[For However Long || Book 4]

5°

«"there's somethings I can't help..."

Los Angeles, CA;

"Home sweet home." Paris exhaled, walking through the doors of her home. She was happy to be back in her own space, as bittersweet as it was.

She kicked off her shoes and let out a deep groan.

"Roxy, come here girl!" Sky called, trying to make kissing noises with her mouth. Paris laughed and shook her head.

"She's not here. She's at the dog-sitter. I'll call first thing in the morning so she can come home."

"And Tiger, too?"

"Tiger is daddy's dog. You have to wait until daddy goes back to his house to play with Tiger." Paris explained. Sky frowned.

"But, Tiger's my favorite!" She pouted.

"I'm sorry, cupcake. You'll see him soon." Paris walked into her den and stretched out on the floor.

Daphne and Harley walked into the house with their luggage and quickly put their things upstairs before coming back down and sitting beside their mother.

"I hate our lives now." Daphne blurted, causing Paris to face her, "Everything's so tense and gloomy and who was that woman? Do you know her? Is daddy going to bring her here?"

Paris sighed and ran a hand over her tired face. She could tell her children were growing restless with this entire situation.

"I doubt he'll bring her here. She's a girl he used to like in high school. It's probably nothing serious, but, me and him are not together anymore so he might be around other women and you have to get used to it, we all do. You can't be rude or disrespectful."

"Does it bother you? I mean, like do you miss him?" Daphne asked. Paris bit the side of her lip.

"Of course, he was my best friend, but, hey, things happen..."

"Like what?" Harley groaned loudly, clearly frustrated, "We're old enough to know. We won't tell anyone."

Paris sighed, "That's not why I'm not going to tell you. It was several things that happened and neither of us are innocent."

"Then how come he's more mad at you than you are at him?" Harley asked, "I just want him to love you like he used to."

"I don't know, Harley. Men are just different." She shrugged, "But Bryson is still a good person. He loves y'all very much."

"Yea, yea, yea." Harley sighed, "We hear this ten times a day."

"Cause it's true." Paris laughed, "Let's watch a movie or something. Get our mind off negativity."

>>>>>

Louisville, KY;

"What's on your mind?" Bryson asked, stuffing his hands in his pockets.

"Nothing, I'm just surprised that we've been hanging out for three days straight. This is further than we got in high school." Mya laughed.