Mending Broken Pieces

Chapter 10

Neveah woke up the next morning with a lot on her mind. She had quite a bit to rethink and the most important thing was temporarily living with Phillip. The only problem she had to deal with was her feelings towards him. Everything was moving so fast and she was confused. The last time she's been with a man was Dawayne and sometimes she didn't even count that as a relationship.

Before she met Phillip, she was thinking about moving back in with her parents. Now, no almost thirty year old woman with a child would want to move back in with their parents but considering her circumstances at that time, she had no other choice. Even though her and her father was at odds still, she would very much live with him than Phillip.

It was nothing wrong with him, it was all her. Sounding cliche- it was her, not him. Every time she saw Phillip, she just wanted to manhandle him into submission and take advantage of him. Just now meeting him that was considered a little extreme. But the more she thought about his question, Neveah couldn't help but to agree with him.

 

When was the last time I did something for myself? Neveah thought.

 

The answer was never. It always been about Rory and there was no wrong in that but it also wouldn’t hurt for her to take care of herself.

Neveah walked into Phillip while walking down the hallway.

 

Phillip stopped before colliding with Neveah, "Whoa there, good morning to you too,” he whispered, looking down at her.

 

"Morning..." was Neveah's response.

 

He could see her apprehensive written all over her face. Watching her, he saw her advert her eyes away from him as if looking for and escape route. Their conversation last night was still fresh on his brain. He could tell that she was trying to distance herself from him. Phillip  also noticed that Neveah was a little delayed and maybe she needed time to relax.

 

Right on the spot Phillip had an idea. "How bout I take Rory out to ball today with me and my friends while you chill for a bit.”

 

Neveah thought about his offer, but couldn’t say yes to it. She didn’t want her son to get a strong attachment to Phillip when in a couple of months she would be out of his house and life and never see him again- that was her plan. If they did, it would be impossible to take Rory away from him if something went wrong between the two adults. Neveah wasn’t trying to cause pain to anyone.

“U-umm, no,” Neveah stuttered. “I don’t want you to feel obligated to take Rory or take care of him. I was thinking maybe you can go to work today and show me the ropes.”

 

Phillip was taken back by Neveah’s comment. It seemed to him that she didn’t understand him at all. In no way, shape, or form did he feel obligated to take care of Rory and spend time with him. He wanted to get to know her son just as much as he wanted to get to know her. He didn’t understand why she was making it hard for him to just help her or take some of the load of her shoulders. What he did understand though, was that her past relationship with Rory’s father was probably her breaking point.