Natural Born Hustler (BOOK 4)

Chapter Nineteen -- Real Love

Chapter Nineteen -- Real Love

Ethic's POV

I flipped pancakes in the air with a pan with ease. After all these years of making breakfast every other morning, I think I'm a professional breakfestor.

What I like to call real music echoed through my house like I was having a house party at ten am, and that's the beauty of owning your own house with neighbors who are barely home.

Just as I was about to flip another one of my pancakes, the sound of the doorbell rung out as soon as a song was changing in my surround system.

I turned the fire down on the hotcakes and went to turn away the little girl who come to my house almost everyday around this time. Girl Scouts ain't playin' this year, they got these li'l girls out here hustling for a damn cookie sale. I don't know how many times I turned this girl away this month.

I opened the door with a frown on my face. "How many times--"

My words came to a stretching halt as my body froze up. This can't be real... I haven't seen her since I was in my mid-twenty's. It's been so long, too long. Damn, I missed her.

I let my eyes roam all over her from head to toe, taking her all in. The last time I've seen her, her hair was colored blond and short, now it was black and long, the way it used to be when we were in high school. I always liked it better that way. She's not as small as she was in school though, but hell, neither am I. The fitted jeans and white T-shirt hugged her curvaceous body just right. I'm glad to see prison didn't take a toll on her. My baby's still as beautiful as ever.

She smiled and I swear my heart beat increased a little faster. "Are you just going to stand there starring at me with your mouth open or are you going to let me in, old man?" she joked loudly over the music.

I clamped my mouth shut, I didn't even know it was open! I felt a smile began to dance on my lips as I moved to the side to let her in. Man, she got me feeling nervous as hell. I went over to the surround sound before turning the music down more than a few notches, my eyes never leaving her.

When did she get back? Wait, how did she even get out? I thought I'll never see, talk, or hear from her again. My first love... I thought I lost her forever to the state.

Kaila sniffed the air, "Are you cooking? It smells like something is burning."

I snapped out of my thoughts, remembering I WAS cooking breakfast and ran to go turn off the stove. My perfectly homemade pancakes was burned on one side and the bacon in the oven had sribbled to little burnt strips.

Seconds later, warm laughter came from behind me. "Don't tell me breakfast is still the only thing you know how to cook."

I laughed with her as I turned around. "No, I can heat up a good ass microwave meal."

She laughed a little louder. Damn, I even missed her laugh. "My poor babies. I can only imagine."

I shrugged. "At least they ate."

Kaila stepped closer, seriousness written all over her face. "I always knew you'll be a good dad, Ethic. Erik is everything I ever wanted him to be."

I shook my head, not believing the first thing she said was true. "I wasn't good enough, Kaila. Erik... he's a fuckin' hitman and Megan had a baby at fourteen."

She nodded, stepping even closer to me that we were only inches apart. "But look at them now. I'm not too happy with what Erik's doing either, but at least he has his head on straight. And what about Megan? She's a very successful model. You're not proud of that?"

I sighed. "I just feel like I failed them... we both did."

Her eyes began to water, and I instantly regret what I said. "Kaila... I didn't--"

"No," she stopped me, "You're right. I let both of them down, but I let Erik down the most." Tears began to fall down her cheeks slowly. I put my arms around her out of habit, her head against my chest. I hate to see her cry.

"That's not true, Kaila. He never blamed you," I told her honestly.
Our son never hated or talked bad about her because I've always been real with him. He was only angry when she left for Jamaica.

She sniffed a couple of times. "I feel like I'm such a bad mother. I missed his first day of school, his basketball games, prom, graduation..."

I lifted her chin before kissing her slowly, after a few seconds she kissed back, wrapping her arms around the back of my neck. My heart began beating out of my chest and my stomach felt like it was doing cartwheels. It's been so long... too long.

Seconds later, our lips broke apart and she hugged me closer, not saying a word. There wasn't anything awkward about the kiss, in fact, it felt normal. That's how I know this woman is my soul mate. Twenty years later... she still make my heart skip a beat.

That's love.

Real love.