Chapter Text
Then
“Come on!” Shuri shouts over the sound of the storm. “We’re almost there!”
“Why aren’t you answering my question!?” Namor shouts after her, chasing her.
“Because your question is stupid!” the little girl yells, her pink gingham dress blowing upward and revealing the white shorts she has on underneath.
“Shuri Ramonda Udaku, why don’t you want to marry me!?”
“I am ten years old, Ch’ah Toh Almehen! There’s too much I have to do!”
They make it to the beach, and Shuri screams when a bolt of lightning strikes the sand. She clings to Namor until she isn’t frightened anymore, then the two of them approach the impact site. They kneel in front of it, gasping in awe.
“Don’t get too close,” Namor warns her, and Shuri’s eyes spark with fascination.
“You know why it looks like that, don’t you? The intense heat of the lightning fuses the sandy soil into that glass you see right there. You can even see the lightning bolt imprint. Cool, huh?” When she doesn’t hear him saying anything, Shuri looks up at him to find him staring right at her. “What?”
“You’re the smartest girl in all of Talokanda, Shuri. The prettiest, too.” Namor offers her his hand, and her stomach fills with butterflies. He helps her up on her feet, and remains holding her hand tightly. “Don’t be scared. We’re safe here. Lightning never strikes the same place twice.”
Shuri’s heart beats fast and slow all at once. Namor is the prettiest boy in Talokanda, and the two of them have been by each other’s sides since they were babies. It wasn’t until they became a little older that they started developing crushes on one another, and right now, that crush is the most intense it has ever been.
His dark hair blows wildly in the wind, and over the sound of the crashing waves, Shuri asks,
“Why do you want to marry me?”
The boy grins, his eyes lighting up bright. “So I can kiss you anytime I want.”
Shuri gasps as her eyes fall to his lips. Those butterflies feel more like a swarm of angry hornets, making her lightheaded and weak, and she rises up on her tiptoes with her lips puckered. Right before the two can share a kiss, lightning strikes them, forcing them to separate and hit the sand.
While the two children lie unconscious, a medical rarity occurs within their bodies.
When a person is hit by lightning, they develop scars that are meant to be temporary. Beautiful, unique scars that have the appearance of tree-like markings, caused by blood vessels breaking underneath the skin.
But that’s not the case with Namor and Shuri.
Those tree-like markings become permanent tattoos on their backs, giving what their loved ones would later tease them by calling them soulmate marks.
“Let’s go Serpents, let’s go!” Shuri screams at the top of her lungs, jumping up and down. “Come on, come on!”
“Can you tell that she’s the quarterback’s girlfriend?” T’Chaka asks one of his friends, and they laugh together while Shuri remains tense, watching the next play that could make or break this win for the North Talokanda High Serpents against the West Talokanda High Panthers.
Her mother, Ramonda, and Namor’s mother, Fen, are standing on either side of her, holding onto her shoulders extra tight, while her brother, cousin, and Namor’s father have their fingers crossed, hoping they get big money with the bet they made that Namor would score the winning touchdown.
“The quarterback has a nice butt,” someone in the bleachers is heard saying, and Shuri has heard it so much that it doesn’t ignite any jealousy in her anymore. Not when that quarterback with the nice butt pushes her up against the wall at school and tongues her down in front of all those students who have a crush on him.
“Come on, baby, come on,” Shuri whispers as the Serpents get into position. A talent scout is present tonight, and Shuri knows this would be the perfect opportunity for them to see what Namor is made of. She’s already been offered scholarships to several schools, and if Syracuse University offers Namor one tonight, that is where the two of them will be heading after graduation.
The play begins. The crowd goes wild when Namor fakes his throw, tucking the football under his arm instead and making a run for it. His speed and agility is unlike what anyone else on that field has, dodging the defense from tackling him with ease. He crosses the goal line, scoring the game winning touchdown at the last possible second. The scoreboard changes, everyone goes insane with roars and cheers, and while the Serpents start celebrating, Shuri takes off towards the field with their loved ones following closely behind.
The other players know the drill when they see her coming. They give Namor plenty of space for Shuri to be able to lunge at him, and he catches her, holding on tightly to her thighs while her legs wrap around his waist.
She immediately tosses the helmet off of his head, runs her fingers through his soaked hair, and presses her lips to his, giving him a kiss so full of warmth and passion, tasting salt. She can’t seem to stop. It’s like they’re in their own little world, tuning everything and everyone else out. Namor then pulls back, sliding one hand up her body to cup her cheek.
“Marry me tonight, baby,” he whispers, and her eyes widen.
“What?”
“Marry me,” he asks again, looking right into her eyes so she knows that he means it. “After dinner tonight, come with me to the little red chapel. Marry me.”
She becomes tearful, breaking out into a huge smile while she can hear the faint sound of their parents blowing a fuse after overhearing Namor’s sudden proposal. She cups his cheek now, feeling the faint stubble that’s growing on his face.
“Why do you want to marry me, Ch’ah Toh Almehen?”
He rubs the tip of his nose against hers as green and purple confetti from above begins to rain down on them.
“So I can kiss you anytime I want.”
They waited until the summer to become husband and wife. They would have married each other in a heartbeat that night, but their parents weren’t having it until they secured their scholarships to Syracuse and received their high school diplomas.
Now they’re on their honeymoon inside Farmer Zuri’s bed and breakfast, who had allowed them to have the entire place to themselves for the week with the promise that they wouldn’t cause any damage.
He kisses her lips sweetly, his facial hair tickling the edges of her lips. “I’m going to go slow, baby. You can tell me if it hurts and I’ll stop.”
She nods, her eyes clear and wide, and Namor kisses her, deeply moaning while he presses his weight into her again. Their bare flesh presses against together, shaping, fusing their embrace into one. While one arm remains underneath her, cradling her, his other hand touches her face, studying her every expression, wanting to see every breath of pleasure.
He uses the tip of his erect cock to feel up and down the wetness of her core. He kisses her again, whispering encouragement and love against her lips before continuing. He gradually pushes the tip just past her entrance, and stops when panic passes over her face.
He checks in with her pain, kissing her neck, helping her relax a little before pushing an inch more further before she whispers that it’s okay. She breathes heavily at the new feeling between her legs. She moans with every push. He feels the walls inside of her draw his cock further inside, deepening his thrusts as her moans grow louder and more sure of themselves.
Namor releases a shuddered groan of pleasure on one far thrust in, and he curls around the beautiful girl beneath him. She kisses his lips and face gently while her cheeks become flustered with heat.
“Oh, Ch’ah…”
He feels himself begin to fuck her in a way that makes them both forget this is their first time. He has been fantasizing about this very moment each time they’d make out, each time they’d look at each other. They’re married now, and not only can he kiss her anytime he wants, he can make love to her, too.
That’s what husbands and wives are supposed to do.
He thrusts his cock as deep inside her as it can go, shifting his muscular thighs under her smaller ones and lifting for more leverage. Her moans become louder, and she embraces him with every meeting of their hips. She squirms underneath him and whimpers with every impact.
His body bears down on hers, his cock pushing inside of her with a certain force. He tries so very hard not to take her roughly, feeling such intense pleasure take hold within him being inside her for the first time. His balls feel heavy as they thump against her ass while her legs remain spread wide open for the taking.
“Are you okay, baby?” Namor asks gently, strained, and Shuri’s caught in her own breathy trance of pleasure, her lips parted and tickling his ear while her elbow hooks around his neck. “Do you need me to stop?”
“No,” she sighs, her eyes closing shut in pure ecstasy, one of her hands tracing the pattern of their shared soulmate mark that’s on his back.
His balls are tightening, threatening to spill as their flesh becomes more hot and wet. The thought of being able to do this to her every single night has him pulsing and twitching.
“I want to put you to bed like this every night,” he grits, and licks into her mouth when she opens it. “Every night. I love you.”
Shuri cries out, her abdomen shuttering against his, her breasts arching into his chest. Her walls are fluttering, and Namor growls, baring his heavy weight again, pinning her body to the bed harder than before, his cock buried deep. He feels every wave of orgasm as they roll through her, and he kisses her, moving himself inside her gently, becoming obsessed with how her spasms stimulate him.
He then pumps as hard into her as he can, feeling his hot liquid spill into her, filling her up as two finally become one.
But it is within that same summer that the unthinkable happens.
Shuri rushes into the hospital room where Namor was airlifted to. He’s hooked up with wires, with a brace around his neck. His jawline is bruised, and his eyes are shut. She covers her mouth as she stands by his side.
“Oh,God…”
“You’re Shuri Almehen, his wife, correct?” the doctor asks, and Shuri nods, the tears falling as she takes one of Namor’s hands into her own.
“What-What happened? The teammate he was practicing with was so hysterical over the phone, I couldn’t make sense of it.”
“Namor was tackled at such an intense angle that when he fell, he suffered from a neck injury. He is very lucky that his spine wasn’t injured, as well. He could have been paralyzed for life. The road to recovery is going to be extremely long.”
Shuri breathes out shakily, her thumb running across Namor’s knuckles.
“He’s… He’s supposed to play for Syracuse this fall. We were about to make our move to New York next month to attend the university together.”
“I am sorry, Mrs. Almehen, but Namor’s football career needs to come to an immediate end. This is the type of injury that will never make him the same athlete again. I apologize for being the bearer of bad news. When he is up and feeling better, you two can discuss your plans for the future. I’ll return momentarily to check on him and give you a lengthy packet that has all of the details for the recovery journey.”
Shuri slowly takes a seat, still holding onto her husband’s hand as the doctor and nurses leave the room. Every beeping of his monitor that tells her he’s still alive, and that’s all that matters to her right now.
He’s alive, and he’s still by her side.
She’s going to remain by his side, too.
Giving up her dreams of studying science in New York is an easy choice, because she knows that Namor would do the same for her in a heartbeat. They’re soulmates, after all. Caring for him is more important than school. She can further her education at any time in her life. There are so many opportunities out there.
There is only one Namor.
A year passes by.
A difficult one at that.
It takes that entire time for Namor’s neck to completely heal. Shuri was by his side for it all, taking him to physical therapy, giving him massages, and doing whatever she needed to do. Instead of becoming a scientist, Shuri now works at the local grocery store as a cashier to pay the bills while also getting help from their families until Namor is able to find work, too.
But now that several weeks have gone by and Namor has been cleared to do so, all Shuri finds him doing is sitting on the recliner, a beer bottle in his hand, and their new small dog, Terror, on his lap. When he isn’t doing that and watching TV, he’s initiating sex, and despite being exhausted from standing on her feet all day, Shuri does her best to please him.
Because she loves him.
And she wants to be a good wife.
Except that today has been a very terrible, stressful day at work. The other cashiers called out sick, leaving Shuri to handle a ton of customers on one of Okoye’s special sales days, many of whom argued with her, spat on her, and cursed her name because they couldn't read the fine print.
So when she walks into the house to see Namor lounging on the recliner with that sullen look, and his beard and hair severely grown out, and a mess around the house that she had just cleaned last night, she loses it.
“Have you applied anywhere like you said you would?”
Namor lowers the volume on the TV. He sets his dark eyes on her while their little wiry-haired terrier jumps down to come lick Shuri’s legs.
“Nobody’s hiring.”
She breathes in and out sharply, and turns around to snatch up the wanted ad that she had left for him on the coffee table. She flings it at him.
“Talokanda is hiring all over for various positions that only require a high school diploma. My parents’ restaurant needs an extra line cook. My brother said the school could use another janitor. Either of them would hire you in a heartbeat.”
“I don’t want to work at a restaurant or cleaning shit out of a toilet, Shuri!” Namor snaps, causing Shuri to be taken aback. He has the nastiest expression she’s ever seen. “This isn’t what my life was supposed to be like! I was supposed to be playing football, making a name of myself!”
“Well, that didn’t work out, alright!? It didn’t! You need to redefine who you are without football because it’s all in the past now!”
Namor laughs wickedly, and somehow, doesn’t form a single smile while doing it. “You don’t know what it’s like to lose a dream.”
“I don’t know what it’s like…?” Shuri blinks, and now she’s the one laughing. She swallows the bitterness down, then goes over to get Terror’s leash without looking at Namor. “Okay. Keep doing whatever you want. I’m going to take Terror for a walk.”
“Atan, wait, I—”
She shuts the door, leaving him to be miserable on her own.
As she walks Terror through the neighborhood, all the while trying not to cry, she feels her phone ringing inside the pocket of her work pants. It’s Riri, her friend from high school who had received the same scholarship that Shuri did. The only difference is, Riri is currently in Syracuse while Shuri is stuck in their hometown.
She clears her throat, not wanting Riri to detect that there’s anything wrong.
“Hey, girl.”
“Shuri! Guess what!? There’s a science festival happening here towards the end of the month. They’re going to be offering a lot of entry-level jobs that you can apply for even if all you have is a high school diploma. I think it would be perfect for you.”
Shuri pauses while Terror lifts his tiny leg against a tree.
“I…can’t. I won’t be able to get that much time off from the store, and Namor…” Shuri sighs. “I can’t. I’m sorry.”
“Hey, no worries. I just thought that you should know. If you change your mind at all, hit me up. Love you.”
“Love you, too,” Shuri whispers. “Bye.”
After hanging up, Shuri lowers herself onto a bench. Terror jumps up onto her lap, and Shuri scratches him behind his ear while staring off into space.
Not once has she considered this, especially during Namor’s rehabilitation, but now…
She can’t help but think…
Her husband might be holding her back from the life she deserves.
She squeezes her eyes shut and shakes her head.
No, that’s ridiculous. Today was just a rough day. The sacrifices will be worth it one day. They’re just going through something right now, and it will all be okay soon.
“Come on, Terror,” she says. “Let’s go home.”
While she’s washing her hands at the sink, she feels Namor’s arms wrapping around her waist, and feels his hot lips against her neck.
“I’m sorry, baby,” he whispers into her ear, and she turns the water off, closing her eyes as she feels the heat of him surrounding her. “I was really fucked up to you, and I haven’t been myself these days. You’ve made a lot of sacrifices to stay with me, and you have no idea how much I appreciate you. I’m going to apply to different jobs tomorrow.”
As soon as she turns her head slightly to look at him, he covers her mouth with his own. The kiss is a mixture of sweet and rough, and when she tastes his tongue and moans, he’s pulling her pants down, taking her silky panties along with them.
He’s on her neck again, sucking the blood to the surface, freeing himself from his boxers and rubbing his wet, fat tip between her ass. He bends her over the counter slightly, and she clutches the edges as he glides himself into her heat.
She gasps and Namor shivers, his hips snapping against her ass loudly as he pounds into her, plunging in and out of his wife.
Lifting the back of her shirt up to her nape, he lowers his head and kisses the tattoo that the lightning had given them when they were just children. Every press of his warm lips against her tender, sensitive spots makes her clench around him tighter, gets her dripping down her shaking thighs—
And makes her forget to take her birth control pill.
Shuri had taken two the following morning once she realized her mistake, but it seems that wasn’t enough to keep herself protected.
Her period is five days late.
So after her shift is over, and while Namor is learning the ropes of Zuri’s farm, she purchases a pregnancy test and hurries home to take it.
She is trembling in fear as she sits on the toilet, waiting for the results.
Terror is sitting on the bathroom tiles, staring up at her curiously, head tilted and ears perked up.
“I don’t know what I’m going to do,” Shuri whispers, close to tears. “I can’t be—”
Her timer goes off, and she picks up the white stick. The biggest rush of relief overtakes her to see the negative symbol, and when she’s standing in front of the mirror to wash her hands, she realizes something that rocks her to the core.
She finally forces herself to confront a truth she has been avoiding.
She absolutely did not, does not, want to be pregnant with Namor’s baby.
Dirty and deeply tanned after a day of working on Zuri’s farm, Namor walks into his house, expecting his usual kiss from his wife. But when he’s greeted by Terror only, he has to search for Shuri.
Finding her at the kitchen table, unmoving and frowning, he joins her.
“You alright, baby?”
“No, I’m not. Can I talk to you about something?”
“You know that you can.”
She breathes out, and slides something across the table to him. It doesn’t take long for Namor to realize that’s a pregnancy test. A negative one. His eyebrows raise.
“Is this yours?” His features soften, and he takes her hand. “Baby, are you upset because you’re not pregnant?”
They haven’t had the talk yet. Namor figured that they needed time to get their finances up before starting a family, but if they ended up conceiving before that, he would be happy either way. There’s nothing he desires more than to see the love of his life pregnant with his baby.
“No…It’s the opposite. I’m relieved.” Shuri sniffles, her eyes shining and watery. “This pregnancy scare put this marriage and my life into perspective. I don’t want to be a mother, Namor. I don’t want to be stuck in this small town. I’m…I’m not sure that I love you enough to build that kind of life with you.”
Namor stares at her.
He drops her hand.
Then he stands up.
He walks around and around the table, circling her while she starts to softly cry. His jaw clenches, and inside him it feels as though an arrow has gone straight through his heart and pierced him through the back.
She did not just say that.
She did not just fucking say that.
“You don’t mean that,” he whispers, pausing to look at her. He sees her throat move as she swallows.
“But I do, Ch’ah,” she whimpers. “I wouldn’t tell you something that hurtful if I didn’t mean it. I’m not happy.”
Heat gathers in his core, neck, and face. His pulse rushes in his ears. There’s a hardness in his gut; an indescribable pain that he’s never felt in his entire life, not even when he nearly snapped his neck.
He grabs the pregnancy test and flings it across the room, then points a finger at Shuri.
“You don’t think you love me enough? Hm? Well, guess what? I hate you, Shuri.” He shows his teeth while her chest caves and the tears continue to fall. “I hate you, and I think I have for a while, and if you want to leave Talokanda so badly and live out your dreams that I destroyed for you, then by all means, go!”
Shuri rubs her lips together as she finally rises. Namor’s breath is labored and it hurts, and his face has become as wet as hers.
“Okay. Then that’s what I’ll do.”
Now
“What are you doing here so late, Ms. Udaku?”
Shuri pulls herself away from her microscope to smile at her intern. “Just checking out these mammal cells, Jessa. I’m going to head out soon.”
“Okay. I’ll see you tomorrow!”
“See ya,” Shuri calls out as she writes her findings into her journal.
When she begins to sketch, her phone is vibrating on the counter. She smiles when she sees that the call is coming from her boyfriend, Simon.
“Why, hello, you.”
“Hi, gorgeous. Are you still at the lab?”
“Yes, but I promise you that I’m all dressed up for the gala tonight.”
“Mm, I bet you’re looking so sexy underneath that labcoat. I was wondering if you wouldn’t mind having my chauffeur pick you up sooner and drop you off somewhere special before the gala.”
“Oh, I think I can make that exception for you.”
“Great,” Simon laughs richly. “I’ll see you soon, my love.”
She met Simon less than a year ago when she was at the bookstore, purchasing some study material she needed for her interns. At the time, she had no idea she was speaking to the mayor of the city. He was dressed so relaxed and casual, with a ball cap and sweats. He had such a sensual appearance that caught her attention, with a sharp jawline and warm, expressive brown eyes. They bonded over their favorite authors and literary knowledge, and from there, a relationship bloomed and blossomed.
Shuri cleans up the lab, then walks out to the university parking lot where Simon’s chauffeur, Edmund, is waiting for her. The elderly man holds the limo door open.
“After you, dear.”
“Thank you.”
She leans her head against the window, watching the city lights and buildings pass by. She doesn’t think she’ll ever get over the beauty that is New York.
Edmund stops in front of some building that looks abandoned, causing Shuri’s eyebrows to crease.
“Um…Are you sure this is where Simon wanted you to drop me off?”
“Yes, Ms. Shuri.This was the exact location he sent me. Go in through those years, and I’m sure you’ll find him.”
“Ah…Okay, then. Thanks.”
She looks behind her as she approaches the building, making sure that Edmund is staying right where he is and there isn’t a chance she’s going to encounter some sort of murderer. Her baba taught her how to shoot a gun, but there’s not a single weapon on her now.
“Oh, thank God,” she sighs when she sees her boyfriend standing there under very little light. When the door closes, there’s a loud echo. She runs over to him, and wraps her arms around his neck. “Where have you taken me?”
Simon laughs, his dimples showing. He kisses her forehead. “We need to go up a few flight of stairs to get there. Come on.”
“Stairs!? Oh, but my heels—” Shuri squeals in delight when he sweeps her off her feet, carrying her up the steps while easily balancing her in his strong arms. “My, such a gentleman. How are you feeling about the gala tonight, Mr. Mayor?”
“I think it’s going to be an amazing opportunity to make connections with other politicians…And a chance to show off my ultra fine woman.”
Shuri giggles when he attacks her with kisses. He continues carrying her down a dark hallway, where he brings her into a room that’s also pitch black. He places her on her feet, and before she can ask any questions, the lights turn on.
Her hands cover her mouth.
There are cases after cases of diamond rings, and several jewelers standing behind them.
“Oh, my God…”
Shuri turns to face Simon, and he gets down on one knee, taking both of her hands in his own.
“Shuri Udaku, will you marry me?”
Her mouth opens wide as her body is overcome with shock.
“A-Are you sure!? It’s only been eight months. I-I-”
Simon stands up, and stares lovingly into her eyes. “You know I never do anything rash. I do everything with purpose, and I mean all that I say. I love you, Shuri. Will you marry me?”
After one quivering breath is released and Shuri finally comes to her senses, she breaks out into a tearful grin.
“Yes, yes! Yes, I’ll marry you!”
When she clings to him, he spins her around in a circle as they kiss. As soon as he sets her down, he gestures to the room.
“Pick one. They're all for you."
“You’re going to get me all riled up before the gala,” Simon groans as Shuri kisses on his neck, unable to stay off of him after the proposal. Edmund has rolled the partition up to give them privacy. “I’ve been planning this for weeks, sweetheart. I can’t wait to see the look on my mother’s face.”
Shuri suddenly pulls away, her entire face dropping, and when she sees Simon pulls his phone out, her heart sinks.
“Let’s call your parents.”
“No!” Shuri shouts, yanking the phone from out of his hand. Simon squints at her. She slowly hands it up. “Um…I mean, not right now. Would you mind if we kept this to ourselves for a few days?”
“Sweetheart, it’s going to come out sooner or later the way the paparazzi is always on me.”
“Oh, I know, I know. It’s just, um, I haven’t seen my parents in about seven years, and this is something I should tell them in person. And,” she adds quickly. “It’s something I need to do alone.”
Simon frowns. “Honey, I’m going to have to meet them eventually.”
“And you will…Eventually.”
Simon touches her face as they get closer and closer to the location of the gala. “Are you embarrassed for us to meet because I’m a city boy?”
“Yup.” Shuri points at him, thankful that her secret doesn’t have to be revealed tonight, and hopefully not ever. “That’s it.”
The limo pulls up, and the moment that she steps out with Simon, cameras go wild, nearly blinding her as her new fiance guides her down the red carpet. She quickly flips her ring over, turning the diamond upside down and out of view.
They see Simon’s mother, Yoana, posing for some pictures. She comes running over to her son, giving him kisses on his cheek, then she takes both of Shuri’s hands.
“Look at you, Shuri. You’re always the belle of the ball, aren’t you?”
“Oh, thank you, I—” She freezes up when she feels Yoana rubbing a finger across the golden band. Her future mother-in-law’s face has completely fallen.
“Simon….” Yoana scolds, not taking her eyes off Shuri. “What is this around her ring finger?”
Before anyone can do anything about it, Yoana quickly rotates the ring, and the diamond sparkles unnaturally bright.
“Oh, my God!” Yoana screams. “You’re engaged!?”
Judging by how many photos are being snapped, Shuri has a bad feeling that this will be front page news in the morning.
Shuri sighs deeply as the green forests and beaches of Talokanda can be seen through the airplane window. All she has brought with her is a carry-on and a folder containing divorce papers.
When she’s waiting in line to rent a car, she receives a call from her friend, Natalie.
“Girl, what the hell!? When were you going to tell us that Simon proposed!? It’s all over the news!”
“Uh, yeah. It all just sort of happened. I’m still processing it myself. I can’t believe that he asked me to marry him.”
“Well, you looked hot, and I want to hear all about it. Can you come to the usual cafe?”
“Can’t. I have a lot to take care of, and I’m out of town. I’ll meet up and tell you everything as soon as I can. I should be back by tonight.”
Shuri tells Natalie goodbye and moves up to the counter when it’s her turn. As she takes her ID out, the old man behind the computer adjusts his glasses.
“No… Do my eyes deceive me? Shuri Almehen, is that you?”
She inhales sharply. She thought that was Mr. Carvajal, but in complete honesty, she thought that he had passed away years ago. He has to be pushing ninety by now.
“Yes, it’s me.”
“Shuri,” he repeats her name fondly. “Sweet thing, you’ve come home. I’m surprised your parents haven’t been shouting your return from the rooftops! You know they’ve been missing their little girl.”
“Yeah… I wanted it to be a surprise.” Shuri hands Mr. Carvajal her driver’s license. As he begins slowly filling out paperwork, she taps her manicured nails against the counter. “Hey… Do you know if Namor still lives in our old house? I need to see him, too. It’s important.”
“Oh, no, dear. Namor took over Zuri’s farm years ago after ol’ Zuri died and left it in his name. Namor’s a rancher now, and rather successful. Stores all over are full of his products. Why, he’s gotta be the richest man in all of Talokanda by now, I’d say!”
Shuri blinks a few times.
That’s something she’s going to have to see with her own eyes to believe.
Mr. Carvajal hands her the keys to her rental car, and Shuri heads towards the ranch, taking a look at her home town that hasn’t changed whatsoever. She sees the old aunties on the porch who sell their iced tea lemonade. She sees Mr. Riviera riding his tractor to the pet store. She sees the little red chapel where she made the worst mistake of her life.
She grimaces.
Damn Namor.
Why does he have to make everything so difficult?
She’s sent the divorce papers before to her parents, instructing them to give it to him and to have him mail them back signed and dated. He’s sent it back, alright. Unsigned. Untouched. Doing the same shit for several years because that’s the kind of stubborn, rude asshole that he is.
What’s he going to do now that they’ll be face to face? Can’t avoid it then, can he?
She absolutely needs it done this time if she’s ever going to be able to marry Simon, and there’s no way she’s leaving Talokanda without it. She’ll use force if she has to.
The transformation of the ranch causes Shuri to open her mouth in silent awe.
It’s nothing like the run-down, falling-apart farm that Zuri had struggled with all throughout her childhood and beyond. It’s cleaned-up, with brand new barns, fences, and expansive acres full of crops and animals.
Okay.
So maybe Namor has made something of himself, after all.
Good for him.
She still needs these damn papers signed, though.
She has no idea where to park the car, so she leaves it around some tractors that are close to the large house that’s separate from everything else. As she approaches the house, Terror appears on the porch, barking at her.
“Terror, baby, it’s me!” Shuri calls out, but the little dog doesn’t stop yapping. He must not remember her after all these years.
Over the barking, she picks up Namor’s distinguishable voice, deep and accented.
“Don’t worry about him. He doesn’t bite. Give me a second, and I’d be happy to help you with anything you might need.”
Shuri places her hands on her hips and waits for the idiot to make his appearance.
“You can help me by bringing your stubborn, stupid ass down here and signing these divorce papers! A copy for you, a copy for me, and a copy for the lawyer. It’s got idiot-proof tabs and everything so you can’t mess it up! Hurry! I have a plane to catch this evening and I’m done playing with you!”
Then her arms fall flat.
Namor, with his shirt wide open to reveal a chest that’s much thicker than remembers and a toned abdomen, comes out through the front door. He’s wearing a tan cowboy hat with matching boots, and his jeans have tears on them. He lifts the brim of his hat to get a good look at who has arrived on his property unannounced, and Shuri breathes to calm her heart when he locks eyes with her.
“Shuri,” he hisses, stalking towards her now. She ignores the warm, masculine scent that wafts up into her nose. Sandalwood and danger. There’s a hint of amusement in his gaze, though it’s not normal, because this man does everything a little dark. His eyes burn like coal, and a shiver rocks through her when he continues talking in that low, hushed tone. “Is that any way to speak to your husband?”