How Deep Is Your Love 3 Read online

  “I can introduce myself, Denny,” Charm cut him off. He sat back with his hands up. His mother’s eyes sparked.

  “Aye, I like her already. She can stand up to you.” Charm giggled. “I’m Daisy.”

  “My name is Charm.”

  “I’m afraid you were right, Denzel. She really is a cute thing,” Daisy said, looking Charm up and down. Charm couldn’t help but blush.

  “But you’ve got some extra weight on them hips and stomach,” Daisy added, touching Charm’s stomach with her back of her hand.

  “Momma!” Denzel exclaimed. Charm laughed at them.

  “It’s happy weight, Daisy,” Charm said looking at Denzel. “Every time I turn around, he’s stuffing food into my mouth.”

  “Bet that’s not the only thing he’s stuffing in there,” Daisy commented. Charm’s mouth fell open. When she looked at Denzel, he had his head in his hands.

  “Momma, you met her like three seconds ago. You couldn’t wait before you introduced her to your smart ass remarks?” Denzel asked.

  “Well I thought she oughta know about my shenanigans immediately. Besides, she took it well. Come, sit down. I’m almost done with the food.” Charm sat across from Denzel while Daisy turned and continued cooking.

  “Sorry,” Denzel whispered. Charm only smiled. She actually quite liked Daisy’s sense of humor. It didn’t bother her none at all. And much like Denzel said, his mother was a sweet woman, but she had that little edge to her. It wasn’t anything Charm couldn’t handle.

  Daisy finished preparing the eggs and bacon with pancakes before sitting around the table with Charm and Denzel.

  “Tell me, Charm,” Daisy began. “When you first saw my son, what was the first thing that came to your mind?” Charm paused.

  “Honestly, when I first saw Denzel, I couldn’t really stop staring at him. There was just something about his complexion and deep brown eyes, that I couldn’t really get over. Then, of course, I was still with my husband when I first met Denzel, so the faithful wife in me felt guilty for looking at him like that and I forced myself not to.”

  “Did you cheat on your husband with Denzel?” She asked.

  “No,” Charm said, intently. “I have strong opinions about being faithful. And while I was with my husband, Denzel was a real good friend to me. I appreciated his friendship before anything else that came after. That’s what I value most about knowing him.”

  “I’ve taught my son to do right by women. After growing up with a man like his father, I feared that he would think those things were right. But he’s proven that you can be your own person despite who your parents are. I did, however, think that he would marry Gabby and they’d give me my grandchildren. Guess that went out the window. But looking at you, I like you. My spirit doesn’t think I should be cautious about.”

  “I appreciate that coming from you,” Charm smiled.

  “And if you’re an artist, I’d love to see some of your work.”

  “I’d love to show you as well.”

  The three of them continued eating breakfast and sipping on tea while talking. After they finished eating, Charm took the plates and began cleaning up the kitchen while Daisy and Denzel continued talking. The bond between then was something Charm wished she had with her own mother. But then again, she had a bond with her father that Denzel didn’t have with his father.

  “What made you leave your husband?” Daisy asked her, once they moved into the living room. While they sat on the futon, Denzel sat in the arm chair across from them with his sketch pad in his lap.

  “He cheated on me,” Charm admitted.

  “Really?”

  “Yeah. Um, I had a miscarriage. Things got hard between us, and I guess he just needed another woman for something he felt like I wasn’t giving him.” Daisy gasped.

  “Men. They always have some nerve! Especially after something that horrible. It’s like they can’t understand how much it hurts a woman to lose their child!”

  “It was hard, yeah. But lately, I’ve been thinking that if he never cheated, then I would have probably left him anyways.”

  “How come?”

  “I was falling for Denzel. There were things that he said to me that I felt my own husband didn’t say. Things he did that my own husband didn’t do. And I was kind of staying because I wanted to be blind to all the problems. I just wanted to be the wife with the perfect husband and children. And when I lost my baby, I realized my marriage wasn’t perfect, my husband wasn’t perfect and it wasn’t something I wanted to stay in. Him cheating just accelerated the break up.”

  “Was your heartbroken?” Daisy asked.

  “It was. Because another woman was pregnant with his baby. And for the years that I gave my life to him, I wanted to be that woman. And it never happened. The betrayal of it all was hard to overcome. I felt stupid crying over him, when Denzel was always on my mind. And then he was the one that showed me how to smile again.” Charm looked over at Denzel, who’s wrist was moving back and forth at a fast pace as he sketched.

  “When did you realize Charm was the woman for you?” Daisy asked him.

  “When I was about to knock Gabby out for killing my baby, and Charm stepped in front of me, and threatened to call the cops on my ass and get me locked up.” Daisy chuckled.

  “Serves you right. I told you to mind that temper of yours.”

  “Momma, save the lecture,” Denzel groaned. “I get it.” Denzel winked at Charm and butterflies crept up her stomach.

  “Oh Lord,” Daisy said.

  “What?” Denzel asked.

  “That look you just gave Charm. Your father gave me that look once,” she said.

  “So?”

  “So he gave me that look, and here you are,” Daisy replied. Denzel laughed. Daisy turned to Charm.

  “I know it’s too soon, honey, but I am still looking for grandchildren, and if-”

  “Momma!” Denzel snapped cutting her off. “Don’t be that type of mother, Daisy. Not today.” Daisy threw a pillow at her son.

  “This isn’t one of those times I allow you to call me Daisy,” she warned.

  “How about we expand it to when you’re acting up?” Denzel asked. Charm laughed at their banter.

  “See how he treats his own momma?” Daisy asked, turning towards Charm. They began to talk and Denzel could only smile at look at them. In his sketch pad, he’d drawn the image of his mother sitting next to the woman he loved, and he swore it was the best drawing he’d ever started. He didn’t even think he’d drawn Gabby and his mother together. In ten years, not once, did he feel the need to capture a moment like that. But this right here, it was completely different.

  “Denzel,” Charm called. He looked at her, coming out of his thoughts.

  “Hm?”

  “The bell is ringing again.” This time he heard the chime of the bell going off.

  “Probably Brianna,” Charm said.

  “No, she has a key,” Denzel replied. “Maybe Jason.”

  “Oh I haven’t seen Brie in forever!” Daisy exclaimed.

  “And you wouldn’t believe it, Ma, she’s got this new man.”

  “Brie? In a relationship?” Daisy gasped. “Hell, wishes do come true,” She laughed. Denzel chuckled as he went to answer the door. While he walked away, he heard Charm telling his mother about Jason. But unlike what he assumed, Jason wasn’t at the door. Gabrielle stared at him through her puffy black eye. Her bottom lips was swollen heavily and she had other bruises on her face and little scrapes and cuts.

  “Now’s not a good time, Gabby,” Denzel whispered.

  “Why?” She questioned, crossing her arms.

  “It’s just not.” Denzel was about to close to door in her face, but she pushed it back open.

  “You need to let me in, Denzel. And I mean it. We need to have a serious talk.”

  “About what? Ain’t shit to say!” He exclaimed. At that moment, his mother laughed. Gabrielle gasped.

  “You not letting me in because
Daisy is there?” Gabby asked.

  “I’m not letting you in because Charm is here, and I don’t think you wanna mess with her right now.” Gabrielle looked at him with hard eyes.

  “I promise, Denzel, I just want to talk. And it’s good that Charm is here. I actually want to fucking apologize. What I said was fucked up. Especially after I aborted our baby. I shouldn’t have come out of my mouth like that.” Gabrielle wasn’t fitting to apologize to that bitch, but appeasing Denzel was the only way she was getting in his loft. And just like the sucker he was, he moved aside and let her in. When she walked into the living room, all chatter ceased. Daisy turned and looked at Gabby and audibly gasped.

  “Child, what the hell happened to you?” She asked, standing up. Gabrielle looked at Denzel. Immediately, Daisy was in her son’s face.

  “Did you do that to her?” She gritted. “After all the times you promised me you wouldn’t, and what you saw your father do to me and you’d do that?!” Daisy raised her hand, ready to slap her son, but Charm spoke up.

  “No Daisy, wait!” Daisy stopped and looked at Charm. “Denzel didn’t do that to her. I did.” Relief poured over Daisy before she hugged her son tightly.

  “Don’t worry about it, Ma. You know I wouldn’t do it.” She took a deep breath and backed away from him. Denzel glared at Gabby. He should have known she would have tried something funny, and looking at him when his mother asked who did it would obviously put the blame on him.

  “Why you lying on my kid?” Daisy snapped at Gabby.

  “I didn’t mean it to look that way,” Gabrielle said, innocently. Daisy rolled her eyes. she was highly upset at Gabby for aborting in the first place, and now this.

  “Well what happened between you two?” Daisy asked, motioning between Charm and Gabrielle. “Why’d you mess her up like that?”

  “A couple reasons,” Charm started. “For one, she was touching what was mine. And then she had the audacity to proclaim that I wasn’t woman enough because I had a miscarriage. My anger got the best of me, and I couldn’t help myself.”

  “You should be ashamed of yourself, Gabrielle,” Daisy said. “Especially since you killed my grandbaby.” Gabrielle forced herself not to roll her eyes. Everyone was pointing fingers at her like she was at a complete fault. Denzel was the one who refused to marry her.

  “Honestly, Daisy, if your son married me like he was supposed to, then you’d have you damn grandchild,” Gabrielle gritted, unable to keep it in.

  “Aye,” Denzel yanked at her arm and moved her away from his mother. “If you gonna disrespect my mother, you gonna have to get on up outta here. You know I don’t play that shit. And I’m not gonna allow it, whether we’re a couple or not.” Gabrielle snatched her hand from his grip and held them up submissively.

  “I just wanna talk to you and Charm, that’s it,” she huffed.

  “I’m gonna go freshen up and rest a little,” Daisy said. “I’m getting a little jetlagged. I was up early this morning.”

  “You need me to help?” Denzel asked.

  “Not at all. You’ve got a lot to deal with as it is.”

  “How long are you in town for, by the way?” Gabrielle asked her.

  “Just a few days. I just wanted to meet Denzel’s new woman.” Gabrielle only nodded. Daisy left the room then, heading towards Denzel’s bedroom.

  “Explain to me,” Charm spoke up. “Why you’d invite this bitch in here while I’m here? Especially after yesterday?” Charm’s fists were clenched and Denzel saw that this could become a crisis very quickly.

  “She said she wanted to apologize,” Denzel replied. He went over to Charm and took her hands, slowly unclenching them. He kissed her fingers.

  “Relax,” he said, softly. “Deep breath. In. Out.” Charm followed his words so she could calm down. He kissed her lips once she did, before turning to look at Gabby again.

  “Okay, apologize,” Charm said, softly. Gabby smirked.

  “I’m sorry that your temper got the better of you, and you’re gonna have to pay what you did to me.”

  “What?!” Charm asked, jumping at her reading to smack fire out of her. Denzel held her back.

  “Gabby, that’s what you wanted to say?” Denzel asked. “If that’s all, you can get the fuck out.”

  “Oh no, I’ve got more,” she smiled.

  “Let me wipe that smile off her face,” Charm gritted, trying to fight from Denzel’s hold.

  “I’d calm down if I were you,” Gabby snapped. “You don’t want to put your hands on me again.”

  “Oh, yes, I do!”

  “Hm, I wonder what the police will call this. A vicious beating? Assault? A mugging? Abuse?” Charm and Denzel froze.

  “What’d you just say?” Denzel asked.

  “Caught your attention now, have I?” Gabby teased.

  “Yesterday, your maniac of a girlfriend, or whatever the hell you’re calling her, assaulted me. And if I’m not mistaken, that’s a crime.”

  “So what, you’re going to snitch to the cops?” Charm asked.

  “That’s exactly what I’m going to do,” Gabrielle said, crossing her arms. “I just thought I’d be the nice one and give you the heads up. And with this attempted murder charge on your name, Charm, I don’t think the cops would hesitate to believe you assaulted and tried to kill the woman that could take another man away from you.”

  “You wouldn’t dare,” Charm gritted.

  “Oh, I would.” She turned to leave.

  “Wait!” Denzel called out to her. Gabrielle smiled to herself before turning around to look at him.

  “You can’t go to the cops,” he said.

  “Let her!” Charm snapped. “There’s no proof of her accusation and besides, James could figure something out.”

  “Oh, I’m sure your lawyer could figure something out. But trying to kill your husband is still questionable. You might be innocent in that. But this, you actually did. And no matter what your lawyer has to say about it, you’re gonna have to pay for your crime, one way or another. Maybe jail time, maybe house arrest, hell, who knows. If I were you, I wouldn’t want to gamble on my freedom like that.” Charm suddenly felt defeated, and her expression conveyed that. And just seeing Gabrielle’s mug in her face made it worse.

  “Next time you wanna put your hands on someone, you’ll think about the consequences. Now I have to carry around a black eye on my beautiful face for who knows how long!” Gabby snapped. She attempted to turn and leave again, but Denzel stopped her once more.

  “Gabby, I can’t let you go to the cops,” Denzel said, blocking her path.

  “Oh?” Gabby questioned. “I mean, maybe you could persuade me not to go to the cops.” She crossed her arms, and Denzel saw that this was going to be a bargaining tip. But a bad feeling was seeping into his body. This wasn’t going to be easy.

  “Is it money you want?” Charm asked. “Because I’ll let you know right now, I don’t have any of Terrell’s money.”

  “Money?” Gabrielle laughed. “No, I don’t want your money. I have my own.”

  “So, what you want?” Charm asked, getting testy.

  “What you took from me,” Gabrielle said, looking at Denzel. Denzel shook his head immediately.

  “That’s not fair, Gabby,” He said. “We have too much issues for me to just drop and get back with you. You know that!”

  “Yeah, I know,” She sighed. “But there’s other things you could give me for the time being.” Denzel knew what was coming.

  “So what are you saying?” Denzel asked.

  “I’m saying that your heart may have issues, but your dick don’t. So you’re gonna start giving me back MY dick, or I’m gonna get your new piece of ass thrown right back in jail.” Denzel threw his hands up.

  “Are you serious right now?!” He barked.

  “Like a heart attack,” Gabby stated. “But I’ll let you think on it. When your mother leaves, I want my answer. That gives you a few days to either give me what I want, or
watch Charm get locked up again.” Denzel shook his head his anger rising slowly. He couldn’t believe she was coming at them like this.

  Gabrielle looked at Charm and smirked. She went up to her slowly and stared directly in her face.

  “What was it you said to me?” Gabrielle asked. “That I can look, but know I can’t touch?” Gabby chuckled.

  “Now who’s the one that has to look and can’t touch?” She looked Charm up and down before backing away. After smiling at Denzel, she continued out of the room and then through the front door, leaving Charm and Denzel speechless.

  Chapter Thirteen

  While Daisy was still in town, Charm and Denzel didn’t utter a single word about what went down with Gabrielle. Daisy asked what the conversation was about, but Denzel made something up to appease his mother so she would stop asking. For the three days she was in town, they took her to the gallery to show them some of the work they’d done. She was introduced to Jason, and it was like they were all a big family. Charm could see why Daisy and Brianna bonded. The both of them were bat shit crazy. But all in all, Charm loved spending time with his mother. She just had this spirit about her that was infectious, and she cared for her son with all her being. But the moment she boarded that flight and was gone, Charm and Denzel had Gabrielle’s threat looming over them. They wanted to keep it between them, so neither Jason or Brianna knew what the deal was.

  After taking Daisy to the airport and see her off, Denzel drove back to his place. They were quiet for the whole time. Charm didn’t want to speak anyway. She had a lot on her mind. First and foremost, she wasn’t letting Denzel fuck Gabby. There was no way. She’d take whatever consequence she had to.

  “Let’s talk,” Denzel said, after pouring her a cup of hot chocolate. She was craving something sweet, and had requested the hot drink. He sat next to her on the couch and watched her sip.

  “This is a complicated decision, but there’s only one option in my book,” Denzel said.

  “I know. And I promise it won’t be bad. I think James can manage to make sure I don’t spend too much time locked up for-” Charm stopped speaking when she saw Denzel’s brows rise.

  “What?” She asked.