"Why would you do that to me?" The leather whip cracks against my bare ass. I squeeze my eyes shut as pain Shoots through me. "Joanna, why would you do that to me?"
Three more lashes against my ass. His big hand reaches between my thighs and glides...
L is for the way you look at me O is for the only one I see V is very, very extraordinary E is even more than anyone that you adore can • • •
Five years later...
Joey's POV
Leilani Brooke is five years old and is the happiest child ever. She doesn't let her Down syndrome get in her way of achieving what she wants. Baby and Ryan has raised two amazing girls. They waited for years to have Kehlani Shay.
Baby finished college a few months ago and works with Callum. Ryan is attending a local college and Caleb is in high school. He's a freshmen and plays varsity basketball. I'm so glad he didn't let his autism stop him from progressing and making friends.
We all still live in Texas and occasionally go back to California. I made Callum keep his drug business in California away from our small family, as well as our small town. It's amazing how far we've come as a family and I am glad it has been this way. Despite all the ups and downs we've faced.
I turn down the music in the car as I look back at the girls. Leilani stares out the window as we drive to the airport. We are picking up Grady, my parents, and Trixi at the airport. They wanted to come see how things are going down here.
"Leilani, baby girl, are you hungry?" Leilani looks at me and lightly smiles.
"No." We pull into the line of cars. I unlock the doors as Grady and our dad put the bags into the trunk of the car.
My mom and Trixi climb in the back with Leilani and Kehlani. Grady sits up front with me, and my dad sits right beside Kehlani.
We drive back to the house and settle in when Callum and Baby come in. I sit in my big comfy chair and rock Kehlani as she drinks her sippy cup. Baby comes and kisses her head then kisses Leilani's as she sleeps on her small couch.
"Where's Ryan?" Baby looks at me, and I shrug. He nods and goes upstairs to look for her. Callum comes and kisses me then disappears with Grady down the hall.
Kehlani stares up at me as I continue to rock her. I close my eyes and drift off into a dreamless sleep.
After waking up, Ryan and I started preparing dinner. We put the food out on the dinner table and called from everyone to come from their rooms. They all gather at the table and we say grace before we dig in. Everyone talks amongst themselves and I help Leilani eat her food.
"Caleb, can you teach me how to play basketball?" Everyone stops talking and looks at Caleb and Leilani.
"Yes, of course." Caleb answers her. Leilani gets excited and smiles widely. Everyone laughs and smiles at her. She's such a sweetheart.
***
Few days later...
Callum and I are out eating and having a date nigh. He wanted to do so for some unkown reason, and refused to tell me why. I'm okay with it because duh... it's food. I take a sip of my wine and smile at Callum.
"I can't believe my babies are growing up, and Caleb is exceeding his own expectations. I'm so proud of them." I nod and smile. "You know I got a call from the school about him."
"What was it about?" I raise a brow, genuinely intrigued.
"They want to move him up a grade, so they would put him in as a sophomore to see how that goes. And, if need be he can move up another." Wow, my baby is smart.
"That's amazing. We are going to let them do it, right?" He nods. "Leilani is very smart as well."
"I know, she's in regular classes and takes them very seriously. She's amazing." I nod as I take a bite of my steak. "We raised them right."
"Indeed we did. Have you heard from Nicole?" He looks at me and slightly pales.
"Uh, dad said that she was banging every guy in the Caribbean." I choke on my piece of steak and quickly get a sip of my drink. "Mom isn't too happy with her leaving her baby behind with Jay."
"I wouldn't be happy if Ryan up and left and left her babies at home." He nods. "Why'd she do it? I mean she had all kinds of support around her."
"I know and no one knows why she ran away. She didn't say anything." Our waitress walks up to us and smiles.
"Can I get y'all anything else?" I look at Callum then at her.
"Hmm, we would like a small piece of red velvet cake." She nods and writes it down. She walks away and I look at Callum who is staring at me intently.
"Are you glad everything has turned out the way it has? Or do you, like, wish it came a different way?" I bite my lip a little. I have thought about this in the past, and, despite all the losses and problems I faced, I wouldn't change any of it. It wouldn't have brought me to where I am now.
"I'm more than glad because they didn't get raised the way I was or had to go through what I did. I'm happy that we met when we did and I agreed to come with you." He nods, a smile forming on his lips. "I'm glad you came to your senses and stopped hoeing around and being a woman beater."
"I am, too, because I don't think I would have been able to live if you walked out the house with the kids again." I nod understandingly. "That fucked me up real bad."
"I know, but you completely deserved everything you got. I love you so much, though. Despite everything."
"I love you, too!"
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^Leilani^
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