What you two do now is none of my business, but I know you. I know you won’t go back. Not because you don’t love him—which, I know you really do—but because you care about me and never meant to hurt me to begin with. I know things happen, and I want you to know I am glad that I could grow up with an amazing person like you. It’s hard to come across friends like you, Chloe, but remember that I love you and if we happen to cross paths one day, I won’t hold anything against you.
I love you, and I hope you can understand my decisions.
So much love,
Izzy
Her letter was understandable. It made me shed way too many tears and was worse when Sterling read it to me again out loud, but I understood and respected Izzy’s decision.
I loved Theo, and she knew, but when it came down to the wire, she also had to choose, and she chose her father. It was a good choice. I would have hated to be what came between them. A dad was much easier to forgive than a friend. Every girl needed her dad, especially Izzy. He was all she had left.
This, too, was okay because Theo and I had chosen her. She deserved happiness, even if that meant losing some. Sterling thought her letter was a bit selfish, and that after ten years of friendship, I deserved a face-to-face apology, but I didn’t expect that from her. I knew Izzy.
Yes, she had a lot of pride and refused for her ego to be tampered with. There were times when I would have to be the one to apologize when she was the one that was clearly in the wrong. But she was my friend, and in order to get past something, I became the bigger person and stepped up to the plate.
I was glad she chose her father.
And I was glad we chose her.
We were all happy in our own ways.
Theo and I walked until the sun set, and when it was time for him to go, I watched him hop on his bike and ride with the wind. I watched him go until I could no longer see him or hear the growl of Ol’ Charlie.
I turned, walking back towards the house, and when I spotted the blue sticky note glued to the door, I took it off, and a large grin took over my face. My heartbeat quickened, and I laughed out loud.
I laughed on the way into the house, walking through the hallway, and onto the deck, spotting the red recliner that once belonged to Mrs. Black in the far corner where I left it. It would forever remind me of them. Of him.
I tousled with the paper, and as I stepped onto the sand and faced the ocean, I realized tears were now streaming, a mixture of joy and sadness flooding my eyes.
He was gone, and I was sad, but only because I knew I would never see him again. Mr. Black. Theo Black. My first of many. But I was also overjoyed because he deserved this. We deserved this. We obtained some form of happiness when it seemed utterly impossible.
I studied the paper, his macho handwriting. On the note was a sketch of the tribal wave his tattoo artist had created for him. I remembered his promise—how he’d give me something to remember it by. He swore he’d get the sketch for me, even after the artist told him he didn’t give the sketches away or make copies of them.
But Theo was Theo. I was sure he’d had this for a while now because, low and behold, I had an exact replica of the sketch in my hands. And written beneath it were the words, “Told you I would get it. I guess being a Black has its perks.”
I clung to that note. I kept it in the bottom drawer of my desk in my classroom for years.
I clung to hope.
To fate.
To love.
That man’s soul was no longer stained, dipped, or tainted in black.
His soul had been bathed in gold, baptized to become someone pure.
No matter how far I went in life, or how being with him was oh, so wrong, I was never going to forget someone so incredible. Someone so wonderful. Someone so amazing—a person I couldn’t sum up with words, no matter how many I used.
I was never, in all my life, going to forget that man.
My incredible first lover.
My beautiful Theodore.
My loveable Mr. Black.
The End
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
There are many people I could thank right now. So many!
First and foremost I’d like to thank my heavenly Father. My Lord and Savior. Without Him I’d truly, honestly be nowhere.
Thank you to my family, my little baby boy for keeping me on my toes. The beautiful man in my life, Juan Carlos. The reason I can create these sexy book boyfriends.
My sister Dajai for always making me feel like I’ve outdone myself and for reading every single one of my books.
Thank you to Stina Rubio, Tamsyn Bester, Heather Orgeron, Selene Malek, Miri and Yaya, Nancy Flores, Nanette Bradford, Kristie Wittenberg, and Julie Joyness! You ladies have been so supportive and amazing. Not even funny. I love you all!
Thank you to these lovely, super awesome readers on Instagram. You guys are an entirely different (and rather naughty) crowd and I love you all so damn hard! To SmuttyBookLover, KinkyGirlsBookObsessions, xxBookQueenxx, RentasticReads, ButThisBook, TiffanyTheBibliophile, CrazyBookLovers, DarkReadings, YABookshelf, BookBabe, BookWhores, BookBellas and so many more! These are in no specific order at all but thank you to each and every one of you for the shares, the teasers, and the freaking amazing graphics/edits! I can’t thank any of you enough. I LOVE YOU ALL!!!
Thank you Ena Bena for running your promotional services like a boss! I don’t know how you do it, but thank you, girl!
Gotta give thanks to my family for believing and supporting me to the fullest. I love you guys.
To each and every blogger and reader that has taken the time out to read, review, and give me so much love about Tainted Black… my word. I am seriously in awe. Sometimes I go absolutely speechless because I have never seen so much love all at once. I can’t believe how much love this novel has gotten but, trust me, I am NOT complaining! Thank you!