Daddy Issues

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

A week flew by after agreeing to Zion's offer to stay in Atlanta for a month, and finally the day had come for me to meet Cisco. My friends had done their best to reassure me I was great with children leading up to the meeting.. Eon had kept some distance between us. I could tell it wasn't a retaliatory thing but a respect for my boundaries.

I was sure that the meeting wouldn't go as poorly as what my imagination had conjured up. If only I could get my anxiety to stop beating me over the head. Every kind word they said went in one ear and out the other. I felt bad that they were wasting their breath on me. It was close to nine at night and they had been talking me through everything all day. The guys had left to go to their homes over an hour ago.

"Cy, you need to get ready to leave," Joelle said at the end of my bed. Nala placed the iron against my jeans one last time before unplugging it. A pair of tight dark wash jeans, a tan sweater, and a simple pair of sneakers lay in between Joelle and me. I had enlisted their help to make sure I looked the part when I met Cisco.

Listening to my friend I grabbed my clothing then walked to my bathroom and stripped out my clothing. I slowly brushed my teeth and flossed meticulously. After I was sure my breath was as fresh as possible, I turned the shower on and stepped in once it was at my desired temperature. I grabbed a bottle of soap that smelled like a caramel latte and lathered it along the planes of my body.

After showering, I got out and covered my body in a lotion of the same scent. I wanted to feel as good about myself as possible before I went into an experience that was foreign. After I combed through my hair and ran a sponge over the top to tighten my curls. Last, I dressed myself.

When I walked out of the bathroom, the girls were sitting on my bed watching a movie. "I'm off," I said, walking out of the room. I heard them wish me luck before I left out of the apartment, making sure I locked it behind me. I checked my phone and saw that Zion texted me that the driver he had gotten me was waiting. I argued that I didn't need once, especially since the hype had died down regarding our relationships.

Zion had won the argument when he showed me the messages he had been receiving. There were a few death threats sent to him and me, when I checked me inboxes from some delusional little girls who swore I stole their man and a few random gays.

Walking down the stairs, there was a black sedan parked in a parking space close to the stairs. The driver stood near the rear with a warm smile. I greeted him before I got into the car and buckled up. As he pulled off my heart began to beat faster than normal and my palms started to sweat. The twenty-minute drive felt like it had taken hours. When the driver parked in front of the hotel, my body moved on autopilot towards the penthouse suite barely noticing the cold November air.

When I stepped inside the room sound of cartoons came from the smaller room in the suite. Walking farther in, I saw Zion sitting on the counter eating a cup of noodles, one of his favorite foods. He noticed me and hopped off the counter like there weren't people under us and placed the cup down. He walked over to me and brought me in for a salty kiss.

"You look nervous," Zion said, escalating anxiety while trying to not look nervous. He was not helping.

"It's fine he likes new people, and I already explained to him you were my boyfriend," he said, trying to reassure me that this would go okay. We had not made it truly official since we had not been dating for a long time but I did not want to correct him. He was mine.

"How did he take it?" My hands moved to my face, and I had to force myself to put them in my pocket.

"He was a little confused but didn't really care when he understood."

"Oh," I said. I felt a sense of relief that he did not care that his dad was dating a man.

"So do you want to keep prolonging this, or do you want to go meet your future stepson?" He smirked flirtatiously. He was not even in the least bit worried, at least not visibly.