Page 73 of What I Needed

“I’m sorry, Rissa.”

“It’s not your fault. I shouldn’t have been so trusting.”

“What do you want me to do? I can come over, and we can pour bleach on all his clothes, or scratch up all his cars, or⁠—”

“Kira. It’s fine. There’s no need to do all that. I know where I stand, and I’ll move accordingly. I’ll call you later or tomorrow.”

“Are you okay?”

“I’m not, but I will be.”

“Call me if you need anything. I love you, sis.”

“Love you too.”

I ended the call and went back to KIITC's post to look at the picture more closely. I couldn’t see the woman’s face, but the identity of the man wasn’t in question. It was River Jamal Westmore.

I sighed as I went upstairs to check on Riverlynn. She was sleeping peacefully in her crib, looking adorably sweet, completely unaware that her father was a womanizing asshole. I left her room, and instead of going to River’s room, where I’d been sleeping for the past two weeks, I went to mine.

After going through my skincare regimen and a quick shower, I dressed in a loose-fitting T-shirt and shorts, then went downstairs to wait for River. I sat on the couch in the family room for about ten minutes before I heard the garage.

I became angrier with every second that passed while I waited for him to enter the house. By the time the door opened, I was ready to explode. I couldn’t wait for him to find me, so I met him in the kitchen to unleash. He dropped his bag by the door, but he didn’t get much further than that. I punched him in the chest and proceeded to go off.

“I knew you were a sorry-ass nigga. Why the fuck couldn’t you leave me be? Why did you have to lie and make me believe you could be faithful? Was this some kinda game to you? Was I a pet project or some shit? Were you just trying to see how long it would take to get me to fall in love with your ass?”

“Baby.”

“Don’t baby me. I’m not your fucking baby. I can’t believe I fell for this. I knew you would play in my face. I knew you wouldn’t keep your word.”

With every question and statement, I punched him in the chest. Suddenly, he grabbed my wrists, causing me to halt my words.

“I understand you’re upset, but you need to keep your hands to yourself.”

“Let me go.”

“I’m not letting you go unless you promise to stop punching me. I’d never raise my hands to you, and I expect the same respect.”

“Fine. I’m done talking to your lying ass anyway. Let me go.”

We stared at each other for a long moment before he released me. Immediately, I turned to leave.

“I can’t explain?”

“No. I’m good on you. If I didn’t love Rivvy, I’d be gone,” I yelled on my way upstairs.

I wasn’t only pissed; I was hurt, confused, and physically ill. When I made it to my room, I barely made it to the toilet before everything I’d eaten that evening came up. I spent the next ten minutes hovering over the toilet.

When I finally felt like I could stand without gagging, I got on my feet and stood in front of the sink. I glanced in the mirror and looked exactly like I felt. After brushing my teeth, I crawled into bed. At some point, my mind stopped racing, and I fell asleep, only to be awakened by something warm and wet between my thighs.

“What—oh, shit,” I whispered.

I had no idea how River managed to remove my shorts without waking me, but it felt too good to figure out now. I adjusted my body to give River better access, then put my legs on his shoulders and palmed his head.

“Yes, baby. Oh my God. Yes.”

The man ate my pussy as if his life depended on it, and every time his tongue swiped over my center, a shockwave went through my entire body. I was sure he thought his magical tongue would return him to my good graces, but I wasn’t that easy.

“River! Oh, fuck! Riivveerr!” I screamed.