Shadow Of The Past | Ongoing

19| "Im proud of you"

I walk outside and Amaras sitting a cement bench, facing the ocean, with her leg bent to her chest, arms around them and chin resting on her knee.

I sit next to her, tucking my right leg underneath me, not saying a word for a bit.

"I'm sorry." She says.

"For?" I ask looking down at her, but she's still looking in the distance. I wrap my arm around her back, pulling her closer to me and she lays her head down onto my side.

"For saying that. I know you don't really like talking about dad, but it just came out and I just hate seeing other kids getting droped of by their dad's and I wasn't. I hated seeing them kiss their foreheads and tell them that they loved them. I Hated it all." I stop her before she could contine.

I turn my body so it was facing her, but she still didn't look at me.

"Baby, look at me." I said and after a bit she finally did and there were tears in her eyes.

I hated when she cried. Mostly when it was specifically about the topic of her "not having a father".

It heart like he'll. Everytime I wish i could take that pain away and give it to me rather.

I cup her rosy pink cheeks and when I looked at her beautiful eyes, I wanted to look away beacuse as a mother I felt that same exact pain she was feeling and it tugged at my heart so much I felt as if someone had ripped it away.

I took a deep breathe before talking.

"Amara, trust me you have every right for hating that, but you just need to stop thinking about thta sweetheart. Stop letting it get to you. Its nkt your fault. He wanted to see you so badly. I remember him sayibg he wanted to diliver the baby, becayse he wnated to see you first. He loevd you so much although you were still in my tummy." All of this I'm saying is what Ace actually said and did.

"He seems like a nice person. I wish I could've met him." She said. A tear slowly falls from ger eyes and it crushes me eve more.

I keep myslef together and whip that tear away hoping it would whip away all the pain she was feeling.

"Me too " I said before licking my lips and taking another deep breathe, to cool myself down.

I bring her into my embrace and we stay like that for a bit.

I hate that she feels this way about going to school. Yes, Xavier was there but he didn't even try make an effort to drop her at school or even fetch her, because he was always busy and work was always more important to him.

It was never us. Now that I think about it, I think he never cared for us.

"Lets get back inside." I said, but she didn't do anything. I look down at her and see she's sleeping.

This girl fell asleep during a conversation.

I pick her up, propping her onto my hip and her head rests onto my shoulder.

we walk back inside and Nala comes walking towards us, her mouth open as she pants.

I scratch the back of her ears and continue walking. As I do so I pass the dinning room and see Ace still inside on his phone.

His eyes look up and I say, "I'm just gonna put her down and I'll come back." I said.

"It's okay. Do your thing." He said and you let our a soft laugh. I see a small smile make his way onto the coner of his lips.

I lay her down onto the bed and pull the duvet on her. I give her a kiss on the forehead and go back to the dinning room.

We sit in silence and continue eating our food. I do feel his stare every now and then as I eat and it doesn't make me feel uncomfortable or anything bad. It just gives me this feeling inside that sturs.

"I saw you got an award for being the most successful women in the world." He said and you looked up and at him.

"Im proud of you." He said.

"Thank you." I said and couldn't help but smile. He does the same. It's been a while since I've heard someone rell me that.

I go back to eating before this get any weird. My phone starts ringing in the pocket of the hoodie.

I take it out.

"Can I." I said.

"Go for it." He said, and I kinda feel bad thta I'm doing this at a dinner table, but I have to its my girl Aubrey.

"Girl, I just won a car." She yelled as soon as I pick up. My eyes widen.

"What car?" I ask.

"A white Rolls Royce."

"You joking." I said.

"Wish I was."

"How the fuck did you win a fucking rolls Royce." I asked.

"Okay so you see i was at a casino." She siad and I hum.

"I went to this guy who was rated the best roulette player in the place and i was like "I bet I could beat you". He laughed and I smirked and he was like "you can try"."

"Okay."

"So after I told him if I won I wanted a car and he agreed and we played then I won, obviously and I didn't know it would be a rolls Royce, but it was and yeah."

"Of course that's what happen." I said playfully rolling my yes.

"Bitch don't roll your eyes at me." She siad somehow knowing I did that.

"I wasn't." I lie.

"Sure." She said not believing it.

"Oh yeah, how's Ace treating you?" She asked and of course she asked about him, but not gonna lie I'd do the same If she was in my position.

"okay. I'll tell you more about it later , but Amara cried."

"Nah bitch. Don't tell me she cried because of him, because if she did imma track your location and come tlak to him myself. He'll I'd go and kill him. Who in this world could make her cry?" She said.

Me.

"No he did nothing. It was me. You know with the whole getting droped off by their father kinda thing." I said and yes I am aware Ace is still hear.

"Aw. My baby."

"I know."

"I need to come see you guys soon. It's been a while. You coming by the office anytime soon?" She asks.

"Yeah, maybe tomorrow or the next day. There's still a lot happening, but I'll let you know if I do go." I siad.

"Okay. Bye, continue with whatever shit you are doing."

"Okay, bye." I hang up. I put my phone facing down.

"Boss-" someone said rushing into the dinning room, but he stops what he says when he sees the glare Ace is giving him.

Wow.

"Sorry." The guy says and he's wearing a tux and he looks huge and had muscle. Man could probably break me with his pinky.

"Speak." Ace demands and I'm so confused.

"Theres been a break in at the warehouse." The guy says. What is it war or something?

"Fuck." Ace says to himself and stands. "I've gor to go." He says looking down at me.

I give him a nod and he rushed out .

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