Laila POV

Everything didn't have to always be about drama. It seemed everyone else around her was so filled with drama. Her sister figured out if she wanted a boyfriend or just fate. Amber and her crush plus dealing with her twin sister pledgi something else.

All she wanted was to be happy. Was that too hard to ask?

Things were Alonzo were just cool. Nothing special. They talked often, and hung out, but barely did anything more besides kissing. Now that she found someone she wanted to go all in with, it seemed he was the one stalling.

He lived off-campus in a nice big house. As a grad student, that seemed too much. He always talked about school, work, or his frat. He never got into personal things about his life even though she told him about her upbringing, her parents, and her other siblings.

She knew nothing about Alonzo.

Still, she liked what she knew about this man. He was gorgeous, smart, and sweet. Perfect gentleman and never tried anything, although she would not mind taking the relationship further.

Considering she had only been intimate with one guy before and that was a bust, she hoped Alonzo would be different.

Could he be a cheater too?

What did they say, all men were dogs? And Alonzo was in the fraternity they literally called "Dogs."

What was she getting herself into?

"It's nice you want to hang out with me when you want to hide out from your big sisters."

Alonzo picked her up from her residence hall and took her to his place. She was not going to his place to hide out, she was going because she liked him and wanted to hang out.

"I like that you understand what I am going through, but it's more than that." He parked in his garage and turned the car off.

"Oh, it's because you think I'm cute, huh?" he said with a grin at her.

"Cute is for puppies. Alonzo, you are handsome."

He got out of the car and made it to her side to help her out of his big SUV. He always did things like that so she expected it.

"It's nice to be found attractive but I think there is more to finding someone you vibe with. Like their personality, their demeanor, the aura about them." He held the door open for her as she walked into his place. "I think that's what caught my eye with you, your aura. At the Epsilon house. You weren't there to party and meet some scrub, you seemed real. No fakeness to you."

"You mean like, no weave, no lashes, no makeup?"

Alonzo shook his head at her, took her hand, and led her to his sofa. "Naw! I don't care if a girl wants to do any of that, as long as she is confident in who she is. I just felt like you didn't belong. Your sister dragged you there, right?"

"Yes."

"And then when I ran into you in the Quad...you still weren't feeling me, were you?"

"Well no, I mean...I was too flustered learning I made line and you bumped into me and made me break my phone-"

"Okay, okay, I'll admit, I could have avoided that little run-in, but I wanted to get your attention. The phone was a bonus because I knew I could fix it and get to see you again."

She got comfortable on his sofa, kicking off her shoes, then folding one leg under her, turning herself so she could face him.

"Why would you want to get my attention?"

"Because of your aura. I wanted to be in it."

She smiled and leaned in close to him to kiss him. Her body tingled all over because this was more than a kiss. Alonzo was a great kisser and she could sit there and kiss him all day, but like he said, it was more than just the physical with him. This man was intriguing, and although she wanted to do everything, everywhere with this man, she pulled back from him.

"Alonzo, I like you for more than just your looks. I mean, that's a bonus, but I like getting to know you. I thought after last year, how things ended with my last boyfriend, I would never meet a guy that could be real with me. My ex lied, cheated, and who knows what else. That took a lot for me to get over."

"I know." Alonzo picked up her hands. "I can tell you're still dealing with that, that's why I've been taking things slow with us. I'm not him, and I hope you see that. But also, there's a lot more to me you need to know."

"Exactly! We like each other but we're still talking and getting to know each other. I told you all about my family and growing up in St. Louis." She paused before she said anything further, wanting to make sure it came out the right way. "I know little to nothing about you and your family. Do you have siblings? What about your parents?"

Maybe family was something he didn't want to talk about. Everyone did not come from a good background or wanted to talk about their upbringing. They were not perfect, but growing up poor and struggling made her the person she is today. It made her determined to make a better life for herself and never be that poor again.

"It's just me and my mom. My father left when I was really young, I don't remember him much."

She could relate to that. Her stepfather raised her while her biological father was barely in the picture.

"No sisters or brothers, but that would have been nice. I envy you that. It's like built-in friends."

"Yes, my sister is my best friend and I hope it always stays that way."

"Being an only child with a single parent def hits differently. That's why I want to make a better life for my kids."

Wait. Did he say his kids? As in his future kids or the kids he had now? What was she supposed to say to that? Nothing, obviously she just needed to listen.

"Laila, I have two sons...and I should have told you that upfront."

"Two sons!" Her voice was louder and squeakier than it should have been. This news kind of hit her from left field.

She had been hanging with this guy for weeks now. Telling him all parts of her life, how she was hurt last year by her ex, but at no time did he ever give any indication that he had baby mommas out there. This could change everything.

She stood, as a reflex, ready to run out of there.

"Laila, wait, just hear me out." He took her hand and pulled her back down. "I'm sorry, I should have told you about this before when things were getting serious with us. I just didn't want you to judge me or anything."

"I...I don't know what to say." She wanted to get out of there because this was a lot.

"Back in high school, my girlfriend at the time, we were wild and crazy, no care in the world, about anything, or the future. All we knew was that we wanted to be together, despite my mom warning me and her parents hating me. We got pregnant at sixteen. My oldest son, Alonzo Junior."

Damn! That made him have an almost seven-year-old son. Sheesh!

"For me having a kid that young made me want to change my life and do better. I buckled down at school, graduated, and decided to go to college. Brittany was still a little wild, but I was in it for the long haul. Right before I left for college, I found out she was pregnant again. My son Josiah."

Two sons. At least it was one baby mother.

"Brittany stayed home here in Bloomington, but I wanted to go to Missouri S & T for their engineering program. I didn't know how I would do it...but I put in the miles into my car coming home nearly every week so I could stay a part of their lives. I took mostly virtual classes my first year so I could stay in town and help."

"My mom has been the best help. She helped buy anything we needed as long as I focused on my grades and school. Pledging was hard, but it was something I was determined to do. I felt like I was being selfish, having this whole college life and partying, but Brittany was stuck raising my sons. Junior year I moved off campus to an apartment and had them move in with me. We lived like a nice happy family for once."

"But that did not last. Brittany had problems I couldn't help her with."

She did not know what she was supposed to say about all of this. Again, silence, and just listen.

"So...well...yes, she cheated on me. But that wasn't the worst part. She cheated with one of my frat brothers. They were cheating in my face, little did I know. And then there was the drugs. And I'm not talking a little weed here and there, I did that too. She was getting into the heavier things. She let it take over her life, not coming home, taking care of the boys."

"Sometimes she would be gone for weeks, so it was just me and the boys. After I graduated from S & T, I officially ended things with her, took my boys, and came back home here. I took a year off before I decided to come here to get my Master's Degree."

"Umm...so uh...you never spoke about your sons before, but now you're saying you have them?" she asked. "Why have I never seen them?"

"I don't have them, that's the problem. She followed me back here and took the boys. Then she ran off with them and she refuses to let me see them. I've been fighting for them with lawyers for the last six months." He looked down at his hands. "I can't ever give up trying to get my boys back. I don't want to be a guy like my father who just walked away."

This story was not what she expected. It was heart-wrenching and sweet, even kind of romantic. She could tell he had real feelings for this Brittany before things went bad. And that his sons meant a lot to him and he was trying to be a part of their lives.

She wrapped her arms around his waist and hugged him because she felt like he needed it. Although her first reflex was to run, now she wanted to be there for him no matter what.

No staying silent about it either.

A/N: Not only am I basing Alonzo after a real person, I'm using his real name and story (slightly fictionalized, although he did attend Missouri S & T, the grad school part is untrue). I hope my shippie good with that, because she married a good man. They are still together to this day, 25+ years strong.