Give Me The Reason 2: A Love Story (10 page)

“Yeah, we can get around to that pussy later, but I have this little paternity issue that I need you to take care of,” he snidely replied. Monica had a weakness for Drake and he knew that she would come through for him. Plus, he was prepared to break her off a large sum of money too. It still surprised him how females seemed to lose their minds once a man gave them some good dick. A man could virtually get a woman do anything he wanted her to do if he knew how to lay that wood right. Monica was a smart, educated woman, but her mind was weak when it came to men. Well at least in Drake’s case she was weak and easily persuaded.

Monica dropped her fork and leaned back in her seat, crossing her arms over her chest. “Really Drake? Don’t tell me you have a baby on the way.”

Monica was beyond disgusted with his ass. She couldn’t help but recall the time he’d gotten her pregnant and she had an abortion because he said he didn’t want any children.

“It’s not what you think. Some shit popped off with my home boy’s ex-girlfriend and I, and she ended up pregnant. But he thinks the baby is his, so I need to make sure that the test comes out with the same results. Girl, you know I don’t want no damn kids, and luckily for me she wants my home boy to be her baby’s daddy.” He smirked, obviously not giving a shit that he was fucking over his boy. It was evident that Monica was clearly upset, but he knew how to help her get over it.

“I don’t know about this, Drake. You’re asking for me to play with people’s lives, and an innocent child at that. This shit isn’t sitting well with me.” She shook her head.

Drake licked his lips, reached across the table and gently ran his finger alongside her caramel colored face.

“Monica, baby this is the last time I ask you for any favors. Please just do me this one solid. There will be a big bonus for you at the end of the month.”

Monica could never say no to Drake. In her heart she knew what she was agreeing to do was wrong on so many levels, but she needed the extra money. Monica planned on starting her own practice and the money would come in handy. Actually, she was doing the baby a favor, Drake shouldn’t be anyone’s father in her opinion. She only hoped that she could live with what she was about to do. The thought of someone doing that shit to her made her nauseated.

“Ok, Drake, but this is the
last
time I am doing anything like this for you. I’ve already put my license on the line too many times for you. And you better break me off something real proper too,” she said, pursing her lips.

Bingo! Damn I’m a beast!
He thought to himself.

Chapter Sixteen

Tyson had been calling Delaney and texting her with no response. Frustration wasn’t the word for the emotions he was feeling. He didn’t know what he could possibly do to get Delaney to forgive him, yet alone listen to him. She’d completely shut him out of her life.

Ashanti and the baby were still living at his house, but he’d already spoken to her about moving out. The house he found for them was only about ten minutes away from his house. Ashanti wasn’t happy about having to move, but Tyson wasn’t concerned with how she was feeling.

He was waiting on the results of the paternity test that they’d taken last week. He was on pins and needles. Tyson just wanted to know for sure that Tyshawn was his son. He’d already forged a bond with the baby and started getting used to the idea of being a father. If the baby wasn’t his, he would get over it in time, but truth be told, it would hurt him to the core.

Tyson walked out of his office at Lyrical Soul Lounge and ran into Drake.

“Hey, Bruh! I was looking for you,” Drake said, dapping him up.

“Oh yeah, whad up?” Tyson replied. Something about Drake’s behavior lately was rubbing Tyson the wrong way. He noticed how slick and reckless Drake had become with his words lately, and Tyson wasn’t feeling it at all.

“Walk with me to my office. This is something I need to talk to you about privately.”

Tyson followed Drake into his office and shut the door, before taking a seat in one of the high back leather office chairs.

“So what’s up, D?” Tyson inquired.

“I meant to tell you that about a week or so ago, I ran into Delaney.” Drake paused to gauge Tyson’s reaction. Although Drake had given her his card and requested that she call him, he still hadn’t heard from her. Obviously, Natasha had run her damn mouth; but Drake didn’t have any plans on giving up just yet.

“Oh yeah, and?” Tyson asked. He was clearly agitated by Drake’s cat and mouse games. “Man, just come out and say whatever it is that you’re trying to tell me.”

“I was having lunch with a business associate of mine and I glanced over and saw Delaney having lunch with some dude. So you know I walked over there to check shit out. Since you’re my homeboy I had to go over and see what was up.”

Tyson sat in silence listening to Drake tell him about his lady out on a date with another man. He was fuming on the inside. However, he maintained his cool in front of Drake. The better question was, what took this nigga so long to tell him that he’d seen Delaney out with another man?

“Funny thing is I recognized dude once I got up on him. Matter of fact, he was her doctor the day we were at the hospital together. He seemed to know Natasha very well. I remember her saying something about them going to high school together. Doc and Delaney seemed real cozy at lunch, like there is some history with them,” Drake said, waiting for Tyson’s reaction. He knew that shit he just dropped on him was heavy. It was better he heard it from him, than to roll up on Delaney and the good doctor. Tyson’s face remained stoic, but Drake knew that he’d struck a chord.

Tyson’s heart dropped. How could she have moved on so quickly?

“What is dude’s name?” Tyson asked. His face was expressionless, but on the inside his heart was crying.

“Clark, nah, hold up…Chris. Yeah that’s it, Chris Clark,” Drake said, snapping his fingers.

Instantly the name Chris struck Tyson.
Could that be the same dude who broke her heart in high school? The same dude who’s responsible for the brick wall she built up around her heart?
So many questions were running through Tyson’s mind.

“You good, Ty?” Drake asked. Inwardly he was smiling because he knew Tyson was having a hard time processing the information he just dropped on him. Served him well. Drake didn’t feel one iota of compassion towards his pain.

Tyson nodded his head yes. “Imma catch you later. I need to go take care of some business, so I’ll get up with you later so we can discuss the line-up for next week.” Tyson was on a mission and he didn’t have time for any small talk.

***

Delaney’s car was parked in the driveway when Tyson pulled up at her house. He had given her plenty of space and time to deal with her issues. It was time they had a talk. He’d be damned if another man was going to slide in and take his place without a fight. Although he still had a key to her place, he rang the doorbell out of respect.

Delaney was sitting on the sofa reading with music playing softly in the background, when she heard the doorbell ring.

“Damn, now who could this be?” she said, as she hopped up off the sofa with the Kindle in her hand.

Delaney opened the door and to her surprise, there stood Tyson. Something told her to look out of the peephole before simply opening the door.

“What are you doing here? I told you that I don’t want to see you!” she glared at him.

Tyson wanted to pull her into his arms and take all of the hurt away. Before Ashanti showed up at his door, their relationship was perfect and full of love, and it pained him to see the look of disgust in her eyes.

“We need to talk, Laney. You can’t ignore me forever. I’m not going anywhere. I believe I told you that when we first started dating and I mean it.”

Delaney inhaled deeply, stepped aside and waved him in. Tyson followed her into the living room and sat down on the loveseat. Delaney refused to sit next to him, so she went and plopped down on the sofa across from him.

For a few minutes, Tyson sat and stared at her. He missed seeing her beautiful face and hearing the sound of her laughter. There were so many things that he missed about Delaney. He longed to have her back in his life.

“Well! Are you going to sit and stare at me all day or do you have something to say?” Delaney wore a scowl on her face, as she stared Tyson directly in his eyes. Just then Brian McKnight’s song,
Do I Ever Cross Your Mind,
was playing in the background.

Still have your picture in a frame,

Hear your foot steps down the hall,

I swear I hear your voice driving me insane,

How I wish that you would call to say.

Do I ever cross your mind anytime?

Do you ever wake up reaching out for me? I miss you.

Tyson couldn’t have said it better than Brian McKnight. The song explained exactly how he was feeling. Delaney started getting teary-eyed and emotional. She stood up and turned off the music. Once she checked her emotions, she sat back down.

“Laney, I miss you,” Tyson said with so much emotion in his voice. He was getting choked up, but he maintained his cool. Pride was not a factor when it came to Delaney. Being vulnerable for his woman was not an issue for him. Although Delaney was being her normal, stubborn self, the love she felt for him was all over her face. If only she would give him a chance, she would see how much he regretted not telling her about his ex-girlfriend.

Delaney crossed her arms over her chest and smirked. The wall she built up over her heart was even stronger than before. No matter how much she loved and missed Tyson, she refused to let him back in.

“I messed up, baby. I should have told you about Ashanti. I just didn’t see the purpose of discussing my ex-girlfriend. She left me for another man and moved back to Florida where she is originally from. I was single until I met you. I hadn’t heard a word from her until you and I started going out. Out of nowhere she started blowing up my phone, but I wouldn’t ever answer any of her phone calls or listen to the numerous voicemails she left. I figured if I ignored her, that she would get the picture and just go away. The night that she showed up at my house, I was just as stunned and shocked as you were. I swear I never meant to hurt you, baby. I love you and if it takes the rest of my life, I will make it up to you.” Tyson poured out his heart and soul. Every word he spoke was the truth and nothing but the truth. The ball was now in Delaney’s court.

Tears were now falling out of Delaney’s eyes. Although she believed Tyson, she just couldn’t let her guard down. In her mind, the relationship was over. Even if he wasn’t in a relationship with Ashanti during the time they were dating, he still should have told her about this woman. Especially if she was blowing up his phone. In Delaney’s mind that meant that they had unresolved issues.

“Tyson, I think it’s best that we let it go. You are a father now and too much has happened. I can’t deal with this. I never meant to fall in love with you or any man for that matter. My life was going just fine, then I met you and I let my guard down only to be blindsided.”

Tyson stood up and walked over to where she was sitting. He sat down beside her and wiped her tears away with the back of his hand.

“Don’t give up on us, Laney. We can work this out. Ashanti is going to be moving out of my house next week. I’ve already explained to her that I am in love with you, and there isn’t a chance in hell that we are getting back together.”

“Wait a minute, she lives with you?” Delaney was not prepared to hear that his baby mama was living under the same roof as him.

“Well, yeah, just until I was able to find a place for she and the baby to live comfortably on their own.” Delaney was livid that this chick had been living in the same house as Tyson all of this time. “I think you should leave, Tyson. I heard what you had to say. You need to focus on your child and not me. I will be fine,” she stubbornly replied.

“Come on, Laney, what was I supposed to do? Kick her out on the streets at nine months pregnant? I made it clear to her from day one that it was over. If Tyshawn is mine, then I will take care of him and be a father to him, but Ashanti knows that she and I are over,” he said, gently rubbing her back.

Delaney shot up off the sofa. “Tyson, just leave, ok. I can’t deal with this. You’re asking me to come into your ready-made family and just accept all of this?” she cried, waving her hands wildly in the air.

“Babe, we can work this out. It’s not as serious as you’re making it. I don’t love Ashanti. I love you!” Tyson spoke gently to her. He maintained his patient and calm composure, because he understood her issues towards relationships. Delaney’s heart was fragile when he met her and he vowed to always handle her with care.

“I can’t do this, Ty! I just can’t! I wanted to be the one to bear your children. I didn’t picture our life this way. Now you’re asking me to deal with a baby mama and a newborn baby. This is all too much!” Delaney cried hard and she let it all out on Tyson. Tyson grabbed her and held her tight.

“Don’t push me away. Our love is strong enough to make it, just give it a chance, baby,” he pleaded. Tyson showered her face with kisses, while she cried in his arms.

Delaney’s cell phone started ringing, which caused both of them to look down at the coffee table. Tyson’s chest got tight when he saw the name Chris flashing on her screen. Delaney reached for the phone and silenced the incoming call.

“So is he the reason why you won’t give our love another try?” he asked. “Drake told me he saw you out to lunch with some dude last week, was that him?” He continued to question her.

“I don’t have to explain anything to you, Tyson. You’ve been sharing your house with another woman ever since my accident, so you have no right to question me.”

“Ok, Laney, I see what’s up.” Tyson was hurt and stunned that Delaney was being so cold towards him. Maybe this Chris dude had already wiggled his way back into her life. But even still, Tyson remained calm and hid the fact that he was bothered that she was hanging out with another man so soon. If was going to win her heart, he would have to remain patient.

Delaney wanted to explain that Chris didn’t mean anything to her. She wanted to confess to Tyson how much she missed, loved, and wanted him, but her stubbornness prevented her from saying the words.

Tyson ran his hands over his face in frustration. “I guess there is nothing left to say then.”

When Delaney didn’t say anything, Tyson took that as his cue to leave. He kissed her on the cheek.

“I will never stop loving you, but if you’ve moved on then there isn’t anything I can do to stop that. Even if you never come back to me, I still won’t be with Ashanti.” With that, he turned and left.

Delaney broke down crying when she heard his car start up and back up out of her driveway. She slumped down to the floor in a ball and cried harder than she’d ever cried before. Why couldn’t she get past her feelings and give their love another chance? Clearly, Tyson was in it to win it. The fairytale life she had in her mind was destroyed the day Ashanti showed up on Tyson’s doorstep.