A/N: Thank y'all so much for reading and reviewing! I really appreciate it! Special thanks to –astridpizzaro- and -ghost303- for reviewing the last chapter. I'm sorry this chapter is so long.
[less than an hour later]
Liz pulled into her driveway but she didn't see Randy's car. She didn't think much of it; she assumed he went to his place to take care random household stuff or maybe he went out for a workout. Liz parked the Mercedes and strolled into the house to get relaxed.
Just as she was peeling off her dress, the doorbell rang. She wasn't expecting any guests, so she wasn't in a rush to answer the door. Liz pulled on a robe over her bra and panties; she tied the belt around her waist.
"Just a minute!" she yelled towards the door as she jogged down the stairs. When she opened the door, Liz was surprised to see who stood on the other side. She wanted to shut the door and hide. Dammit! I should have checked to see who it was before I said anything. She thought to herself.
She forced a fake smiled and opened the door wider. "Hey, y'all. Come in," she said with as much enthusiasm she could muster up.
The two guests walked into the foyer and rolled luggage in behind them. "What's with the bags, Aunt Cam?" Liz asked.
"I thought we could stay for a few days. We haven't seen you in years," the young looking woman said.
Liz nodded. "Well, you look great," she said to her mother's older sister.
Cam grinned. "Thanks, girl! Black don't crack!" she said as she posed dramatically. Liz forced herself to laugh; she was still trying to figure out why her aunt and cousin were there.
"So what brings y'all by?" she asked.
Her cousin Cassie answered. "We haven't seen you since Aunt Regina's and Uncle Val's funeral. I thought it would be nice to visit you," she explained referring to Liz's parents.
Suddenly, Liz realized something. "How did y'all get my address? I don't mind, but it is creepy," she asked.
Cam laughed. "You know I'm nosey girl. I work for the government; I know how to find what I need. Plus, Cort just wanted to see you," she said.
Liz gasped and flashed a real smile. "Cort's here? Where?!" she asked.
"Getting some stuff out of the car," Cam said as she nodded towards the door.
Just then the, door opened. The tall, dark skinned man struggled with some luggage. "Y'all packed a whole lot of shit for a week!" He dropped the bags and stretched.
Liz hardly even heard that they were staying for a week; she was just excited to see her favorite cousin. She ran to him and hugged him tightly. "I had no clue y'all were coming!" she said as she leapt into his arms.
"What's up, girl?" Cort said with a hearty laugh as he held her. "Why you walking around naked?" he asked.
Liz laughed and planted her feet on the floor; she adjusted her robe and folded her arms across her chest. "First of all, I'm not naked. Even if I was, it's my house so I can do whatever I want. Second of all, If I had a heads up about y'all coming I probably would have been more prepared," she said.
They all laughed. "So are you going to give us a tour of the house?" Cam asked.
Cort agreed. "Yeah, cuz! You ain't tell nobody you got this big ass house!" he said as he looked around the foyer.
Liz chuckled. "Just let me throw something on and I'll show you around. Y'all can hang out here and I'll be right back," she said. The guests nodded and waited.
When Liz was dressed in sweatpants and a tank top, she returned to her visiting family. "Follow me and I'll show y'all around," she said.
The three people followed the homeowner as she gave them a tour. "Here's the den; it kind of doubles as my home office since I needed the extra rooms—" Liz cut herself off. It was only then did she realize that her family hadn't known about Michael and Reby. She hadn't been in contact with anyone in Missouri with the exception of Bob and Elaine. She had to give up her actually office space for their play room.
"Home office? What kind of work do you do?" Cassie asked.
Liz smiled. "Fashion. I'm a designer. I used to work from home and see clients here, but I recently expanded my line and bought some office space," she said.
Cort chuckled. "Nice. Lil Liz is bossing around here," he said.
Liz laughed and continued the tour. "This is the living room; I don't really spend a lot of time in here, but it's my favorite room in the house besides my bedroom," she said.
Cam smiled. "I like the colors; I never would have put brown, red, and green together for furniture. It's really home-y," she said.
"Thank, Aunt Cam. Next stop: kitchen," Liz said. When they all got to the kitchen, Liz noticed that Randy didn't wash out the skillet he used for the grilled cheese sandwiches the kids had eaten that morning before school. It wasn't a big deal; Liz just didn't want to have to explain it. Then, she realized that there are plenty of adults who grilled cheese sandwiches. Her nerves calmed at the realization.
"Wow, Liz," Cassie said as he looked around the kitchen. "This is huge. What do you do with this kitchen? I couldn't imagine living alone with a kitchen like this. I'd cook Sunday dinner every day just to spend time in here," she said.
Liz chuckled nervously; she didn't notice that Cort had opened the refrigerator door.
"Aww, shit! I haven't had a Capri Sun in a long time! Can I have one of these?" he asked.
Before she answered, Liz knew there were only two left. One for each Michael and Ruby; she had saved them for their snack when they got home later.
"Actually, I have some Cokes in there," she said hoping Cort would change his mind. Sure enough, he did. Liz took a deep breath when her oldest cousin popped open the soda.
Just when Liz thought she was in the clear, Cam started looking at the fridge. "I saw one of these at Sears. I wanted this one, but your cheap ass uncle didn't want to pay for it. It was nearly five thousand dollars," she said. When she was done admiring the outside, Cam opened it and looked though the inside.
Cam frowned when she saw the Pediasure children's shake and squeezable tubes of yogurt. She opened her mouth to speak, but Cort chimed in. "You trying to bulk up, Liz?" he asked.
Liz frowned. "No. Why?" He pointed to the different flavors of protein powder that were lined up next to the blender; they were Randy's. "Oh, that? I uh, I'm just working out. I read somewhere that protein helped build muscle," she said with hope of him buying the lie. "How about I show up upstairs," she suggested, hoping that Cam would close the refrigerator door.
Luckily, Cam got excited. "Good. I need to see where I'll be getting my beauty sleep," she said when she closed the fridge.
Liz smiled. "Y'all can just grab your bags and follow me. There's no use in going up here without your stuff," she said as she raced up the stairs.
The guests went back to the foyer and got their luggage before they followed Liz up the stairs. Liz immediately closed Michael and Reby's bedroom doors so her religious family didn't see that she had children without being married. When her visitors came up the stairs, she forced a smile. "Well here's one guest room," she said pointing. "It has everything you need: a bed, dressers, bathroom, closet," Liz said.
Cam quickly marched into the room and put her bags inside. "I want to see the rest of them," she said as she unknowingly walked towards Reby's room.
Liz held her breath as her aunt reached for the door.
"Babe? Whose car is that outside?" They all heard. "Baby? You here, Liz?" they heard again. Luckily for Liz, Cam retracted her hand from the door knob.
Liz cleared her throat. "Yeah! I'm upstairs. My aunt and cousins came to visit," she said. Soon enough, Randy had made his way up the stairs.
"There you are," Randy said when he saw Liz. He smiled and kissed her deeply in front of Liz's family. "I'm going to go hop in the shower; I'll see you in a few minutes," he said before walking into the master bedroom.
Cam and Cassie smiled. "Damn, girl," Cam said. "I didn't know you got married," she said.
Liz swallowed thickly. "I'm not married; he's my boyfriend," she said. Liz feared that moment because she knew her family wouldn't approve of a live-in boyfriend. Shacking up, as they called it, wasn't something their family condoned.
Cort chuckled. "So all that protein stuff is his?" he asked.
Liz nodded. "And the Capri Suns and Pediasure?" Cam asked with her arms folded.
The hostess sighed. "Those are for my kids. Two of them. Five and four," she said in broken sentences.
Cam frowned. "Your mamma is turned over in her grave! Not only do you have a man living in your house, but you done had kids with him! What the hell is wrong with you, girl? My big sister taught you better than that!" Cam yelled at her. She stormed into the guest room, but Liz and her cousins followed.
"I'm sorry, Aunt Cam. I had a rough time a few years back. It's a long story and I really don't want to talk about it," Liz said quietly; she was starting to have more flashbacks and memories of her relationship with Wade.
Cam scoffed as she sat on the edge of the bed. "Oh, we're going to talk about it! You need to get yourself to church and beg the good Lord for forgiveness!"
"Calm down, ma," Cassie said in an effort to defend Liz. "She's a grown woman; just leave her alone," she said.
Cam eyed Liz and thought long and hard. "You're right," Cam finally said. "I'm sorry, Liz. Cassie is right. You're an adult and I can't tell you how to live your life," she said.
Liz nodded. "Thank you, Aunt Cam," she said. "I don't mind if you want to leave," she said in hopes of Cam being disgusted enough to leave the house.
Her aunt smiled. "Of course not, girl. It's not that big of a deal. Plus, I want to know more about that boyfriend of yours. I ain't gonna lie; he ain't nothing but a tall drink of water," she said.
Liz chuckled. "And where are your kids?" Cam asked.
"OH! I have to go pick them up in an hour. So how about y'all get unpacked while I make y'all something to eat?" Liz suggested.
The visitors nodded and parted ways into the rooms where they would be sleeping. When Liz stood alone in the hallway, she sighed. She collected herself and went downstairs to the kitchen to start on some lunch for everybody.
Half an hour later, Liz was halfway through the food preparation when Randy showed up behind her and wrapped his arms around her. "I love you," he said simply. Liz smiled and relaxed into his embrace. "I heard what Cam said. I'm sorry," he said.
Liz smiled and turned around in his arms to face him. "There's nothing for you to apologize about, babe. It's not your fault," she said.
Randy kissed her forehead. "I know, but I just don't want you be upset about it," he said.
"I'm not upset. She's right, though; my mom wouldn't approve of you living here since we aren't married. Plus we have kids; it's like a double whammy," she said.
"Well," Randy smiled. "We could just get married," he said.
Liz looked up at him with a frown. "Seriously?" she asked.
He nodded. "Yeah. Why not? Like you said, we've got two awesome kids. I'm retired. You're following your dreams. Michael's about to be in kindergarten; and Reby is practically a teenager," he joked about Reby.
Liz pulled out of his arms and sighed. "I don't mean to be… well, mean, but we aren't ready to get married, Randy. We have too much shit to work through before we can even start thinking about the possibilities of marriage," she said.
Randy was confused. "But you said that you wanted us to be closer. I thought you wanted …" he trailed off.
"I meant I want us to be closer emotionally, Randy. I love you so much, but I am far from ready to marry you," she said.
He sighed and walked away. "Where are you going," she asked.
"I need some air. I'll pick the kids up," he said. He slammed the door when he left out.
Liz groaned and continued the cooking; she was startled by her younger cousin when she came into the kitchen. "Shit, Cassie! You scared the hell out of me!" she yelled.
Cassie frowned. "I'm sorry, Liz; I didn't mean to. Do you need any help in here?" she asked.
"No, I can handle it," Liz said. Cassie nodded and sat on a stool at the kitchen's bar. "So how have y'all been?" Liz asked her.
"Pretty good. I'm graduating next year," Cassie said. "I'll have my bachelors; I want to go back for my masters but money has been a little tight recently," she said.
Liz frowned. "I can give you the money, Cassie," she said.
"Oh, no. I can't afford to pay you back, Liz," she said.
"We're family; I couldn't ask you to pay me back. Plus I'm sure you'll think of me when you're getting your paychecks," Liz said jokingly.
Cassie laughed. "But seriously, Liz, no. I can't let you give me that kind of money. I'll figure something out," she said. Liz nodded and finished up the lunch. "So," Cassie started cautiously. "tell me about your boyfriend," she said.
"There isn't much to tell. I've known him my whole life. We dated for a few months years ago. We've only been together for about two and a half months now since then," she said.
Cassie frowned. "And he lives here?" she asked.
Liz sighed. "Not really. He has a house around the corner, but since we have a daughter together, we decided that he would sleep here for a few days. A few days turned into a few weeks and a few weeks turned into almost three months," she said.
"Earlier, you said you have two kids," Cassie pointed out.
"Yeah, but my son isn't Randy's. Michael calls him his dad, though," she said.
"So who's Michael's father?" Cassie asked.
Liz leaned against the counter and took a deep breath. Cassie noticed her agitation. "I'm sorry for being nosey. I shouldn't even be asking," she said.
"Can you go get your mom and brother?" Liz asked, completely ignoring Cassie's apology.
When Cassie was gone, Liz used the back of her hand to dry the few tears that had started to fall. After all of her hard work in trying to get closer to Randy, her family had to swoop in and make her feel guilty for even being with him in the first place.
After a few minutes, the three guests returned to the kitchen for lunch.
"Ooh, girl! It smells good in here! What you cook?" Cam asked loudly.
Liz composed herself and painted on a smile. "It isn't much; I made a salad and baked chicken breast marinated in lemon pepper dressing. You can put some crumbled goat cheese on the chicken if you want to," she said.
Cort grinned and rubbed his hands together. "I'm ready to eat!" he said. Liz smiled and set the bar with plates, salad bowls, and forks. She placed the large bowl of leafy greens on the table with a bowl of crumbled goat cheese and a hot dish of baked chicken breast.
"Thank you for letting us stay here, Liz," Cassie said.
Liz nodded and turned her back to cut up some chicken for Michael and Reby. Cam, Cassie, and Cort talked amongst themselves as they ate. Liz tried to ignore them while she made bite sized pieces of chicken.
"So how do you like it here?" Cam asked.
"I really love it," Liz said. "It's quiet, the kids go to a great school, and it's really small; it's a really great community," she said.
Cort nodded. "Yeah. I noticed the neighborhood was all white folks," he said jokingly. "Even Carlton next door is white," he continued lightheartly in reference to one of Liz's neighbors, Angela and her husband. The black couple and their young child were outside playing in the yard when Cort had arrived.
Liz chuckled. "Whatever, Cort," she said.
Soon enough, everybody's plates were empty. Being the hostess she was, Liz took up the bare plates and stacked them in the sink. "If y'all want, y'all can watch some TV in the lounge," Liz said pointing in the direction of the living room. The guests accepted the offer and disappeared into the adjacent room to watch a movie. Liz stayed behind to finish preparing the children's food.
When Liz heard the garage door come up, she rolled her eyes. She really didn't feel like sorting through hers and Randy's drama in front of company. She heard the car doors close but she never heard Randy's car shut off.
Reby and Michael ran into the house. "Hey, mommy!" they said in unison.
Liz smiled. "Hey! How was school?" she asked. Michael and Reby talked over each other to tell Liz how great their day was. "Where's Daddy?" Liz asked when she heard the garage door close again when he pulled out.
The both shrugged. Liz sighed. "Okay. Go put your backpacks away and put on some play clothes. Come right back to eat," she said.
With that, both Reby and Michael ran off to their bedrooms. They immediately came back for lunch. Liz sat them down at their tiny kids' table and served their lunch. Liz ate standing up; she was too agitated and distracted to even think about sitting down.
"Do you need any help, Liz?" Cam asked as she walked into the kitchen.
"No. I got it. Thanks, anyway," she said.
Cam gasped when she saw the two children enjoying their lunch. "Are these your babies?" she asked excited.
Liz smiled and nodded. "Yep. That's Michael Keith and Rebecca Marie," she said.
"They got his last name?" Cam asked with a side eye.
"No. Mine," she answered simply. Too much was going on at the moment for her to explain the paternity of her children.
Cam continued to admire the small kids. "How old are they again?" she asked.
"Michael is 5 and Reby is 4; she'll be 5 in about 4 months," Liz said.
"They're adorable," Cam said. She mentally noted how similar yet different Michael and Reby looked. Of course, she was comparing them to her own children. To an outsider, there was no question that Cassie and Cort looked like siblings, but Michael and Reby didn't look like brother and sister to Cam. To her, they could pass for relatives, but Cam would never had guessed they were siblings; cousins, at best.
Liz knew that Cam was examining Michael and Reby; it was something she always did, herself. She knew that everything about them was different: Michael's hair was black; Reby's hair was sandy blond; but they both had really kinky hair just like Liz. Michael's eyes were green; Reby's were blue. Michael's ears stuck out; Reby's didn't. Their bone structure was similar, but the outer appearances didn't match up for siblings; Liz knew that already.
In the midst of Liz and Cam's thinking, Michael pronounced that all of his food was gone. "All done!" he announced proudly.
Liz smiled. "Good. Go play until it's time for your nap," she said.
"I'm done, too, Mommy," Reby said sweetly.
"Okay, sweetie. Go play with your brother," she said.
The kids scampered away to the playroom. Cam rejoined her own children in the living room. Liz was left alone in the kitchen to clean; she had set aside a plate for Randy, but since he wasn't coming back, she transferred the food into tupperwear containers.
Her mind and heart were heavy with the thought of Randy's suggestion to get married. Liz tried to think back to any moment where she might have mistakenly mentioned marrying him. Suddenly, the garage door opened again. Liz had already assumed that Randy went back to his own place for the night.
She opened the door and saw that not only did Randy return, but he returned with a bouquet of roses and velvet box. He offered a small smile that begged forgiveness. After a moment of staring at him, Liz returned a smaller smile and opened the door wider to invite him in.
Randy stepped inside and handed Liz the roses. "I'm sorry about earlier," he said.
Liz shook her head. "Don't be. I don't want you to think that I don't love you, Randy, because I do. It's just that I'm not ready to officially be somebody's wife. With Michael and Reby, it's already really hard for me. You and I have a lot to work towards before we can get married," she said.
Randy nodded. "I get that. Can I ask you something, though?" he said. Liz nodded as she smelled the dozen roses. "Could you see us as husband and wife in the future?" he asked.
She smiled. "It's hazy, but through the fog, I can definitely see us getting married in the distant future," Liz said.
It was Randy's turn to flash a smile. "And I'm okay with that," he said.
Liz put the roses on the counter and hugged her boyfriend. "So, are we okay?" she asked.
Randy kissed the top of her head; her fluffy locks tickled his nose. "Yeah. We're okay," he said as he broke the hold. "I got you something," he said. He reached behind Liz to get the velvet box from the counter where he put it when he walked in.
"What is it?" she asked before opening it.
He smiled. "Just open it and see," he said.
Liz slowly opened the box; she gasped when she saw the necklace. Her hand trembled as she touched it. "Randy, this is beautiful," she said with watering eyes.
Randy took the box from her. "Turn around," he said. She turned around and pulled her hair up so he could put the piece of jewelry around her neck. The charm dangled from the chain as Randy draped the necklace in front of his girlfriend. As he clasped the closing, Randy's fingers grazed her collar bone; sending a shiver down Liz's back.
When the necklace was in place, Liz fingered the diamond crusted pendant. Randy kissed her neck gently; Liz tilted her head to the side to give him better access. "I love you," he said.
Liz turned around and crashed her lips into his. The passionate kiss made for swollen lips and sore lungs. When they broke the kiss, Liz smirked and took Randy by the hand; she led him up the stairs, into the bedroom they had been sharing for the last three months.
Before the bedroom door was even closed, Liz pulled Randy's shirt over his head; he kicked off his shoes. With his foot, Randy kicked the door closed. He resumed the attack on Liz's neck; he sucked and lightly bit at the seemingly sweet skin of her neck.
Liz moaned as Randy's skilled lips and tongue explored her neck and collarbone. She fumbled with Randy's jean button and zipper. When the denim was loose, Randy shimmied just enough to let the pants fall to his ankles. Now naked, Randy stepped out of the pooled denim and lifted Liz off her feet. Her legs wrapped around his waist for short trip to the bed.
Gently, Randy placed Liz on her back; he settled in between her legs to kiss her hips before he snatched her sweatpants off. He tossed the fleece across the room and squeezed Liz's bare thighs with his big, strong hands. Liz moaned at the sensual grasp; that combined with him licking her inner thighs and nibbling on her the hidden treasure that was snuggly hidden by the panties that were growing more moist with every massing second.
"Randy," Liz pleaded.
"What is it, baby?" he asked as he purposely blew his hot breath on the wet fabric.
Liz moaned deeply at the feeling. "Please, Randy…"
He smirked. "I don't know what you want unless you tell me," he said.
She dismissed the thought of Randy going further when he licked up her body. With one breast cupped in his hand, Randy kissed and licked her belly and chest. A mark of passion was already starting to form on her caramel colored breast.
"Randy…" she moaned. Liz could feel Randy's smirk at his lips continued to explore her body.
"Fuck this," Liz said. She suddenly sat up and pushed Randy onto his back. After she straddled his lap, Liz pulled her t-shirt over her head; it soon joined the sweatpants that Randy so expertly put aside.
Randy chuckled and helped her with her panties; once she was just as naked as Randy, Liz gave Randy's stiff member a quick rub. She positioned herself above the staff that stood at attention. When Liz sank down on the rock hard meat sward, she and Randy both moaned loudly.
It was the first time in five years that either of them had had any sexual contact.
Liz's velvet trap gripped Randy's spear like a vice.
"Fuck, Liz. So tight," Randy said through moans.
Liz nodded and slowly moved up and down on the pole until she felt a stab at her sweet spot. "Oh my god," she said just above a whisper. Her eyes rolled as she bit her lip.
Randy's hands found their way to Liz's ample thighs. "Fuck me, Randy," Liz moaned. Randy nodded and flipped Liz on her back; he—and all parts of him—stayed in place.
His slow, and sensual strokes made Liz arch her back until she couldn't take it anymore. Her hands released the sheets that were scrunched up in them; Liz scratched at Randy's back. At that moment, Randy was glad that he had a high tolerance for pain.
Liz moaned loudly and panted while Randy put in work. "Harder," she whimpered. Randy nodded; he took her hands and planted them above her head. He looked into her eyes for confirmation that what he was doing was okay.
He never knew the details of her situations with Wade, so he wasn't sure if Liz would be okay with it. After Liz gave a reassuring nod, Randy dipped down and attacked her neck. His once sensual strokes were now powerful stabs that Liz couldn't get enough of.
"Oh, god, I love you," Liz breathed. Randy murmured a response but Liz couldn't find the opportunity to hear him, so his reciprocated sentiment fell on deaf ears.
Liz panted and gasped as her abdomen quivered. "I'm close," she moaned.
"Cum for me, baby," Randy growled.
Within minutes, Liz was moaning profanities as her first orgasm in five years tore through her body.
"Oh my god, Randy," she mewled as her body quivered. Her velvet walls vibrated and tightened; the grip sent Randy over the edge.
"Goddamn, Liz," the groan started the long-awaited orgasm; his seem filled her silk tunnel.
Liz leaned up and lazily kissed her boyfriend. "That was amazing," she whispered.
Randy nodded. "Yeah. It was. It was perfect," he said. He planted soft kisses down her jawline to her neck.
When Randy rolled onto his back, Liz tucked herself into his body; she had never felt more-safe.
"I love you so much, Randy. I hope you know that," she said.
He nodded and kissed her forehead. "I know you do, Lizard. I love you, too," he said.
After about half an hours, Liz got up to take a shower. "Can I—" Randy started to ask. One look form Liz gave him the answer to the question he was about to ask. "Yeah, yeah, yeah. One person a day dies from shower and bath related incidents," he said.
Liz nodded sharply and disappeared into the bathroom. When she finally emerged, she found that Randy had fallen asleep. She chuckled and pulled on her bra and panties. She dressed in oversized linen pants and a tank top before she went downstairs.
"Damn, y'all keep up a whole lot of noise," Cort said when he saw Liz enter the living room.
She froze before responding; she didn't think anyone could hear what had just happened. "What are you talking about?" she asked.
"You and your man. Your walls ain't sound proof, you know. Might as well have wrapping paper for walls 'cause me, my mamma, and Cassie heard all that bumping and grinding," he said.
Liz shrugged. "It's my house. Y'all showed up unannounced," she said.
Cort laughed. "True. Cassie and mamma took the kids outside so they wouldn't hear y'all doin the nasty," he said.
"Thanks, Cort," she said. Cort nodded and went about his business.
Liz went back upstairs to find Randy walking out of the bathroom wrapped in a towel.
He frowned when he saw her. "What's so funny?" he asked as he unwrapped what Liz knew to be a gift; the towel was tossed away with the pile of clothes.
Her smile grew into a full on laugh. "They heard us," she said. Randy's eyes got wide. "They took the kids outside so their young ears wouldn't bleed," she said.
Randy chuckled and stepped into a pair of boxers. "Oh, well. That's their fault. They're the ones who showed up unannounced," he said.
"That's exactly what I told Cort," Liz said.
Randy nodded and looked at Liz. "I'm so proud of you, baby," he said.
Liz smiled shyly. She had really come a long way. Just a few weeks ago, she wouldn't let Randy see her naked. Somehow, Randy gained her trust and the proof was right there on their soiled, wrinkled sheets.
A/N: Thanks for reading! Please review. I would really appreciate it. Drama really picks up from here on out; about 8 chapters left. I apologize for any typos; I'm too lazy to proof this. Please review…