by M. Skye
“Oh, I’m sorry, excuse me. Have we met?”
Mia had every intention of trying to be nice when she finally met her, but her fake introduction was making it difficult. She knew damn well who she was and vice versa. Renee stuck her hand out, making sure to flash the huge diamond on her hand. “No, we haven’t,” Mia supplied, deciding to play the game with her. “I was just seeing my son’s father about our evening. Kyan just loves our time together.”
Mia saw something flicker in Renee’s eyes then quickly disappear as Renee jumped back into character. “So you’re Mia? Oh, goodness, how silly of me. I’m Renee, Tyree’s fiancée.”
“Well, this is such a coincidence us meeting here like random strangers when we’re practically family. I guess it’s a small world.”
“Yeah, very.”
“I’ve heard so many good things, and everyone speaks so highly of you. I wish you could have joined us last night when Tyree stayed over, but we just dropped like flies after dinner. We really could have gotten to know each other.”
“Yeah, it would have been great, but I feel like I know you already. Kyan raves about you and everyone here loves you. They just couldn’t believe you and Tyree split. They all thought you two were so perfect together.”
Now, Mia was pissed. This smug-faced slut was sitting here rubbing her face in one of the hardest decisions she ever made. Before she could react, Tyree came stepping out of the elevator, halting the conversation. He looked at both women before speaking a word.
“Ladies, what’s going on here?”
Renee stepped forward and leaned on his shoulder, placing a light kiss on his cheek. “We were just getting introduced. I’m so glad I finally get to meet the famous Mia. I just know we’re going to be fast friends.”
Tyree looked to Mia, and she could tell he wasn’t convinced. She knew he recognized the fake smile she was sporting. She was about ready to claw Renee’s eyes out and, surprisingly, he looked turned on. She hadn’t meant to let him see the jealous side of her but, she had to admit, it was refreshing to see the look in his eyes.
“Mia?” He cleared his throat. “Is that what happened? Are you two playing nice?”
Mia smirked and reached out to touch his chest. “Don’t worry, Ty, we’re fine. You picked a good girl.” She smiled, but she knew he could feel the heat radiating off her.
As she turned to walk away, he grabbed her arm, stilling her. “I’ll see you soon. Okay?”
“Sure,” she replied without facing him. She couldn’t bring herself to turn around when she heard Renee snickering behind her. It took every bit of restraint for her not to turn and smack the smirk right off her face. “So, should I set you a place for dinner tonight?”
“I have dinner plans, I’m sorry.”
She walked away after nodding.
And then, he called out to her again. “But I’ll be there to put him down with you tonight. It’s good that he knows we’re both here and always will be.”
Mia didn’t turn, but she was wearing a smile, feeling like she had won that round. She was touched that, as angry as he was with her, he felt the need to make sure she knew they were in it together with their son.
Walking away, Mia watched the reflection in the glass of Renee throwing herself into his arms, practically draping herself over him. She wanted so badly to turn around and make her presence known, but she knew it would be pointless. In her mind, no matter what that little slut did, she would always have an advantage: she was the mother of his child and his one and only love. He had given her an in to fight for him. Now it was up to her to decide if there was anything worth fighting for.
Chapter Fourteen
Asha sat at the table, fidgeting with her bracelet as they waited for Tyree and Renee to arrive. It had been two days since the boardroom fiasco and Tyree had postponed their dinner until then. She was feeling out of place, agreeing to dinner when there was obviously something going on among Tyree, Renee, and Mia. It really felt like she was betraying some unwritten rule among them. Sure, she never had a problem with Renee, but Mia was family. She and Tyree may have been divorced, but she would always be like a sister to her. They had shared so much over the years.
Asha was flicking her manicured nails over the table until Terence put his hand on top of hers. “Hey, gorgeous, calm down. It’s just your brother and Renee. Don’t get so into all this drama surrounding them. It has nothing to do with us.” He took his hand and lifted her chin. “You, me, and Meelah are fine.”
Asha’s thoughts drifted to her beautiful five-year-old daughter, and she smiled. Meelah was always the bright spot of her day.
Terence pulled her into a gentle embrace and kissed the side of her cheek. They were leaning on each other until Tyree showed up with Renee trailing behind him. He was wearing a grand smile that really concerned her. It wasn’t his usual genuine smile; something about it was unnerving, as if it foreshadowed what was to come next.
Tyree took a seat after pulling Renee’s chair out. He smiled at Asha and reached over to shake Terence’s hand. The tension was thick until the waiter came over to get their drink orders. When Tyree ordered champagne, Asha put her hand over her face. Tyree never drank. This had to be a bad sign.
As hard as it was to bring Tyree out of that dark hole before, Asha saw him slipping down a similar path of destruction. She hated seeing this, and she knew only one person could fix it if he stopped being angry long enough to let her in. Mia was going to have to step in and heal him once and for all. Renee was able to pull it off temporarily, but only Mia could fill that empty hole in his heart. After all, she was the reason it was there. She knew Tyree had been promising to see her, but the night after their last argument, he just went home. Asha figured it was an attempt to ignore his problems.
When the champagne hit the table, Terence reached out to grab the bottle, but Tyree cut him off, pulling it out of his hand. Before Terence could protest, Tyree had four glasses filled, and he slid them over to each person. Asha had a big gulp from her glass, and Tyree let out a thunderous laugh. It was definitely going to be a night to remember.
Renee had been extremely quiet, and they all wondered why. She seemed pleasant enough, but something was off. Asha kept studying her, looking for an answer, but when Terence leaned to her and swept his hand over her thigh, she got distracted and averted her gaze. When the waiter came over to take their orders, they all gave him their attention for the two minutes he was there, and then they went back to an awkward silence. It wasn’t until Terence broke the ice that they started up again.
“So, I don’t mean to be rude, but what’s going on here? It’s really weird, and we have never had this much tension around us.”
Renee looked at Tyree, and then he took the floor. “Nothing is wrong,” he said, then pulled her hand to his lips and kissed it. “As a matter of fact, we had a talk and decided to move right ahead with the wedding plans. Which brings us to why we wanted you here tonight. Asha, Renee would like for you to be her matron of honor and, Terence, it’s no secret I want you to be my best man. I mean, you’ll have to kill Miguel, but it’s what we want.”
Asha was floored and not particularly impressed with Tyree and his mind games. She wanted to be as far away from this catastrophe as possible. Before she could be restrained, she slammed her hands down and leaned into Terence. “No.”
“What?” Tyree looked genuinely surprised.
“I said no. Terence and I, we won’t do it.”
She could tell both Tyree and Renee were stunned by her loud declaration. She had always been supportive and, now, even she had thrown in the towel. As Tyree stared her down, Asha could see the questions in his eyes. “Asha, could I talk to you? Renee, Terence, could you give us a minute?”
“Yeah.” Renee stood. “I need to make a call anyways.”
Asha was sporting a mean glare while Tyree wore his sarcastic grin. “Don’t sit there with that ridiculous smile while you’re shaking everything up,” she said.
/> “Come on, baby sis. You knew I was getting married. Stop acting so surprised.”
“Tyree,” she yelled a little louder than intended, watching him gulp down his fourth glass of champagne. “Slow down. I haven’t seen you drink this much since—”
“Since Mia left me. Go ahead and say it.”
“Tyree, what’s wrong?” She placed a hand on top of his. “This isn’t you. Tell me what’s going on. I need to know.”
“Baby girl, you really should calm down. I’m fine. I’m just celebrating.”
“This isn’t celebrating. This is you being destructive, and I can’t watch you like this. Plus, you smell like you were at it before you got here.”
“Will you calm down? I had a few shots, but I didn’t drive. Renee did,” he barked, startling her. “I’m not hurting anyone. I’m just having a little drink.” He swung his arm out, spilling the remainder of the bottle on the floor. “Damn, now we need a new bottle.”
“No. That’s enough for you.” She crossed the table, taking the seat directly beside him, and she took his hand in hers. “Why do you do this? Don’t you know you have so many people in your corner only wishing the best for you?”
“I know that, and I love you all. There is nothing to be all stressed out about.”
“Yes, there is.”
“Like what? You tell me what I need to do.”
“Tyree, what you need to do is, first, end this engagement; and then you need to go to Mia and talk about everything. Tomorrow, you go to her and tell her everything you want, no matter how good or bad. Just get it all off your chest.”
“I’m seeing her tonight, right after this, in fact. I need to look at her and tell her what’s on my mind.”
By the time Renee and Terence were making their way back to the table, Asha had made up her mind that this was for the best. They needed whatever their talk would bring, even if it was closure.
They ate their dinner uncomfortably and sat looking at each other until Asha made a declaration. “You guys, I’m not feeling well, and I need Tyree at the house. Renee, do you think you could just drive his car home? I will make sure he gets back in the morning.”
Renee rolled her eyes and crossed her arms in protest. “The morning? Why do you need him all night? You’re a little old for a babysitter.”
“I need him for a business matter. Not that I have to explain myself to anyone.” Asha took offense to Renee’s snappy tone. “I will take care of my brother.”
“Fine,” Renee huffed, snatching the keys and darting out of the restaurant.
Terence just looked on and scratched his head questioningly. “What’s going on here?”
“He’s going to Mia’s. You know as well as I do that he needs this time with her, and I don’t want him to go back to being that unimaginable bastard he was before.”
“Asha, are you sure about this? She might not want him there like this. And what about Kyan? He doesn’t need to see or hear what’s about to go down in that house.”
“I’ll call Cassie to go and get him. And, as for Mia, she needs to see him this way. Maybe it will knock some sense into their stubborn asses. She needs to know what this is doing to him.”
“Hello, I’m still here. I can hear you.” Tyree chuckled.
“She’s not seeing me like anything because I’m fine.” Tyree walked out laughing while Asha and Terence stayed back to talk privately.
“Asha, this isn’t like you to get involved. What happened?”
“I saw him spiraling and decided to take action before we had to go back to hiding his keys because we were afraid he was going to wrap his car around a tree.”
“If one little visit could do this, then imagine what he would be like if she actually left again.”
“That’s why we need to make sure she doesn’t. I am officially involved now. I’m doing whatever it takes to get those two stubborn fools back together.”
“It could get messy. There is this little thing called an engagement that he has going on, and she lives with someone back home. Things could get out of hand.”
“He doesn’t want Renee, and now I’m convinced she’s just here for the money. Something about that girl just rubbed me the wrong way tonight.”
“I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but I have to tell you: he asked me to draw up a prenuptial agreement for them, and she signed it with no hesitation. That may be the cause of all the drinking tonight. I think he thought she wouldn’t, and that would be his sign about her.”
“So, what does that mean? Is she really a good girl I’m being a bitch to and overreacting about?”
“No. You should keep your eyes open. I have a feeling that something isn’t right with her. Just because she signed the prenup doesn’t mean she doesn’t have an angle. I know women and any woman would be pissed to be presented with a prenup, but she didn’t bat an eye. I think you should watch out for him on this.”
“Oh, you can count on it.” Asha stomped out of the restaurant. On her way to the valet, she found her big brother on the curb with a goofy grin. Even with all the animosity, she found herself smiling with him. It was amazing how they could have this dramatic scene and then be joking with each other afterward. It really showed how deep their love for each other ran.
Chapter Fifteen
The car ride was uncomfortably silent. Tyree was looking out the window as Terence drove. He felt like a child in the back seat. After minutes of protests to get dropped off at home where his car was, Asha finally prevailed, letting Tyree know that if he drove, she would call the police and report him herself. He knew she loved him and only wanted him safe, and if she had to turn him in to guarantee it, she would. Once she made her mind up, there was no changing it.
When they pulled into the gates and drove the back stretch to end up in Mia’s yard, Asha turned and looked at Tyree encouragingly. “This is it; get in there and work this out.”
“My only purpose here is to get this woman out of my system for good. I can’t believe you shipped me over here like a child.”
“You’re acting like one, so I’ll treat you like one. Get out of my car and make sure you’re back by curfew.” She giggled.
“You really annoy me.” He kissed her cheek.
“I love you too, big brother. Good luck.”
“Yeah, I’ll need it.”
Tyree exited Asha’s car and, before he could protest, she drove off, leaving a trail of dust behind her. He waited until she was close to the gate and then he turned to walk up the hill and wait for the cab he was about to call. He loved his sister and, sure, he needed to talk to Mia, but right now wasn’t the time. He needed to be completely sober to filter all the thoughts in his head. He started toward the gates only to hear a throat clear behind him, and he cursed to himself.
“What are you doing here, Ty? No dinner plans?”
“I had some, but they’re over.” He had decided to only disclose what she needed to know. “I’m here to put our boy down. I’m not too late, am I?”
“Yeah, actually you are.”
“He sleeping?”
“No, he’s gone. He left about twenty minutes ago with Cassie.” She scanned the yard and presented him with a weird look. “Where’s your car? How did you get here?”
Tyree stalled, searching for the correct answer. “I, um, I needed to walk and clear my head. It’s good for me.”
“You walked all the way here? The walk up the drive is a mile alone, and you expect me to believe you walked here when I heard a car speed off? Here you go starting in with the lies already.”
“Okay, okay. Stop making a big deal out of things. Asha dropped me off. She was being overly cautious and thinks we need to talk.”
“Overly cautious about what?”
“I had a few drinks during dinner, and she freaked out.”
“You’re drinking again? Why?”
“Again? You weren’t here for that. How did you know?”
Mia hesitated and he hoped whatever an
swer she came up with was the truth. He was tired of wondering what was going through her head. He wanted a real moment with her. He thought they owed it to themselves.
“I checked on you a few times when I was gone.”
“Checked on me how?”
“I called your mom and sometimes Asha. I needed to know how you were.”
“Yeah, you cared so much, you didn’t come back.”
“How could I when you had already filled my position?”
“You replaced me first.”
Mia shifted suddenly, and he could tell she was uncomfortable discussing their past in the yard. He knew they needed to be inside in case their emotions got the best of them. He saw how he had already pulled her out of the calm demeanor she was struggling to display.
“Ty, come inside. Obviously, we need to hash this out once and for all.”
“That we do, but it won’t mean a thing if you don’t tell me everything. I’m so sick of this distance between us.”
“Come on.” She rolled her eyes, stepping aside to let him in.
Tyree walked in, pacing the floor as she closed the door behind them. Suddenly this was all feeling like a mistake, but it was too late to turn back now; he was standing right in front of her, wanting answers.
“Before you say anything, I just have one question,” he said.
She nodded, telling him to go on.
He swallowed hard. “Why did you break up our family?”
“It was going to happen eventually. I just helped it along.”
“Why? Wasn’t I good enough? Didn’t I provide for you? Did I not love you enough?”
“No, you played your role perfectly, but you used me.”
