A Love Like This (Book 1) (59 page)

We reach the Oakland airport,
 
retrieve our bags and order a car to drop us all
 
off at our respective homes.
 
Once everyone
’
s out of the car
 
I
 
lean against Tucker
’
s chest and
 
close my eyes.
 
I feel
like this is the first moment of peace I
’
ve had in days.
 
Tucker rubs my head.
 
 
“
Are you alright
 
baby?
”

“
Yes I
’
m fine.
 
I just can
’
t believe what happened this week,
”
 
I say sitting
 
up to stretch.
 
 
“
It
’
s left
 
me pooped.
”

We pull up in front of the house.
 
 
“
I have a surprise for you,
”
 
he says placing a hand in front of my eyes.
 
 
“
It
’
s a late birthday gift.
”

“
Why didn
’
t you give it to me in LA?
”

“
It was too big to take with us.
 
Now close your eyes,
”
 
He says helping me out of the car
 
while the driver unloads our bags.
 
I hold on tight to his arm walking with my eyes closed.
 
We take a few steps and stop.
 
 
“
Ok now open them.
”

I open my eyes
 
and right in front of me
 
is a brand new Range
 
Rover with a bright red bow tied to the top.
 
It
’
s white with custom made plates that say Mrs. B.
 
I
 
jump up and down and
 
hug Tucker excitedly.
 
 
“
I can
’
t believe you bought me a car,
”
 
I say.
 

“
I ordered it while we were in LA.
 
Do you like it?
”
 
He says.

“
I love it,
”
 
I say as I walk around the car touching the sparkling new body.
 
When I reach the side of the car closest to the side walk I stop and cover my mouth with my hand to stifle the scream.
 
The word,
 
‘
BITCH
’
 
is spray painted across the side of the car with bright red paint.
 
Tucker and the driver rush over to me.
 

He touches the paint,
 
“
It
’
s
 
still wet.
 
Wait in the car,
”
 
Tucker says pulling out his
 
phone to call the police.
 
I don
’
t argue
 
with him.
 
I practically run to the car and
 
lock all of the
 
doors.
 
My hands are shaking as I rummage through
 
my purse for my cell phone.
 
I try to dial
 
Pookie
’
s
 
number three times but my vision is blurred from my tears.
 
 
I don
’
t understand why
 
someone
 
is
 
working so hard to hurt me?
 
I scroll through the list of old calls and touch
 
Pookie
’
s
 
number.
 
 
The phone rings and someone answers but there
’
s silence on the other end.
 
I look down at the phone.
 
 
In my excitement
 
I must have touched the wrong number.
 
I move the phone away from my ear and prepare to disconnect the call when I hear a woman on the other end.

“
Did you like
 
my little surprise?
”
 
She asks.

Her voice sounds familiar but I can
’
t say exactly who it is.
 
 
“
Who is this?
”

“
Don
’
t worry about who this is,
”
 
She shrieks.
 
 
“
Do you know how long I
’
ve waited to be with him?
 
I did everything right and we were going to
 
have such a good life together,
”
 
the woman says sobbing.

“
What the fuck is wrong with you.
 
Tucker isn
’
t the only man in the world go find someone else.
 
 
He
’
s my husband and
 
I
’
m not going to just walk away because you want him.
 
 
And another thing, you ruined my fucking car
 
if I find out who
 
you are
 
I
’
m going to kick your ass.
 
Do you hear me,
”
 
I yell into the phone.
 
Tucker
 
taps on the window.
 
I unlock the door and he
 
reaches into the car, takes my
hand and pulls me out.
 
He takes the phone from my hands
 
and looks
 
down
 
at the
 
blank
 
screen.
 
My hands are shaking and I can barely breathe.

“
Leila
 
look
 
at me,
”
 
Tucker says gripping my shoulders.
 
Whoever was on the phone is gone.
 
They hung up baby please calm down.
”
 
 
I focus on his
 
face
 
and
 
try to
 
steady
 
my breathing.
 
 
When the police arrive
 
I give my statement in a fog.

Chapter 31

 
 
 
 
 
It
’
s funny how differently people handle stress.
 
My mother cleans like a mad woman when she
’
s upset.
 
I once made her mad on purpose to get her to clean the kitchen so that I wouldn
’
t have to.
 
My sister Keisha cooks
 
when she
’
s stressed
 
and
 
Nickie
 
reads.
 
When my life becomes unbearable I sleep.
 
I can sleep anywhere and anytime no matter who
’
s around.
 
After telling Tucker and the police all the details of the phone call I leave everything outside and drag myself into the house.
 
I
kick off my shoes and climb into bed fully dressed.
 
When I wake the next morning the sheets on Tucker
’
s side
 
are rustled but the
 
bed is cold.
 
I step out of the room
 
and pad down the hall towards the kitchen.
 
Tucker is standing in the living room talking to a giant man who I assume is a body guard.
 
Tucker
’
s hair is rustled and he looks as if he hasn
’
t slept in days.
 
I swirl around on the heels of my feet and head back to the room.
 
I shower and change and when I return to the living room Tucker is talking to another group of
 
men.
 
They all turn to face me.

“
Good morning baby,
”
 
Tucker says in a horse voice.
 
He excuses himself from the group and heads over to hug me.

“
Have you slept at all?
”
 
I say reaching up to touch his face.
 
He takes my hand in his kisses my
 
palm
 
and shakes his head no.
 
I guess Tucker deals with stress by staying up all night worrying.
 
He looks miserable and I feel terrible about this mess even though technically it isn
’
t my fault.
 
 
“
What have you been doing?
”

“
I set up an
 
emergency
 
appointment with the alarm company.
 
I
 
changed my phone number,
 
called a lock smith and an armed security service.
”

“
Tucker it
’
s just one woman.
”
 
 
He
 
runs his fingers through his hair
 
and exhales loudly.
 
I pull him over to the couch and sit on his lap.
 
 
I hate what this is doing to him.
 
“
I don
’
t like the idea of allowing this woman to make me run away from my own home but we need to get away,
”
 
I say resting my head on his shoulder.

****
 

Two days later
 
Tucker and
 
I are
 
on a
 
private jet to Jamaica.
 
I made
 
arrangements to take my classes online.
 
We paid to expedite our
 
passports and as soon as they were in our hands we were out.
 
Before leaving
 
I called
 
Pookie
 
and explained the situation.
 
I gave him all of
 
the alarm codes and told him
 
to contact Shauna for the keys to the house.
 
I also told him where to find the credit card he needed to start redecorating.
 
I
 
gave him free reign
 
because I trust that he knows what
 
I like.
 
Joan agreed to help
 
so that
 
the whole house doesn
’
t end up looking like my bedroom back in LA.
 
I
’
m both nervous and excited about leaving the country
 
for the first time.
 
This entire year has been a series of firsts and
 
I
’
m embracing the
 
new adventures.