34. Derek's Destiny
34. Derek's Destiny
Amidst unexpected blessings of chosen family, Hakeem wrestles with his past, his future, and a chilling reminder of his vulnerability.
HAKEEM
I never had a Pops, never knew what it was like to have a man show me the ropes, offer a steady hand, teach me how to fix things or just sit and pass time. I was a fatherless kid running wild in the Bronx, no mother either; she cut out early, like I didn’t even exist. I grew up learning how to fend for myself, and somewhere along the way, I just accepted that no one gave a damn. That was life—cold, hard, and nobody to lean on.
But now? Now, as a grown-ass man, I got a taste of what family’s supposed to feel like, what it feels like to be wanted, to be worth something to people who care. Eden’s moms, who, on the first night I showed up, practically told her to grab a gun and keep it pointed at me if I stepped outta line. And her Pops—Fred. Over the last few months, we’d become tight, tighter than I ever thought possible. He wasn’t just Eden’s dad to me no more; he was like a mentor, pulling me into his world and showing me what real manhood looked like.
On Saturdays, we’d be out here on the lake, just the two of us with our lines dropped, quiet as the water rippling under the boat. He’d been doing it for years, and somehow I got pulled in too over the past few months. First time he asked me to come along, I thought he was joking. Fishing in the projects? Nah, that wasn’t a thing. But now? Man, I looked forward to it—the peace, the sound of the lake, just being out here with Fred, listening to him drop little pieces of wisdom I never knew I needed.
Fred shifted his weight in the boat, giving his line a tug, his eyes scanning the water like he had all the time in the world. "Guess they ain't biting much today, huh?" His voice rolled out easy, calm as a Sunday morning, like we had nowhere else to be but right here, just two men on a lake.
I kept my eyes on my line, pretending I was as relaxed as he was. “Yeah, don’t look that way,” I muttered, trying to keep the tension out of my voice.
Truth was, I wasn’t thinking about the fish. I was thinking about everything I couldn’t say, the decisions weighing on me like stones. Out here, away from everything, it felt like the calm before a storm. I could feel Fred's eyes on me, watching, like he knew I was wrestling with something under the surface. The man was steady as they came, just sitting there, letting me get my head straight without pushing. But that quiet...it was almost too loud.
The lake was still, almost eerie, not a ripple in sight, just our breath in the cold air and the occasional groan of the boat as we shifted. Fred looked over again, his eyes sharp as he joked. “You lookin’ for somethin' or someone out there, son?”
The question lingered, settling over the water, heavy and thick, like he’d hooked something I hadn’t even realized I was hiding.
“Sometimes, fish just don’t want to be found,” he said, glancing out at the water, his voice low, calm. “A lot like folks, ya know? We all out here, each in our own worlds, sometimes under the same sky but keeping our distance.”
I nodded, letting his words sink in. They had a way of sticking, the things he said, coming back to me when I least expected it. This man had a way of making you think without even trying. I’d never had anyone talk to me like that—like they were teaching, without looking down on me.
Fred’s eyes cut over to me, steady and knowing, the kind of look that didn’t need any extra words. “I see you workin’. I see you lookin’ out for Eden, doin’ what a man’s supposed to do. Takes guts to step up like that, to make sure she’s got what she needs. Starting that remote HVAC company, pushing through school to get your own certification, going to church? That’s real, Hakeem. You’re on the right path.”
I nodded, feeling that weight settle heavy in my chest. Everything was moving too damn fast, changing before I could catch my breath. And I could feel it, deep down—like a clock ticking louder, telling me I didn’t have time to sit back, wait for life to straighten out on its own. Nah, I had to get my shit together. Quick.
The way things were, I didn’t have a choice.
That two-week notice I knew I’d have to put in with Truth, got expedited. There wasn’t a way to make it clean. Truth? He was used to running the show, controlling every move, every angle. I knew the second I told him I was out, he’d feel betrayed, no matter how I spun it. And there wasn’t a damn thing I could do to change that.
But the thing that hit me that night—the night he came at me hard like I was his little nigga when I was waiting for Eden to pick us up for the hotel—that’s when I knew. The only way Truth would ever see me was as his foot soldier. Like when he called and said, “We need to get those pictures for Destiny,” I folded because I knew she’d never want that shit out there, hanging over her head. D said the original plan with Dorian was out, and now he wanted me and him to handle it ourselves—quick, in and out, no mess. Sounded simple enough.
Only, that’s not how it went. Next thing I know, we’re snatching Johnathon out his crib, and then heading to Arnold’s, expecting an empty house, but there he was, looking up at us like we were death itself. Truth beat him to a pulp, didn’t hold back for a damn second. And I got it. He was protecting the woman he loved, doing whatever he thought he had to do. But he had that level of protection, money, power, all the shit that kept him bulletproof. But me? I didn’t have that, not the same way. And I couldn’t take those risks, not anymore.
When he came to scoop up Destiny, eyes wild, talking crazy, beating the door down, shit. I knew he was on the edge, gone in a way that didn’t leave much room for pulling back. Ain’t no way I was leaving Juniper with him.
I made my choice, right there. I wasn’t just gonna be his shadow, his clean-up guy, his anything. I was gonna stay in Juniper with Eden, be my own man, figure shit out for myself.
I let out a low, rough chuckle, one of those laughs that don’t quite hit the mark. “I don’t know, Fred. Sometimes… sometimes I feel like I’m just playing catch-up, trying to be somebody I ain’t ever had a chance to be. Like maybe Eden deserves better than what I got to give. Maybe she’s meant for someone without all this... history hangin' on 'em. Somebody cleaner, you know? A lawyer, a doctor, some guy who didn’t come up the hard way.”
Fred looked at me, eyes steady, quiet in that way that made you feel seen.
“You think a good woman’s gonna let her man go ‘cause he’s got history? You think that’s what Eden sees?” He let the question hang in the air, weight heavy enough to press on my chest.
I shook my head, exhaling, but the doubt was still there, gnawing at me.
Fred just shook his head. “That girl loves you, Hakeem. I see it in her eyes, every time she looks your way. Don’t let what’s in your past rob you of what’s right in front of you.”
His words settled deep, like weights pulling at my chest, making me think about things I usually tried to bury. I was silent, feeling the weight of the reel in my hand, the tension of the line as it dipped into the water. Fred didn’t press me; he just let the quiet hang between us, comfortable like we’d been doing this all our lives.
Finally, Fred broke the silence, his voice low, words deliberate, like he was setting something solid in the space between us. “Son, it ain’t about where you come from. It’s about where you’re headed. And from what I can see? You’re goin' somewhere worth being proud of. You got a good heart, you put in the work no matter your circumstances, you stand up when most folks would fold. Eden sees that in you. I see it too. Give yourself some credit, Hakeem.”
I looked up, met his gaze, and for the first time, I felt like someone was giving me something I’d been searching for all my life—a little piece of belief. He saw something in me I didn’t even know was there, something I’d been too busy running from or burying to even look for. But in that moment, it felt real.
Fred looked over, his eyes sharp but soft with that quiet, old-school wisdom. “You plannin’ on marryin’ her someday?” he asked, voice steady, no hint of small talk, just getting right to the heart of it.
“Yes, sir.” I didn’t look away, no point in lying, no point in hesitating.
A slow smile spread across his face. “Ya’ll remind me a lot of me and her mama,” he said, a little light flickering in his eyes. “I remember bein’ young, wondering if I was good enough for her. Trying to do right but still takin’ that leap—married her 90 days after we met. And here we still are.”
“90 days?” I chuckled, shaking my head. “That’s crazy!”
He nodded, chuckling. “When you know, you know. And you—you already know. Just told me yourself, you got plans to marry her.”
I sighed, leaning back as the weight of everything settled over me. “Look, I got this business now. It’s new—just me and then two contractors out there working. My certification’s gonna give me the skill to handle the field if I ever need to, make sure I’m on their level so they respect me, you know?”
“Right,” he nodded, understanding the pride that comes from knowing your own trade.
“And I got some money saved from workin’ with Truth, so I got a little something to fall back on while Destiny still got me at her place since she’s hardly there. She told me to stay at her place, save whatever I’m makin’ from the business and just focus on school.” I glanced down, thinking about this friendship I’d built with Destiny despite me and Truth having no contact.
Fred nodded approvingly. “Good friend, that Destiny.”
“She told me if I’m spendin’ money, spend it on Eden.”, I chuckled.
He chuckled, shaking his head. “Smart woman.”
I took a deep breath, letting my mind wander. “So I figure…by the time I finish school next year, business’ll be more solid, I’ll have a place of my own, and I’ll be ready to make it official. Walk down the aisle and all that.”
Fred looked at me, really looked, like he was seeing something even I hadn’t. “Good plan, son.”
Fred looked at me, his gaze steady and knowing.
“Thank you,” I said, my voice low, carrying more weight than I’d meant to put into it. “And thanks for… takin’ me under your wing. These past few months out here in Juniper—it’s been different.” I paused, shaking my head like I was trying to clear the fog. “I thought I was just coming for a quick trip, you know? Help Truth handle some business, get in, get out. Then… I just never left. Didn’t expect to meet Eden, didn’t expect her to be—” I chuckled, almost like I couldn’t believe what I was saying, “the love of my life.”
Fred nodded, his eyes not leaving mine, that quiet strength in his gaze that always seemed to say more than words could. He shifted slightly, casting his line out into the still water, but I could tell he was letting me take it in. Finally, he spoke, his voice low, like he was sharing a secret.
“Sometimes life’ll throw you a curveball that you didn’t see coming, but it ends up hittin’ right where it needs to.” He looked over at me, a hint of a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. “Eden, she’s that curveball for you. But that’s good. It’s better than good.”
I nodded, letting his words settle over me. “Yeah… I mean, I’ve never felt this way. Not about anyone.” I rubbed the back of my neck, still surprised at how this town, this woman, had started shifting everything I thought I knew. “I want it to be right, though, you know? I want to make her dreams come true.”
Fred let out a deep chuckle, reeling in his line with that easy patience he always had. His eyes stayed on the water, his voice dropping low, carrying a weight I couldn’t shake. “Hakeem, love ain’t always neat or easy. Me and Eden’s mama? We’ve had our storms, plenty of ’em. But if it’s real, you dig in your heels. You fight, and you hold on even when it don’t make sense to anybody else.”
I nodded, taking it in. “I feel you.”
He grinned, pulling his line up. “Matter of fact, you know what else don’t make sense? Us out here, no fish biting, stomachs growling.” He packed up the rods, getting the boat ready to hitch back up. “Let’s head home. Girls probably got dinner on the table by now.”
We packed up and headed back, Fred steering us down that quiet road toward his place. I kept replaying everything we’d talked about. Normally, I might’ve been self-conscious, spilling my thoughts like that, but with Fred, I didn’t feel like I had to hold back. Man always kept it real with me, so I gave him the same, even when it came to Eden.
But right before we hit his street, he turned, then slowed up and pulled over in front of a house a block away, cutting the engine.
“What we doing here, Fred?”
It was a little white house, nothing fancy, but clean. Simple. Like somebody cared enough to keep it up but didn’t go overboard. Paint was fresh, maybe a little worn near the edges, but it gave it character. Porch wrapped around the front, just big enough for a couple chairs, maybe a swing if you wanted one.
Windows had those old-school shutters, a little chipped, but they fit. Small yard out front, enough room for a grill, maybe a little garden and shit. And a tall oak off to the side casting shade, like it’d been there longer than the house itself.
“This place here,” he said, nodding toward the small, clean-looking home. “We bought it when Eden was about to start high school. See, it backs up to our house, right there through the trees.”
“Oh yeah, I see,” I said, nodding, noticing how the yards almost ran together.
“When the previous owners put it on the market, we used what we had saved up and grabbed it. Me and her mama, we thought maybe Eden would end up here one day. Maybe with a family of her own. Started thinkin’ about grandkids running around, y’know, being close enough for Sunday dinners and keeping her near.” He chuckled, eyes softening with memories I knew ran deep. “So we scrapped and saved, bought it, but couldn’t cover two mortgages. So we rented it out to a family that’s been here a good ten years.”
He paused, just looking at me for a moment, then broke into a grin. “But they’re moving out, and we haven’t found anybody to take their place just yet. You know how it can be.”
“Right,” I said, feeling a smile tug at my mouth, but my mind racing, not sure where he was going with this.
Fred looked me straight in the eyes. “If you’re serious about marrying my daughter, and the only obstacle’s a place to live, a place to build that foundation…well, here’s your start. This place? It’s y’all’s, if you’re ready.”
I stared at him, my mind spinning. “What you talkin’ about, Fred?”
He chuckled again, putting a hand on my shoulder. “I’m sayin’ if you’re ready to build a life with Eden, here’s where you can start. Mortgage is eight-fifty a month, nothing crazy. But I’ll cover the first year, consider it a wedding gift, give you two some breathing room to get on your feet. You need stability to start a family, Hakeem, and I want you to have it. Here. Close to us.”
I couldn’t speak for a minute, the weight of what he was saying settling over me. I felt it, the depth of what he was offering, more than a house—it was a future, a hand to lift me up, a bridge I’d never thought I’d get.
I rubbed my hand over my face, trying to process what Fred was telling me. “You serious?” I asked, my voice low, almost like I didn’t want to hear the answer in case this wasn’t real.
Fred gave me that steady look he always had, nodding, unbothered by the weight of it. “Hakeem, a father knows when his daughter’s found her husband. I saw it that first Sunday lunch after church, plain as day. Don’t matter that it’s only been a couple months. You know she’s your wife, and she knows you’re her husband.”
I turned my gaze back to the little house, white paint peeling just a bit, with that old porch big enough to fit the future Fred was all but handing me. That future—me and Eden making a life here, her soft laugh filling these walls, kids running around one day—it was almost too much to believe. Felt like looking into a dream I hadn’t even let myself have till now.
“Even though you tried to push her away in the beginning,” he said, his tone dry but kind, like he could read right through me.
Heat crept up my face, and I looked down, jaw clenched. Just thinking back to those first days with Eden, the way I’d tried to throw up walls, talk myself out of something that deep down I knew was real, made my chest ache. I’d treated her in a way I wasn’t proud of and it haunted me.
Fred kept his gaze steady, his voice calm but sharp. “You did that ‘cause you were scared—scared of what you knew the second you laid eyes on her. Rattled you, didn’t it? Hell, scared the piss out of you.”
A low laugh escaped before I could stop it. “Ain’t no lies there.”
He leaned back, that knowing grin on his face. “But she fought for you anyway. ‘Cause she knew too, same as you did. Just a different way. Unlike you, Eden don’t run from love. She’s a fighter—always has been.”
I let those words sit for a second, the weight of them pressing against everything I thought I had under control. She’d seen through all my fronts, took all my rough edges, and didn’t blink once. She’d stayed solid even when I was throwing punches at shadows. And now, looking at that house and everything it meant, I knew Fred was right.
“She deserves more than I ever thought I’d be able to give,” I said finally, the words heavy but true.
Fred just nodded, a slow, sure thing. “Then give her what you got and more. But don’t do it alone. That’s what family’s for.”
It hit me like a punch to the chest, the weight of this man’s trust, this house, the future he was letting me build with his daughter.
Fred leaned back, eyes steady as he kept his tone easy. "I’m not putting any pressure on you here, son. This is just an offer. The house is open. If someone tries to rent it before you make a decision, I’ll run it by you first."
I nodded, trying to wrap my mind around it all. "Fair enough."
He held my gaze. "I’m not here to push you into anything. I’m letting you know how we do things in this family. We look out for each other, Hakeem. One hand washes the other.”
A flicker of doubt crossed my mind—I felt it, deep. What kinda man was I if I was taking handouts from her Pops? Would Eden even respect me if I did? The whole reason I stayed out here, besides her, was so I could finally stand on my own two feet, prove I had what it took. And what’d I look like letting Fred hand us a house, cover the mortgage? Nah, that didn’t sit right with me.
These past few months, Eden’s been holding her own, planning events out at Westonberry State since Destiny hooked her up with the Events Manager out there, and anything she needed, I was there. When we went out, she didn’t touch her wallet. Slipped her a little cash now and then, made sure she was good. I wanted her to know that, even if I wasn’t some rich man, I had her back.
“But I’m a man, Fred,” I said, jaw tight. “Supposed to do this on my own. Supposed to stand up, take care of Eden myself.”
Fred didn’t flinch. “Look, just ‘cause Eden’s grown don’t mean we stop supporting her. And you? If you’re gonna be her husband, that hand of ours extends to you too. Everybody needs a little help at times, especially starting out. We all do.”
"But if I can’t… if I can’t provide the way I should—”
He held up a hand, cutting me off. "I ain’t payin’ that mortgage forever. I said one year, and I meant it. After that, you’re holding it down. And I got faith in you. See, I’m offering this because I see the work you’re putting in already. I know you’re building something real. And that’s why I’m ready to back you. You been planting the seeds, Hakeem. All I’m doing is adding a little fertilizer to help ‘em grow.”
I exhaled, taking in the house. I could already picture Eden there, see the way her eyes would light up walking through that door, knowing this place was ours. Hell, I’d be happy too—living here with her, building a life together. And one day, when we had kids, I could see them tearing across the yard, and me getting to steal those moments alone with her, just us, while they played next door. I could see it all clear as day.
Fred was right; even though it had only been a couple months, Eden was it for me. And I knew it wasn’t just a fling, something that’d fade. Shit, I knew at that same damn lunch, for sure.
But it wasn’t just about settling down. I wanted to be the man she deserved, build something real, something solid that could hold up when life tried to knock us down. And that meant getting right with myself first, growing in ways I hadn’t thought about till I met her. If I was gonna do this, I had to come correct, be the man she could count on.
"Thank you for this, Fred. Not just for the house, but for trusting me with Eden. I know she means everything to you," I said, keeping my voice steady, real.
Fred nodded slow, a weight in his gaze that was heavy but warm. "Thank you for loving her right, Hakeem. For treating her like she deserves."
I just nodded, letting those words sit between us. His offer kept running through my mind, wondering if I should bring it up to Eden now or let it breathe a minute. This wasn’t just a place to stay—this was a step forward I hadn’t seen coming so soon.
As we pulled up to her folks’ place, the last stretch of daylight stretched across the yard, catching her waiting there, eyes lighting up as soon as she saw me. Man, it was like watching her moms look at her pops, that quiet pride, that love all right there. We settled out back, eating at the table under the open sky, trees swaying around us. And from where I sat, I could just make out the edge of that house Fred had shown me.
It sat solid, a shadow in the evening light, like a promise just waiting on us to make a move.
I pulled out my phone, thumb hovering over Truth's name, instinct telling me to just reach out, let him know I was on my grown man shit, doing what I said I would. But he hadn’t picked up a single call, hadn’t replied to one text since the night I told him I was out. My boy, my brother since day one, just went ghost like that. Dropped me like a hot sack of shit.
I’d tell Destiny to pass a “what up” to him whenever she called to check in on the house, but she never had a message back for me. Not gon’ lie—shit hurt. I knew he’d be mad, but all this silence? Damn.
Everywhere I looked, there he was, Paparazzi pictures and videos. Destiny right by his side in every shot, every clip. His Instagram was full of studio sessions, sneaker endorsements, photo shoots, tour announcements—living that life we’d built up, just minus me. And that ring? Flashing like a damn spotlight on Destiny’s hand, telling the whole world he was set. The way it looked, he was good with me.
Eden’s hand slipped into mine under the table, soft and warm, like she could sense exactly what was twisting up inside me.
"He’ll come around, just give him a little more time," she whispered, her voice steady but with that gentle conviction she always had, that quiet strength that sometimes left me speechless.
I shook my head, keeping my voice low. "I don’t know about that, E," I muttered, doubts thick in my chest, pressing hard.
She held my gaze, her eyes soft, calm. "You’ll see,” she murmured, squeezing my hand like she was holding me together. "Just gotta have a little faith.”
Her words barely registered as the pressure in my chest suddenly spread like wildfire, burning hotter with each second. I tried to shake it off, to steady myself, but it felt like a steel fist clamping down inside me, squeezing the life right out. My breath stuttered, like I was trying to pull air through a straw, every inhale thin, useless.
“Hakeem?” Eden's voice sliced through the haze, her fingers tightening around mine, but I couldn’t squeeze back. Couldn't even look at her. The world around me was slipping, blurring like I was looking through murky water. Her face, her wide eyes filled with that fear...even that was starting to fade.
I felt myself going down, falling out the chair. There was a ringing in my ears, drowning out Eden’s cries as she reached for me. My body felt heavy, my heart a wild drumbeat banging against my ribs, desperate, like it was trying to get out. My chest...it was like a fire I couldn’t put out.
And then, just like that, the flames snuffed out. Everything turned dark.
to be continued.
PS: While you wait for the next chapter, don’t forget to read the standalone novella that I dropped for you last night, LOVE ON THE BALLOT.
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