Chapter 14
True
“Ineed a room'' I tell the guy at the front desk of the hotel.
“For how many nights ma’am?” For at least two weeks maybe longer” I say “preferably on a higher floor and away from anyone, as a matter of fact, put me in a suite.
“Our suites start at $400.00 a night” Jason says as I read his name tag. I just look at him. “Um, I can put you in the Grand Hotel Junior Suite .''
A few minutes later I am in the hotel room looking out at the gulf until I find myself on the floor in the fetal position crying my eyes out. I knew once I told him the truth he’d no longer want me, he didn’t even give me the chance to explain once I told him Victor is my father. He got out of the bed, walked to the door, and simply said I want you gone before I return and walked out.
So here I am in this dumb-ass hotel, crying like my whole universe has come to an end. Last night was the most beautiful night of my life and ok Atlas is not a gentle lover he is a thorough and passionate one. I can remember running my fingers along the scar that runs across his face as he made love to my mind, body, and soul and thinking he is the most beautiful man I have ever seen in my life. It went from sugar to shit in four words. I need to go get a cell phone since I left the one Atlas gave me at his house. Tomorrow, I think, I’ll do it tomorrow, and I continue to lay here on the floor crying until day gives way to night and I fall asleep.
Altas
The door hits the wall so hard it doesn’t bother to bounce back, the handle of the door is lodged in the wall. A few seconds later Savvy comes running around the corner with Brianna in her hand, “what the fuck Atlas!” she says when she realizes it was me who caused the noise. She looks at the door, “what the hell, look at..” she trails off when she looks at my face. “Atlas, what happened? What’s the matter,” she’s holding my face in her hands before she finished the question.
“Listen Savvy, I really don’t want to talk about it right now, I just want to go to my room and be left alone.”
Her face morphs from fine to pissed off in less than a second, “yeah you do that, go on up to your room and chill. I have an errand to run, if Jag gets back before I do tell him I’ll be back asap and I’m probably gonna need to be bailed out.” She turns and begins to walk away.
“Leave it alone Savannah, please. I just need to lay down and work some shit out in my head and I do not want to have to worry about you or having to take an ass whooping from your husband when he realizes you need to be bailed out over my bullshit. So please just don’t do anything or go anywhere, ok?”
She looks at me, really looks at me, “ok Atlas you get a quick reprieve, but just know that shit is not going to last, I don’t know what True did but she and I will be having a conversation ... soon.”
I drag my ass to my bedroom, and I smell her so I head to the spare bedroom instead. When she dropped the bomb and I told her to be gone I went down to the basement and worked out until I heard a car pull up and leave. She took all her stuff, she begged me to let her explain but what could she say to change the fact that Victor is her dad? I need a few days to try to get my head wrapped around this new information. I lay down on the bed and fall asleep. I didn’t go to work the next couple of days and barely got out of bed.
I keep going back to how I found her almost dead in that bedroom and I am conflicted on if I should have given her an opportunity to explain. But she is the daughter of the man I hate most in this world, the man I have been hunting since I was ten years old. Has she been collecting information on me for him? I don’t know what to believe, I am hurt. True is the only woman I have ever loved and the only woman I will ever love. Just as I am getting ready to go back to sleep I hear a commotion coming down the hallway to my room.
“And?” Savvy says.
“Baby all I am saying is he obviously doesn’t want to talk, give him some time,” Jag says.
“ He’s had time Josh, and I’m over it, he’s going to tell me what that bitch did to him, and then I am going to find her, beat her ass, and put a bullet in her! Nobody fucks with my family, my brothers, and walks away unscathed!”
She gets to my door and doesn’t bother knocking, she walks right the hell in. “OK Atlas, what the hell is going on?” she says.
“She isn’t who I thought she is Savvy, and I am trying to deal with that,” I say brokenly
“What does that mean Atlas?”
“I mean she revealed something to me about herself that I do not think I can get past.”
“Did she lie to you?” Savvy asks
“No, it was more a lie of omission,” I say.
“Hmm. And this lie of omission, did she explain why she kept this crucial part of herself a secret from you” she asks me.
“No,” I say.
“No?” Savvy repeats.
“I asked her to leave,” I say.
“Wait, so this woman has kept a key part of who she is a secret from you, then she finally admits it to you and before you get clarification you tell her to leave? This woman who you are in love with,” she says as she raises her right eyebrow looking at me like I’m crazy.
“You don’t understand Savvy,” I snap.