20. London

"You sure about going in there?" Meechie questioned me as soon as we pulled up to Monroe's dad's funeral.

"Yeah, I'm here to support Monroe. I'm not going to let her face this alone."

"I'm just making sure, nigga. Didn't you go ghost on her?" Meechie climbed out of the car.

He had a good point. Monroe and I hadn't talked in weeks. I was allowing her space. I couldn't lie, I was a little irritated that I'd gone through all of that to get her a new life and she chose to go right back to her father. I didn't understand it, but it wasn't my place to understand. That was why I removed myself. Leaving her to live her own life was always the plan. Our marriage was on paper only. When Alyza called and told me that her father had finally passed away, I knew I had to be here for her. Monroe was going to need me. Even after everything she'd endured, Monroe still loved her father. I got it. It just took Aunt Vanessa cursing me out for me to finally come to my senses.

"I gave her space," I replied as we walked into the building.

"Did she need space, though?" Meechie shot back.

I stopped and stared at him. Meechie had been making a whole lot of sense lately. That must have been the effect of Samara. The verdict was still out on how I felt about them dating but if she was bringing this out of him, I fucked with it.

"Come on, nigga. Let's go support sis." He walked into the funeral home.

"Oh, so she sis now?"

"Been sis, and you better stop trying to force her to live life without you before you regret it, nigga." I followed closely behind him. I was just trying to give her some space. Her moving on was never a fucking option. The moment I stepped into the nearly empty funeral home, I was drawn to her. My feet carried me to her before my eyes even spotted her. She was sitting in the back alone with tears streaming down her face. Even in her grief, she was still the most beautiful woman I'd ever seen. I moved to her, no questions asked.

"Is this seat taken?" I whispered. I didn't know how she was going to react to me being here. I had ghosted her. She'd called, and I would watch it ring, knowing if I answered I would break my promise to her and demand her in my space. The moment she looked up and saw me and Meechie, her face lit up, and she nodded her head.

I sat down next to her. Meechie hugged her, offering his condolences before finding a seat on another aisle. I wrapped my arms around her, offering her my shoulder to cry on. She leaned into me naturally. No words were said because none were needed. We stayed like that for the rest of the service. At the final visitation, I held her up as she cried over her father's body. Watching her break down made me feel like shit. I'd ghosted her during what was probably the most difficult time of her life—watching the man that raised her die. I wasn't ever leaving her alone again. I hoped she knew that.

"Thank you for coming, London," she whispered as she met me in the stairs of the funeral home. I'd been waiting there patiently, allowing her to mingle and greet guests. I'd meant what I said, and I wasn't going anywhere.

"You could have called me," I replied.

"Oh, you would have answered?" she countered. I deserved that.

"I was stupid, aight? Pushing you away when all you ever wanted was to be close." I closed the distance between us. "We can discuss all of that later. Right now, all I want to do is take care of you—help you through this. Can I do that, Chocolate?"

Her eyes bounced around for a moment.

"Yes, but I can't leave Tessa right now." Her eyes darted to a very distraught Tessa. I signaled for Alyza and Aunt Vanessa to approach her. They would take Tessa and the baby to a nice hotel and stay with her for the night.

"She's in good hands." I pointed in her direction. Monroe's eyes followed my finger. "They are going to take her to a hotel and make sure her and the baby good. Y'all are both grieving differently so y'all need different support." Monroe stared up at me for a little while before nodding.

"Let's get out of here." I grabbed her hand and led her to my car.

"Where are we going?" she questioned.

"Your place tonight, but we going home in the morning!"

"Home?

"Yeah, home!" I opened the car door for her to get inside. "I decided that any healing or freedom you need, I want to be right there while you get it."

Monroe folded her arms across her body.

"Who said that's what I wanted?" She was still mad, I got it, but just this one time I wasn't giving her a choice.

"Who said you had a choice this time?" I closed the door, walked around, and got inside. I couldn't change the past, but I was determined to be there for her in the present. Monroe was mine, fuck her freedom—she'd had enough.

"How's the water, Chocolate?"I entered the bathroom to check on Monroe. Last night was rough. She'd spent most of the night crying. As I approached, she attempted to wipe the tears she'd been crying with the back of her hand, but it was too late. I'd seen her. Walking over to her, I didn't say anything. This was what I was here for… to provide her comfort. I picked up the sponge and bathed her perfect body. She was beautiful even in her most vulnerable state. I rolled a sponge over her body, caressing her as tears stained her face.

"How are you feeling?" I sat on the edge of the tub.

"Numb, like I don't want to feel."

My heart broke for her. Her grief would take tine. She wouldn't heal in a day.

"It takes time, Chocolate. You have to relearn who you are. This version of you doesn't have a father," I continued, washing her up.

"I want to feel anything but this. Heal me," she requested sweetly as my hands swiped over her erect nipples. She didn't have to ask me again. I pulled her up out of the tub. I was all the healing she would ever need.

"Heal me, London." I touched my lips to hers as I carried her out of the bathroom and into her bedroom.

"Ohhh!" she moaned into my mouth as I positioned myself at her center.

"Tell me what you've learned about yourself." I entered her, and everything was right with my spirit. My peace had returned.

"I'm perfect!" She moaned.

"What else?" I stroked into her, reintroducing my dick to her insides.

"I'm capable of overcoming this." I pumped harder inside her. "I'm open to healing!" She tossed her head back in bliss. Hearing her affirm herself had me digging in her insides harder and deeper than ever before. I loved every word she spoke. "Ohhh! It feels so good!" She wrapped her arms around my neck and pulled me in closer. I pumped into her with precision, savoring every minute of our bodies connecting. "Why… does… it feel… so good?" She panted. Her insides tightened around my dick.

"Because it's my job. I'm yo' bodyguard, remember?"

"Unh huh!"

"You"re mine!" I stroked into her. Tears rolled down her cheeks. I leaned into her, kissing away every tear on her face.

"What are you saying, London?" Her voice was dripping with pleasure.

"I'm saying you my wife and I'm your husband! Not just on paper." I moaned as I felt her juices pour onto me. "That's cool with you, baby?"

"Yes!" Her legs quaked around my body as I delivered one final stroke before I emptied my seeds inside her.

"I love you, Monroe London."

"I love you more, Dr. London!"