The offensive banging on my front door woke me from the best night’s sleep I had in well, probably years. I groggily looked beside me for Adrianna to find my bed empty. I sat up quickly, saw the closed bathroom door, and let out a sigh of relief. I hadn’t put too much thought into the morning after but I was sure I wanted to talk to her. I wouldn’t dismiss her like I had before. I also wasn’t foolish enough to believe this was anything more than one night with the woman I love.
The banging persisted forcing me to climb out of bed and reach for a pair of sweats in my drawer. The last thing I needed right now was someone intruding in my time with A. Especially when I had no idea where to even begin with this whole thing between us. I raked my fingers through my hair and padded into the living room. I pulled open the door, ready to clip whoever the fuck was ruining my morning and came face to face with Victor.
Fucking man was a hemorrhoid I couldn’t get rid of.
“What the fuck do you want Victor? Do you know what fucking time it is?” I said, agitated. My body tense and alert knowing that Adrianna was somewhere in my apartment, the last thing she fucking needed was daddy dearest getting involved in what had transpired between us.
“Yeah well if you fucking answered your phone I wouldn’t have had to drag my ass all the way over here before the sun came up,” He said, pushing on my door and barging into my apartment.
“Why don’t you come in?” I said, sarcastically slamming the door closed before turning around and leaning against it. I didn’t give two fucks what Victor’s opinion of me happened to be, but Adrianna was a different story. She wouldn’t want another altercation with her dad. Things were messy between us, there was a lot of shit to discuss, things to figure without adding Victor and his poison to the mix.
“Jimmy’s parking the car,” he said, walking into the living room and glancing around.
“Yeah, well tell him to wait in the car and make this shit quick.” I said glancing at the closed door to the bathroom and then back to Victor.
He raised an eyebrow at me, taking a seat on my couch, sporting a pretty amused look on his tired face.
“Ah, I see,” he said, leaning back against the cushions of the couch making himself right at home as his arms stretched across the back of the couch. “You’ve got company.”
He glanced over his shoulder towards the bedroom. “Did I wake her?”
“No, she’s long gone,” I lied, hoping my voice traveled loud enough for Adrianna to hear me and that she stay put. “Victor, just get to the fucking point of your visit and then get the fuck out, yeah?” I ground out, my patience wearing thin as I crossed my arms against my bare chest.
He frowned before leaning forward, reaching for something on top of my coffee table. Whatever he took from the table captivated his attention, dropping it from one palm into the other before lifting his eyes and smiling mischievously at me.
“She left behind a parting gift,” he said, holding a diamond hoop earring between his fingers.
I stalked over to him and plucked the earring from his fingers, shoving it into the pocket of my sweats.
“Get out.”
“Where are your manners Anthony?” He asked tauntingly.
“Bend over and I’ll show you where they are.”
“Fine… I’ll lay off of you,” he said, chuckling for a moment before his face grew serious. “It’s good to see you getting back in the saddle, son,” he leaned forward placing his hands on his knees as he looked up at me with an expression of sincerity. If I wasn’t used to Vic’s shit or didn’t know for a fact he was a bullshit artist I might’ve believed him. The truth was, he spewed this shit because of his ulterior motive. “I’m glad you’re moving on from Adrianna, I know it’s not easy but you could agree with me when I say you’re both better off.”
“Let me clear something up for you Vic,” I respond, taking a seat on top of my coffee table so that I sat directly in front of him. “If I turned around tomorrow and decided I wanted your daughter back, there wouldn’t be a goddamn thing you could do about it. I stay away from her and the kid because that is my choice. I choose not to fuck with their lives because I’m associated with the likes of you. I know what I am. I live with the man reflected in my mirror and unlike you, I care about them enough not to load the shit I am onto their lives. Don’t for one second think you and your warnings have anything to do with my decision. If I want her, I’ll take her.”
He stared at me for a moment. “I didn’t come here to discuss the torrid relationship you share with my daughter.”
“Good, then you shouldn’t have a problem getting to the fucking point,” I said evenly.