• • •

If Leah's phases meant anything, then I was still in phase one.

I wonder how long it took for phase two to come, as it'd been over a month since she told me that.

Over a month since his grandma passed in her sleep. Elijah seemed less affected than I would've been, but he assured me they weren't that close.

That was the first night I was introduced to Christian.

"Please tell them extra seasoning." I instructed, "I need to taste the high blood pressure."

Elijah feigned disappointment, "Taking 10 years off your life for some crabs? I wanna say I'm surprised but I'm not."

"She risk it all for the crab....meat, made you wait a week– let me hit same day inna back...seat." Coby looked around, "That's freestyling."

I really tried not to laugh, but Jailyn made eye contact and that went out the window.

Over the loud screams, you could hear Coby mocking us, "Akikiki. This what I be talking about Jai."

"That's Ken." She'd begun snickering and walked to the door "You know she goofy."

Elijah and I had barely started another conversation before the doorbell rang. "Jai must've forgot her key."

It wasn't Jai, but rather...I have no idea.

He stared at me like I was supposed to know, "Eli?"

Having heard his name from the couch, Elijah walked to the door, "Remember I said Ian wanna talk about her witchu'? What make you think that mean come to her house?"

Ohhh. It's his dad.

I stepped back, not really inviting him in, but trying to move out of the way. Christian came in though, smiling at me.

"Turn around and walk back out the door."

"I tried to call but you ain't answer. Grandma Pat...She woke up dead."

"That's it?" Elijah asked.

Christian scoffed, "You're a real piece of shit you know that? Ya' fuckin' grandma dead and you mad 'cause I interrupted you and–" He paused and smiled at me, "This nice young lady. How you doin' Kensley?"

"I'm fine. How are you?"

"Not too good. My mama died, my son ain't shit... But I'm making it."

"Sorry for your loss," I replied politely, before excusing myself to go down the hall. I wasn't necessarily trying to eavesdrop, and I even closed my door. Still, voices floated into my room.

Elijah sighed, "I'll call you tomorrow sometime."

"Marc's not gonna take it too well" Christian hinted, "I was hoping you and Lauren could tell him."

"Yeah. We'll do a FaceTime call."

"In person."

That was something you did in person, so at first, I didn't understand why Elijah got angry.

"Here you go. Just get out, the shit ain't happening."

Christian made a noise frustration, "Eli sometimes you gotta mind ya' business. What they do is what they do, she run to you because you feed into that shit. If you tell her– keep it in your marriage, I bet she stop all this."

"You saying allat for what? I already gave you my answer."

"Just remember who went and got Leah for you," Christian replied, raising his voice as if he wanted me to hear.

If Elijah responded, it was too low for my ears, and the door closed seconds later.

I wouldn't say we were in a relationship, so maybe phase two came with that.

Dating is the word I'd use for what we were doing– or the talking stage.

We were still learning each other likes and dislikes, and I thought back to when I was shown this house, the same day I found out he hated flying roaches.

"You just buy houses when you're bored?" I asked, trailing my fingers across the countertop.

"Both of our names are on the other house. Whatever speeds up the process."

The process was creeping along because Leah apparently didn't want the process to happen at all.

They were in meditation, trying to resolve things outside of court, but for mediation to work, they both have to show up and Leah was stalling.

He hardly ever addressed it, so I couldn't understand why he wouldn't just go to court and get it over with.

But hey. He's the lawyer, not me.

I peeked into one of the bathrooms, "Looks cheap."

"I drove your car. Don't never let me hear you talk about cheap."

"Keep flexing and I might rob you." A large empty room only had a bed and mirror, "Is this the master?"

After I asked the question, I took in the positioning of the bed and shook my head, "Nevermind. When?"

I'd been waiting, not wanting to ask because we didn't exactly have anywhere to do it. This house solved that problem.

"I wanted to finish it first. I'm tryna move all my shit without arguments."

Sounded like he was trying to sneak out of their house.

The fact that he had already had furniture to fill this room brought a question to the forefront of my mind.

Recently, I'd been trying to figure out what went wrong in their marriage besides cheating– what made her get to the point of cheating.

I wasn't a marriage counselor, but besides his creepy pop-ups, I couldn't find a single thing wrong with him.

The pauses when he got upset were strange too, but I'm sure she knew about those before they got married.

Sex was on the list, maybe she didn't like the same as him, and that caused problems. However, if he had equipment at the old house, she obviously participated.

Was I the weird one for trying to piece together Elijah and his wife's sex life? Probably. Did I care? Not really. It wasn't like anybody could hear my thoughts.

There was a pool out back, "You don't even look like you go swimming. Nigga probably just dip his feet in the water."

"I used to be on the swim team."

"Really?" I questioned in surprise.

"Hell nah." Elijah laughed, "We ain't even have no swim team."

I watched a bug scurry into the house ahead of us, "A roach just went in your house."

We thought it was a regular roach, and Elijah was on his way to step on it when the wings on its back fluttered.

He screamed and jumped behind me.

I don't remember how long I laughed, but by the time I caught my breath, he was glaring at me, "You ain't shit."

"I just know you not scared of a roach."

"It ain't no regular roach." He pointed as it flew to the wall, "You see that?"

It was cute, seeing him scared of a bug, "I'll kill it for you if you stop talking about my car."

Elijah stared at the roach, considering, "I'm finna throw some bleach on that motherfucka'."

My gaze had settled on a nonexistent spot on the floor to stare at. I wasn't sure how long He planned on having me wait, but I guessed it was a part of the scene, waiting for Him to decide when we were ready.

Despite not having moved in everything as planned, He still agreed to a scene, for me, and the pressure of wanting to be a good submissive for Him was steadily mounting.

I never heard His footsteps, just felt Him adjust my arms behind my back, placing my elbows together and beginning patterns with a piece rope that ended at my wrist.

Once He secured the final knot, He stepped in front of me, lifting my chin. My eyes remained cast downward until He told me to look at Him running His thumb across my lips, "Keep your eyes on mine."

They remained there, yet still, I saw as He reached for the band of His briefs, saw His pre-cum coated tip, and soon after, the almost tasteless liquid met my tongue.

My hands made up for what I couldn't reach, and without them, I had to fit more in my mouth. I gagged multiple times despite my efforts, and eventually, Elijah stopped me, placing one hand under my chin and the other on my head.

The veins in his arms, His abs– as He moved His pelvis forward and backward, "There you go." He praised me, saliva trailing down the corner of my mouth, "Good girl."

"You can take it. It's meant for you." My eyes closed because I couldn't look, without wanting to die, but He called me, "Kensley," our eyes met, "I'm not saying it again."

I was immersed in His gaze, feeling everything He felt until He was done, walking to a nearby bench, sitting down, and calling me to Him.

"Don't cum before me." My back was against His chest, the tip sliding against my entrance, "With me, after me, but not before."

I sank down carefully, trying to move in ways that didn't apply direct pressure, "Yes Sir."

Elijah knew what I was doing, and used the hold He had on my arms to set the pace. Every groan, the effort increased. Each time He ran His fingers against my skin, inner muscles clenched.

It wasn't until his breathing became as ragged as mine that I realized something:

This was a game, one I wouldn't win because he wasn't wearing a condom, and had to pull out, either interrupting or preventing me from cumming.

Seconds after I acknowledged that, I was back where we began, looking up at Him while His hands held my face, "Shit." He moaned loudly, holding my head in place, "Swallow it, Kensley."

I'd forgotten about having not gotten my own orgasm, distracted by the pleasure that was on Elijah's face, following His instructions in swallowing His semen.

The hair tie was undone, and fingers tangled in hair strands, molding His lips to mine. Need returned with a vengeance, and as He pulled away, I hoped He would see it on my face– that I needed to be where He was.

Elijah kneeled and His hand went between my legs to gather the wetness there, deftly circling His finger on my clit, "I want you to see what I saw the first time I fucked you. What you felt like–how many times you came for me, so easy. This pussy already knew it was mine."

That's what the mirror was for, and once we were in front of it, my knees were inches apart and slightly bent, and His arm wrapped around my midsection, the other gripping my breast, holding me in place.

His movements were slow, almost lazy, but the ending, when His skin connected with mine and He stayed there, pressed flush against me...

"Look at that, how you take dick." I followed His eyes in the mirror until they were again focused on my face, "You such a good slut, my perfect fuckin' slut."

It could've been the 'perfect' part, it might've been because He added the 'my', or the fact that He seemed consumed by me, either way, I struggled to keep my eyelids parted as the orgasm I needed since He first walked in the room, came.

"Oh my god, fuckkk." Words became moans, and Elijah became a sadist, His dick inflicting the best pain, relentless, beautiful torture– then I felt him against my ass, warm and slick, again voicing His admiration. 

The previous rope was succeeded by a different restraint, one that restricted me to the bed and bound my ankles as well.

To view your Dominant with reverence was expected, and I confused what I felt watching Elijah above me, stroking Himself, with reverence.

Or, that's what I wanted it to be.

• • •

I typed in the website and read the description for each package, finding the one we wanted and showing it to Jai, "It's $150."

"How long it take to get here?"

"They use express shipping so... like a week?"

Jailyn drew her knees up to her chest and rested her head there, "I feel so bad. I wanna just tell him and maybe he'll agree with me."

Having been in the same position before and choosing not to tell the potential dad, I should've been able to help ease the guilt, but I didn't feel guilty when it was me.

I was barely 18 and about to leave for college, Demetrius' family hated me, my family didn't even know I still talked to him.

If anything, I would've felt guilty for bringing a baby into that.

"Tell him then." I suggested, "At the end of the day he can't make you do something you don't want to."

"It's not that I don't want to– just not right now. Coby still won't get a real job, I'm still in school... Can I sue the condom people?"

"No."

"If he asks me to keep it, I will, even though I don't want to. That's why I don't wanna tell him."

What was I supposed to say at this point? I'd given the two options I saw possible, and she wasn't sold on either.

"Jai I think you should do what's best for you."

"Let's go buy more tests." She stood up, looking around for her phone, "Then we can decide what to do."

'We' should've been her and Coby. Not that I didn't want to be there for her but had they always been like this and she just never said anything?

After putting on shoes, I followed her to her car, staring silently out of the window on the drive to Walmart. She bypassed the one we usually went to and continued to the mall.

"I wanna go to the cookie place." She answered without me having to ask, "I'll run in Target for the other thing."

"You just wanted to go to Target anyway."

I didn't know how true that was until we'd been there for 20 minutes and she hadn't even gone towards the tests.

We were in the bedding area, me leaning on the cart scrolling on my phone, and Jailyn alternating between texting and half-looking at sheets.

"Retail therapy only works for rich people," I stated through a yawn.

"My school check came. Get you some candy or chips while I'm up."

As I was trying to decide which I wanted, I spotted Lani walking towards us, with Marc further behind.

If they hadn't already seen me, I would've hidden to avoid awkwardly smiling and waving, "Hey Lani."

"Hey." She pointed to her comforter, "My dad's buying me stuff for my room at the new house."

"Yep. Ya' mama took you and moved in with Eli now I gotta buy shit for over there too." Marc grumbled, not sounding the least bit happy.

I ignored him, "My friend's buying stuff too but she's been looking at the same shit for an hour."

"Watch your profanity." Jailyn joked, "If you'd help, we can leave."

"I'll help." Lani volunteered, going to the shelf.

All she did was hurt the situation.

"Your friend single?" Marc asked as he watched them interact.

"No. Do you ever give it a rest? Like at all?"

"It's just a question. A nigga can't ask a question no more?"

His question had intent behind it and I didn't even want him to make it to the point of talking to her.

Is that how Ari was thinking?

"I 'preciate you going to the movies with Lani and them that time too." He continued before I could continue that thought, "At least they was witchu' when my Grandma Pat got killed."

It almost slipped past me, "I thought she passed in her sleep."

Marc smirked, "She did. Come on Lani so we can go spend more money unnecessary money."

Would it be too much of a coincidence that Elijah was gone for a long time that same night? When Christian said she passed in her sleep, he didn't give exact dates, but now.... 

Just like I wasn't a lawyer or a marriage counselor, I wasn't a detective either.

And what were the odds that Elijah, of all people, was a killer?

• • •

Elijah Baker

Sometimes I thought Leah hated me just as much as I hated her.

Her therapist– when she did finally go, told her some bullshit about manipulation and she whole-heartedly believed she wasn't at fault for what she did.

I wasn't convinced.

When she came to me with that, the account she used to pay for her sessions, was frozen.

Looking back, it was wrong to want her to be unhappy with me. I saw her finding peace and didn't think she deserved that.

"I know you're buying another house."

She didn't know shit because she would've known I already bought it, "And?"

"And I'll burn that bitch to the ground before I let you move her in there."

That house wasn't bought with the intention of moving Kensley in because she liked her space. At some point in the future, but not right now, especially since Lauren and Milani would be there.

I asked a question to something she must've forgotten, "Who fucked off? Me or you?"

"That doesn't have anything to do with it. You try to act like you don't feel anything anymore, but why let me stay here? You-"

"I wanted to drown you. That sound like somebody who feel something for you?

Her tone was sarcastic, almost mocking, "Before or after Kensley?"

Leah could always leave if she wanted to but she chose to stay. Besides the doctor rejecting her, I didn't understand why.

But as she stood across from me trying to piece together things, I disregarded the thought– that she hated me, concluding that she believed she was still in love and was only playing a game she learned from me.

While I didn't want her in my life, I didn't want to kill her either. I wanted her to leave, live the rest of her life because like she said, I'd ruined hers.

"Your mama and them just didn't like me, you can go back home, start ya' life over and shit."

"I'm 27 and all I have is a fucking high school diploma."

"That's all Zi got and he own restaurants. You want a restaurant?"

This was a different approach, something new. I don't know. I've never tried it.

She simply stared, "I don't want your dad's drug money."

"See you say shit like that and it justify how I feel about you. Ya' could've just fuckin' said no."

"I want.....to be with you. Our original plan of being married forever and having all our babies, that's what I want."

I understood, but it wasn't what I wanted anymore. I wouldn't want that again, "It'll never happen."

She nodded, "At least Marc and your dad just fucks their hoes and sends them home. You have sex one time and now you wanna move in with the bitch."

Back to square one.

And while I wanted her to live, she didn't seem to want that for herself.

• • •

my bby ken just...... i'm very pro-choice but idk if i wouldn't tell the dad (depending on the situation ofc) do yall condone lying to coby?

thanks for reading 💕