Normani nodded but didn’t bother to respond. She wore her contacts out of habit as she stared at her emails.
“Where them fly ass Fendi glasses at I got you?”
Just hearing his deep voice made her frown.
“Upstairs why? You should have had him look over the papers that I gave you,” she said tightly.
Tru ignored Normani’s words and perched a seat beside her. She ignored his cologne, her favorite scent that damn La Nuit de L’homme on him as she closed out her email.
“I see all your shit is coming together with the stuff for River. How you feel bout that?” he asked.
Normani’s leg began to rock. The last thing she wanted to do was discuss regular shit with him. They weren’t fucking cool like that. She cleared her throat and forced herself to look at the man that was constantly playing with her heart. Handsome he was.
In Tru’s case thuggishly handsome with the artful array of tattoos that decorated his arms, stomach, back even neck. Her eyes landed on her baby girls name that was in small lettering going down the side of his brow, and she swallowed hard. Tru had it written all over him. She just hadn’t wanted to see it until now. He was a heartbreaker and had successfully broken her’s.
While relaxing in black Versace sweats with a fresh edge-up curly low fade, he was still the shit.
Not shit but still attractive to her and she hated it.
“You’re doing better and now is the perfect time for us to do this,” she said quietly.
Her eyes roamed over his handsome visage. Tru sometimes walked with a slight limp. By all means, he was healed, but the nerves in his left leg would fuck with him, and when he sometimes moved differently through the home, she felt guilty. Guilt that she had to quickly brush off because her actions hadn’t been unwarranted.
“I wasn’t thinking clear. I was scared at the thought of losing you. Pulling that gun out was the worst thing I ever fucking did, and I have to live with that every day. I’m thankful that you’re okay and I keep thanking him because of it. God has been good to me, ma.”
Normani’s eyes rolled as she looked away from Tru. This was the recovered Tru. He’d begged her to let him stay home to recover, and despite her disdain for him, she had. Now he didn’t want to fucking leave. They had a new home, well Normani had a new home waiting for her but hadn’t made any plans to move because she was trying to divorce her husband first. A man that was dragging his feet when it came to moving on.
“Tru, I can’t with you right now,” she groaned attempting to get off the couch.
Tru grabbed her arm, and she jumped. He immediately let her arm go and cleared his throat.
“You scared of me? I can’t touch you now?” he asked with hurt in his deep tone.
Normani sat up, and as her elbows hit her knees, she dropped her head. Being around Tru was hard. She still loved him because something like that didn’t go away overnight, but she no longer wanted to be with him. She hated him for what he’d done to her and their marriage.
“Pack your things and read over the divorce papers. It’s time for us to move on,” she murmured sadly.
Tru sat beside Normani with heavy breathing as he looked straight ahead.
“We a family. This not me trying to bully you into being with me. This is me saying that we can still make this work. What I did before will never happen again. Do you really wanna get a divorce?” he asked lowly.
Normani used all her strength to stand. As she held her laptop, her eyes watered up. The situation was sad as shit, and it felt like a death was taking place. Hell, in a sense it was. It was the death of them and while she didn’t bask in it, she looked forward to being happy again.
“What I want is for you to be free to do you. I don’t want to hold you back from that any longer, and I want to be happy. I’m not living for you anymore Tru. I’m living for my daughter and me and what we need is peace. Read the papers over, sign them and go. That’s what I want,” she clarified before leaving out of the room.
Please call me….
AZ: Nah, I’m good love. You made your choice and I ain’t with that fugazi shit. You be good ma.
Normani’s heart dropped. She lifted her eyes and looked over the items on her table before peering back down at her phone. What the hell did he mean he was good?
Azariah. Nothing is what it seems; we need to talk about this.
Seconds later after sending her text, a call came through from Azariah. Normani sighed not sure what he was about to say as she took the call.
“Hey,” she said quietly.
She prayed that he couldn’t hear the tremor in her voice.
“Are you married?” Azariah asked coldly.
His deep, uninviting tone made her anxious. She shifted from one foot to the other as she glanced down at her work. This was big, and he had a huge hand in it. She wanted him to be able to share the great moment with her.
“I am, but we’re separated. For the last few months we’ve been on the outs, and I’ve already served him. A lot has happened. Some good and some bad. I would really like to see you in person. Please AZ,” she pleaded.
Azariah held the phone for several minutes as Normani nibbled on her bottom lip. She knew he was mad but he loved her, and she prayed that was enough for him to forgive her for all she’d done to him.
“Alright. I wanna see all the paperwork you got proving that shit. I don’t have time for the bullshit or the games. Where you at?”
Normani smiled wide. Relief filled her up as she licked her lips.
“I’m at my new home looking over the space. I’ll send you the address.”
“Nah, just meet up with me. I’m not trying to run into that nigga. Might have to shoot his ass and that would only set me back. I got shit I’m trying to get to in life. Come to my place. I’m headed there now,” he said before ending the call.
Normani rushed to grab her things. She snatched up her DVD’s and paperwork before leaving out of her new home. Normani rushed to cut on her heat inside of her truck as she headed to Azariah’s place. For the last few months, she’d been missing him bad but didn’t know what to call him and say. A simple apology wouldn’t suffice and with her in limbo with Tru, she felt now was a good time to let Azariah know why she’d done what she did to Tru.
The music cut on in her truck, and Solange’s angelic voice flowed through the speakers of her Mercedes G 63. A nice gift from Tru that she’d gladly accepted. Before she could barely get a dollar out of him, now he was shelling out money like it was endless and because she refused to not take it and make her daughter go without, she accepted everything with a smile.
Still, she wasn’t happy with him.
His lies, cheating, and secrets were too much. Normani didn’t know how to take them because while the monetary gifts was cool, the deed had been done. The damage was there and placing a Band-Aid on top of it all wasn’t working. Her pain was still bleeding out, and Tru hadn’t done anything concrete to heal her wounds. He’d taken River and his mother down south to see his sickly father who had recently been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and Normani chose to stay home. Tru’s mother hadn’t apologized for her offensive words, and Normani hadn’t been around her since the hospital altercation they had.
As Normani pulled up to Azariah’s upscale condo, a funny feeling entered her body. She shook off the weird feelings coursing through her, and she parked. Normani grabbed the money she owed Azariah along with her belongings before exiting the truck.
“Nigga cheat and now he can afford to cash you out. Muthafucka’s don’t wanna do right until they got no choice but to,” Azariah said standing in his doorway.
Normani rolled her eyes as she walked up his walkway. Like always Azariah was in a custom two-piece suit that fit his tall, toned physique perfectly. His handsome face made Normani smile as she stepped into his condo.
Normani’s eyes like always took quick inventory of his place, and she found numerous woman items that made her frown. She turned to
Azariah, and he stroked the bottom of her chin. He then adjusted her newest glasses a pair of vintage Chanel lenses and grinned at her.
“You looking good ma. Is that for me?” he asked and pointed to the dust bag.
Normani nodded. She passed Azariah the bag, and he glanced down in it before shaking his head.
“I didn’t need this back. I just wanted to see you follow your dreams. How school going or did you let it go again?”
She knew his question was innocent but damn it stung. Normani walked over to Azariah’s sofa that was flanked with a tacky ass pink throw and sat down. Her nose curled up as she rubbed the cheap material between her fingers.
“School is going good and I see you still in cahoots with Dollar Tree. Is she around here somewhere? Perhaps looking for a room to cheapen up,” she joked.
Azariah chuckled and just watching him do so made Normani stare at him adoringly. The sexual tension with them was still there as she lusted over his handsome looks.
“All this coming from the woman that’s fucking married to the biggest pimp in Detroit. Where River at? Working on her presidency and shit,” he joked.
Normani cracked a smile. Any talks of her baby made her happy. She sighed as she held her belongings.
“He’s not a pimp and she’s with Tru and his mom in Memphis. They went to visit his dad. Where is your old lady at?”
“Let me see them papers,” Azariah said changing the subject.
Normani pulled out her cell and pulled up the email with the divorce papers from her lawyer. It also showed their conversation where they discussed Tru receiving them. She then passed Azariah the phone, and he read over everything carefully as she stared up at him.
“Hopefully that nigga will let you leave in peace. I would hate to have to fuck his ass up,” he mumbled passing her back the black cellular device.
Azariah then sat beside Normani, and his intense gaze shifted her way. The way he peered at her made her body come alive. Since the shooting with Tru, Normani had been keeping her love on lock. She had nothing for Tru but Azariah? He could get it. She’d come over on a mission and was determined to finally see what his dick felt like.
“You really done with him?” he probed staring at her.
Normani nodded as her heart thundered in her chest.
“I am,” she said adamantly ignoring the love that she still held for Tru.
Normani knew that you sometimes had to use your head instead of your heart and with Tru, she chose the head. Following her heart had only gotten her fucked over by him.
“You deserve to be happy. How is the DVD shit going?”
Normani smiled. She sat her items onto Azariah’s lap, and he peered down at them. Normani scooted closer to Azariah and placed her chin onto his shoulder.
“This is all because of you, well me too but I couldn’t have done this without you. I was able to get my patent and with the help of a few people I’ve put together two DVD’s showing parents and teachers how to teach babies and toddlers new speech techniques. I think this can be really big,” she said quietly.
Azariah whistled as he held the professionally done DVD case. He looked through the papers and smiled.
“I knew you could do it and I don’t want the money back. Just give it to my lil G,” he replied sitting the belongings onto the glass coffee table.
Normani nodded. She sat back and cleared her throat. The tension in the air was thick, and she could no longer ignore the elephant in the room.
“So, is it serious with her?”
Azariah sighed. He leaned up and retrieved a black and white glossy photo from his coffee table. He placed it onto Normani’s lap and her eyes watered before she even glanced down at it. She knew what it was. Shit women without kids knew what an ultrasound photo looked like.
Normani placed the photo onto Azariah’s lap and abruptly stood up.
“I’ll call you later.”
She left before he could respond and rushed out of his condo. Azariah caught up with her as she was slipping inside of her truck and grabbed her arm. Pain covered his handsome face as he looked down at her.
“Come here. Let me talk to you real quick,” he said and with no effort pulled Normani back into his condo.
Azariah took Normani upstairs to his bedroom and shut the door. Normani eyed all of the female clothing and frowned. She couldn’t do this.
She wouldn’t.
“Let's talk downstairs,” she said hurriedly.
The last thing she wanted to do was intentionally bring pain another woman’s way.
Azariah shook his head. He leaned against his bedroom door with his eyes on her.
“We don’t have a label. The baby was a fucking shock to me, but that hasn’t changed things between us. We just kicking it.”
Normani’s brows furrowed at his words.
“What the fuck does that mean? You two are about to have a baby! Y’all are doing way more than fucking kicking it AZ!”
Azariah stepped off the door and stepped into Normani’s face. His nostrils flared as he peered down at her.
“Aye, you got fucking married on me! You not in no position to judge shit I’m doing! Yo nigga out here cheating on you and selling bitches. You better calm your ass down,” he said through gritted teeth.
Normani attempted to step around him, and he pulled her into his arms. She shook her head, struggling to break free as he carried her over to his bed. Azariah placed Normani onto his black duvet and covered his lips with her’s. Her head thrashed back and forth as his hand went between her legs. He cupped her sex gently as he sucked on her bottom lip.
Normani’s heart raced as she stared into Azariah’s eyes.
“We can’t,” she said in a throaty tone.
Azariah unzipped her high waisted jeans and kissed her again.
“I want you and you want me. The games stop now. Look at how much we done fucked up our lives by playing this dumb ass game,” he said before kissing her again only this time in a way that was so aggressive it took her breath away.
Time seemed to stand still as Azariah not only took off his clothes but Normani’s clothing as well. She sat still as a statue on his soft bed as he sensually kissed her nervous frame.
“Relax,” he murmured pulling her legs apart.
Normani nodded as her chest heaved up and down. She eyed his large member and swallowed hard. He wasn’t bigger than Tru, but he was blessed in that department, and he had a curve that she knew would hit the hell out of her g-spot.
Azariah stroked his dick as he looked in her eyes.
“I love you,” he told her before pushing into her sex.
Normani whimpered. Her legs wrapped around his waist as he leaned down. Gently he kissed her lips as he fucked her slowly. Her body immediately fell apart for him happy for the sexual release. Normani closed her eyes, and Azariah kissed her again.
“Do you love me back?” he asked speeding up his pace.
Normani groaned. Her back arched off the bed as her legs began to shake.
“You know I do!” she cried out.
Azariah smirked and kissed her again before he commenced to pounding that pussy.
“I need for all of my Joseph’s out there to stand. Raise your hands if you can’t, and if you don’t want to do that, then please listen to what I’m about to say. You have to forgive,” the pastor said intently. He wiped the sweat from his brow as he stared at the congregation. “You have to forgive,” he repeated with conviction.
A few people clapped including Tru’s mother. She sat beside Normani in her navy body con dress looking much younger than she was as Tru flanked her other side with a vivacious River on his lap. Normani’s eyes were on the handsome pastor that was preaching like only a man ordained by God could do.
He wore his navy three pieced suit with black glossy wing-tipped shoes and carried with him an aura that was so strong everyone in the sanctuary stared his way.
“You have to people. Listen Joseph was sold as a slave by h
is brothers. These weren’t just his friends, some associates that he hung with from time to time. No this was his family, and they sold him off then lied and said he was dead. Dead. All because of jealousy but jealousy isn’t the only thing that can cause people to do you harm — fear, anger, self-loathing. The list goes on and on. You may never know why you were wronged and, in the end, does it matter? The deed was done. The hurt has been placed there, and now it’s time to heal. The first step in healing the hurt is forgiving, and when I say it’s for you, I wholeheartedly mean that. I want you to raise your hands in the air for me,” he said, and Normani sat back as she watched close to everyone in the room do as they were asked.
Tru nudged her shoulder as he licked his lips. Even in the dimly lit sanctuary, his bottom diamond grill shined when he smiled.
He looked well-groomed in his black Tom Ford suit that he’d paired Christian Louboutin loafers with. Normani had never seen him clean up so nice. Not even for the shotgun wedding they had.
“Put your hands in the air beautiful,” he said lowly.
Beautiful.
Now she was such beautiful words of endearment and instead of them making her feel loved she felt uneasy. She wanted to accept them but coming from the man that gave her so much grief she found a hard time in doing so without feeling dumb.
“Please,” he said quietly.
Normani cut her eyes away from him and refused to raise her hands. She wasn’t ready to forgive him, and she wanted a divorce. It was as simple as that.
“Lord I can feel the pain lingering in the room. It's as thick as the coat that triggered Joseph’s brother’s jealousy to new heights. I ask that you heal the brokenhearted. Free them from the chains of anger and allow for them to be whole again. Allow for them to forgive. For vengeance is yours, Lord. Amen,” said their Pastor Miles.
“Amen,” Tru said with his hand on Normani’s leg.
Normani rolled her eyes and counted down the time for the service to be over with. Once it was done, she waited with Tru and his mom so that they could speak with the pastor that was also related to Tru on his father’s side of the family. Tru’s father’s family was heavy with their faith, and as a child, it made him rebel and cut ties with them.
Upside of Love Page 7