Now You Wanna Come Back 2 Page 6

  “I’m sorry,” she whispered. She waited for Rayshon to reply, but he kept talking to Rayven. “Baby—”

  He cut her off. “Don’t, Leila, okay? Not right now.”

  “Then when?”

  “Leila, you know—I just don’t want to hear your voice right now.”

  That cut her deeply, and she felt a surge of pain in her stomach and heart.

  “I’m sorry, Ray. Baby, listen, I know why you are mad,” she said.

  He stopped playing with Rayven. “You know, Leila? Do you really know? Or are you going tell me what you think I want to hear so that I can continue to allow you and Devon to rekindle your relationship?”

  “What? Ray, Devon and I are—”

  “Friends—right. Yeah, we have all heard that shit before.” He sat up. “But you know what, Leila? I get it. It took a few moments to look at the big picture here. You don’t have to choose. I’ll choose for you. Tomorrow, I’ll be talking to a lawyer to file for a legal separation. I’ll move in with Mario until we can figure something out,” he said and kissed the baby.

  “What? Separation? What the hell, Rayshon? You’re leaving me?”

  “No, I’m just giving you some space to figure out what and who you want.” He lay back down and turned his back to her.

  “I don’t need any space to figure that out, Ray. I want you. I want my marriage. I don’t want Devon.”

  “You could have fooled me.”

  “Come on, baby,” she said, getting up to put Rayven in her bassinet. Ray kept his back to her. She went around to his side of the bed and kneeled in front of him. “Rayshon, baby, I’m sorry, okay? I’m sorry for having Devon at the house so much. I’m sorry for calling on him when I should have been calling on you. I’m sorry if I made you feel alienated, baby. Please, I love you, Rayshon. I don’t want you to leave. I don’t want a separation. I don’t want, Devon. Baby, please,” she cried. “Baby, don’t leave me, please,” she whispered.

  Ray sat up and sat on the side of the bed. Leila stood, put her arms around his neck, and pulled his head against her body. He wrapped his arms around her and held her tightly. He took a few deep breaths before he spoke.

  “Leila, I love you so much, and I want to trust you. I want to believe in you, and I want to believe that you have no desire to be with your ex, but it’s like every single time I turn around, I’m walking in on you and Devon embracing or him rubbing your damn shoulders or your feet, and I wonder if you stop and even think of me when you are allowing him to be there for you. I can’t continue to live like this. Devon has got to get the hell outta my marriage, Lei. I mean it.” He looked her in the eyes. “If you can’t make the change, I’m going to make it for you.”

  “It’s done, baby, okay? It’s done. From now on, for whatever reason I would call Devon, I’ll call you, okay? I’ll stop having him around so much, I promise. It will only be about Deja, and I won’t ever have him over, baby. Whatever it takes, I will do it, I promise. I promise. Whatever it takes, baby. I want to show you that I love you and only you,” she cried and trembled.

  She and Devon were over, and after what he had pulled earlier that evening, she knew keeping her distance was a must. She didn’t want to lead him on or to end up in his arms like that ever again.

  She held on to Ray as tightly as she could, scared to let him go. Hearing the words “separation” and “moving out” come out of his mouth made her sick to her stomach. She couldn’t imagine being without him.

  After she loosened the hold she had on his neck, she kissed him passionately. She pressed her body close to his, and he started to kiss her on her neck. He lifted her nightgown, pushed her panties down past her thighs, and let them drop to the floor. She pulled his erection out of his boxers, turned her back to him, and slid back and downward onto his dick.

  They rocked back and forth, and she closed her eyes and bit her bottom lip as he pumped her nice and hard from the back. He held her around her waist, and she rolled her hips on him just the way he liked. He kissed her on the side of her neck, and she felt him gently nudge her forward. She leaned forward, allowing him to go deeper. She had missed him penetrating her. She missed feeling his touch, and now, more than ever, she wanted to come.

  “Baby, let me get on top,” she said between breaths, looking back at him.

  “I’m close, and I don’t want to stop,” he said but then gave in. He got up and took his boxers off, and she stared at his body as if she had never seen him naked before. He slid back in the bed and rested on his elbows, waiting for her to climb aboard. She stood there, taking all of his sexiness in for a minute. Even though he didn’t work out as much as he did before he opened two new gyms, his body looked amazing.

  “Damn, you are sexy,” she said, moving toward him.

  “You are too, baby,” he said.

  Leila got into position with a smile. She wasn’t as fit as Ray, but over the years, she had maintained her size twelve body and learned that if her husband gave her any type of compliment, he really meant it.

  She reached down and grabbed his dick, eased down on him, and started slowly rolling her hips. She panted and moaned as her thighs shook from the orgasm that came so smoothly and quickly. She rested on Ray’s chest, and he gave her a moment before he flipped her over to finish the job.

  He didn’t last three minutes before his body jerked from his climax. He looked down at Leila, and she looked up at him. She wanted him to feel the connection between them and forget about seeing Devon holding her and rubbing her feet. She knew they had a long way to go to get back to normal.

  Chapter Twelve

  “Mr. Vampelt, I have a Rayshon Johnson out here. Says he needs to speak with you,” Devon’s secretary said into the phone.

  “Mr. Johnson, huh?” he said and took a deep breath. “Send him in, please.” When Ray walked in, he said, “Ray, what’s going on?” He knew what the conversation was going to be about, and he decided he was going to be straightforward and tell Ray the truth to his face. “What brings you by?” He hoped things didn’t get out of hand.

  “Devon,” Ray said with a nod, “can I take a seat?”

  “Sure.” Devon leaned back in his office chair, waiting to hear what was on Rayshon’s mind. “So, to what do I owe this visit?”

  “I’ll be short and brief. First, I need you to not be at my damn house every evening when I get home. Two, Leila is my wife, and what you are trying to do or what you think you want to do—stop it. She’s my wife, Devon, my fucking wife, and I don’t want you doing shit else for me, her, or my children. Deja is your only responsibility in my house, and she is the only person you and Leila will discuss and have communication about in the future,” Ray declared.

  Devon laughed inside. “Really, Ray? This is why you showed up at my office? I have no intention of ruining your marriage or making Leila unhappy. If you are so worried about our friendship, why don’t you slow the fuck down and act like Leila and the kids are your priority? I mean, I get two or more calls a day from Lei with issues that you need to be handling, so the issue is not with me, Ray. You might wanna check yo’ self,” he said with a smirk.

  “There he is,” Ray said, standing. “The man who used to make my wife cry day in and day out when he was married to her. The asshole that is sitting here telling me to check myself, when he knows damn well that he is still trying to get back with the woman he ruined on the inside with fat jokes, lies, and affairs with women who intimidated her.

  “You think now that you are Leila’s so-called best friend that you can prey on her because her husband is out busting his ass to make sure he can continue to keep the house that she absolutely loves and to make sure that not only my kids, but your daughter goes to college?” Ray looked Devon straight in the eyes. “You may have fooled Leila into thinking that you are reformed and this stand-up guy, but I know your ass ain’t shit, and I know you still haven’t settled with the fact that Leila is not crying over your ass with a bucket of ice cream in her lap so you
can come home and mentally abuse her. You had your turn, and you blew it. Now, stay the fuck away from my wife.”

  “Rayshon, you think you have me figured out.” Devon leaned forward in his chair with a smirk on his face. “I am not preying on Leila because I think she’s weak, nor do I think that you are not a great guy for busting your ass for your family. That’s what a man is supposed to do. But when your wife is lonely and needs you to be there, and you can’t ever break away, that makes her sad and unhappy, and I hate to see her sad or unhappy about anything. Believe it or not, Ray, I do hate the person I was when I destroyed my marriage and hurt the only woman I probably will ever love. Yes, I will be honest with you and tell you that I hate that you came to her rescue when I was a total muthafucka to my wife.

  “Before I could get my act together, you were already in. At times, it pisses me off that I didn’t do what I was supposed to do before you stepped in. As fucked up as I was, Rayshon, and maybe you have forgotten, but you started fucking my wife before she and I were divorced. I made a huge open lane for you to drive right in and take my wife, and if you continue on the path that you are on and don’t stop and start listening to her about how she feels, you are going to open the same lane.”

  “So, you think you are going to swoop in and be there for Leila when I fuck up?” Ray said. He moved closer to Devon’s desk. “The difference is, Devon, that your marriage was already over when Leila and I got together. You didn’t go into good-guy mode until after you knew Leila wasn’t going to sit around waiting on your ass anymore. Whatever your intentions are or whatever thoughts that you have in your head that my marriage is going to end up like yours, get them out of your damn head because my wife and I are fine. And if I catch your arms around my wife or your hands on her ever again, so help me—”

  Devon’s phone buzzed, and he answered it. Ray turned to walk away.

  Devon put his call on hold. “Are you done?” he asked Ray. Ray turned back to him. “Because I will assure you that you can’t threaten me or forbid me to see Leila. She is my daughter’s mother, and one day, I may hug her or rub her shoulders if that’s what she needs. So please, let’s just be real. You can’t shut down my relationship with her.”

  * * *

  Ray left Devon’s office, furious. He knew that he could not stop Leila from ever talking to Devon again because he was Deja’s dad. He knew that Devon had never gotten over Leila, but he hadn’t thought Devon would be foolish enough to try to pursue a relationship with her. Now that he had confirmation that he was still the same ol’ Devon, he headed home to talk to Leila.

  When he walked into their house, he was surprised to see a room full of women with babies in their arms.

  “Ray, babe, what are you doing home?” Leila asked when she noticed him.

  “I came home to talk to you. What’s going on?” he asked.

  Leila stood and walked over to him while the other women in the room whispered to each other. He heard one of them say how fine she thought he was and figured they were all talking about him.

  “Come, follow me, and I’ll explain,” Leila said, leading him into another room.

  “Babe, what’s with the room full of ladies and babies?” he asked, confused.

  “Well, I decided to host a group for women who are having a hard time with staying home when they are used to working,” she said and looked away.

  “You mean to tell me that women really have a hard time with leaving work to care for their own babies?” he asked in disbelief.

  “Well, yeah, some find it hard to cope.”

  “Unbelievable,” he said with a straight face. “I didn’t know motherhood was such a task or a settlement. Good God, didn’t any of these women think of this before they conceived?” He stopped. This wasn’t why he had come home. “Anyway, I stopped by to tell you that I don’t want you speaking to Devon at all, understood? Unless it involves DJ, there is no reason you guys should be talking.”

  “Ray, come on, baby. I told you, there is absolutely nothing between Devon and me. Now, I can’t stand here and honestly tell you that we won’t discuss things that are not about DJ. Come on now, Ray, be reasonable, honey, and trust me,” she said, moving closer to him.

  “I do trust you, Leila. I mean, I’m trying to trust you, babe, but I don’t trust Devon, okay? I’m being so honest with you, Leila, and I mean this. If you want this marriage to work, you have to make a choice. I will not continue to watch this movie that you and Devon are starring in. It’s not cool, and I’m not having it anymore. If you love me, Lei, the way you say you do, giving up this so-called friendship you have with him shouldn’t be hard.”

  “Ray, babe, come on. You know me, babe. You know me, and I told you the other night that I’m yours, and I’m here for you. Please don’t make me do this. I don’t want Devon, baby. I don’t want him, but I need him as my friend. He understands me, he listens to me, and he knows what I’m going through at times when nobody understands me. I need him as a friend.”

  Rayshon couldn’t believe his ears. “What? Are you serious, Leila? What am I to you? I understand you, and I listen to you. I may not agree with everything, but I’m here 110 percent, and what you think you need with Devon is—no—should be with me.”

  “Baby, you know what? You’re right, and I’m sorry, Ray. Like I promised you the other night, it’s done. I’ll share with you all the things that I felt I couldn’t. I want to give you the opportunity to really understand me, Ray. I want us to be closer than what we have been lately, babe.” She hugged him.

  Ray heard her words, but it felt like things were still off, and he didn’t know how to remedy that.

  “Okay, babe, get back to your group. I’m gonna run up and change and head to the gym.” He gave her a deep, passionate kiss. He felt as if that were the last kiss he’d ever give to her, and he didn’t want to leave her alone for a second because he knew evil-ass Devon was waiting in the cut, waiting to catch Leila at her most vulnerable state.

  He ran up and changed into his sweats and a fitted tank, then went into the family room to say goodbye. All eyes were glued on him.

  “I’m gone, babe. I’ll see you later for dinner. I promise to be home by seven,” he said.

  “Seven, babe? Are you sure?” Leila asked.

  “Yep, yo’ man will be home by seven.”

  “Okay, babe, I’ll see you,” she said.

  He gave her a quick peck and made his way to the door. Before he went out, he heard the women’s comments about his body and how good he looked. He shook his head with a smile and climbed into his vehicle.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Christa pulled into the parking space next to Devon’s car. She was anxious to see what type of surprise he had for her. He had called her earlier that afternoon, telling her that he didn’t want to slow things down, and he couldn’t wait to see her. He told her that she was right about him feeling as if he owed Leila because he had been a terrible husband, but he stressed to her that he had no romantic feelings for Leila, and he wanted another chance to make it up to her.

  She agreed, of course, because she had deep feelings for him, and she genuinely wanted things to work. He calling her that afternoon made her feel confident that this thing between them was going to be just fine.

  When she got off the elevator, she took a deep breath before she rang the doorbell to shake off the butterflies in her tummy.

  “It’s open,” she heard him yell, so she turned the doorknob. When she walked in, she saw lit candles everywhere in the room. Dozens of candles—even candles along the floor. She smiled because the warm glow looked beautiful. She breathed in deeply and inhaled the sweetest aroma of food she had smelled in a long time.

  “Come on in,” Devon said, walking over to greet her. “Dinner is almost ready.”

  She smiled. “Wow, Devon. This is a pleasant surprise. This is lovely.”

  He took her hand and led her to the table. “I’m glad that you like it. Now, come and have a seat, and I�
��ll pour you a glass of wine,” he said, and she did. “I’ll be right back.” He grabbed the remote to turn on a little jazz, then went back into the kitchen.

  “Do you need any help?”

  “Nope. You just relax and let me serve you.”

  Christa smiled. This gesture of romance wasn’t a surprise to her because Devon always did sweet things for her, including sending her flowers. If she had an audition, he’d be sure to send her flowers for good luck, and when he took her out, he took her to fancy places. She enjoyed spending time with him, and she hoped that this would be the night that their relationship got physical beyond a long good night kiss.

  “Wow, this looks delicious,” she said when Devon put a plate of chicken alfredo with vibrant green broccoli and bright red diced tomatoes in front of her. He set a basket of breadsticks on the table, and even though she never touched bread because it was loaded with carbs, she grabbed a breadstick with a quickness.

  They ate and made small talk, and when they finished, Devon told her to have a seat on the sofa with a glass of wine while he cleared the table. He came back and sat next to her, and she lay back in his arms.

  “Devon, thank you. Dinner was great, and this feeling right now, being with you, feels so good.” She took a sip of her wine and handed him her glass. He put it on the end table beside him.

  “It does, doesn’t it?” he said, agreeing with her.

  “Yes,” she said with a smile.

  “Christa, I know you think I’m still stuck on Leila, but I’m not. I wanted to do something grand to show you that I’m where I wanna be. I love spending time with you, and you are, like, the most gorgeous woman I’ve ever laid eyes on,” he said. Christa smiled. “What Leila and I had was great in the beginning, and then that quickly faded. I didn’t want that to happen with us. I know I took things way too slow, but tonight, I want to take this to another level.”