Page 77 of Betrothed To Love

I decide to still end my day and surprise my wife in Crescent Falls. If I leave now, I can make it in time for her five o’clock call. We can also spend the evening together kid-free.

After grabbing my stuff, I say goodbye to Aven and wish her a good weekend. Five minutes later, I’m on the highway heading to my wife. We arrive at her condo around the same time, because when I rush to the elevator, it’s her holding it open.

“Baby!” she exclaims, surprised. “I was just about to head to you. What are you doing here? Where’s Niya?”

“Can I get a kiss before the interrogation?” I tease as I invade her space. “It’s been hours.” After pulling her into my arms, I capture her lips.

“I love the way you kiss me,” she says once our lips part.

“And I love kissing you.”

I reach around her and press the button for her floor. As we ascend, I kiss her again. When we finally make it to her floor, I release her lips but not her body. My arms are still around her as we walk to her door. Before she can search for her key, I take mine out of my pocket and open the door.

“Now, where’s my sweet Niya?” she asks once we’re inside and her bags are by the door.

“With Shuga,” I say and her pretty eyes get as big as mine probably did when I got the call. “Yeah. She picked Niya up early and wants to keep her until tomorrow.”

“Aww. How did she sound?” she asks, but before I can respond, her cell rings. “Oh. That’s probably Laticia,” she says. I step to the bag and grab the phone. When I hand it to her, she nods.

“Answer on speaker,” I say and she nods again before answering.

“Hello.”

“Hey. Is now okay? It’s Laticia,” the slightly raspy voice says.

This is the woman who slept with Asali.

“It’s perfect.” When I sit on the sectional, I pull my wife onto my lap then wrap my arm around her. “I just got home. Is it good for you?”

“Nothing about this is good except the time,” Laticia says, then lets out a deep breath. “So you’re Quintus’ wife?”

“I am and I was calling about Alami.”

“She’s at school right now. Well, after school. I think debate. She has a cell phone. If Asali gave you my number; I’m sure you have hers. Call her.”

Her voice is harsh and has bite. She sounds how I fucking feel hearing the familiarity in her bitter tone when she says his name.

“Well, we didn’t get your number from Asali. We haven’t talked to him and we didn’t want to talk to Alami if she doesn’t know about Quintus or his brothers.”

“They’re her brothers too, even though Asali wanted to keep her away from them,” she snaps. My wife looks at me, as if warning me to stay quiet. I swear she’s reading my mind because I was just about to speak.

“So she knows?” my wife asks, for clarity.

“Finally. When Asali refused to pay for her college, I told her and his precious Shuga everything,” she rages. “So, you tell your husband he⁠—”

“I don’t need you to tell me anything to say to my husband. I have what I need. Thank you.” My wife politely cuts her off and ends the call before I can interject. “She’s lucky I’m more concerned about her daughter than her. She’s angry, real angry, and that’s probably how she told Alami about y’all, in anger. That poor girl.”

“I need to talk to her,” I say.

“She’s probably fragile, baby. Remember how you were when you found out and you’re a grown ass man; she’s still a child.”

“I know. I know. I’m going to need you with her.”

“You know I got you. Let’s send her a text, and if she wants to respond, she will.” Together, we compose a quick text to Alami and send it. When she doesn’t respond after thirty minutes, I give up thinking she will and try not to focus on it. My wife helps distract me. “While we wait, come bathe with me. It’s time you see the magic of my tub,” she says. After easing off my lap, she extends her hand as if to help me off the sectional. I don’t need her help at all but I go along anyway. Once I’m up, I wrap my arms around her from behind and we walk into her bedroom. “Get comfortable while I start it.”

“Thank you again, kyau.”

“You better stop thanking me. This is what we do, right?” she says while resting her hands on my shoulders.