Rekindling Tradition

Chapter Twenty-Six: What It Means To Be Theo Bradshaw's Woman

Disclaimer: All characters and settings are purely fictional. If there are any similarities to real people or places, it is merely coincidental. The plot is written by me and not copied from any other writer.

********** Chapter Twenty-Six **********

Since telling the world about my relationship with Rylee, people have demanded more from us. Don mentioned the number of deals and opportunities being offered. Most of them he declined. There were so many options, like starting a Vlog or a channel to showcase our relationship to the world. Considering things weren't as they seemed, it was safer not to participate. Updating our social media accounts was enough to keep the fans satisfied. Every now and then, Rylee and I would take pictures to post on our pages. However, it was always an easy cop-out to post Ty. He was well-loved amongst our followers. 

But lately, Don has mentioned that holding back on these opportunities may cause more harm than good. So, after examining everything, he pitched the magazine spread Breaking Point wanted to cover on us. It was probably the most ideal opportunity since they emailed the questions ahead of us agreeing to it. Don was speaking to the stylist to coordinate our outfits for the photoshoot. He just needed me to talk to Rylee about it.

Except, I had called Rylee more than five times, and she was not picking up. Usually, she answered on the first call. Or she would text me saying she couldn't answer my calls. Trying to call again, I listened as the phone rang endlessly. It seemed as if the next ring was louder than the previous one. As the silence mixed with the looming feeling of each unanswered chime, a surge of fear crept up into me. The standardized voicemail came on. I hung up the phone, more annoyed than I was previously. 

Before I could call her again, my phone rang. Seeing Hayden's name flash across the screen, I answered it. "Hey, Hayd," I spoke into the phone.

"Hey. Did you hear from KC?" Hayden asked, a hint of enthusiasm in his tone. Something about the way he sounded made me tune into the conversation more than I would have. 

"Not since last week. KC called me about hitting up a few spots in town, but I was busy with Ty. Why? What's up?" I replied. Curiosity was biting me heavily. KC was ultimately like a little brother to me. Next to Hayden, KC was a good friend. Over the years, he has proven to be loyal and dependable. Although childish at times, he understands you. 

"Well, I spoke to him today. He saw Jacob on 75th nearby the school. Did you know he was married?" Hayden asked in disbelief. 

"He is? To who?"

Hayden chuckled, "Bianca Henderson. Do you remember her? The girl who cheered with Rylee during our senior year?" As Hayden spoke, the memory came flooding back to me. The fear in Jacob's eyes when the ambulance went past. How quickly he dashed to the gym. Faintly, in a state of shock, I remembered him holding on to a cheerleader. So, it was her. 

"They have two kids. Their son is nine! Nine! He had a child in high school!" Hayden exclaimed. Not many persons knew what happened to Jacob. After high school, he just left. No one questioned it either. I guess he became a husband and father. 

"I'm speechless. This is almost as shocking as when we found out about Vee," I stated. During our college years, we didn't hear much about her. But soon after, Hayden bumped into her at a coffee shop. She was studying to be a lawyer. Except, about a year ago, Vee gave up on Law school and got involved with some rapper. Now she's on tv shows and social media platforms. She doesn't go as Vee anymore. Instead, she's known as Val G. Last I heard of her, she was engaged. Years later, and she's still making trouble somewhere. 

"Yeah, Rylee trumps them all, though," Hayden laughs. I find myself grinning too. Of course, she would. While everyone was making shocking decisions, Rylee had shaken things up to an extreme. It was easier to laugh at it now than a few months ago. 

"Speaking of her, is Mikah out with her?" I asked, trying to pinpoint Rylee's location. 

Hayden sighed, "No. But I do know where she is."

"Where?"

Hayden exhaled again, "You're not going to like it." I paused. Clutching the phone in my hand, I frowned. If Hayden said I wouldn't like something, there was a chance I would hate it. No one knew me better than he did.

"Where is she?" I growled, the anger in me boiling. Rylee knew how to upset me since she knew the buttons to push. She knew my triggers. Even if it wasn't intentional, she had access to a resource bank of ways to frustrate me. 

"I overheard Mikah talking to her. She's on a date with Jordan Dean," Hayden confesses. The boiling rage inside me steams over. I want to hit something, anything. Who the fuck did Jordan Dean think he was taking my woman on a date? Didn't he see the fucking news? She was fucking mine! 

"O? You there?"

"Who the fuck does he think he is?" I spat, the words fuming out of me. How dare he? And Rylee? Did she not understand how our agreement worked? Did she not grasp what it meant to be Theo Bradshaw's woman? It means she looked at me, and she touched only me. She flirted with only me! Jordan Dean? Is that who she wanted? 

"Calm down, O," Hayden instructed, but I was far away from being calm. Was this guy trying to take my woman away from me? So he couldn't have her in high school, so he wanted her now? He wanted her when she was the mother of my child? No! No one gets to have Rylee Scott. No one but me. 

I hung up the phone despite Hayden's protests. In haste, driven by rage, I grabbed my keys. There was no way I was going to let Jordan fucking Dean date Rylee. In this world, she belongs to me. If I needed to remind Rylee of it, I damn sure will. 

It takes me no time to get to our home in Everton. I was so angry, I couldn't formulate a coherent thought outside of wanting to punch the shit out of Jordan Dean. It didn't help ease any of my emotions when I realized Rylee wasn't home. The house was empty. Our son wasn't there, which triggered me more than it should have. Where the fuck was our child? The ounce of rationality in me guessed he was by his grandparents. But, it didn't ease my rage as I would have preferred. 

Trying to prevent me from breaking something, I heard a car pull up. The sounds were followed by doors closing. Inching closer, I heard laughter: Rylee's laughter. The sound was like a knife to my heart. Was this asshole making her happy? A silence followed the happy scene. My heart quickened. Was Jordan kissing her? This fucker had the balls to kiss my woman? My hands clenched. My body stiffened. 

Eventually, the door opened, revealing a smiling Rylee. She was staring at the ground, unaware of my presence. I took in her appearance. She wore a strapped yellow satin body-con dress with a ruched side slip, and it was mere inches from exposing her ass. She wore clear heels that accentuated her legs that were shimmering against the artificial lighting of the room. It angered me that she wore my favorite color on a date with that idiot. 

Finally looking up, Rylee jumped out of fright. I watched as the realization hit her, and she clutched her chest. I got a better view of her. She had worn her hair out, and her curls were a beautiful wild mess on her head. And those fucking lips! They were previously glossed but smudged. Probably from kissing that asshole who didn't know how to stop touching things that weren't his. 

"So, fucking me wasn't enough? You needed Jordan Dean too?" I spat, acknowledging the venom in my tone. Rylee's face twisted into something so familiar, it got me excited. Between the two of us, there would never be peace. I finally understood.