Give Me The Reason 2: A Love Story

Give Me The Reason 2

Lock Down Publications

Presents

Give Me The Reason 2

A Novel by

CoCo Amoure

Lock Down Publications

P.O. Box 1482

Pine Lake, Ga 30072-1482

Visit our website at
www.lockdownpublications.com

Copyright 2016 Give Me The Reason 2 by CoCo Amoure

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems without permission in writing from the publisher, except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages in review.

First Edition March 2016

Printed in the United States of America

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any similarity to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

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Cover design and layout by:
Dynasty’s Cover Me

Book interior design by
: Shawn Walker

Edited by:
Tumika Cain

Dedication

This novel is dedicated to the memory of my sister, my friend,
Tasha Danielle Lee-Laudat
. Rest easy my sweet angel. Your memory will live on in the hearts of everyone who knew you and loved you. God loved you most and he has welcomed you home with open arms. I love you and miss your beautiful smile. REST IN HEAVEN ANGEL!!

Acknowledgments

First and foremost I have to thank GOD for my life, health, and strength; and for blessing me with the gift of writing. I am happy to be releasing my 5
th
book! It still amazes me that I am a published author. Dreams really do come true!

A huge thank you goes out to my parents,
Gordon and Stephanie Dismuke
!! I love you so very much for your support and unconditional love! There is no greater love than the love of a parent. XOXOXO

To my three brothers,
Gordon, DeAndre, and Devan:
I love you all so very much! Thanks for loving and protecting me!! I often wished for a sister, but I wouldn’t trade either of you in for anything in the world! Plus, I feel special being the only girl to get to boss y’all around! LOL XOXOXO

To my niece,
Marley
, and nephew,
Malcolm
, I love you both to infinity!! Our love and bond is everlasting!! TeeTee’s babies FOREVER AND ALWAYS!

My Godchildren,
Colby Weaver, Altanease “Poohta” Cheatam, and Kiana Griffin
, I LOVE YOU ALWAYS AND FOREVER!!

My sweet little babies,
Londyn Isis Reign Williams and Marshall Gregory Middleton
, I love you two little love bugs to the MOON and back!!! Sweet kisses and hugs always and forever!! And to my big babies,
Alize Williams, Taji Williams, Caivaun Brown, Kiai Price, and Nika “Nikaboo” Heard
, y’all keep me laughing! I’m proud of each and every one of you! Keep reaching for your dreams and success will follow! Love you!! XOXOXOXOXO

Now to my A-1’s since Day 1,
Ayesha Williams, Deidre Charmaine Roberson, Melinda Styles-Price, Nicole Renee Black, and Deborah “Lili’uokalani” Howell.
There aren’t enough words for me to express my love and appreciation for each of you! I love y’all so much! We have had some of the best and most unforgettable times that I will always cherish. Y’all have been there for me through the good and the bad, happy and sad, and all that good ish! LOL Love ya and I wouldn’t trade not ONE of you for anything!! Grave takers are the only type of females I roll with!! LOL

Finally, to my
LOCKDOWN PUBLICATIONS FAMILY:
Thanks for embracing and supporting me! Y’all are the best!!

Ca$h
, you are AMAZING! Thanks for your support, kindness, and wisdom. The longer I’m on the LDP team, the more I get to know you. You keep me laughing! In all seriousness, thanks for all that you do, King, because I know it’s not always easy! LDP! XOXOXOXO

Shawn “Coffee” Walker
, thanks Queen for your kindness and support! Keep posting those inspirational pictures and captions on Facebook, because they make my day!! Stay sweet Coffee Cakes! XOXOXOXO

Reds Johnson
, I am so happy to have come in contact with such a sweetie pie, such as yourself!! You are such a hard working young lady and the sky is the limit for you, baby girl!! I wish you nothing but the best that life has to offer! You are a beautiful woman inside and out, and don’t let anyone tell you different, Sis! Love ya! XOXOXOXO

Kim Kaye Fryerson
, thanks for always being there when I need to vent! You are the best, Sis! Keep dropping that HEAT! I love your PEN GAME!! Love ya!!  XOXOXOXO

Kenya Guy
, my ACE! LOL Thanks for being you and for listening to me when I need a listening ear! We are going to turn up in the Bahamas!! Yasssss July 2016!! Love ya! XOXOXOXO

Last but not least, I would like to thank all of my
Dismuke and Andrews family, every reader, and supporter of my work
!! There are too many of you now for me to name one by one, but please know that I love you!! I thank you ALL from the bottom of my heart. I smile each time you click like or share one of my book links, or post something about my books on my Facebook page!! I don’t take it for granted, because there are so many other books you could choose to read, but I am thankful that you chose mine. Hugs and COCO kisses to you all!! XOXOXOXOXO

Every time I see your face, every time I hear your name, every time I see you smile

I get weak

The energy I feel each time you’re near

Is so strong it exhausts me

The intensity of your touch feels like a thousand volts of electricity

Your love drains me until I cannot feel my own heart beat

Your voice caresses my ears like my favorite song playing in the background of my mind

You are my weakness

CoCo Amoure

Chapter One

Cam stood outside of Delaney’s hospital room door as his heart raced with panic. It all happened so suddenly. One minute he was sitting at her bedside pouring out his heart and within minutes all hell was breaking loose. The nurses and doctors were meticulously working on Delaney attempting to stabilize her. Cam covered his hands with his face, as he paced back and forth. This was all his fault. If he had never revealed to Delaney that he was her father, none of this would be happening right now. He’d once heard that comatose people could hear, even though they may not be able to respond, but he did not believe it until now.
What am I going to tell Ava if our daughter doesn’t pull through?
Seeing his one and only daughter fighting for her life tore at his heart. Regardless of how Ava felt, Cam was going to make sure Delaney knew the truth before it was all said and done.

“Cam, what’s going on?” asked a panicked Ava. She was coming back from the rest room, when she saw several doctors and nurses rushing towards her daughter’s hospital room. Momentarily, Ava was paralyzed with panic and fear, until her mother’s intuition kicked in and she immediately raced in the same direction as the staff. Something in her heart warned her that Delaney was in some sort of danger.

“The machines started going haywire all of a sudden, next thing I know the doctors and nurses came rushing in,” Cam explained. He dared not tell Ava that the pandemonium began as soon as he confessed to being Delaney’s biological father. How could he possibly know that she could in fact hear and understand what he was saying? Seeing Delaney lay in such a helpless state triggered something in Cam and he knew that he couldn’t keep the fact that he was her biological father a secret for another minute.

Ava’s eyes filled with tears as she peered through the small glass window of the hospital room door.

“This can’t be happening! What am I going to do if my baby doesn’t pull through? I have so much to make up for!”

Ava’s cries were more than Cam could bear at this point. Guilt consumed him and he could barely look Ava in her eyes. Cam gently pulled Ava into his arms and held her closely.

“Everything is going to be ok,” he whispered into her ear. Ava’s body shook as she cried from the depths of her soul.

“Somebody tell me where my daughter is right now!” Cane yelled. He walked briskly through the corridor in search of Delaney’s hospital room. As soon as he’d listened to Cameron’s voicemail message on his cell phone, he jumped in his car and rushed over to the emergency room. Although he and Delaney’s relationship was pretty much nonexistent these days, she was still his daughter and he loved her very much. As Cane made his way around the corner, he spotted Cameron and Ava embraced in a hug. His blood boiled at the sight of his wife wrapped up in Cam’s consoling arms.

The door to Delaney’s hospital room opened up and out stepped Dr. Beard.

“Folks, it appears that we were able to stabilize her condition. I am not sure what caused her to go into distress, but she appears to be stabilized at this point.” Dr. Beard smiled warmly at Cameron and Ava.

“Thank God!” Cam said, relieved to hear that his baby girl was okay. Ava smiled weakly, nodding her head as she breathed a sigh of relief. Cam knew exactly what caused Delaney to go into distress, but he didn’t have any plans on divulging this information to Dr. Beard in front of Ava.

Cane boldly stepped forward and stood in between the doctor and his oldest brother. “My name is Cane Michaels and I am Delaney Michaels’ father,” he said, glaring at Cameron. Dr. Beard’s eyebrows rose in surprise. His eyes traveled from one brother to the other noticing the uncanny resemblance. Up until this point, he naturally assumed that Cameron and Ava were Delaney’s parents.

“Well, it’s nice to meet you, Mr. Michaels. Like I was explaining before you walked up, Delaney’s condition is stable and she is resting. If you all don’t mind, I would prefer that she not have any more visitors for the remainder of the day.”

Cane was slightly embarrassed by his absence and wondered if the doctor was thinking the same thing as Cam and Ava. He could feel their eyes shooting daggers at him, but he refused to acknowledge them.

“Is she going to be okay, doc? Level with me, is my daughter going to live?” Cane questioned. He felt his heart racing and he was beginning to panic. The truth is that Cane hadn’t been a consistent presence in Delaney’s life, but he wasn’t going to let Ava nor Cam dictate his actions.

Ava rolled her eyes and bit down on her bottom lip to keep from exploding and causing a scene in front of the good doctor. Dr. Beard could sense the tension that was brewing between the three of them, so he asked Cane to step away to the side so he could fill him on the events that led up to Delaney arriving at the emergency room.

Cameron glanced over at Cane and glared at his younger brother. He wanted to beat the living shit out of him, but he maintained his composure for Ava’s sake. After the doctor shook Cane’s hand and walked away, Cane headed back in Cameron’s direction. Their eyes met and both brothers wore a look of contempt on their faces.

“It’s funny how you always seem to be the one to get the news first about any and everything concerning
my
daughter,” Cane spat at Cameron. He shoved his hands inside of his pockets to keep from putting them on his brother. Ava rolled her eyes and turned her back to Cane. She was in no mood for his temper tantrums. He was solely responsible for the bridge he’d built between himself and Delaney. Ava had her own demons to deal with, and she didn’t have the energy to entertain Cane and his self-inflicted pity party.

Cam squared his shoulders and scowled. If Cane knew what was best for him, he would leave well enough alone. Cam was ready to pounce on his ass without a second thought.

“Man go ‘head on with that shit. This isn’t the time or place. Delaney’s wellbeing is all that matters right now.”

Cane chuckled and rubbed his hands over his face.

“Who the fuck do you think you are? This right here ain’t really got shit to do with you, bruh. I’m here now, so you can kick rocks,” he said, getting up in Cam’s face. Ava spun around so fast she almost tripped over her own two feet.

“Now wait just one ma’fuckin’ minute! Who the hell do you think you are talking to? Cam is the
only
one who should be here right now!” she yelled, pointing her finger in Cane’s face. Ava was livid! Cane had a lot of nerve showing up a day late and a dollar short. She may not have the best relationship with her daughter, but at least she was present. If God allowed Delaney to come out of her coma, Ava was going to do everything in her power to make up for all of the hurt and pain she caused over the years.

Cane was stunned at Ava’s words. She cut him deep with that statement, and he knew all too well what she meant. Cam had been more of a father to Delaney than Cane had ever been. He chose the streets over his seed and he had no one to blame but himself.

“Delaney is still my daughter.”

He pointed his finger in her face, snickering to mask his pain. The tension was building as Cane, Ava, and Cameron all stood consumed with their own feelings of guilt and worry. The only person that mattered at this point was Delaney. Cane thought it best to check his emotions. He’d have time to deal with Cam later.

Cam boldly placed his arm around Ava’s shoulders pulling her close to him. Ava wrapped her arms around his waist and welcomed his comforting embrace. Cane, on the other hand was fuming on the inside while he watched his wife and brother openly express their affection for one another. He shook his head in disgust. Cane was well aware of his shortcomings, and he knew he wasn’t a one-woman man, but that still didn’t make up for Cameron and Ava’s betrayal.

Cane thought back to the day he discovered that his wife and brother may have been more than just in-laws.

“Imma check ya later, sexy.” Cane winked at Dana before walking out of the front door of her shabby two-bedroom house. He’d spent the entire night at her house knocking her walls down all night long. Dana was Ava’s best friend, but she had a thing for Cane. In the beginning, he felt bad for fucking his girl’s best friend, but he quickly got over it.

As Cane drove past his brother, Cameron’s, house on his way home, he noticed Ava’s car parked in the driveway. Initially, he thought nothing of it because those two were always hanging out. Cane knew how much Ava loved him and that she would never be unfaithful to him, so he never gave their obvious closeness a second thought. Simply put, he trusted her. He was her first and only lover and he knew he had her heart on lock.

Suddenly, Cane saw Ava step out of Cam’s door walking hand in hand towards her car. Cane slowed down his vehicle and decided to park out of their eyesight. What he saw next blew him away. Cam grabbed Ava by the waist and scooped her up inside of his arms. The hug was far from brotherly, but more like a man in love would hug his woman. Ava looked up at Cam and smiled lovingly into his eyes before getting into her car.

Cane was shocked and stunned by what he’d just witnessed. Could his woman and brother possibly be having an affair? Nah, he shook his head. There was no way that Ava would betray him by sleeping with his brother. Maybe the hug was innocent. No matter how hard Cane tried to convince himself, the more his gut told him otherwise. Cane started up his car and followed Ava home. When he walked in the door, he observed her looking out of the kitchen window smiling as if she were in a trance.

“What the fuck you so happy about?” he barked. Cane wanted to snatch her ass up, but played it cool instead. Ava turned around and rolled her eyes.

“Who said I was happy?” she countered.

Cane narrowed his eyes suspiciously as he watched her move about the kitchen. She had yet to confront him about being out all night, which was not like Ava. Any other time she would be ready to jump on him for staying out all night long.

“Did I just see your car at Cam’s place?” he questioned. He already knew the answer to his question, but he wanted to see if she would tell the truth.

“Yeah, I was over there,” she boldly replied. Cane briskly walked up on his wife with rage in his eyes.

“What the fuck you doing at his place this time of morning?” Cane took a few steps back once he remembered that he’d just left Dana’s bed and her scent was probably still on him. Ava smirked because she too could smell the faint scent of sex and cheap ass perfume.

“Hummmph!” she said, rolling her eyes just before walking off without replying to his question. Cane knew from that point on he would have to keep a closer eye on Ava and his brother.

“Is everything ok with Delaney?” asked Natasha, who’d just walked up snapping Cane out of his thoughts. He glanced up at Natasha and smiled. She resembled her mother so much, that for a moment he thought he was looking directly at Dana. Cane shoved his hands inside of his pockets and leaned his head against the wall. Cam removed his arm from around Ava and placed a hand on Natasha’s shoulder.

“Yes, we had a slight scare there for a moment, but Delaney is ok.”

Cam warmly smiled at Natasha. Ava refused to acknowledge Natasha, and for the life of Cam he didn’t know why she disliked the girl so much. He made a mental note to question her about it later.

Natasha nodded her head with tears in her eyes. Once the doctors and nurses started rushing about, her gut instinct told her that something was wrong with Delaney. She was worried sick about her best friend. They all stood there in silence and Natasha could feel the thick tension surrounding her. She never understood what Ava’s problem was with her. Natasha had always been respectful and nice to Ava, but she had always treated her unkindly. For the time being, Natasha shook it off and decided to focus on her best friend. Whatever went down between her mother and Ava was their issue and not hers.

“Why don’t you go on home and get some rest, sweetie. You have been here for almost two days. I promise to call you if anything changes,” Cam said to Natasha. Besides, he could tell she was exhausted and there wasn’t anything anyone could do by hanging around the hospital. One thing Cam knew for sure was that he wasn’t leaving Delaney’s side no matter what.

Cane snarled at Cam.
Who the fuck this nigga think he is? Regulating shit as if he’s running the damn show,
Cane thought to himself. Cam could sense Cane’s negative vibes, but he opted to ignore his younger brother’s immature antics.

“Ok. Maybe I should go home, take a shower and try to get some sleep. Plus, Jason will be home in a couple of hours. I haven’t even told him what happened to Delaney yet,” she cried. Cam pulled her in his arms and hugged her tightly.

“Everything is going to be ok, sweetie. Be strong for Delaney, because that is what she needs right now.”

Natasha wiped the tears away from her eyes and smiled. She admired Cam and the way he had always treated her the same way he treated Delaney. She often wished he were really her uncle too.

“Thanks, Unc, I needed that. Make sure to call me if anything changes. I don’t care what time it is either.” She sniffed.

“Ok, now go on home and get some rest, sweetie.”

He smiled warmly. Natasha flashed him a weak smile before walking off. Ava was standing next to Cam with her lips pursed out. Shaking his head, Cam grabbed Ava by the arm leading her back into the private family waiting room. Cane used the heel of his foot and pushed himself off the wall, following closely behind his brother and wife. Ava sat down on the small beige sofa and crossed her legs. She bowed her head and allowed the tears to flow. Cam sat down directly beside Ava and grabbed her hands inside of his. He glanced over at Cane who was glaring at them with contempt and rage in his eyes.