NINE
Rae
I can’t believethat I almost let my mother get in my head and cause me to lose Brooks. I was being ridiculous thinking that he would ever cheat on me. He’s been a complete gentleman since we met, and I know that he would never do anything to hurt me.
I should have been more mature and just talked to him when I saw him at the club. I should have told off my mom a long time ago.
As I watched her try to run off Brooks, I had a vision of what my life would be like if I let my mother have her way. I would be bitter and all alone, or worse, resentful and still living with her.
That’s not the life that I want and I know that I need to change if I don’t want it to be my future.
“Mom, I think that maybe you should leave,” I tell her without taking my eyes off of Brooks.
I know without looking that her face is red with anger, her eyes spitting fire at me as she glares at me. I’ve never pushed her away before. She’s always done it first. I’ve never really stood up to her either.
Brooks has given me the courage to go after the life that I want. He’s given me a reason to chase my own happiness instead of doing what my mother dictates or thinks is best.
“Can I talk to you for a minute, Rae? In private,” she stresses before she storms out of the room.
“I should deal with her,” I say but I don’t really want to face her alone.
My newfound independence still seems so shaky and I know how cutting she can be.
“I’ll go with you,” Brooks tells me, kissing the top of my head before he takes my hand.
I’m relieved that he could see how nervous I was and is going to have my back here.
“I said alone,” my mother snaps and Brooks squeezes my hand, urging me to be strong.
“I want him here.”
I can tell that she wants to say something about that, but she bites her tongue. Her glare turns glacier and I take a step closer to Brooks, relying on his support to get through this.
“You should come home. It’s obvious that the people here aren’t having a positive influence on you.”
“Why is that? Because I’m not jumping at your every command?” I ask.
“You don’t backtalk me, young lady!” she snaps, and I grit my teeth.
“This is my home. I’m an adult now. You can’t expect me to respect you if you don’t show me and my boyfriend respect. I want you to leave, but before you do, you need to understand that I’m not your little puppet anymore. I’m going to live my life the way that I want to and you need to get on board with that.”
My mom looks at me for one full minute before she storms past me. She comes back with her suitcase and slams her way out of our apartment.
As soon as the door closes behind her, I’m in Brooks’s arms.
“I’m sorry, Rae. She should be more supportive of you. We can get her to come around,” he tries to reassure me as his hands stroke up and down my back.
“No, she won’t.”
He holds me tighter and I wrap my arms around his waist, letting him comfort me.
“Say it again,” I whisper after a few minutes and Brooks tenses for a minute, trying to figure out what I’m asking of him.
Finally, he gets it and says the three words that I’m dying to hear.
“I love you.”
I sigh, smiling for what feels like the first time in days.
“I love you too.”
“Thank God. I was worried that you would think that it would be too fast.”
“It is fast, but that doesn’t change how I feel.”
He smiles down at me and I wrap my arms around his neck, tipping my mouth up for his to claim.
I want to get lost in him and forget all about my messy relationship with my mom and everything that just happened. We just said I love you for the first time and I want to make love to my man now.
Brooks seems to get the message because his lips claim mine right away. I let him back me up to the couch and once we reach it, he pushes me down so that I’m lying on the soft cushions.
Our kisses turn slow as Brooks peels off our clothes, caressing my body as he goes.
“I love you, Rae,” he says as he trails kisses down my stomach.
He settles between my legs and my response dies on my tongue as I watch him lick his lips and dip his head toward my core.
He makes love to me with his mouth and I get lost in the sensations, in the feeling of him worshipping my body. He makes me come with his tongue, and then his fingers, and it feels like I’m floating on a cloud as he finally kisses his way back up my body and thrusts into me in one languid move.
“I love you,” I mumble against his lips and he smiles.
“I love you too.”
Then I close my eyes and kiss him as he shows me just how much he does.