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“Agreed. I have a question more than a response,” Dallas said. “How do you feel about this? Would you really be okay with marrying him for this? I mean… I know you like him and see a future with him… but is this how you want to start your marriage?”
“It’s just an option that’s on the table. He actually doesn’t want me to do it. When we get married, he wants it to be real and not forced because of her crazy ass. But I don’t mind. I genuinely care about him and want to help him.”
I sighed and handed her my chicken so she could have a bite. “I don’t think I could marry a man for something like this. Shit, I don’t know if I’ll marry a man at all.”
“You’re still so young,” Enjell said. “If Peyton has you this jaded, that’s all the more reason for you to leave.”
“Plus… you know we never say never,” Dallas added. “For the right reason, or the right person, never say what you won’t do.”
That was true. After what Aspen had done for me, I could admit I’d do just about anything for him. As he said he would, he kept me from being charged. Jereka did press charges, but not against me—against a woman that was paid to take the assault charge for me. We had the same body type and skin tone, but that was it. She didn’t care about doing time, and I didn’t want to know what Aspen had said, done, or paid for her to agree to doing it for me. Because she pleaded guilty to avoid trial, Jereka hadn’t been able to ID her and say she wasn’t me. It worked in my favor, and I was grateful for that.
That whole situation was a reminder of how important it was to not just work on my temper but never put myself in a situation where I was dealing with people who rattled me.
Because of that, things between Peyton and I had been… off. We talked even less, never went out, and he was sleeping on the couch since Brooklyn and Destined were in the guest room. To avoid having to leave, she told her parents that she was staying with us. They didn’t know where we lived, but because Peyton was family, they backed off. Things had been more peaceful on that front.
She ended up quitting her job instead of transferring. Her father cut her access to the godmother and daycare, so she and the baby were at the house every day unless she was with a friend. Helping her care for that baby and work was exhausting. Now that she literally just had us, she wanted to try and get emancipated again. Peyton was talking with her caseworker on her behalf, and he was hopeful that would be able to happen since she was with us.
They said first, he’d have to get emergency custody. Then, she would have to get another job and keep her grades up. If so, she could be emancipated within three months. After that, she’d get a voucher for housing and government assistance for anything else she needed. I could handle three months of this, especially since they didn’t have anywhere to go. Three months was a hell of a lot better than waiting until she turned eighteen next year.
Two Weeks Later
My eyes watered as I stood to take Denali into my arms. She’d just shared the most amazing news. Audré, a well-known singer from Memphis, was gearing up for her first tour and wanted Denali to join her as her personal stylist. Because of that, Denali decided to temporarily close her store. I offered to keep it open on her behalf since it was just me and her here, but she insisted on freeing me to do something better with my time. Lately, it had been spent at her store and helping my sister, and I didn’t mind that at all.
“I’m so, so happy for you, best friend. You’ve gone from one dream to another. I’m so happy and proud.”
At the sound of her sniffles, I held her closer. “Sometimes I can’t believe the turn my life has taken. Finding the perfect man for me who loves my kids like his own, having his baby, him giving me this store… and now I’m going on tour with one of our favorite artists as her personal stylist. Like what?”
We released light laughter as we pulled apart. “You are worthy of all good things. This is only the beginning. There’s so much more in store for you and Elite.”
She and I hugged again before we returned to our seats. “Speaking of which… I got something for you.” Denali slid an envelope in my direction. “That’s for you.”
“What’s this?” I asked as I opened it.
“It’s six months’ salary from me and another six months’ pay for severance from Elite.”
My head shook adamantly as I tried to give her the check back. “No, Denali. I can’t take this. Not all this.”
“Girl, please. With the short notice of this, it’s the least I can do.”
“Forget all that. You’re my best friend.”
“Exactly, and as your best friend, it’s my responsibility to take care of you.”
“D…”
“You worked here from day one to help me. I didn’t trust anyone else with me, with my dream, but you. You’ve been with me every step of the way, Malay. Let me do this for you.”
When I realized there was no talking her out of this, I graciously accepted. A part of me wanted to take the money and find an apartment. It was crazy that getting away from Peyton was my first desire. We talked about her upcoming travel plans before deciding on a day to have a sale to get rid of our inventory. As I left my best friend, I was truly happy in my soul. God had been smiling on her like crazy lately, and I meant it when I said she deserved it.
8
Aspen
Three Weeks Later
It was Halloween, and Elite had thrown Denali a costume party to celebrate her going on tour with Audré. I was having a good time with my people, but my attention shifted the moment Malaysia arrived. She was dressed in a black leather cat costume that didn’t leave much to the imagination. My dick was hard as fuck watching her dance in the center of the dimly lit room. The only thing that stopped me from going after her was the fact that she’d shown up with her pussy ass boyfriend. If this was my house, I would’ve kicked his ass out. Since we were guests, I was trying to be respectful.
My eyes shifted slightly when I noticed someone coming to sit next to me. At the sight of Enjell’s glossy eyes and smile, I chuckled. She was clearly tipsy, and I was glad she and my brother were having a good time.
