Chapter 19

Nineteen

Merc

Early March

Since Neo'scar had been under the snow for so long, I had it towed to her parents' place to be safe, and she came to my home. I gave her a tour since I was unable to the first time. I was proud of the life I'd built for me and my son and hoped Neo would be a part of that. I wasn't na?ve enough to believe it would be easy for her to trust me with what had just happened with her ex, but I hoped she was wise enough to see the differences between us and know I was nothing like him.

As we got settled into my home theater, my phone rang. It was Aries. I answered with, "Y'all good?"

"Yes. Are you home yet? We're in Memphis. I was going to bring Marz to you."

"Yeah, I'm back. Bring my little man home."

"Okay, we'll be there in like thirty minutes."

"Aight, cool."

I hadn't even disconnected the call all the way before Neo was saying, "I'm gonna take an Uber to my parents' house so you can spend some time with Marz."

"Neo…"

"I mean it, Mercury. We've spent the last week together, and though I enjoyed every second of it, I know you missed your son like crazy."

I couldn't argue with her because that was the truth. "If you're sure, I can drop you off real quick."

"You sure, babe?"

"I'm positive."

"Okay, that'll work."

As much as I was enjoying our time together, I was grateful she wasn't the kind of woman who expected me to choose between her and my son. They would always lose. Had she stayed, I would have made sure she was entertained while I gave my attention to Marz, but now, I wouldn't have to.

Marz wasn't tryingto go to sleep. He was clearly tired and could barely hold his eyes open after I finished his bedtime story. It wasn't like him to fight his sleep, especially if he was excited about something the next day. We were going to my parents' house, and they spoiled him and never told him no.

"You okay, little man?" I asked, rubbing his head. He nodded then shook his head. I returned to my seat on the side of his bed. "What's wrong, son?"

He looked away briefly. "Mommy said we were moving away with Mr. Omar, but I don't want to. I don't want to leave you and my grandma and paw paw. Or Kiana and my friends at school."

I had to work really hard to keep my face from showing how I was feeling, because I didn't want him to think my anger was over what he'd said. I couldn't believe Aries told Marz they were moving before we'd made a final decision. And even if we had made a decision, that was a conversation we needed to have with him together. Yet again, she was moving as if Omar was her husband and the father of her child and leaving me out of it, and that shit was disrespectful as fuck and pissing me off. Clearly, since telling her that wasn't getting through her thick ass skull, I would have to tell her man and make sure he never had a conversation about my son's future without me being present again.

"You're not going anywhere, Marz. Don't even worry about that, aight?"

"But Mommy said…"

"That don't matter. I'm telling you that you aren't leaving. Okay?"

With a nod, he pulled his covers up to his chin. "Yes, sir."

"Get some sleep, and don't worry about that. Daddy's gonna handle it."

Marz smiled as I gave him a kiss on the cheek.

"I love you, Daddy."

"I love you more. Good night."

"Night."

I would usually wait until he was asleep to leave his room, but I couldn't wait to get out of there fast enough tonight. I went outside to the mother-in-law suite, where Aries and Omar were chilling in the living room, watching a movie.

"Merc, wh—ah!"

Aries yelled as I popped Omar in his mouth. The groan he released was silenced by another hit. It wasn't hard enough to knock him out because I needed him to hear me well. My fist wrapped around his shirt, and I used it to lift him off the couch.

"Your fiancée don't seem to understand the rules around this bitch when it comes to my son. Y'all don't make decisions without me, and y'all don't have important conversations if I'm not present without my approval. If I hear that you've done it again, I'ma beat yo' ass, and if you do it a third time, I'ma slit yo' throat and you won't be able to talk no mo'. Do you fuckin' hear me?"

"Yeah, man," he rushed out quickly.

Tossing him back onto the couch, I gave Aries my attention. "Why you tell my son he was moving?"

"I—"

"You tryin' my fuckin' patience, Aries." I interrupted before she could even answer. "I been giving you grace out of respect, but that shit is dead. Since you can't give the same back, it's ova. You know how I come, so since you want to get a judge involved, we can do that, 'cause I'm real close to sending yo' second baby daddy to God just to teach you not to play with me."

"But, Merc, I…"

I pointed my finger toward her as I took deep breaths. "Stop fucking playing with me, Aries. For real."

Snapping her mouth shut, she nodded adamantly. My eyes went back to Omar as he used his shirt to wipe the blood that was leaking from his mouth.

"Your ass can't come over here no more. You getting too comfortable. Take her to your house when y'all want to kick it or put some' on the fucking rent. Get the fuck out. Both of y'all."

Neither of them hesitated to grab their shit and scramble out the room. Plopping down on the couch, I took deep breaths and rocked until I was calm. I chuckled in disbelief that this had become my life. I wanted Aries to move on and find love but not at the expense of our ability to coparent in a healthy way for the sake of our son. Of all the men she could have chosen, I wasn't sure what the hell Omar had said and done to hook her. The shit was truly beyond me.

When I went back into the house, I took out my stash and lit up a blunt, resisting the urge to tell Neo to come to me. I didn't want to pile my drama on to her, so I'd spend the evening alone, but Lord knew I needed her peace to consume me.