Page 51 of Love's Instant Replay
“I get it, and I’m sorry for not hearing you out. I guess I was just triggered by who she is and?—”
“She doesn’t mean shit to me or my baby. You mean everything to me, and I love you too much to let you go. Tell me how to fix us. Do I need to kiss your funky corn chips, eat your pussy from the back . . . What do you need?”
Giggles escape my mouth at the outlandish things Kaeden is suggesting because there is no way we’re having this conversation with him in the position he’s in.
“You’re laughing, but I’m serious as fuck. I’ve been in Hell since you tried to leave me. Y?—”
“I didn’t try . . . We broke up, Kaeden.”
“Shid. You tried, but I never agreed to that bullshit you were talking about. We together like a mothafucka, so I’m glad to know you’ve come to your senses.”
“You’re special.”
“Thank you.”
Giggling more, I cover my mouth with my hand as Kaeden gives me a challenging look like he’s daring me to dispute what he’s saying. But I’m a glutton, so I push back a little more to see how far this goes, especially because this back-and-forth is fueling my soul after seeing him lying on the ground.
“That wasn’t a compliment.”
“Sure, it was. But you aren’t just special . . . You are the love of my fucking life, and I’m not coming off of you. So, are you ready to agree to disagree so we can put each other out of our combined misery? I see the lackluster color of your skin, so I know you’ve missed my black ass, even if you won’t admit it.”
Biting my lip, I ponder whether or not to tell Kaeden exactly how much suffering I’ve experienced since the scandal that caused our separation.
“All I need is for you to say that we’re good. Nothing else matters. I know that irrelevant mothafuckas will try to throw you off your square, but trust what I show you, not what they attempt to make you believe.”
Silence envelops us, and the only noise that can be heard is from the game that is still being played. My eyes shift toward the locker room door and linger for several minutes as excitement enters my body upon hearing some of what’s being said.
Touchdown, Bobcats!
“The only Bobcat that should be holding your attention is right here, waiting for you to give me an answer. Fuck my teammates and that game right now. Where are we going from here, my baby? Am I going to Heaven or hiring a hitman to send a mothafucka to Hell?”
Licking my suddenly drying lips, I return my gaze to Kaeden to see his eyes darkening, causing my stomach to flip.
“How about neither? If you can agree to?—”
“I’ll agree to?—”
“Let me finish, please. I’ve heard you and even read your message to know where you stand, but I need you to hear me out.”
Kaeden’s forehead wrinkles, and the area around his eyes becomes tight as he gives me a nod, permitting me to continue without him interrupting.
“Before you, I was just a woman working to gain some notoriety from the bookstore she’s been working to the bone to make successful. The only celebrity I know is the one I made my father out to be in my world. I have zero experience with maneuvering your world or all the ugly that can be tied to it. Falling in love with you wasn’t on my bingo card. Yet neither was trying to cut my heart out of my chest by distancing myself from you. Promise to consider me in every encounter, and I’ll promise to never make you regret it.”
“You got that and my word that I’ll never make you regret choosing me and the bullshit that I come with. Can I have a kiss? It’s the only way to make me believe you’re serious.”
Smirking, I stand and lean down, connecting our lips as Kaeden’s hand grips my waist, instantly settling the uncertainty within me. I guess this kiss means . . . I got my man back.
A Month Later. . .
“Can you stay forever, Ms. Kyelle? I want to keep you, and then you can become my bonus mom.”
Mica’s words cause me to freeze against the wall where I’m waiting for Kyelle to finish the new bedtime routine between the three of us. Mica has allowed me to resume reading her bedtime stories, but now Kyelle’s mantra is the last thing that happens before she goes to sleep. Watching Mica cling to Kyelle since our relationship got back on track is a flex I never knew I needed. Knowing that God not only gave me a replay in love but also sent that same person to give Mica the unconditional motherly love she’s been craving has me grateful beyond measure.
“I’ll stay as long as you want, Cupcake,” Kyelle says, bringing me out of my brief thoughts as a smirk forms at hearing her call Mica by the nickname I use.
“Yay! Then forever it is.” Mica’s eyes and face glow as she wraps her arms around Kyelle’s neck.
My chest warms, and my heart skips a beat at seeing the loving affection between my two favorite girls. Over the last thirty days, Kyelle and I have been forging and solidifying our bond by spending as much time with each other as my schedule permits. Not to mention that Kyelle has also been spending time doing girl stuff with Mica, which Mica has been eating up. Sharing my woman with my daughter has been challenging because Mica loves Kyelle as much as I do. Watching the two of them laugh, color, or Kyelle paint Mica’s feet has been the highlight of my life lately. I’m grateful that dating me means including Mica for Kyelle, because women in the past have only cared about pleasing me.
