Pieces of Me by Pua Ramona (small books to read txt) 📕

I lean forward with my elbows on my knees and my head in my hands. “I don’t know what to do. It’s like we take a couple steps forward, and then we get knocked five hundred steps backwards. I’m in love with your daughter Rita, but I’m having a baby with Becca” I say with a hole in my heart. “I want to fight for us, but I know it’s not fair for her.”

She wraps her arm around my shoulder and says, “Then you let her go Eli.”

I close my eyes and feel them stinging. “But I don’t know how, I just got her and now I have to let her go. I just want her to know my love, I want her to know she has my heart” I hear my voice crack. “She’s always going to do the right thing, even if it means she gives up her happiness huh.”

Rita pulls me in a little for a side hug and says, “She gets that part from her father, and I will forever love her for having a big heart.”

I stand up and take her by her hand, “I am truly sorry for hurting her.”

She squeezes and says, “I know you are, things will work themselves out. You just have to be patient.”

Blowing out a long breath I say, “I’ll let her go for now, but I will never give up on her. I just have to do things the right way this time. I want to love your daughter the right way.”

I see tears in her eyes and she says, “Pray on it and everything will fall into place, even if it means you and our daughter aren’t together. You will have a good life Eli.”

I feel another kick in my chest and say, “It has to be with her, it just has to be.”

She smiles at me. “Let your heart guide you sweetheart.” And she pulls me in for a motherly hug “You’re a good man Eli, and you will be an amazing father” she says. I hold her tighter with my heart stuck in my throat. “Now come on, let’s go enjoy the rest of the day with those crazy people'' she says laughing.

I smile at her and say “Let’s do it Miss Rita.” We make our way to our families and I hold onto Mrs. Peterson's hand because I know Sina is no longer mine, and it feels like my heart is being ripped out of my chest.

Chapter Thirty

Sina

It’s hot but no one complains because we’re all having such an amazing time. With everything that has happened since I have been here, I needed this badly. I wasn’t sure if Eli had left because I didn’t see him when I walked away from him again it hurt but I knew it was the right thing to do. There was no need to drag it out any longer. I wasn’t bitter that Becca was carrying a life that she and Eli created, but it made me sad because I wanted it to be me. I knew Eli loved me because I saw it in his eyes and heard it in every single word he spoke. As much as I wanted to tell him that I had fallen in love with him, I knew the timing was wrong and it wouldn’t have been fair for the baby or Becca. So I walked away.

I’m stuck in my head until I hear Mona yell, “Sina, are you playing?”

I smile at her and shout back, “Uh yeah!”

She shakes her head laughing and says, “We’re doing teams so it’s me and Leila, you and Megan, Reese is with Luka, Daniel’s with Micah.”

I look over and Micah says, “Nah, I’m not feeling too good Sis, so Daniel has to play with someone else and Colin doesn’t want to play because he’ s playing with the kids.”

I walk up to him and ask, “Are you okay Brother?”

He smiles down at me and says, “I’m coo’ Sis, just tired.” I’ve noticed since I’ve been back that he hasn’t been eating like he usually does and looks like he’s been losing weight.

I give him a sad look and ask, “Are you lying to me Micah Peterson?”

He gives me a sad smile and says, “I would never lie to you Sis.”

I wrap my arms around his waist and say, “I love you brother.”

He hugs me tighter and says, “To the moon and back.” I don’t know what’s wrong, but I know Micah has been very standoffish since I’ve been back and I’m going to find out why. He lets me go and calls out, “Eli, you can be on Daniel’s team.” I feel my heart beat a little faster and I take a deep breath to steady myself.

Eli starts to shake his head no but Luka cuts him off, “Come on E, D needs all the help he can get.” Everyone starts laughing and Eli looks at me to see if it’s okay.

I smile at him and say, “This will be an easy win.”

Eli smiles at me and I feel the air knock out of my lungs as he says, “Oh you’re going down mini.”

I give him my oh-no-you-didn’t look and growl, “Do not call me mini.”

Micah laughs out loud and says, “It’s about to go down yo!” I hear Mona, Megan and Leila start to cackle at our back and forth.

I look over at my sister and say, “You better not suck Megan.”

She looks at me and starts laughing harder, “You know damn well that we never make a good team, so don’t expect to win this Sis” she says.

Mona laughs and says, “June-Bug you want to play, or do you want to be the ref?”

June-Bug gives her the stink eye and says “Hell nah, I am not trying to sweat. I’ll be the ref, we all know how the boys always cheat and shit.”

“Bro, we don’t cheat, we’re just good at this game”