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No trying to fuck his way back into my good graces.

No gifts showing up at my house every day.

He checked on me.

Checked on the kids.

Asked if I needed anything.

And if I said no, the conversation ended there.

His message popped up.

Levin: Good luck today. Don’t let that nigga get under your skin.

I stared at it.

Then typed back.

Me: He gotta show up first.

The bubbles appeared almost immediately.

Levin: He not there?

Me: Nope.

There was a pause.

Levin: That’s weird.

I looked at those two words a little longer than I needed to.

Because it was.

Xay was late for plenty of shit.

But this?

After all that screaming about his kids?

After threatening me with court in my own living room?

He had been the one pushing this shit.

My attorney touched my arm.

“Sam.”

I locked my phone.

The court was ready for us.

We stood.

Xay’s attorney stood on the other side.

The judge looked over the file before looking toward the empty space beside Xay’s lawyer.