Page 86 of Dare You to See Me
“You really think that this guy is going to take up with your cousin then run out into the street and get hit by a car and die, too?” I give her an incredulous look because now she’s just being a smart ass. “Not every man is a cheater, and not every man is weak. There are plenty of good men who are looking for a good woman to love and make a life with. Is he a good man?”
“Very,” I answer, the honest truth not even taking me a second to think about.
“Okay then. Why not just let it happen? You don’t have to know where it’s going to want to take the journey. Sometimes a ride is simply for the enjoyment and not always necessarily towards a destination. You’re putting too much pressure and too many expectations on the relationship, and that’s a method for failure.”
Tears well in my eyes and my eyelashes bat furiously to keep them at bay. “I just don’t want to be broken again. My heart can’t take it. And I don’t think my daughter’s can either.”
Mom wipes her hands on her apron and pulls me into her arms. “Oh sweetheart. You are stronger than you give yourself credit for. No matter what happens, good or bad, you’ll be prepared. Dahlia is a reflection of the strong women around her. Between you and Kyle, she’ll have a loving heart and a sassy mouth. She’ll be just fine no matter what.”
I wipe away the one tear that manages to escape.My mother is the strongest, most fearless woman I know. She battled coming to America as a kid who didn’t know the English, to graduating with a masters in sociology. Add to that raising a daughter after losing her husband far too soon, and learning to love again, Mom is the original badass. I squeeze her, so grateful for a mother like her, and breathe her in.
Every chance I get, I breathe in Mom and George and Dahlia because I never want to forget the feeling of comfort.
“What will people say? I’m still such a topic of discussion for everyone.”
She pulls back in looks me in the eye, and with all seriousness says, “Fuck them. It’s not their life.”
“Mom.” I laugh, quite shocked to be honest.
I can count on one hand the number of times I’ve heard her curse. With her small accent that still lingers, the word sounds even more hilarious coming from her mouth.
“I think Kyle has rubbed off on me. I don’t know why I ever let you hang out with that girl. She’s trouble.”
“I say that all the time.”
We continue to hug and laugh for a minute more, then return to our duties. I tell her more about Malik until we’re interrupted by the doorbell. Mom looks at me confused and I mirror her emotion.
“Maybe it’s Kyle. She said she was coming late tonight. It’s possible she came early to say hi before heading to her parent’s house.”
I wipe my hands and step around the wall and into the den. I stop frozen in my tracks when I see George walk-in with a man who holds a smiling Dahlia in his arms.
“Malik?” I look at him, head to toe, still not believing he’s standing in front of me. “What are you doing here?”
“He missed us, Mommy.” Dahlia has her arms wrapped tightly around his neck.
“It’s true,” Malik agrees and steps closer to me until we’re toe to toe. “I missed my girls and just couldn’t bear to spend four more days without them.”
“But–” He tugs on my waist and pulls me to him, locking his lips with mine and taking away the words that sit on the tip of my tongue.
I forget my parents and Dahlia watching us because when I’m with Malik, every worry, every person, just fades away. When he releases me from his spell, my eyes slowly flutter openand meet his stormy gray ones.
“Good surprise?” He asks.
“The best surprise.” I kiss him once more and all of my doubts vanish. “Let me introduce you to my parents now that you’ve accosted me in front of them.”
He winks at me and I grab his hand. The look on my mom’s face tells me she knows what’s in my heart.
I’m a goner for Malik Dare. There’s no stopping it and there’s no turning back now.
THIRTY-SIX
MALIK
I playwith Soleil’s hair as she lays with her head in my lap. The turkey hangover is in full effect as we get later into the evening.
After surprising Soleil, I had a chance to get to know her parents. We talked and laughed until our eyes were rolling shut. I fully intended to stay at a hotel, but George said nonsense and followed me out to my truck to grab my small suitcase that I had originally packed to go to Texas.
When I stepped into my truck to drive to the airport, I just couldn’t get the image of my girls enjoying Thanksgiving with their family without me. The thought of spending our first major holiday apart just didn’t sit right with me. Before I knew it, I was turning my truck around and heading north for Soleil’s hometown.
