“Do you?” She arched a brow and my eyes lowered to the stack of papers sitting in front of me. Shit, did I?
“Yeah, man. I read it.” A hand moved slowly over my head as I slouched lower in my chair, grinning in amusement. “And yes, it’s serious.”
“Good, I like her and she’s good for you. Having Somee and Rylee as your accountability makes my job so much easier andpeaceful. It’s been three months since we’ve had a viral moment or a sighting of any body parts live on social media. I’m pretty sure the lack of scandal Van and I are having to deal with is accredited to their presence in your life.”
It was.
“How you know they’re my accountability?”
“Until they showed up, you had no reason to grow up. The women in your life are holding you accountable for your actions. I’m sure it wasn’t intentional, but the result is what happens when you have something orsomeoneto lose.”
She had a point. My career was always solid, and before this trade talk, I never feared losing it. Being a Shark was the only thing of value I felt responsible for. My heart was never attached to anything else. Now that Rylee and Somee were in my life, I was attached like a motherfucker. Fear of losing either of them would damn sure keep me moving right and conscious of my actions. I had also been so distracted with everything going on in my life lately that I hadn’t had time to fuck up nor did I have the desire to.
“How are you doing?”
And there it is. The reminder that with all the good things in my life, there was still bullshit lingering in the background.
“I’m good.”
“Are you? Because if not I can send a list of?—”
I frowned hard, knowing exactly where this was going.
She wanted me to see a therapist.
Omiri had been through a lot dealing with his feelings of being responsible for his brother’s death. Although Makari gave him a reason to exist in a lighter space, he was still finding his footing emotionally. Sovoya and Makari both agreed thathe needed to see someone and surprisingly he gave very little pushback and had been seeing a therapist for the past year.
“I don’t need that, Sov. I promise I’m good. I appreciate you pushing me to handle the arrangements with Felicia. I needed closure and to accept that there were things I would never understand about the woman who had given me life. Regardless of how she disappointed me, the burden is hers and not for me to carry. Shit, I hadn’t realized I was carrying it until I was forced to acknowledge those feelings. Before all this I pushed that shit down deep and pretended it didn’t matter. I get that it’s okay for me to acknowledge that wanting her love doesn’t make me weak or inadequate as a man.”
Sovoya grinned. “You sure you’re not already seeing someone? That sounded a bit too insightful for you.”
“I might not always make the best decisions and be a little reckless with my actions at times, but I’m very self-aware, Sov. I was also a double major in economics and political science and graduated in the top two percent of my class, so I know a few things. Why are you trying to play me like I have no depth?”
“I mean, when you spend the majority of your adult life functioning like a manchild, what else do you expect me to think?”
“Bruh, fuck you.” I laughed. “But real shit, I can’t even take credit for most of that. It’s all Somee. She’s been giving me the space to be a man. Owning my emotions and being accountable for how I handle them is a huge part of that.”
“She’s a keeper. Do not mess this up. In fact, I’m going to make some amendments to your contract. She stays or I go.”
“I told you I’m gonna act right.”
“And I hope you can stay committed to do so, but just in case, I’m adding a contingency in your contract that having her and my services is a package deal. No Somee, no representation.”
“Man, you’re tripping.”
“I’m a businesswoman making sure my client doesn’t cause me more grief than necessary.”
I lifted one shoulder in a lazy shrug. “Fuck it, do what you need to. She’s not going anywhere.”
I wasn’t coming up off Somee for anything.
“You thought I needed your permission?” Her manicured brow lifted slowly. “Somee is going to bring me peace and keep me from catching a murder charge where you’re concerned.”
Hell, me too. She was officially my peace.
“We good or you need me for anything else?”
“Nope, you’re free to move about the cabin.”