Naala walked back into the villa, tears streaming down her face after the cruel words Dave had just said to her. Dave came rushing in behind her, ignoring his mother in the living area.

"Love can you just wait?" Dave grunted, grabbing her arm. Naala drug her arm back aggressively, spinning towards him,

"For what Amir? What could you possibly say to hurt me now?" She seethed, tears still falling down her face rapidly.

"I didn't mean that," Dave spoke putting his head down, he let his anger blind him, "I love you --"

"Stop saying that!" Naala cried, "Everyone that claims they love me hurts me, I never thought that would be you Amir but today you've showed me that I'm incapable of being loved unless pain comes with it," With that she walked off back to their room leaving Dave and his mom there.

"Amir-" Sonia started,

"Not right now ma," Dave spoke, walking over to the bar to grab something strong,

"No this is going to happen right now. I don't know what happened out there and quite frankly I don't want to know. That girl, the woman you love, is hurting. She has been hurting since the first day you reconnected. Do you know how hard it is to be in an abusive relationship?" Sonia questioned, Dave shook his head.

"The doubt, the worry, the pain she endured will stay with her forever but you have the power to help her through it. You can show her what it means to be loved with no strings - just love. I'm not saying you don't love her baby, I know you do but you need to let go of all the malice you are holding onto against that girl because that is what is holding you back,"

"But I love her mama, so much," Dave said, regretting everything he said to Naala by the pool,

"Then let that hurt go and help her heal," Sonia spoke softly before rubbing his arm softly,

"Your sister has said she is leaving,"

"I don't care, this is all because of her." Dave shrugged, swinging back his cup finishing the brown liquor in his cup.

"I know but that's still your sister baby," Sonia said looking at him, "Should I be worried?" She gestured to him pouring another drink. It was no secret that Dave used alcohol as a crutch during hard times but she didn't want it to become a habit.

"I'm just stressed ma," Dave replied, knowing what his mom was getting at.

Sonia hummed, not believing him. "When you're done sulking, go and apologise to your family," She sassed, turning on her heels, "Oh and I sent the staff home, I will be making dinner tonight,"

Dave nodded and continued to nurse his drink,

"Got anymore in that bottle?" Taina asked as she approached Dave and the bar.

"Plenty," Dave mumbled, sliding the bottle over to her. Taina didn't waste anytime grabbing the bottle of Hennessy and taking a big swig.

"How you doing?" Dave asked glancing over at Taina who was pouring herself another shot.

"Great!" Taina said sarcastically throwing back the shot, "I deserve it, trusting the same nigga more than once," She laughed bitterly,

"Nah he fucked up not you," Dave said truthfully, "Aye I apologise for my sister, I -" Taina held her hand up,

"You don't need to apologise for her Dave, she's a big girl," She said looking over at him,

"Why you out here drinking on your own birthday boy?" Taina asked, "Shouldn't y'all be making me and niece or nephew?"

"That ain't happening any time soon," Dave spoke sighing, "I said some foul shit now Naala can't even look at me,"

"Damn, that bad?" Taina questioned, seeing that Dave looked pretty disappointed with himself,

"I may have thrown some shit back in her face about her mental health," Dave admitted truthfully, this was Naala's best friend so she would find out eventually. Taina shook her head,

"Now you know you are dead wrong for that, Naala doesn't open up about that time in her life a lot but when she does it's because she trusts you with that information. I've known Naala for about 5 years now and when I met her she was broken, torn and grieving. --"

"Grieving?" Dave interrupted her, his eyebrows raised, "Who died?"

"Erm -" Taina gave Dave a weird look, "Shit, I've said too much," She said quickly trying to get up, realising that Naala clearly hadn't told him everything.

"Nah T, sit down," Dave said stopping her from leaving the bar. "What the fuck is going on?"

"I can't tell you that Dave, if she didn't tell you then I can't - I'm sorry." Taina said before rushing back to her room.

Dave huffed, it seems like Naala was hiding something from him and he didn't like it at all. Putting his drink down, he walked back towards their room. Pushing the door open, he saw Sinai sitting on the bed playing on her iPad. She looked up and saw her dad and didn't budge, normally she would be all over him. Dave heard the shower going so he knew Naala must be in the shower.

"Nai?" Dave said sitting on the bed next to her, "Daddy's sorry baby," He spoke looking directly at her. "Can you look at me Sinai?" Dave said sternly as she was ignoring him and still playing on her iPad. Sinai sighed and paused her game, finally looking up her dad.

"I said I'm sorry baby, I didn't mean to scare you," Dave spoke sincerely, Sinai's face softened,

"I was really scared daddy and there was blood on your hands," Sinai said pointing at his knuckles.

"I know mama, I was very angry but that's no excuse, I shouldn't have done that," Dave admitted, no matter how angry he was, he should have never lost his cool infront of his daughter.

"That's what Mr. Darnell used to say when he did that to mommy," She spoke innocently, Dave's jaw clenched, Sinai continued,

"He used to do that to mommy all the time and then when mommy cried he would say she deserved it, did that man deserve that?" Sinai said to her dad. For a 4 year old, she was very advanced and had very good memory.

"No, your mama didn't deserve that at all. No one deserves that," Dave spoke, feeling like pure shit knowing that his daughter had witnessed her mother be hurt continuously and that was what he was doing.

"Are you gonna say sorry to him? or I know, you could buy him flowers like Mr. Darnell used to do," Sinai said excitedly,

"I will say sorry, but I'm really sorry 'Nai," Dave laughed as he saw her mood lighten up,

"I know daddy," Sinai said, leaning into her dad,

Unbeknownst to Dave, Naala had finished her shower and was now watching his little display with Sinai.

"Get out," Naala said leaning against the bathroom door, "Now," Naala gritted her teeth. He had some nerve coming into the room after what he had just said to her.

"But he said he's sorry mommy," Sinai said confused as to why her mom wasn't being as happy with her dad as usual.

"I don't care, he can see his sorry self out," Naala spoke rudely,

"Sinai go to your grandma's room, I will be there in a second okay?" Dave said to Sinai, who happily took her iPad and left the room.

"Don't disrespect me in front of my daughter Naala, that's not cool." Dave spoke watching her move around the room,

Naala scoffed, "Get out David, I'm serious,"

"Oh I'm David now?"

"Yes, now leave," Naala said pulling her vest on, she was wearing a white min vest with denim shorts, her hair flowing down her shoulders.

"Don't push me away ma, I know I fucked up but disrespecting me in front of 'Nai is uncalled for,"

"Try cutting her wrists with nail scissors - it's embarrassing and it was mean. Do you think I wanted to wake up in the hospital with bandages wrapped around my wrist and my sister crying by my bedside, holding my 3 month old baby? I didn't want to wake up at all Amir, I didn't want to be there, so for you --" She paused as she heard her voice break, "For you to make me feel like shit about it hurts more than you know," She said finally, a few tears threatening to fall.

"I didn't mean to do that, I never meant to hurt you,"

"But you did! I know that you've always had this temper and this innate anger within you, but I never thought that you could hurt me like that - after everything I've been through," Naala cried, her wall finally broken. Her soft cries quickly turned into sobs, shaking her entire body. Dave rushed over her and grabbed her before she fell, holding onto her.

Naala sobbed loudly, mumbling incoherent words whilst hitting him on the chest. For a few minutes, Dave let her hit on him, her small fists pounded onto his chest, they started to grow weaker and her sobs started to cease. She pulled away from him and sat on the bed, Dave remained standing.

"I can't do this anymore Amir, I love you so much but I-I don't think I have it in me to keep doing this with you, it's breaking me apart," Naala sniffed, tears still in her eyes.

"I was wrong Love, I'm also hurting, the main reason I said that is because I blame myself." Dave finally spoke, "I blame myself for not being there for you guys, for not reaching out, for not knowing that you were going through the worst time of your life." Naala tried to speak,

"But there is something you aren't telling me and I know it. Why don't you trust me?" Dave finished, emotions very high in their room.

"What do you mean?" Naala questioned,

"Taina said you were grieving, what happened?" Dave said, taking a seat next to her on the bed, "Talk to me baby, please?" Dave pleaded, his eyes connected with hers.

"I don't want you to hate me more than you do," Naala whispered, scared of the reaction he would give her.

"I could never hate you Naala, please just talk to me, tell me what's wrong?"

"When I was 16 weeks pregnant, I had a normal scan just to check on the baby and to my surprise the doctor told me I was pregnant with twins. So as you could imagine I was shocked, scared, I didn't know what I was gonna do with one baby let alone two. I got used to the idea and got quite excited about it, anyway at 36 weeks I began bleeding heavily, --" Naala paused and let out a breathe, the tears she was holding slowly rolling down her face,

"You can stop Love," Dave said as he saw her get upset again,

"No, I - um - we went to the hospital and they told me that Twin A was in distress and I needed to have an emergency c - section. They performed the surgery but Twin A died, leaving us with Sinai," Naala cried looking at Dave, "I'm so sorry Amir, I should have told you,"

"Shh," Dave shushed her as he pulled her into a hug, "I'm not angry baby," Dave spoke honestly rubbing her back as her tears soaked his t-shirt.

"They let me hold him for sometime, I'm sorry Amir, I was selfish, you should have been there with us. I stopped you from meeting your son" Naala cried holding onto Dave, tears welled up in Dave's eyes at the thought of the death of his first son.

"But he got to meet you Love and that means the world to me," Dave said looking down on her, his tears falling.

Naala continued to cry, her sobs racking through her entire body. Dave looked down and all he could see was a broken woman and he couldn't help but think he was the cause of all of this.

"We gon' get through this together Love, I promise you," Dave said clearing his throat, "Did you name him?" Dave asked,

"Yes, his name is Ameer Bailey Brewster," Naala said lowly, Dave nodded feeling himself get chocked up again,

"I love it," Dave said rubbing his hand over her hair,

"How are we going to get through this Amir, I feel like all I know is pain, how can I ever be happy?" Naala said quietly,

"We are gonna get through it, do you know why?" Dave said, "Because of our little girl, she deserves everything and more,"

"I love you," Naala said, her eyes gently closing, sleep taking over her body.

"I love you too Naala more than you will ever know," Dave said planting a kiss on her forehead.

These two had a long way to go, they both had demons that they had to work through but they had each other.