Page 18 of Rich and Rotten

I rubbed my arms as I followed the voices, recognizing Jonah’s voice immediately and knowing he was in the bar area of the theater room.

“Just need to keep my family safe when I’m not around. You see the size of this house––need to make sure whatever her father is into doesn’t leak down to her.”

I heard the clink of glass from the decanter, which meant he was making a drink.

“Keeping her safe is my priority,” a voice replied.

That voice.

My heartbeat quickened as my pace slowed down. Holding onto the wall, I took several deep breaths while trying to calm myself. When I turned the corner, the air in my lungs escaped as I looked at him. He was holding his drink while still conversing with Jonah. Neither noticed me gripping the wall, silently panicking.

He wore a black short-sleeve shirt that squeezed his muscular arms, with tattoos wrapping around his biceps like ivy on an abandoned house. His side profile showed long lashes sweeping over his eyes like an umbrella over a picnic table. Those light brown eyes, when hit by the sun at a certain angle, looked greenish-brown. His beard, thick and lush with specks of gray, had grown out over the years, coarse black hair covering his face.

His forehead creased, revealing those wrinkles that would appear whenever he was engaged in a conversation. The expensive gold Patek watch that graced his wrist indicated that money was no longer an issue. The dance of the two colognes––one worn by Jonah and the other by Nazir. Even after years, I could still smell the cardamom and amber cologne as it tickled my nose. It was a scent I could never forget, one I spent many nights phantom-smelling because I swore he would sneak into my home and come save me.

My lip quivered as I watched them continue with their conversation. They were so engrossed that they still hadn’t noticed me. So, I ducked back around the corner, and while leaning against the wall, I took another deep breath––this time sucking in the deepest breath my lungs would allow.

Despite the years that had gone by, this man still had that effect on me. His eyes hadn’t even looked into mine, nor had his voice caressed my eardrums, yet my body reacted this way. But as much as he took my breath away, there was also a part of me that was furious.

Why is he in my home? And why is Jonah talking to him about protecting me and Nazira? Does he even know that Nazir and I know each other? I had many questions, but they could only be answered by asking.

Taking a deep breath, I shook off all the emotions and feelings I’d bottled up over the years and forced a neutral face––a face I’d developed since childhood when dealing with my father. There was no room for emotions when your father didn’t give a damn about them.

Checking my hair in the hallway mirror, I used my nail to scrape the crust off the side of my face and then glanced at my clothes. Suddenly, I wished I had on something more flattering instead of the simple sweatsuit I wore since I was working from home that day. I took one last deep breath and spun around the corner.

“Jonah, why didn’t you tell me you were here?”

My heart was pounding as I stood there with my hand on my hip.

He finished his drink and set the glass down. “Sent you an email this morning letting yo’ ass know I was bringing security by today for you to meet.”

Nazir turned his attention toward me, his eyes taking in all of me.

“Hi, Nazir. Nice to see you.”

What else should I have said? It’s good to see you’re alive after abandoning me. Seeing him was bittersweet. It was sweet to know he was alive after years of wondering what had happened to him and if he was okay. But I felt bitter that he never reached out to check on me and had moved on with his life while I gave birth and raised our child.

Jonah looked between us. “You know each other?”

“We’re old friends from my college days,” I said. “Not important. Where’s my daughter?”

“Bloom took her to get ice cream with the security team. I wanted you to meet Nazir, then I’ll introduce you to the head of security who will stay with you at the house.”

Nazir remained quiet, his thick lips protruding from his beard and mustache. His eyes were still as intense as the last time I had stared into them. Memories flooded my mind of him gazing into my eyes as he kissed me and told me he loved me.

Jonah’s phone rang, and he looked at the number. “Let me take this real quick. Since you both know each other, catch the fuck up.”

Neither of us laughed at Jonah’s joke. Instead, Jonah followed me with his eyes as I sauntered behind the bar, grabbed the bottle of tequila, and poured myself a double shot.

“Tata––”

“No,” I said, cutting him off.

The nerve of him to call me by a name I hadn’t heard in a decade––a name only he had used. Hearing him say it transported me back to that college girl who wanted to spend forever with him.

“Baby—”

I held up my index finger to silence him as I threw back my drink.