Re

chapter sixteen

Tiffany

“ Daddy, are you sure you have everything for your flight tomorrow?” I ask, logging off my laptop for the day.

“Tippy, I told you, stop worrying about me. Your old man can manage himself. I won’t be late to your wedding.”

I smile as I once again remember that in two days, I’ll be marrying the man of my dreams. I kept my promise to my future husband. In just two short months, I planned a quaint little intimate wedding for us.

My father’s laughter catches my attention. “Besides, I don’t think that son in law of mine will allow that to happen. He might charter me a personal jet just to make sure I make it.”

The day after Nico proposed, I called my father to tell him the big news only to find out that months earlier, my fiancé showed up at his job to ask him for my hand in marriage. I was shocked and proud. Nico knows how much my father means to me. It touched my heart that he took the traditional route and asked his permission.

“I wouldn’t put it past him,” I say to my father. I wave at Heather, the receptionist, as I head out of the building with Jake on my heels.

“Have you considered what I said about your mother?”

My father’s question has me stopping in my tracks.

“You alright, Ms. Best?” Jake’s throaty voice says from behind me.

I nod my head without answering him. Instead, I reply to my father. “It’s not a good idea, daddy.”

He sighs through the phone. “Baby Girl, when are you going to let the past go. I know she hurt you by leaving, but she’s trying now.”

This would be the perfect time to tell my father the type of woman he was married to. To come clean on why her and my relationship can never be mended.

“I love you, Daddy. I’ll see you tomorrow afternoon.” I quickly hang up the phone.

No need to ruin the image of the woman he loves. No matter what my mother does, my father will always love her even though she doesn’t deserve it.

“Are we heading straight home?” Jake asks getting my attention.

I turn around to face him. “I need to swing by the florist to approve the final arrangements and then…”

“Hello, Tiff,” A voice I’ve known since I was a Junior in high school calls out from my right. I turn to find Marcus standing there with a handful of roses.

My breath catches in my throat. He’s still attractive to me. That milk brown skin, low fade, slight beard, and those sultry brown eyes. However, the effect he once had on me is nowhere in sight.

“Marcus, how are you?”

He smiles, stepping toward me. “I’m good, now that I’m seeing you.”

I don’t know how to respond to that. Instead, I push my wild curly hair out my face. The braids are gone, and my hair is in its natural state.

“How’ve you been?” I ask just to fill the awkward silence.

He looks away before placing his gaze back on me. “Good. I finished my program for gambling. I even got a job.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, I work down at that car factory. The pay is good,” he chuckles running his free hand over his waves. “Not like the NBA, but it puts food on the table. I’m even volunteering at the youth center to coach basketball.”

I smile at that. I’ve told him countless times he should have looked into coaching kids.

“That’s great, Marcus. I’m happy for you.” And I truly was. I spent years with this man and despite the bullshit he put me through, I wished him nothing but the best.

“So, you’re getting married?”

My face must show my confusion because he chuckles.

“It’s hard to miss that big ass rock on your finger.” I look down at my engagement ring and smile.

“Yeah, I’m getting married.”

“Who’s the lucky man?”

I nervously look away before turning back to him. “Mr. Basille.”

“Your Boss?” his brows shoot to his hairline.

“Yeah.” This time I don’t explain to him that technically Nico isn’t my boss.

He bobs his head up and down as if I asked him a question. “I thought you told me there was nothing to worry about.”

I understand his confusion. At the time, he didn’t have anything to worry about between me and Nico, but that changed.

“Marcus,”

He holds up a hand to stop me. “Don’t. I didn’t come to get you upset. I was wondering if you and I could go somewhere to talk.”

Talk? What did we have to talk about? “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

“What? Your man won’t let you talk to me even though he practically snatched you from me.”

Shaking my head, I take a step back. “Don’t do this. Please, lets just end as friends.”

He holds his arms out at his side. “What do you think I’m doing here? I promised that once I got my life together, I would come back for you. I’m man enough to see that I’m too late. Unlike your bitch ass fiancé, I’ll step back. I just want closure, Tiff. After damn near ten years, don’t you think I deserve that?”

Guilt eats at me. It’s not like he’s asking for a lot. He just wants to talk. Hopefully, he knows that I’m not leaving Nico for him. That ship has sailed and is at the bottom of the ocean with the Titanic. However, it’s a good idea to truly end this chapter in my life.

“Okay,” I say with a deep exhale.

Marcus smiles, stepping forward he hands me the roses. “Let’s hit that new spot that just opened. We can ride together.”

Jake clears his throat behind me. I don’t have to turn to look at him to know what he’s trying to communicate. There was no way in hell he was letting me in a car with Marcus.

“I can just meet you there.”

“How about I ride with you,” Marcus says with a cunning smile toward my bodyguard.

Letting out a deep breath, I say. “Sure.”

I turn to Jake and he has a smirk on his face that can’t be missed. He leads the way toward the blacked-out G wagon.

Jake opens the door for me to climb in. I hold up a finger before getting inside. Pulling out my phone I make a call.

“Hello, my angel,” Nico answers after the second ring.

“Hey, baby. I uh, wanted to let you know I ran into Marcus today.”

The line goes completely silent. I wait for him to speak.

“Okay. Is everything alright?”

Closing my eyes, I take a deep breath. “Yeah, he and I are going to have an early dinner.”

Again, silence greets me. “Talk to me, Tiffany. Should I be worried?”

“Baby, I promise you there is nothing to worry about. He wants closure and I think I owe him that much.”

“You don’t owe him any fucking thing.” Never have I heard Nico speak in that tone. Especially not to me. The growl in his voice frightens me a little.

My silence must have given him a clue to my fear.

“I’m sorry,” his tone is much softer and a lot more like what I’m use to. “I’m not angry with you. I just don’t like the idea of anyone taking advantage of your kindness.”

“I want to start my new life with you properly closing my past. Please, Nico, let me do this.”

He sighs. “You know I can’t deny you anything. Tell Jake to take you to Salv’s new spot. I don’t want you sitting out anywhere too in the open. Don’t forget Saint is still looking for you and could possibly follow Marcus to you. I’ll send another guard to watch over you.”

Although Saint has been quiet for a few months, he’s never far out of my mind. I won’t be completely free of him until he’s behind bars.

“Okay. I love you, Nico.”

“Not more than I love you, Angel,” he says in a way that makes me believe he could be right.

Hanging up the phone, I place it in my purse.

“Take us to Salv’s new place,” I tell Jake. He nods.

Climbing in the truck beside Marcus, I put my seatbelt on.

“What did he say?” Marcus asks with a smirk.

“Nothing,” I lie.

“I bet,” he chuckles as Jake climbs in and starts the truck.

**

So far dinner has been nice. Marcus and I have reminisced on our school and college years. Nothing too intimate, just funny stories and inside jokes.

“I still have the scar on my leg from that night,” I laugh.

“Thankfully our asses didn’t end up in jail doing that shit,” Marcus adds, and I burst into another fit of laughter.

Soon the laughter dies down, and we’re silent. Marcus’ gaze never leaves my face. It has me feeling a bit uncomfortable.

“Is something on my face?” I ask wiping at my cheeks.

“No, I’m just caught off guard on how beautiful you are.”

Clearing my throat, I sit up straighter in my seat. “We agreed to get closure and I think it’s time for that.”

He shakes his head. “Was what we had that bad?”

“Let’s be honest, you changed once you left the league. I knew it would take an adjustment for you, but you started to treat me like the enemy.”

“I envisioned giving you the world, Tiff,” he shouts. “And suddenly all of that was taken from me. How do you think I was supposed to feel.”

“I never asked you for the world. All I ever wanted was you. I would’ve loved you as a basketball player or a mechanic.”

He’s silent for a moment. My words seem to play through his head as his eyes redden.

“I know that now,” he finally says. “You were the only person in my life that remained true to me when I left the NBA. And I’m so sorry for not seeing it sooner.” He reaches across the table and grabs my hands in his. “Tiffany, I….”

He’s interrupted when Jake rushes up to our table. I pull my hands out of Marcus’ quickly. I didn’t want my bodyguard to get the wrong idea.

“Ms. Best, we have to go,” he says placing bills down on the table to pay our tab.

“Jake, what’s wrong?” The panic in his voice has me alarmed.

“It’s Mr. Basille, he’s been shot.”

My entire world spins and I feel lightheaded. Please God, no.