Chapter 13

Thirteen

Merc

The world must be ending,just like mine. It was the first day of spring, yet there was a snowstorm happening. I checked the time on my phone when I thought I heard knocking. That couldn't have been the case. Not only because it was so late at night but also because my cabin in Massie Manor was miles away from anything and anyone. I'd specifically purchased this cabin because it was secluded. Regardless of the season, this was where I came when I had a lot on my mind and needed time away to figure things out.

This time around, the biggest thing on my mind was my son. Aries was dead set on moving to Atlanta with Omar, and outside of crippling him, there seemed like it was nothing I could do stop it. We finally sat down and talked two days ago because they wanted to take Marz back to Mississippi. I was cool with that because it was the weekend before his spring break. I didn't know it was going to be snowing in Memphis, but it worked out because I planned to take him to Orlando anyway.

They used the horses and cows to bait my little man into spending his spring break in Mississippi of all places. Even though I didn't want to be away from him for an entire week, I agreed in hopes to get things back to normal between me and Aries. But the conversation we had before they left changed all that.

"Aries said you have some reservations about them coming to Atlanta with me," Omar said, getting comfortable in the chair on the opposite end of my desk like he'd be around for long.

"Yeah, I do. First of all, you didn't approach me and ask me like a man. Second, I don't know what you plan to do for money while you're there. You're asking me to let you be a primary guardian for my son in my absence, yet I know nothing about your intentions or the move."

"Look, I'ma be honest wit' ya. I don't mind Marz staying here with you, but Aries insists on him coming with us."

Chuckling, I sat back in my seat. Rolling my tongue over my cheek, I had to keep myself from telling him to get the fuck out. That alone was reason for me to not let Marz go. If he had truly bonded with my little man and wanted him to come along, his attitude would have been different. From the sound of it, Marz was an inconvenience instead of an added gift that came from loving his mother.

"You do know that's her son, right? Of course she's going to want him to go with her."

His eyes squeezed shut as he sighed. "I didn't mean it like that. I just mean Marz is stable here, and it don't make sense for us to uproot him and take him there."

Even though I agreed, I wanted to see where his head was at, so I continued.

"You don't think the environment you provide there will be stable?"

"Not as stable as I want it to be in the beginning." Sitting back in his seat, he crossed his arms over his chest as he grinned. "I'm going there to pursue my rap career. I got enough money saved for bills for a year. After that, it'll have to be up with my music 'cause I ain't gettin' a regular job. So I'm thinkin' if he stays here, Aries can travel with me when I need her to. We gon' have a lot of late nights and early mornings, you feel me?"

Clearing my throat didn't hide my chuckle. Some men were merely little boys in grown up bodies. There was no way this nigga was sitting here saying he was going to start a rap career at his big ass age of thirty-five with a wife, stepson, and baby on the way. I wasn't saying it wasn't possible, but the man had never mentioned wanting to rap before. He probably wasn't even any good.

Squeezing the bridge of my nose, I pulled my smirk in.

"I don't see how Aries will be able to be on the road with you. She's pregnant, Omar. And y'all about to get married. Have you factored in the costs of the wedding? It sounds like you putting a lot on your plate with this move."

"Man, say, just being honest… if I could do this shit alone, I would. But she ended up pregnant, and I'm tryna do the right thing. Plus, I really do love 'er. It's just the timing of it all."

"I'ma be honest with you. This conversation ain't making me want to allow Marz to go with you. You're right—he has a very stable life here. I'm not about to let y'all uproot him from that so you can pursue a rap career."

"And I'm cool with that," he stressed. "He can stay here. Just convince ya baby mama of that."

That shit was easier said than done.

Aries refused to leave Marz here, and he refused to leave her here. So his tune completely switched up by the time they left, and he was all for Marz going with them. At that point, I straight up told Aries that wasn't going to happen, and she did some shit I thought she'd never do—she threatened to try and get full custody so I wouldn't be able to stop her from taking my son.

That shit broke my heart.

As close as we'd been and as well as we'd been coparenting, I never thought we'd come to this. True enough, since I was the one financially taking care of her and Marz, a part of me was cool with her taking that chance. However, most judges in Memphis favored the mother whether she was paying the bills or not. I wasn't sure if I wanted to risk going to court and losing, allowing her to take my son away.

So here I was, trying to figure out how to make this shit work in a way that would be best for Marz. His mother was so blinded by her love for and loyalty to Omar that she couldn't see how dangerous of a game she was playing, following him. If she didn't have no kids and she wanted to go with him so he could chase his dreams, I'd be cool with that, but he needed more stability than a dream to care for my son and the baby she was pregnant with.

Just thinking about it caused my head to start pounding. Lying back down, I pulled in a deep breath and tried to clear my mind. Before I left this cabin, I needed God to deposit something into my mind and heart to work this out in my little man's favor. I couldn't see my life without him. Marz was the reason I'd calmed down as much as I had. He was my whole heart and soul, and I genuinely loved being his dad daily.

If I didn't see him every day, I wouldn't know what to do with myself. My life would have a huge void that nothing would be able to fill. And if anything happened to him while he was in their care…

The sound of knocking sounded off again. This time, I couldn't ignore it. Standing, I grabbed my robe off the back of the door and headed down the hall. When I opened the door, the sight of a shivering Neo surprised me. At the sight of me, she burst into tears.

I wasted no time pulling her into my arms and closing the door behind her. It was snowing even harder now, and it looked like there was at least six or seven inches of snow on the ground.

"What's wrong, baby?"

"Everything." She sobbed, holding me tighter. "I'm just glad you're here. I couldn't see any more, so I had to leave my car. I didn't know if anyone was even here, but I had to try. My phone isn't working, and I have no idea where I even am."

"Neo…" I carried her into the master bedroom and grabbed a few blankets from the closet. I put one on the floor and wrapped the other two around us with her in my lap. In front of the roaring fire, I rubbed her cold, shivering body until she began to warm up. Her cries turned into sniffles, then they eventually stopped. When they did, I asked her, "What happened?"

"Long story short, I went to get some of my things from the house today, and when Steven realized I wasn't going to take him back, he told me I had to take everything today, and he's taking my store from me."

Her eyes watered and head hung, and I instantly went into protector mode.

"The business is in his name?"

"No, but the building is. I can keep it and open it somewhere else, but I have to leave the building." With a chuckle, she wiped a tear and sniffled. "While my family was partying and helping me pack, he was at the store, apparently. After I left the house, he sent me pictures of practically all my inventory being broken." She sucked her teeth and looked toward the ceiling before swallowing back her tears. "All those vinyl records just… gone. So many classics. So many albums I'll never be able to purchase again. I can't believe he could be so spiteful and cruel. That store meant everything to me, and now I don't have anything."

"You got me," I assured her before placing a kiss on the corner of her mouth.

She smiled. "No I don't. You've made it clear there can be nothing between us, which is fine anyway. After Steven, I'm never being with a man that has kids again."

I wanted to tell her she was beginning to feel like an answer to a prayer I was too afraid to utter. The more I tried to avoid her, the more God put her in my life. Now that I was finally starting to accept that, it was Neo who was pulling away.

"Never?"

Her head shook as she pouted. "Ever."

Accepting that, even though I hated it, I told her, "I'm sorry about your store. If there's anything I can do to rectify this for you, I will."

I already had two options in mind—getting my homies to beat his ass or having my connect at MPD arrest him and his baby mama for vandalism. How Neo wanted to handle this would determine which way I'd go.

She wrapped her arms around my neck and rested her head on mine. "What're you doing here anyway?"

"Needed some time to think."

"Oh. I'm always in your way. I'll stay away until the snow clears. You won't even know I'm here."

Before she could get up from my lap, I pulled her back down. "I mean… I can't seem to get away from you, but I'm starting to like it."

Neo smiled, and I was glad. "I don't know why you want to anyway."

"I'm not fighting it anymore, for what it's worth."

Our eyes remained locked until mine lowered to her lips. I licked mine.

"Um… well… it doesn't matter anymore."

She tried to stand again. This time, I let her. Neo could run if she wanted to. If God told me what I was starting to believe in my heart—that she was mine—I'd chase her. But I wouldn't just chase her; I'd capture her and pursue her every day that I had her, to make sure she never regretted being mine.

"You want that nigga to be arrested?" I asked. "Or do you want me to send them boys to beat his ass?"

Her eyes widened, and she gasped before releasing a choked chuckle. "Uh… those are real options?"

"Hell yeah." I stood. "Which one you want?"

"Hmm…" Her mouth twisted to the side as she considered my options. "How likely is it they'll have to do time?"

"Honestly, not likely. Since it's a vandalism charge, if they don't have a record, they'll probably get probation and a fine."

Neo nodded. "Well, I don't want him to lose his job because of a charge, but I do want him to be punished. I also don't condone violence bu—"

Scoffing, I closed the space between us. "Did you forget you tried to break that mane nose?"

Her huff was cute as she crossed her arms over her chest. She had a quick temper, apparently, but she calmed down quickly, which was good.

"That wasn't one of my best moments," she muttered.

"Mhm." Chuckling, I lowered her arms from her chest. "He deserved that and a lot more. If you don't want me to get his ass beat, I'll show him how it feels for what he loves to be destroyed. Either way, he wronged you, and he gon' pay."

She nodded. "I don't want to know what you do so I won't feel guilty for it."

"Aight, say less."

She looked around the room. "Where can I sleep?" she asked.

"In here."

"Okay. Will you be close?"

Chuckling, I nodded as we began to fold the blankets. "As close as your skin."

Realization covered her face before she covered it and released a soft snicker. After I put the blankets up, I took my robe off and got back in bed. She was slow making her way over to the bed, but Neo came eventually. When she began to remove her clothing, I turned toward the wall. Once she got in bed, she made her way to the middle of it.

I turned and took her into my arms, placing her on my chest. She felt good as hell there. Like she belonged.

We both released content sighs as Neo snuggled against me. I stroked her back with one hand and her scalp with the other.

"Mercury?" she called quietly.

"Yeah?"

Instead of speaking, she kissed the center of my chest, and that was enough.