Love, Honor, and Betray by Roby, Lawson (ebook reader ink txt) 📕

Curtina is only a little girl, and it’s not her fault that she was born with a different mother.Just like it wasn’t Marissa’s fault that she was born with a different father.”

Charlotte wanted to break and run. If she could, she would leave the room by any means necessary, as long as it meant sheno longer had to face her son and hear him speaking the truth. The kind of truth she didn’t want to acknowledge and refusedto admit to anyone.

“I know that, Matthew, but like I said, it’s compli­cated, and I don’t want you worrying about any of this.”

Matthew stared at her for a few seconds, clearly wanting a better answer, but gave up on trying to talk to her about it. “Ineed to work some more on my English proj­ect before going to bed, so I’d better get back upstairs.”

Charlotte kissed him good night, but she felt horrible. If nothing else, Matthew’s grave concern was yet another reason shecouldn’t leave Curtis. She had to stay there for him, at least until he graduated high school next year. The road ahead wouldbe tough and at times, she was sure, unbearable, but she would do what she had to for her son. She would forget about herown wants and needs and make Matthew’s well-being and peace of mind her priority. She would continue being a good mother tohim and also play her part as Curtis’s wife whenever they were in public. She would do this and more, but she wouldn’t stopseeing Michael Porter. She wouldn’t give up the one thing she now had to look forward to.

Chapter 19

It had been a long, tiring, and very emotional day, and Curtis was glad it was over. When he’d left the church, he’d pickedup Curtina from Aunt Emma’s, driven straight home, put Curtina to bed, looked in on Matthew, and then showered. Charlottehadn’t said a word to him, of course, but it wasn’t like he had anything to say to her either, so their feelings were mutual.

Now, Curtis lay wide awake in the guest room, thinking about everything imaginable. He thought about his past, his children—specificallyCurtina—and also about his deteriorating marriage. He was so unsure about his future, and he didn’t like that. He hated notknowing what was to come and not having any control over it. He didn’t like waiting for one bad thing to happen after another,and he certainly didn’t want to deal with any unwanted surprises. He also didn’t want to go through yet a third divorce witha third wife and then have to start all over again. It was bad enough he’d married three different women and had been unfaithfulto each of them. But marrying a fourth was simply ridiculous, and it wasn’t a road he wanted to travel down.

Still, Curtis didn’t have a clue as to where things were headed with him and Charlotte, and had no choice but to sit backand wait to see what she would do. There was no telling with her, so he knew her next move was anybody’s guess and definitelynot predictable. What he did know, though, was that Curtina would be there with him until she left for college. That was along time off, but he was very happy and very honored to be able to raise her up and offer her the most blessed life possible.Yes, she’d been born into the wrong circumstances, and yes, he never should have taken a chance on getting another woman pregnant.But it had happened, and now he had to make the best of it. He’d hoped Charlotte would do the same, however…

Another hour passed, but Curtis still lay awake, thinking. Except at the moment he wasn’t thinking about Charlotte at alland thought more about his attraction to Anise, Raven, and Sharon, and how all he had to do was make a quick call to eitherof the latter two and they’d come to him. Or he’d easily be able to go to them. With Anise, he wasn’t sure how she felt abouthim, but he’d already made the decision not to approach her because, after all, she was his wife’s first cousin. He felt comfortablearound her and knew from years ago that there had been a connection between them, but he wasn’t the kind of man who consortedwith multiple family members. He had kissed Anise that one time, but only because he’d been hurt about Matthew. He’d beenvery vulnerable, but today was a different day and he knew better. He also would never do anything to hurt Aunt Emma, notwith how good she’d always been to him. Since Anise was her daughter, he knew anything that might occur between him and Aniseonly meant disaster. A lot of people would be hurt, and there would be no taking it back.

The night continued, and after three hours of tossing and turning, Curtis knew why he couldn’t get to sleep. It was becauseof all these urges and sexual desires that were successfully consuming him. Curtis had tried to focus on something else, buthe now yearned for plea­sure and the kind of satisfaction that only a beautiful and very skilled woman could give him. Beautifulbecause he could never be attracted to a dreadful-looking woman, and skilled because his kind of woman had to know what shewas doing and how to make him content.

These compulsive aches and cravings were getting worse by the second, so Curtis started praying. He prayed because he didn’tknow what else to do, and he didn’t want to break his promise to God. He’d told God that if He brought him through that lastscandal, he would do right from then on. He would be a good and dedicated servant, and he would make everyone around him proud.He would be an example to all young ministers and be the kind of leader his congregation was proud to have.

So, there was no doubt Curtis wanted to remain faithful, but he loved sex. He loved it and needed it. And it had been fourfull days now since he and Charlotte