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If you’ve read the story starter – a very long Chapter 1 – and you’re ready to dive into the story with me, please continue reading.

About the story: (short description. Click here for longer)

“Let Me Love You” is not just a tale of love and sacrifice but also a poignant story of self-discovery, celebrating the human capacity to find love in the most unlikely of circumstances.

Please enjoy the current WIP of Iris and El. This will be published freely up to a point… like the old days and then the entire book will be posted for the full download. I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments. And don’t forget to check out the companion stories. (Wicked Chances, Dreams of Reality, The Convenient Wife & Ravenous)

Enjoy, Your Author, Sylvia Hubbard

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Read more: Let Me Love You – Chapter 14✍🏾📚❤️ #SylLit #WIP #livestory 📖💓 #marriedwife #demandedconsensual #darkromance

Clem ran out of Aunt Rose’s house to meet her and wrap his arms around her waist as if he hadn’t seen her in years.
“Daddy came by,” he said.
Panicking, Iris asked, “Why? What happened?”
“Aunt Rose came to get me from school early, and then, when Daddy came by, she sent me in the back and told me to be quiet. Mr. Pete was here with Aunt Rose. He just left.”
“Your dad or Mr. Pete?”
“Mr. Pete. Daddy left a long time ago.”
She took his hand and walked into Aunt Rose’s house. 
Decorated like someone had stepped back in the seventies, Iris didn’t think her Aunt Rose had changed anything about the house since initially moving in. The “good” furniture still had the plastic coating, but Iris insisted that Aunt Rose add blankets and some small pillows to make sitting tolerable. Plants covered the entire house. Where there was a free space, there was a plant situated on the floor or on a table. Sometimes under the table as well. Aunt Rose loved plants but hated the outdoors. The small greenhouse built by Mr. Pete on the side of the house from the kitchen displayed Aunt Rose’s genuine joy of plants with roses, a small garden, and succulents grown all year round. Mr. Pete had installed heated floors so the cold Michigan winters wouldn’t kill off anything.
As usual, Iris found her aunt in the basement, being a homesteader canning strawberries she’d grown. She was only five feet, and a strong wind could carry her away, but Aunt Rose had the strength and will to live, which was truly amazing. The woman had gone through two different cancer treatments, several bones being broken, and even a shot in the stomach from a random drive-by. She was missing her tonsils, spleen, both her breasts, and part of her liver, yet, standing there in the kitchen, natural hair completely gray and eyes as lively as ever, this African American woman was sharp as a knife. 
“Clem, gather your things and wait in the living room,” Aunt Rose ordered. 
This meant adult conversations were about to happen. 
When Clem was gone, Iris questioned, “Dwayne came over?”
“An hour after Clem left for school, something just didn’t sit right in my gut, and I called Mr. Pete to bring Clem home.”
Aunt Rose believed in “other spirits” and “her gut” very much. 
“Not two seconds after Clem got here to the house,” Aunt Rose continued. “That beat-up old red truck pulled, and the deadbeat jumped out. He went over to the school, and then he came over here, hustling and bustling.”
Hearing Aunt Rose’s animated way of describing what happened in any situation was always fascinating. The gray-haired woman, who couldn’t have weighed a hundred pounds wet, was lively and spirited. 
“Then he comes huffing and puffing over here when he didn’t get what he wanted from the school. I cracked the door open but didn’t open my screen.” Aunt Rose had a thick steel screen that could keep out a tank, and once the door was locked, it did not open unless manually unlocked. The older woman continued, “I asked him what he wanted, and he said he wants me to call the school and tell them to let him get Clem out, and I say I can’t do that because I’m not Clem’s guardian. Since he is the daddy, he should have permission to take him out. The stupid butt says you never permitted him. You didn’t put his name on the form.” The older woman chuckled because she knew what was on Clem’s guardianship form, which was his mother and Mr. Pete. Aunt Rose must have really amused herself to see Dwayne’s frustration. “So, I say, well, that’s none of my business. I’m just a scared old woman. He needs to call you and get what he wants because I have nothing to do with anything. Unfortunately, Clem’s allergies kick in, and the child sneezes in the back of the house.” She rubbed her stomach from stress. “That evil knucklehead demands for me to let him in so he can call you on your phone. My spirit knows he’s aware Clem is in the house. I tell that stupid man, nope, you got a phone on you and can use that phone to call your wife. He has the nerve to threaten me. Says old lady, let me in, or you’ll regret it.” Aunt Rose had to stop talking again because she started laughing too much to continue until she calmed herself down. “I said…” Aunt Rose gets out through lots of chuckles. “He can try to come in, but I don’t think he can.”
Everyone knew Aunt Rose had a house secure enough to prevent anyone from breaking in. So whatever threats Dwayne made were empty. The older woman kept going. “He started yanking at the door, demanding to come in, and I just knew Clem was upstairs scared to death,” said the older woman, who kept going.
“Mr. Pete didn’t threaten to call the police?” Iris asked.
“No, honey,” Aunt Rose responded. “Cuz you know Mr. Pete knows people that do worse than the police.” 
Iris remembered that in old Detroit, Mr. Pete was part of the Brute Squad, a group of black men who took care of situations in the neighborhood without involving the police. Mr Pete occasionally reunited with his “buddies” to reminisce about days past. Yet, she also knew they could gather at a moment’s notice and handle many current situations, even as old men. Seeing the fear invoked when a group of black men got together on one accord was always outstanding. 
Dwayne most likely knew this as well and didn’t want to test the waters. “Thank you, Aunt Rose,” Iris gratefully told her aunt. 
“No, thanks needed, honey. I’ve been telling you a long time you need to walk away from that and get away from your daddy and get away from that knucklehead. I told your mamma that too, but she never listened. The migraines didn’t start to happen in her until she met your daddy.” The older woman gritted her teeth as she remembered how her sister had escaped. “All my natural medicine never worked next to all the chemicals he used on her.”
Iris frowned because her aunt had never spoken about her mother’s condition, which she had assumed was inherited since she also had it too.
A sob escaping Aunt Rose pushed thoughts of the passed away.
“I never pushed you, Iris, like I pushed her because I was afraid… Lilly…” She couldn’t finish.
Iris gently caressed her aunt’s hands. “I know Aunt Rose. I’m not going to lie. I had thought about it, but I think I can get away from all of them with this new opportunity.”
Skeptically, Aunt Rose asked, “Isn’t this man, stupid-head’s boss? What makes you so sure? That idiot could’ve sold you over to a worse person than either your dad or him.”
The old woman could be right. Iris knew nothing about her new boss. He had his peculiarities, but behind everything, a monster could be lingering to tear her soul apart. 
“You know, Mr. Pete could always hide you if you were worried about all that mess in the past catching up with you,” Aunt Rose said.
“I couldn’t have that life for Clem,” she said quietly. “And I’m not going to worry about whether this new boss quirks or what he plans for me. I’m away from my dad and Dwayne. I need to concentrate on the problem at hand. Dwayne was trying to kidnap Clem.” Iris rubbed her forehead as if that would push away her frustration. “Let me leave Clem here, and I’ll go to the house. I’ll say Clem has pink eye or something.” 
“That’s fine. I was going to suggest the same,” the old woman agreed. “There’s already some extra clothes for the boy in his room, but I think you should come back here tonight.” Pressing fifty dollars in Iris’ hand, Aunt Rose said. “Get a taxi or even call Mr. Pete.”
“It’s fine,” Iris said, trying to give the money back. 
Aunt Rose raised her hand as if surrendering. “Say goodbye to the boy so you can get to your house.”
Iris kissed her aunt on the cheek and then found Clem, who looked a little worried. 
“How was your first day of work?” he asked.
“Different.” She handed him the digital device he had given her. “I have my own. How are you?” 
Her nephew only nodded and hugged her waist tightly. Closing her eyes, Iris relished in the little boy’s emotional contact. She loved him so much and would do anything to keep him in her life. Clem knew this and appreciated her for this.
“You and Daddy fighting?” Clem asked in a muffle, his face still pressed against her body.
Clem knew precisely this wasn’t just a disagreement, but the word pretty much meant he needed to prepare for some bumpy days. At home, conflicts often meant staying in his room, always wearing his noise-canceling headphones, and never coming out. She would bring him anything he needed so he couldn’t leave the room. Subjecting Clem to any of the beatings she had to endure was something she didn’t want to and tried to get them over quickly. Agreeing with Dwayne to do whatever he wanted or letting him get his frustrations out for the few minutes of smacking her around so that Clem didn’t have to be subjected to the violence.
Iris never fought back, just for Clem. 
“Just a little, but it’s going to be rough. Please stay with Aunt Rose tonight, and I’ll try to return. If not, I’ll be back tomorrow.”
He nodded, still not loosening up his hold on her. 
Iris didn’t hurry him. In fact, she luxuriated in knowing he wanted to spend this much time hugging her. Once he became older, she knew hugs like this would be few and far between.
This whole day had been mentally and physically arduous for Iris, and Clem’s hug was everything she needed in order to bring her back to her reality.
Clem made her life easy, justifiable, and peaceful.

End of This Chapter | Post your thoughts in the comment | Let the author know what’s going on in your head

Let Me Love You (c) 2024 Sylvia Hubbard All Rights Reserved

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual person, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales, is entirely coincidental.
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