and his heart broke. He had missed a year and a half of her life and never once had Sophie attempted to let him know what was up.
After a brief stare down with the child, he looked over at Grey. “She doesn’t know me. I can’t just take her from you. Maybe we start off slow. I get her a few days a week until she gets used to me and then we can make an arrangement. Maybe she’s with me five days and you two.”
“Word?” he could hear the shock in Grey’s tone. “I appreciate that, bro. I’ve been over here sick as hell thinking once you took her, I’d never see her again.”
“I’m not even that kind of person. I don’t want to traumatize her. I was thinking I could chill here for an hour or so let her get used to my face. Come back tomorrow with my daughter andchill for an hour then take her home with me, but bring her back. I just think a slow transition will be better for her. Or maybe I’m scared as hell to be raising two kids by myself.”
“I’ve had Shai’Ann since the day she left the hospital. I love her as if she were mine. You never have to raise her alone as long as I’m around. I just appreciate you even being willing to let me still be in her life. You’re a real one for that.”
