Consequences (16 page)

He was quiet. Probably thinking about how ridiculous he sounded. I just couldn't believe he had even gone there with the whole dead husband story.

“I'm going to bed. I'll see you upstairs.” I was just too through with the entire conversation. I was heading toward the stairs when I heard him turn off the television and reach down for his keys. Quickly, I swung back around. “Where are you going?”

Donovan brushed past me and didn't bother to respond.

“Don . . . I asked you a question. Where are you going?” I followed him into the kitchen where he reached inside the refrigerator and grabbed another beer.

“I'm going for a spin.”

“What? A drive? You've been drinking.” Had this man truly lost his mind?

“I haven't had that much to drink.”

He stepped out the side door and into the garage while I stood there with a hand on my hip in disbelief. I didn't think he was serious until I heard the engine start.

“What the . . .”

I raced out the door and stepped into the garage just as Don put the Escalade into Reverse and pressed his foot down hard on the gas. The vehicle slammed hard against the garage door and it went flying out into the yard.

“Don, what are you doing?” I screamed as he backed down the driveway. I raced out into the yard as his tires screeched to a halt; then he shifted the car into Drive and peeled down the street driving like a crazy person. Up ahead I spotted a VW bug turning onto our street and my heart leaped into my throat as I watched in horror as Don tried to whip around the car. He must have lost control of the wheel because he went plowing across the yard of the house at the end of the corner and crashed through the front of their house.

I screamed and went racing frantically down the middle of the street. The entire time I prayed no one was hurt.

22

Trinette

Leon and I were at the Cinebistro seeing the new
Batman.
I had been waiting for weeks to see the movie. As soon as they announced the start of the movie we followed the crowd inside. As usual we had perfect seats right at the center of the theater.

“What do you and my daughter want to eat?”

I looked up from the menu and met his proud grin. When he had returned from Germany, I had placed a small box on the bed. Inside was a cigar wrapped in cellophane paper that read, “It's a girl!” He'd had his chest stuck out proud ever since. Staring up at his kind face, I felt another moment of guilt. I hated what I was doing to him. But what choice did I have?

“I think I'll have the shrimp and grits and the chocolate cake.”

While he gave the waiter our order I looked over toward the door and my stomach did a nosedive. Jrue and Charlotte were walking into the theater. I glared over at the two of them, waiting for Jrue to look up and notice us. As soon as he moved to the aisle in front of us I knew he was getting ready to occupy the only two seats available that were directly in front of where we were sitting. Jrue's eyes grew big and round. He was holding hands with Charlotte, and they were wearing matching turquoise and black outfits. I nodded and forced a smile at both of them.

Leon was the first to speak. “Hey, Jrue, man. Good to see you again.” Smiling, he rose from the chair and bumped fists. The two had met at numerous campus functions.

“Good seeing you too.” He nodded, then turned to his wife. “Leon, this is my wife, Charlotte. Charlotte, this is Trinette's husband.”

“It's such a pleasure to finally meet you. Congratulations on the baby!”

Leon was beaming with pride. “Thank you. Thank you. Yep, my wife and I are excited. She just found out last week we're having a girl.”

Jrue glared over at me and I just grinned. That's what he got for bringing that skinny bitch to my favorite movie theater. I told him before that Leon and I came here often. The least he could have done was call and verify I wasn't coming. Men can be so insensitive at times.

“That's wonderful,” Charlotte remarked with this smug look on her face. “I'm glad my husband could be of service while you were out of town.”

His brow ruffled. “What service?”

“Didn't your wife tell you?” she began innocently. “Trinette was having false labor pains and Jrue was kind enough to take her in to see her obstetrician. Isn't that right, dear?” She gazed up at him.

Jrue seemed to be gathering himself before he finally nodded. “Oh, yes. I almost forgot about that. Absolutely. I'm glad I was there to help. I would have wanted someone to do the same if I had been out of the country. How was Germany?” he asked, smoothly changing the subject.

“It was great. I spent most of the time in the office, so I didn't get to see too much.” A waiter was coming down the aisle with our drinks. “We better get in our seats. It was nice to see you again.”

As soon as I flopped down on the chair, I could see the wheels in Leon's head turning. Damn that skinny ho. By the time our waiter had left to check on our order, Leon swung around on his seat, not at all happy. “Why didn't you tell me you had contractions and Jrue had to take you in?”

I shrugged. “I didn't want to worry you. If I had told you, you would have been on the next plane back to the States. It was just false labor. Nothing to worry about.”

I couldn't believe how disturbed he looked at not being there. “I don't care how big or small the pains are. From now on you need to call me. That's
my
child you're carrying and I don't want anything happening to either of you.”

I nodded, although I wasn't paying any attention to what he was saying. I was too busy watching Jrue and his wife as they ordered their food.

All through the movie I couldn't stop looking at the two of them. Every time she leaned in close and whispered in his ear I wanted to scratch her eyes out. I had really been looking forward to
Batman
and had heard the action scenes were fantastic, yet I couldn't focus on anything but the couple in front of me.

I tried not to think about the two of them being together and instead focused on an upcoming event. The entire department was attending a Career Programs mini conference in Virginia Beach next month at the Embassy Suites. We all had rooms there, but I planned on being with Jrue alone for two nights. Leon and I owned a condo on the beach that we rented out. I had contacted the management company months ago and reserved those two days. That way we'd have somewhere private we could go and be alone without anyone finding out. Zakiya was already suspicious that Jrue was messing around on his wife. Until he was ready to leave her and finally be with me, I didn't need anything standing in the way of me being with my man.

Halfway through the movie, I excused myself and went to the bathroom. One annoying thing about being pregnant was that I always had to pee. I was coming out of the bathroom stall when I spotted Charlotte standing in front of the sink.

“How are you enjoying the movie so far?” she asked as I moved to the sink beside her and lathered my hands.

“Plenty of action,” I said, although I had been too busy watching her and Jrue to really notice.

She reached for the paper towels, handed me one, then grabbed another for herself. The whole time I watched her watching me.

“What?” I finally asked. I hated when women stare. Just say what's on your mind.

“I'm sorry if I keep looking at you. It's just I am so envious of pregnant women.” She sighed and had this sad look. “Just between you and me . . . Jrue and I have been trying for years, but I can't seem to get pregnant.” She sounded like she was glad to have finally gotten that off her chest.

“I'm sure it will happen in time.” Like with someone other than my future husband.

“That's what I've been told, but I caught my husband standing in the baby section at Macy's the other day. And I know despite everything he's said about it being okay, deep down he really wants a child of his own.”

My plan was working. I struggled to keep a grin from my face. “Really? How sad,” I said. I truly am a good actress.

“Anyway, I finally decided it's time for me to go and see a fertility doctor. If in vitro fertilization is the only option, then so be it.”

Hell no. The last thing I needed was for this heifer to finally get pregnant when I was so close to getting what I wanted. If Charlotte ever gave birth to a child, there was no way Jrue would ever leave her. And Ms. Netta was not having that. “That sounds like a wonderful idea. I hope it all works out for the two of you.” Yeah right. My daughter didn't need any siblings who weren't born from my coochie. I planned on texting him as soon as I got home and give him an ultimatum. If he decided to fertilize a baby in a dish, then it was over and Leon and I were going to raise his daughter. I was sure that was all the push he needed to finally make his decision. I'd be damned if I went through months of throwing up and stretch marks for some other woman to step in and steal my shine.

23

Nikki

After Donovan and that whole drunk driving fiasco, he was so devastated by what he had done that he admitted himself into a mental hospital. The unit was now jumping through hoops trying to assist me, but at this point I didn't need their help. It took three days before a doctor finally diagnosed my husband with PTSD. I couldn't tell you how relieved I was. Not because I had been right all along about my husband having the disorder, but because he was finally getting the help that he so desperately needed and deserved.

For the first few days he wasn't allowed to have any visitors; then I was invited to attend his treatment sessions. A lot of his bitterness and rage surfaced during the session, but after two weeks I could tell that progress was finally being made.

I was at the bookstore setting up for a book signing. We had a new author Ashlie Kelly coming in to sign copies of her first novel
, Right Through Me.
It was an amazing story written by such a young woman. I had arranged chairs for a reading and question and answer session followed by the book signing. We'd been publicizing the event for weeks.

I was hooking up the mic when I heard the main phone ring. I looked at the line of customers at the counter. It was two-for-one, and those days were always busy at the store.

“Karen, stay at the register and I'll answer the phone in my office.” I hurried to the back of the store and grabbed the phone on the third ring.

“Book Ends . . . May I help you?”

“Well, hello, Nikki.”

I froze because there was no way in hell I was on the phone with that psycho, yet I knew that voice that sounded like nails on a chalkboard. “Kenyon?”

“Yes, baby, it's me.”

I looked around to make sure no one was listening, then whispered, “What the hell are you doing calling me?”

“I earned a phone call and the only person I wanted to call was you.”

“But I have a restraining order against your behind. Which means you're not supposed to be calling me.”

“Baby, I just wanted a chance to let you know I've been thinking about you?”

“Why?” Lord, why now?

I hadn't heard from that fool since he'd been arrested for kidnapping and attempted murder. I remember all those weeks of trying to keep Donovan from finding out. Thank goodness he was just getting back from Iraq and was spending a great deal of time at the unit in processing. I had made sure my lawyer kept my identity a secret because I was afraid of my husband finding out the truth about my affair that had ended up being with a straight-up stalker. In the few months that we had been dating, Kenyon had become so obsessed with me that he refused to accept that my husband and I were trying to save our marriage. As far as he was concerned, the only woman in the world for him was me.

Eventually, he was arrested and found mentally incompetent to stand trial, and was sentenced to five years in a mental facility; in exchange, he was supposed to have absolutely no contact with me. By doing so now he was violating the terms of his sentence.

“Baby, I've tried to stop loving you, but I just can't.”

“Well, I wish you would.” I had enough problems without him calling me. Just the thought of me making love to this psycho made my skin crawl. I remembered thinking he was someone special and that maybe we had a chance. I guess that's what happens when you start dating when your heart had been broken by someone else. You think there is more going on because you so desperately want it to be.

“Kenyon . . . Do me a favor. If you really love me, you won't ever call me again.”

“But I—”

“No buts, just don't ever call me again.”

He was saying something when I hung up the phone. I hated to be rude, but you had to be with someone like Kenyon. He was like a freaking leech. If I showed even the slightest bit of weakness, he would suck me dry.

Thank goodness I had sense enough years ago to change my home and cell phone numbers. Nevertheless, I picked up the phone again and contacted my lawyer. I needed to make sure that nut never called the bookstore again.

24

Trinette

On Saturday I lay around napping most of the day. Jrue had gone to Baltimore with Charlotte's skinny ass for the weekend to visit her family, which left my fat, pregnant behind with nothing to do except watch movies and read a book.

I got up from the couch in my sitting room and padded across the plush carpeting into the bathroom. Lately, all the hell I do is pee, then pee again. This baby is getting so big she is always pushing on my bladder.

“Little girl, I wish you'd move over,” I hissed and even tried to push her over off my left side, but her stubborn little ass wouldn't budge.

I had to smile at the thought of there being a mini me.

As I washed my hands I stared at myself in the mirror. Damn, I was huge.

I turned from side to side. I was wearing panties and a T-shirt that stretched across my big, inflated belly. Just the sight made me want to cry. I don't care what anybody says, there is nothing attractive about being pregnant.

“You're a pig,” I mumbled, then little missy started kicking me in the ribs. I pressed a hand to my belly and stepped into the bedroom just as Leon was coming through the door.

“What's wrong?” His eyes got large with worry.

I groaned. “She's lying on my side. I don't know if she's kicking my ribs or what. All I know is it hurts.”

“Here . . . let me help you.” He rushed over and raised my swollen ankles onto the bed. “Do you need me to take you to the hospital?”

“No.” I wished he'd just go back downstairs.

“I'm serious. If you're hurting, I want to make sure I'm there this time to take you in to see your physician.”

Oh hell! Leon was starting to get on my nerves. Ever since Charlotte blurted out that Jrue had taken me to my OB appointment, he'd been going on and on about not being there when his pregnant wife needed him. For the last week he'd been calling me every hour, insisting that I do nothing, and while at home, smothering me. Now since I was feeling like shit, he was going to be asking every five seconds if I was okay. I wasn't sure how much more I could take.

“No, Leon. I just need to lay here a while.”

I missed sleeping on my stomach. Since she had started growing I couldn't even find a comfortable spot. I lay on the opposite side the baby was pressed up against hoping that she would take the hint and roll her little ass over.

“Do you mind if I lay here for a few minutes and hold you?”

I was screaming inside, hell no! As big as I was getting, the last thing I wanted was to be touched, but I just closed my eyes. Leon reached inside the nightstand and rattled around in one of the drawers for a few seconds, then climbed onto the bed and rolled beside me.

I heard a humming sound. My eyelids flew open and I rolled onto my back. In Leon's hand was my vibrator.

“What the hell? Leon, the last thing on my mind is sex.” Just like a man. If they find you in the bed, their dick gets hard and they are ready to get busy.

He shook his head and chuckled. “I'm not thinking about sex.”

“Then why are you playing with my vibrator?” And how the hell had he known it was tucked away in a box of tissues inside my nightstand. I took a second to think what else was in there that I wouldn't want him to find.

“I had an idea. I think if we pressed this against your stomach, the vibration will make Little Bit move over.”

Little Bit was the nickname he'd picked out for my daughter. “I'm so desperate I'm willing to try just about anything,” I said with a tired laugh.

“Then roll back over.”

I did as he said and he laid the device against my stomach and turned it up on high. And sure enough in a matter of minutes that little girl woke up and moved, relieving the pain in my side.

“Oh, my God. She moved!”

Leon laughed. “I had a feeling that might work.”

“I'm just glad it did. I wasn't sure how much more of that I could take.”

He turned off the vibrator and set it to the side and lay back on the bed. “Come here,” he said, and I was glad to roll into the cradle of his arm. I closed my eyes and listened to his deep breathing.

“Have you been thinking about any baby names?”

How was I going to tell him that Jrue and I had already picked out a name for his daughter? “I haven't given it much thought,” I lied.

“I was thinking that maybe we should name our daughter after my mother.”

Leona. Hell no.

I tilted my head and turned up my nose. “Seriously? That's a name for an old lady. Girls nowadays need cute names like Serenity, Symphony, and Sage.”

He frowned. “She needs a name that has class and represents strength. Think about when she finally hits the job market. We don't want her to be stereotyped.”

One thing my daughter will never be is stereotyped. I guarantee she is going to be a diva just like her mother. “I think we need to find a name we both like.” Like Symphony. I rolled away from him, found a comfortable spot, and shut my eyes, suddenly feeling sleepy. I was no longer getting the rest I needed and the bags under my eyes were proof of that. And Netta wasn't having that.

“Let me ask you a question . . . was Jrue in the examination room when you found out the sex of our child.”

My eyelids snapped open. Shit. Where the hell did he hear that? “Hell no. What in the world made you think that?” I didn't dare look over at him.

“I was just asking. He was there with you at your appointment, but you never said if he was in the room with you or not.”

“Good Lord, of course not. He waited in the lobby until my examination was over.”

I felt his body sag with relief as he rolled over and wrapped an arm across my body. “I was just asking.”

“Don't be ridiculous. Why don't we come up with a list of baby names and put them in a hat and pull from them?” I said, changing the subject.

“That sounds like a plan.” He sounded pleased by my suggestion.

Maybe taking Jrue to see my physician had been a mistake.