Book 3 [ The Untitled Series ]

Chapter Two

Ashley

Tuesday morning I was up getting both Raegan and myself ready when there was a knock at the front door of my house. I sighed, leaving my spot standing behind her in the kitchen as she sat at the table eating her cereal and went to get the door.

" don't move, mama." I told her. She looked up at me innocently with half her afro in a puff ball, and the other half a wild mess.

" does that count chewing? My cereal is gonna get mushy."

I rolled my eyes because i knew she was just being a smart ass. Unfortunately she had picked it up from both Leon and I and it was probably only going to get worse as she got older.

Lucky me.

" coming!" I screamed as the knocking continued, immediately knowing who it was. When I got to the door and opened it, I wasnt at all surprised that it was Leon. He was the only person who would knock on the door continuously until it was opened- no matter how long it took. " Leon." I said in acknowledgment.

" Ashley."

" what do you want?"

"I'm here to take Raegan to school. Plus I came to drop off your phone and-" He pulled a crumpled red wad of lacey material from his pocket. It wasn't until they were hanging off of one of his fingers that I realized what they were. " these too."

I felt embarrassed, but instead of caving, I crossed my arms across my chest. Leon eyes briefly flickered toward my breasts before coming back to my face. " I was wearing my panties when I left your apartment, thank you though."

" were you?"

I thought I had been but clearly now I realized that I hadn't. I'd been so frazzled when I'd left his place the day before that anything was possible. " yes," I said, sticking with my previous lie. " they must belong to whoever else you got spreading they legs for you."

At that one statement, Leon's entire demeanor changed. His eyes lost their playful sparkle and his shoulders tensed. " you the one fucking other niggas, bruh. Dont put that shit on me."

" I wasn't trying to put it on you. I was just-"

" you know what?" He put the panties back in his pocket and instead pulled out my phone and handed it to me. " ima do my deep breathing shit and take my daughter to school because I don't have the energy to deal with this. Is my lil girl ready to go or what?"

It had taken me a moment to recognize the tiredness in his face but I finally did. He looked like he hadn't slept all night- which wasn't unusual in his line of work but it worried me still. " what's wrong, Leon?"

" none of ya business, just go get my daughter."

" is it me?"

" go get my daughter."

" is your mom okay?" I asked. " your sister?"

He didn't respond, just stared blankly at me. When we were together he never looked at me like that. It wasn't a look that I'd become accustomed to until i fucked around.

" fine, Leon. I'm just trying to fix whatever little piece of relationship we have left, if not for us then for our child. I'm completely commited to fixing-"

" no, you not commited to shit! You fucked that nigga and came right back and fucked me... and I dare you to say that you didn't." He growled out angrily before checking himself and taking a step away from me. " yo I'm not ready to have this conversation with you, Ashley. I swear to god i will lash out."

" you're ready to sleep with me but not ready to have an adult conversation with me? Every time I try to apologize or tell you how sorry I am you just blow it off like its nothing...like I don't mean anything to you." When he didnt respond, I reached out and grabbed his shirt, pulling him close to me. He came willingly, despite the anger burning bright in his eyes." you gotta forgive me...or let me go."