CheckMate 4: Winner Takes All (11 page)

“No, you have nothing to be sorry about. I’ve definitely done some things that I shouldn’t be forgiven for. If my chances are up with Candy then I’ll have to man up and swallow that pill. It’ll hurt, but I’m a big boy. I can handle it.” He said trying to play it off.

Dee nodded her head indicating that she was paying attention as she kissed MJ on the cheek. “Hey big boy,” she softly whispered in his ear. She looked over at Monty, and then said, “You and Candy will be alright.”

Monty simply smiled at her as she headed toward the hallway. “Candy,” she called out. “MJ is here and I’m leaving,” she added looking down at the time on her watch.

“I’m coming,” Candy called back out.

She then glanced back over at Monty. “I gotta go,” she told him while sitting MJ down in his swing. “Don’t tell her where I’m going. It’s a surprise.”

“Okaaaaay,” Monty said, but he was actually hoping to leave before Candy walked in. He hated even being at her house. The last time he’d laid his eyes on her was when she showed up to his office wanting to talk. That didn’t end like he was hoping it would’ve. And since then the only way he could deal with her and the decisions that she was making was to stay clear of her presence. She had definitely hurt him by seeing his cousin, but at that point there was nothing he could say or do about it.

“I’m gone,” she said giving Monty a light hug. “It was good to see you.”

“Likewise,” he responded with a smile as she quickly made her exit. Monty then glanced over at MJ. “Hey son, I’m gonna get on outta here. I’ll text your mama later.” He said like MJ could understand what he was saying. The minute he headed for the front door to hurriedly leave, Candy stepped around the corner in nothing but a pair of blue and white boy shorts and a white tank top with part of her lower abdomen showing.

“Monty,” she called out not realizing that he’d be standing in her living room. “Uh, hey,” she stuttered.
Dee could’ve said something,
she quickly thought. “I’ll uh, go put on some clothes. I’m sorry.”

“No, you’re fine.” Monty said thinking that he literally meant fine as in she was super fine and sexy to him. He stood there almost speechless and wanting nothing more than to wrap his arms around her. “I was just leaving.”

“No, you don’t have to leave.”

“Huh?” Monty questioned as if he was wondering why he should stay.

Candy stared at him. He was definitely fine as hell standing there with a tan pair of Sean John pants and a yellow striped Sean John polo shirt with a hint of baby blue and white in it. He was very handsome as always.

“Are you in a hurry?” she questioned.

“Well, uh.” Monty said glancing down at his watch.

“This won’t take long.” She said hoping that he’d relax a little more and chill for a second. She could sense that he was a bit uncomfortable. “I’ll put on clothes if need be.”

Monty grinned almost to himself. “I’ve already seen all of that. I said that you’re good.”

“Hm,” Candy smiled a little. “You’ve not seen all of this in a while, so don’t kid yourself.”

For some reason that made Monty smile. He had not joked around with Candy in quite some time. Having this time apart was probably much needed.  

“So, what’s up?” He questioned making his way back into the entertainment room where she stood by MJ.

“Hey mama’s fat boy.”

“My boy is getting too big for that swing now.” Monty said with a shake of the head. “He’s already taking steps to walking.”

Candy laughed looking down at MJ. He was definitely starting to look snug inside of his swing. “Come on fat boy. Dee got mama’s baby looking like he’s stuffed in this thing.” she said with a light chuckle as she wiggled him out of the swing. The minute he was in her arms. He laughed out loud and started pulling for her hair while talking baby gibberish.

Monty grinned. It felt good to remember how it was when it was just him, Candy, and MJ living there. They were his family; a family that he was supposed to protect. Yet, he was elsewhere protecting somebody else.

Candy sat MJ down on the floor. He immediately scooted across the Burberry carpet heading for the coffee table so he could pull himself. “See that’s why we stuff his fat butt inside the swing.”

Monty laughed out loud. “He is a wild one.”

Candy nodded her head agreeing. “He takes it honest.” She slid in with a smirk.

“Maybe,” Monty commented. Candy looked over at him as they stared at each other.

“Well, MJ has a birthday coming up. I just wanted to know what you’d like to do for him.” She pondered while scurrying over to grab MJ before he knocked the lamp over. Monty was caught up gazing at her jelly shaking butt.

Damn
, he thought rubbing his dick print down in his pants. Candy was definitely looking good and since he hadn’t given up any dick in a few weeks he wanted to pounce on her ass.

“So, what you thinking?” she questioned while glancing back at him. “MJ, Noooo,” she spat pretending like she was going to hit the back of his hand as he grabbed at the lamp again. “Monty,” she called out to get his attention again. At times it seemed like she had two babies instead of one. MJ certainly had a lot of his father’s ways. Both of their attention spans were incredibly short and they never listened to anything that she said.

“Well, um.” He said looking from her, and then to MJ. “We need to get his hair cut. He looks like a lil girl sometimes in them overalls you dress him in and that thick curly hair doesn’t help.”

“Candy laughed out loud. “Quit lying. My baby does not look like a girl.”

“I’m serious. I don’t like my boy looking like a girl. We’re gonna have to get his hair cut.”

Candy ran her fingers through MJ’s thick, curly hair. “Aww, do we have to?” she pouted.

Monty grinned. “Yep,” he responded. “If it makes you feel better I can take him.”

“I wanna be there for that too, though.”

“Come with us. I don’t bite.” He teased.

“You better not.” Candy chuckled, and then grabbed MJ and put him inside of the playpen that was in the adjoining room next to them, the den. She then returned and sat down beside Monty.

“You might wanna go put some clothes on.” He told her.

“You still can’t sit around pussy without feeling like you gotta have some?” Candy teased, but was very serious.

“A’ight,” he grinned. “Don’t say nothing if my hands start rubbing on your thigh. You’ve always said that my hands and my dick have a mind of their own.” He joked back taking a couple of shots at himself.

Candy laughed out loud. “We wouldn’t want your new girlfriend to get jealous.”

Monty frowned. “What new girlfriend? I’m single.”

“Oooooh, so you’re single now?” Candy questioned.

“I’ve been single.” Monty quickly shot back.

“Since when?” she questioned. “Must’ve been a few weeks ago when you put that po’ child out in the rain.”

Monty softly chuckled with a shake of the head. “I didn’t put anybody out in the rain.”  

“I couldn’t tell,” Candy responded. “So what happened? Wasn’t that your new woman?”

“I thought I sat down to discuss what we were doing for MJ’s birthday party.” He smugly responded.

Candy smiled. “We are discussing his birthday party along with other things.”

Monty didn’t know what Candy was gunning for, but whatever it was he wasn’t falling prey to it. “What’s up with you wanting to talk now? I haven’t heard from you since that day you showed up to the office.”

“Come on, baby daddy. Let’s keep it real. The only reason why we haven’t spoken to each other is because you don’t know how to act. I thought I’d give you some space to get your mind right. However, it seemed like you were giving me space, too. We are better than that. We should be able to talk without all this tension.” She said noticing that Monty wasn’t feeling it. “Quit looking like that. I accepted the fact that you moved on.”

“You didn’t have to, because I hadn’t moved on.”

Candy frowned. “Was I to think anything less, Monty?” she questioned with thoughts of him showing up to Brendon’s grand opening with MiKayla.

“I don’t know what you were supposed to think, but I didn’t come straight out and tell you that we were together did I?”

“Nah, you didn’t do that and with good reason. Apparently y’all are not together anymore.” She said trying to read his body language.

“I have nothing to say to MiKayla nor do I wanna have this conversation about her with you.”

“You’re rather snappy this morning.” Candy teased with a light chuckle.

Monty sat composed with an unbothered facial expression, looking handsome as ever. She knew that she was getting under his skin even though he acted unfazed.

“I’m not being snappy. I just don’t wanna talk about her. Let’s talk about you and my cousin.” He told her waiting for the moment to talk about that.

“Let’s,” Candy said feeling that she’d led him right up to where she wanted this conversation to go. She felt like she had some explaining to do and why not explain herself now, than to keep up this charade like she wasn’t bothered by his actions, because she was.

“Have y’all slept together?” Monty asked.

Candy laughed out loud. “That seems to be the only thing you’re concerned about. Why is that?”

“I’m just asking, but if you have then I’m leaving now.”

“Why you gotta act like that? We’re just starting to get along.”

Monty shook his head. “I can’t lie. I won’t be able to take that.” He truthfully told her.

“Take what, me having sex with him?” she pondered.

Monty slowly nodded his head. He hated to even imagine it. “I don’t wanna think about it.” He said, literally feeling sick on his stomach.

“We haven’t had sex, Monty. My goodness,” she said with an irritated shake of the head. “It’s funny how you can sleep with whomever you choose, but I can’t.”

Monty felt relieved that she’d confirmed it again. He’d been hearing about Brendon’s visits with Candy from Kina, and even though she said that they hadn’t had sex yet, he wasn’t so sure. Brendon was a for sure lady magnet and was every bit of his cousin. He had to hear it from the horse’s mouth again to be sure.

“Brendon and I are cool. We hang out together, we talk, and we chill.”

Monty quickly cut in. “What else do y’all do? You can’t tell me that you’ve not had some kinda intimacy with him. I caught y’all in his hotel room while the nigga was wearing his boxer shorts.”

Candy shook her head. “Well,” she said, but he cut in again.

“Well what?” he questioned with a raised eyebrow. “What else have y’all done?”

“We kissed.” She openly admitted.

Monty frowned from hearing such bitter words come out of her mouth. “We kissed,” he whispered while mocking her. “Damn,” he disappointedly said shaking his head. All along he’d known that something was going on, but hearing about it had him in his feelings.

“Yes Monty, we kissed. I’m not going to lie to you about anything. I want you to know what’s going on in my life.”

“Well, I don’t wanna know if it involves my cousin.”

“Well, you’re gonna know as long as you’re MJ’s father and there is no DNA results that could ever prove otherwise.” She gently touched the back of his hand.  “I hate that we’ve become such strangers like we never had a close relationship. It bothers me how we treat each other now. I’ve not seen you in weeks. Somehow we’ve made it convenient to miss each other or to not come around period, but that’s not healthy for us or as parents of MJ’s. We need to do better for him.” She said looking over in the playpen at their son to see that he’d fallen asleep.  

“I don’t know if I can do this,” Monty said with a sad look in his eyes.

Candy almost felt bad for him. “Do what?”

“I can’t come around you like that and not feel the need to touch you or hug you.” Candy just stared at him. She wanted to allow him the opportunity to tell her how he really felt. “I know I’ve been a jackass and for no reason at all except for being a dog. I don’t ever want you to think that I didn’t want to be with you. That couldn’t be further from the truth. I think for me, settling down was a bit scary. We kinda moved quickly, ya know.” He said taking in a deep breath as he thought back at their time together. “It’s like we kissed and things took off. I know you’re a rider, I know you’ll go hard for your family, and I also know how much I meant to you at one point. I can’t change the things I’ve done, but I can tell you that you’ve changed me.”