Chapter 24

24

N eko

Monday

It was hard avoiding Malorie today. Because of her experience over the last three years, she was able to bypass all entry level accountant duties and was already looking into senior accounts and doing audits. That meant not only did she have to meet with Trent and his team but me and Elias weekly as well. Briefly this morning, Elias and I gave her a rundown of what we were looking for in the senior accounts and audits. I was able to maintain my professionalism, but I also couldn't deny how good she smelled and looked.

Gone was the warm, milky, nutty scent of her youth. Now, she smelled floral and feminine throughout the day and like a decadent caramel and vanilla dessert at night. Yet again, she was fully covered in a form fitting dress and stockings, but her body was so curvy it still looked indecent—like she knew how hard her attire was making me work to see those tattoos—like she wanted me to rip those stockings from her skin.

I thought I was going to be free of her when the workday was over, but Malik called and asked if I could help move her things from storage into her apartment. Of course I agreed. When I pulled up to the storage company, she was pacing and speaking a different language, David and Elias were watching in amusement, and Malik was standing there scowling with his arms crossed over his chest.

"Tā mā de zhège gǒu shǐ," Malorie said, flipping the man in the office off.

It caught me so off guard I had to fight to keep my laugh in as I asked Malik, "What the hell is going on, bruh?"

"He is trying to charge her for the full year, and she's upset because she was under the impression she was paying a month to month lease. I told her I could just go in there and beat his ass to make him give us the key to her storage unit, but she said I can't be fighting anymore because of the twins."

He sounded sad over the fact that he couldn't fight for his sister, which further amused me.

"What is she even speaking?" David asked.

"Mane, I'on know," Malik replied. "It's either Korean, Japanese, or—"

"It's Chinese," I answered, walking over to a still pacing Malorie.

"How do you know?" Elias asked with a smirk.

"Trust me, I know." Though she spoke Korean, Japanese, and Chinese, Chinese was her favorite language to curse in. Back in the day, she'd taught me a few phrases. Earlier, she said fuck this shit, and now she was calling the man and his mama a punk bitch.

"Hey," I called quietly, not wanting to immediately touch her and she swing on me. I felt like she was about to be off with my head that night at the lounge until she realized who I was. When she looked at me, I took her hands into mine and did what I did when we were younger to calm her down. "Is this something you can control?"

She huffed, rolled her eyes, and stomped her foot. "No, but—"

My head shook as I gently squeezed her hands. "Unh-uh. If you can't control it, how much energy are you supposed to give it?"

Malorie pulled in a shaky breath before muttering, "None."

"Aight, so emotions aside, what are your options?"

"I'm not sure. I have my lawyer friend looking over the contract. I'm not paying him over a thousand dollars for the year when I only had my shit here for less than a week and he told me the lease was for a month to month unit. He won't give me my key."

"Okay. Wait here."

I released her and went inside. The smug looking nigga straightened his back as I walked over to the counter. His eyes widened when I reached in my pocket, and I chuckled. After pulling out my phone, I used my thumb to open my bank app.

"C'mere," I demanded, turning my phone so he could see my four accounts and the amounts in them.

His mouth literally salivated, and he licked his lips from the multiple commas. I wrapped my hand around his tie and used it to slam the side of his face onto the counter.

"You see I have more than enough to buy her out of her contract, but I also have enough to pay my bond and attorney after I beat your ass and get charged with assault and battery."

"B-B-Bu—"

"Give her the key and terminate that lease. Right the fuck now."

"Y-Yes, sir."

I released him, and he made quick work of typing on his computer with shaking fingers before taking the key to her storage unit out of his pocket.

"If you try and charge her card when we leave, I'm going to come back, and I'm not going to speak a word. Do you understand me?"

With a fast nod, he gulped. "Matter fact, delete her information right now. Let me see you take her card information out the system."

I heard the guys laughing as I made my way behind the counter, but I didn't give a fuck. Regardless of what was going on with me and Malorie personally, I wasn't going to let anyone take advantage of her. Plus, Malik was trying to do right, and I had no problem stepping up for him. After he permanently deleted all of her information from his system, I went outside and gave Malik the key.

"Thank you," she said with an airy tone, wrapping her arms around me for a hug. This time, I hugged her back.

"You're welcome, my sweet girl."

I should have released her, but I couldn't. Resting her hands on my chest, she asked, "I'm still that?"

"You'll always be that."

When she smiled, I smiled too.

"Aight, lover boy. Come on so we can get this shit in the truck. I need to get back home to my babies," Malik said, and that was the only reason I released her.

It didn't take us long to get her stuff in the truck, and we only had to make two trips. Since we got that done in an hour, we stuck around to help her start unboxing and made sure her furniture was how she wanted it. Because we'd designated certain things to certain people, I didn't see her art and décor until everything was practically done. When I noticed she had two sculptures that I'd made from my grandmother's fine China, my heart skipped a beat.

After Granny died, I had no clue what to do with her China sets. Everyone else had gotten to her spot earlier and took what I wanted to remember her by, but none of my cousins that were married with homes at that point had come through, so all six of her China sets were still there. I knew they were expensive and valuable so I tried to figure out what I could do with them. In the middle of the night, it hit me. I broke them all and used the pieces to make sculptures.

I made her kids smaller sculptures to keep to remember her by and one for me and my brother, then sold the rest. I had no idea Malorie had one let alone two, because this happened after she left. She also had one of my larger paintings. In the center of her living room, she had the painting, and on both sides of it and the fireplace, she put the sculptures.

For a while, all I could do was stand there and stare. It wasn't just thoughts of me and Mal that resurfaced but love and memories of my granny too. That lady was my whole heart, my second mother, and losing her was a major loss. I didn't realize how long I'd been standing there until Elias squeezed my shoulder.

"You did God's work with those sculptures, bro. I hold mine and talk to Gran every day."

Nodding, I licked my lips and composed my emotions. "I can't believe she has this."

"Why? You may not have wanted to keep up with her, but it's clear she thought of and supported you. Mama and Pops maintained their relationship with her. Maybe that's what made her apply at the firm. Either way, soften toward her, regardless of how things ended. It's clear she really respected and supported you. And you know for men like us—"

"That's more important than love," I added, not even needing to hear him say it.

We embraced in a quick, brotherly hug before I searched the apartment for Malorie. I found her in her bedroom staring out of her window at the beach. Instead of taking her into my arms and kissing her like I desperately wanted to, I stood next to her. She looked up at me with a small smile.

"I'm sorry," I said, causing her to turn toward me, but I wasn't ready to do the same yet, so I continued to look at the water. Between my heart being filled with her and Granny, I was more in my feelings than I liked.

"For what?"

"The way I've been acting. Your presence startled me, and I haven't been handling it properly."

"You were handling it like a human with feelings. I don't blame you for that."

"Still, I shouldn't have exploded on you with all that you didn't choose me shit."

She laughed softly and used my arm to turn me in her direction. "You didn't explode. You directly told me how you felt. I can admit I wasn't expecting it, but I respected it. It's fine."

I couldn't resist cupping her cheek and running my thumb against it. "You supported my art, even when we weren't in each other's lives."

"Of course. Regardless, I was so proud of you. I still am. You did it, Neek. And you didn't just do it for you; you're paving the way for other artists too. Regardless of how I feel about us, I will always support you."

"Is that why you applied?"

"One of the reasons, yes."

"And the other?"

She smiled. "You'll find out soon enough." Taking a step back, she added, "But as far as me not choosing you—"

"We don't have to talk about that, sweet girl. I really am okay with your decision. It was the right one."

"Mhm," she said, grabbing a small box off her nightstand. Malorie handed it to me.

"What's this?"

"All the letters I wrote you over the last five years." My eyes immediately shifted from the box to her as I tightened my grip on it. "I know me wanting to maintain my relationship with Malik hurt you, and I'm sorry about that. As far as romantic love goes, regardless of who I dated over the years, it was always you for me, Neko. There was never another option for my heart. I hope you can read these and see I really did love you."

She lowered me by my shoulders and placed a kiss on my cheek before walking away. I was so stunned by the thick stack of letters I stood there for a while before abruptly leaving. I needed to get home and go through these. Maybe they were the key to my heart healing and reopening… and now… I wasn't afraid to admit that was what I wanted and needed.