Merc (COMPLETED)

Page 33🔓

Merc 🤎🐻

The world must be ending, just like mine. It was the first day of spring, yet there was a snowstorm happening. I checked the time on my phone when I thought I heard knocking. That couldn’t have been the case. Not only because it was so late at night but also because my cabin in Massie Manor was miles away from anything and anyone. I’d specifically purchased this cabin because it was secluded. Regardless of the season, this was where I came when I had a lot on my mind and needed time away to figure things out.

This time around, the biggest thing on my mind was my son. Aries was dead set on moving to Atlanta with Omar, and outside of crippling him, there seemed like it was nothing I could do stop it. We finally sat down and talked two days ago because they wanted to take Marz back to Mississippi. I was cool with that because it was the weekend before his spring break. I didn’t know it was going to be snowing in Memphis, but it worked out because I planned to take him to Orlando anyway.

They used the horses and cows to bait my little man into spending his spring break in Mississippi of all places. Even though I didn’t want to be away from him for an entire week, I agreed in hopes to get things back to normal between me and Aries. But the conversation we had before they left changed all that.

“Aries said you have some reservations about them coming to Atlanta with me,” Omar said, getting comfortable in the chair on the opposite end of my desk like he’d be around for long.

“Yeah, I do. First of all, you didn’t approach me and ask me like a man. Second, I don’t know what you plan to do for money while you’re there. You’re asking me to let you be a primary guardian for my son in my absence, yet I know nothing about your intentions or the move.”

“Look, I’ma be honest wit’ ya. I don’t mind Marz staying here with you, but Aries insists on him coming with us.”

Chuckling, I sat back in my seat. Rolling my tongue over my cheek, I had to keep myself from telling him to get the fuck out. That alone was reason for me to not let Marz go. If he had truly bonded with my little man and wanted him to come along, his attitude would have been different. From the sound of it, Marz was an inconvenience instead of an added gift that came from loving his mother.

“You do know that’s her son, right? Of course she’s going to want him to go with her.”

His eyes squeezed shut as he sighed. “I didn’t mean it like that. I just mean Marz is stable here, and it don’t make sense for us to uproot him and take him there.”

Even though I agreed, I wanted to see where his head was at, so I continued.

“You don’t think the environment you provide there will be stable?”

“Not as stable as I want it to be in the beginning.” Sitting back in his seat, he crossed his arms over his chest as he grinned. “I’m going there to pursue my rap career. I got enough money saved for bills for a year. After that, it’ll have to be up with my music ’cause I ain’t gettin’ a regular job. So I’m thinkin’ if he stays here, Aries can travel with me when I need her to. We gon’ have a lot of late nights and early mornings, you feel me?”

Clearing my throat didn’t hide my chuckle. Some men were merely little boys in grown up bodies. There was no way this nigga was sitting here saying he was going to start a rap career at his big ass age of thirty-five with a wife, stepson, and baby on the way. I wasn’t saying it wasn’t possible, but the man had never mentioned wanting to rap before. He probably wasn’t even any good.

Squeezing the bridge of my nose, I pulled my smirk in.

“I don’t see how Aries will be able to be on the road with you. She’s pregnant, Omar. And y’all about to get married. Have you factored in the costs of the wedding? It sounds like you putting a lot on your plate with this move.”