Be with Me (Strickland Sisters Book 3)

by Alexandria House

  But I think part of her contentment was that three months into this new level of love for us, we were closer than ever. Work was going well as Southside Strips prepared to introduce Foreign Son to the world, and I was more financially stable, moving closer to giving her the life she really wanted. My goal was to give her what she gave up when she ended things with Travis, and I was willing to work hard to do it.

  I smiled as I watched her chatting with a tiny cousin of mine, one of the dozens of kids there for Aunt Monda’s annual Christmas party, which doubled as a celebration for me and Theo this year. Nicky was good with kids, an odd trait for someone who could be as mean as she could be, but it was part of why she was so complicated, part of why I loved her, and I wondered if her attraction to kids had anything to do with the one we lost. I wondered how often she thought about our baby. Was it as often as I did?

  “Aye, cuz. She’s a good look for you,” Theo said, as he fell onto the sofa beside me, handing me a beer. He surprisingly wasn’t high. No one was, because Aunt Monda was reserving her weed for after the kids cleared out.

  “Thanks, man. It was a long time coming, but she was definitely worth the wait.”

  He took a swig of his beer. “Yeah, I’m glad y’all’s dumb asses finally got it together. Been fucking longer than half the married folks I know. I mean, y’all should be on your tenth anniversary or something by now.”

  I shook my head. “It wouldn’t have worked back then. I had to grow up and change so I could handle her. Back then, I just went along with whatever Nicky said. I was like her damn puppy. She didn’t respect that. I got her respect now.”

  Theo nodded. “That’s deep, man.” He paused, then said, “You gon’ marry her?”

  “I want to. I mean, that’s always been the ultimate goal. Just wanna make sure my money is where I need it to be. It’s getting there now, though, thanks to the comic.”

  “I hear you, man. I think I’m ready to wife Onika now that I got more than ambition in my bank account. I can’t thank you enough for bringing me in on this, cuz. Letting me do the art. It was your idea; I know you could’ve chosen someone else.”

  I frowned. “Man, I wanted the best. Your lazy ass is the best. Wasn’t no other choice, nigga.”

  He smiled, and I noticed he had on jeans and a white t-shirt. He must’ve bought some clothes with that check. He’d even shaved. Semi-success was changing my cousin for the better. Before I could tease his ass for looking all clean cut, Onika slid into his lap, which made me wonder where their baby was. A second later, I found her in Nicky’s lap and shook my head. She really loved kids.

  My eyes wandered around the room and stopped at my mother. Shit, I’d forgotten she was there, but that was probably because I’d been working overtime to ignore her. At least she had the decency not to bring Kyle’s ass. I was feeling too good to have to share oxygen with both of them at the same time. I quickly looked away, but it was too late. I felt, rather than saw, her move in my direction.

  I sighed when she took a seat on the huge ottoman situated on the floor near my feet.

  “Damon?” she said timidly, as if she expected me to hop off the couch and strangle her if she spoke too loudly. I was pissed at her, but I wasn’t a monster.

  I didn’t reply, but I did look at her.

  “I-uh-just want to let you know how proud I am of you.”

  I shifted my eyes to Nicky, who was now staring at me with a look of concern on her face. “You don’t think I should…what did you say? Oh, yeah…‘Give up my silly businesses and get a real job’ anymore?” I settled my eyes on her again.

  She dropped hers. “I didn’t understand what you were doing. I’ve never really understood you or the decisions you’ve made, and I’m sorry for that. I’m-I’m sorry for not being more supportive.”

  I frowned as I stared at her. “Really?”

  “I’m trying, Damon. I want things to get better between us. I talked to Nicky earlier and—”

  “Damn, I knew it. For a second there I thought you’d grown a maternal bone or something, but Nicky had to tell you how to act with me, huh? Makes sense since she was the one who took care of me when you refused to.”

  Her eyes darted around the room, because I was raising my voice. “Damon, please don’t do this. I want this tension between us to end. I love you.”

  “Dame, one of your cousins brought cherry cobbler. It’s still your favorite, right?”

  I looked up at Nicky standing over me and nodded. She was alone, no kids around her feet or on her hip.

  “Well, come on. You better get some before it’s gone.”

  I glanced at my mother before standing and following Nicky into Aunt Monda’s kitchen. Sitting at the table crowded with foil pans and casserole dishes, I said, “Thanks for rescuing me.”

  Nicky scooped some cobbler into a Styrofoam bowl and shook her head. “I didn’t rescue you. I rescued your mother.”

  “My mother? What are you talking about? I was minding my own damn business. She came and started messing with me.”

  She set the bowl in front of me and handed me a spoon. “No, she tried to talk to you. All she did was attempt to have a conversation with her only child.”

  “Probably because you told her to. She told me you two been talking tonight.”

  She sat next to me and rested her elbows on the table. “Yeah, we ran into each other when I was leaving the bathroom earlier. She said she’s desperate to make things right with you, asked me what I thought she could do to get through to you since we’ve been friends for so long.”

  Shit. “Nick, I don’t talk to her enough for her to know about us. It’s not like I’m keeping it a secret, and you know it.”

  “That’s the problem. You talk to your mother so seldom, she has no idea we’ve been living together as much more than friends for like three months!”

  I sighed, took a bite of the cobbler, and damn near moaned. Who the hell made this? “Look, Nick—”

  “I told her to stop trying to force you into a relationship with your father and just show some genuine interest in you. She’s trying, Dame. You gotta at least meet her half way.”

  I didn’t respond, just kept eating that good-ass cobbler.

  “And I did it for myself, too.”

  I glanced up at her. “You did what for yourself?”

  “Brought you in here away from your mom. I didn’t want you to blow up and then get me home and take it out on me.”

  I dropped the spoon. “What? I’d never hurt you and you know it!”

  She shook her head. “I’m not talking about you hitting me, Dame. Of course I know you wouldn’t do that. But you’d screw me half to death, try to break me in two.”

  I scoffed as I reclined in my chair. “So now your ass don’t like it rough? Okay.”

  “Oh, I love it rough. The rougher the better, but I don’t love the idea of rough sex as a result of you having an argument with your mom. That’s just creepy.”

  I tilted my head to the side. “I guess I see your point.”

  “Good. Look, can you at least think about treating her like a human? I mean, the whole anger thing you got going is sexy as hell, but it’s not you, and shit, I know all about holding on to stuff and refusing to forgive people. You know I do. But it wasn’t the healthiest thing for me to do. And I want you healthy and strong and ready to screw—”

  I leaned in and kissed her. “Shut up, Nick. I’ll try to be nicer to her…I guess.”

  She wrapped her arms around my neck and grinned. “Thanks.”

  I smiled at her and thought how if this dream, my dream of being with her, could come true, then anything was possible, even me getting along with my mom.

  Maybe.

  “What’re you thinking about?” she asked.

  “You want a baby, Nick?” I don’t even know where that question came from, but I guess it had been hovering somewhere in the back of my mind for it to spill out like that.

  Her arms slid from me. “Wh
at? Why would you ask that?”

  I shrugged. “I see how you are with kids, especially how your face lights up when you hold Tia and Little Zo. I just figured you wanted one.”

  “You wanna give me one or something?” she asked, with a voice full of skepticism.

  “If you want one. I mean, I’m scared I’ll fuck a kid up, but for you, I’m willing to try.”

  Her eyes softened, and then she dropped them. “Just because I like babies doesn’t mean I want one. I wouldn’t be a good mother.”

  “Yeah, you would. You got the nurturing thing down, baby. Look how you’ve always taken care of me. I have no doubt you’d do the same for my child.”

  Her breathing was getting loud as her eyes scanned the kitchen but avoided me. Then a thought hit me. “Are you thinking about our baby, Nick?” I asked softly.

  She sighed. “I always think about our baby, Damon. That’s one of the reasons why I’m all kinds of fucked up.”

  I opened my mouth, then closed it. I didn’t know what to say.

  “Can we go?” she asked, standing from her seat.

  I nodded. “Yeah.”

  *****

  “I had picked out names.”

  I barely heard her voice. We were in bed and I’d almost fallen asleep, so my mind was hazy.

  “What, Nick?” I mumbled through a yawn.

  “I picked out names…for our baby. Before…”

  I searched the darkness of the bedroom with my eyes before finally saying, “You did?”

  “Yeah…”

  “What names did you pick?”

  “I had it narrowed down to two girl names and two boy names—Desiree or Antionette and Jason or Jacob.”

  “Those are nice names, but damn, no Damon Jr.?” I attempted to lighten the mood and wondered if it would ever get easier for us to talk about this.

  “I was pissed at you, remember? But I’d definitely put Damon Jr. on the list now.”

  “Glad I redeemed myself.”

  “I’m scared, Damon.”

  I frowned, searched the room again. “Scared of what, Nick?”

  “Of…of getting pregnant. You were right. I do want a baby; I’m just scared I can’t have one, that I’ll have another miscarriage.”

  I bent my head to peer down at her in the darkness. “Why-why do you think that? Did your doctor say—”

  “No…I’m supposed to be fine physically. I just…I’m afraid it’ll happen again, and I don’t think I could survive losing another baby. It took me a long time to get over it. I still haven’t really moved past it.”

  “Do you…do you think you’ll ever be able to move past it enough to try?”

  She sat up and switched the lamp on her side of the bed on. “You want a baby, don’t you?”

  I nodded hesitantly. “That baby was mine, Nick. Losing him or her is something I’ve had a hard time dealing with, too. And…I’d like to try for another one.”

  She gasped softly. “Damon, I never thought about how you…can you give me some time? I—for you, I’m willing to try, but I need more time.”

  “You can have all the time you need, baby. I’m not going anywhere. I love you.”

  She rested her head on my chest again, and said, “I love you, too.”

  28

  I moaned as I virtually inhaled my youvetsi, shamelessly enjoying every spoonful. “OMG, whose idea was it to come here for girls’ night? Because this is the bomb!” I garbled.

  “Mine,” Renee said, taking a sip of her water.

  “Well, you’re a damn genius. I’d forgotten about this place. I used to love when Daddy brought us here as kids.”

  Renee, Angie, and I were at Dukas, a family-owned Greek restaurant that had been serving up culinary goodness for as long as I could remember.

  “Girl, anything to get a break. I love my husband and my baby, but they both require so much attention, that sometimes I need a breather,” Renee said, taking a bite of her food.

  “See, that’s my issue. I want kids and I’m not getting any younger, but shit, Ryan is a handful all by himself!” Angie said, eyes wide.

  Renee laughed. “See, you get me. What on earth am I gonna do with two babies and Zo? Half the time, I can’t finish breast feeding before he attacks me. I’m trying to figure out how this man can stay turned on all the time?”

  I lifted an eyebrow at Renee. “Shit, you complaining about that? I’m in Heaven having my daily screwathons with Damon. It’s been pure-damn-bliss!”

  “I know…” Angie mumbled. “Loud asses.”

  I pursed my lips as I sat back to relieve the pressure on my full belly. I had torn through my appetizer and entrée and had drank enough water to fill a pond. I was feeling right. “We are not that loud. You need to stop exaggerating.”

  “Hell, I’m not exaggerating! I don’t know which of y’all is the loudest. I thought me and Ryan were some nymphos, but we ain’t got shit on you and Damon. Y’all woke me up last night!”

  I frowned and thought about last night. “Oh, yeah. My bad. Damon got a little carried away, had me in like a handstand position in the living room while we did it. It was good, but I was loopy from all the blood rushing to my head. So—”

  “Un-uh. I don’t need to hear anymore. I do not want that visual stuck in my brain. I’m just thankful Ryan and I are rarely ever in town. Half the time, I’m sitting over there afraid y’all are gonna break something, and by something, I mean your private parts. I was already concerned about Damon’s mental health with him being in a relationship with your crazy ass; now I’m afraid you’re gonna give him a damn limp!”

  Renee’s mouth formed an “O” before she covered it with her hand and started giggling. I threw my middle finger up at Angie, and she grinned.

  “Sometimes I really can’t stand your ass,” I hissed at her.

  Angie flapped her hand at me. “Yeah, yeah, whatever.”

  We chatted about her upcoming trip to Vegas for some hair convention thing. I swear she made me want to go natural every other day, but I was too lazy for that. Having natural hair required a level of commitment I wasn’t willing to apply.

  “So, Rell and Janine are engaged now?” Angie asked, shifting our conversation.

  Renee nodded. “Yes! She is crazy about his big behind. I have never seen her so happy before. And you can just look at him and see how he adores her.”

  “Go, Janine! She’s your age, right, Renee? And he’s younger?” I asked.

  “Yeah, she’s like thirty-nine, and I think he’s about twenty-nine or thirty.”

  “Damn, she’s getting it good then! I bet his no-talking ass is tearing that up!”

  Angie shook her head. “Well, Nasty Nicky, how are things with you and Damon?”

  With raised eyebrows, I replied, “Uh, obviously good if what you claim you’ve been hearing is any indication.”

  She rolled her eyes. “Besides sex, you nutcase! Like, how are you two getting along?”

  I shrugged. “Good—great! I’m happy, happier than I’ve ever been in my life. He’s good to me, treats me like a gift. It feels like I finally have what I was missing all those years I messed around with…shit, everyone.”

  “What’s that?” Renee queried.

  “Love. Love in its purest form. Damon loves me, and all he wants in return is for me to love him, and I do that without a second thought. It’s like…I didn’t start really living until we got together for real. I just—I love him so much.”

  My two sisters stared at me.

  “What?” I asked.

  “I’m happy for you, baby sis. You seem almost normal since you two have been together. Almost…” Angie said.

  I threw my middle finger up at her again and stood from the table. “I gotta hit the restroom before we leave.”

  After I finished my business, I checked my phone and saw a text from Damon: When u coming home?

  As I stepped out of the restroom, I texted back: Why? U miss me?

  Before he could reply, a v
oice snatched my attention from my phone. “Well, look who we have here.”

  The voice was familiar, but not welcoming or cordial, and when I looked up, I realized why. I was face to face with Judge McClure. I frowned, my eyes darting behind him in the dimly lit hallway where the bathrooms were located.

  “Travis is here, if that’s who you’re looking for.”

  “I’m not looking for anyone. I was just heading back to my table.” I tried to move around his big, imposing frame, but he blocked me. He was taller and wider than his son, and much less attractive. I’d never felt very comfortable around him, and this instance was no exception.

  “Can I help you with something?” I asked, with irritation dripping from my voice. I hoped he wasn’t trying to confront me for calling off the wedding. It wasn’t like he’d paid for it.

  “I chose you, you know?”

  I frowned. What the hell is this man talking about? “Um, what?”

  “I chose you. Travis had been looking for a suitable woman to marry for a couple of years. A few came close to making the cut, but I vetoed them all…until you.”

  The fuck? “What the hell are you talking about?”

  He smiled, his eyes perusing my body in my short red bandage dress. “When he told me about meeting you and taking you out, showed me a picture he’d taken of you during your little date, I knew you were the one. You know why?”

  I just stood there, too confused to answer him.

  “Because you reeked of sex. Even in that photo, I knew you were just my type of woman—loose.”

  I leaned my neck back. “Who the fuck are you—”

  “And that mouth. He told me it was filthy, dirty. Made me wonder just how dirty it could get.”

  “Have you lost your damn mind talking to me like this?!” I shrieked, paying no mind to the fact that we were in a public place or to the people shooting us curious looks as they passed by.

  The volume of my voice didn’t seem to faze him at all as he continued like a man on a mission, never raising his voice. “Travis and I made a deal. He would marry a woman of my choosing in order to advance his political career, and the woman would be at my…disposal. You see, Travis doesn’t really like sex with women, so I’d be doing him a favor. Keeping his wife happy.”