Consequences (27 page)

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Authors: Skyy

BOOK: Consequences
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Chapter 35
Lena sat under the dryer reading an
Essence
magazine. She was excited to read it because she wanted to see what number Brandon had gotten on the “25 sexiest athletes” list. She was gleaming with pride as she looked at her man. She knew things were about to take off now that he was considered sexy in print.
Someone walked toward her dryer. She figured it was her beautician coming to check her hair. “Is it dry?” she said, not looking up from her magazine.
“Um, I'm not here to check your hair.” She looked up to see the woman who crashed her wedding.
Lena raised her dryer. She looked at the woman. “What do you want?” Lena felt her anger rising.
The other women in the shop began to watch and wonder what was about to go down.
“Look, I'm not here to fight with you. I just came to give you this.” The woman dropped a packet on the floor. “You can pick it up by having this ticket. Have a nice life.” The woman hurried out of the shop.
Lena grabbed the packet and opened it. Her heart began to race as she looked over the documents. She felt like she was about to have a heart attack.
“Girl, is everything OK?” Her beautician walked up to her.
Lena held up a picture. “I gotta go.” She ran out of the beauty shop with rollers still in her hair.
“Who is it?” a weak voice whispered as the door opened.
“Tammy?” Denise said as she walked into the dark room.
“Denise?” Tammy slowly turned her head to see her daughter standing there.
Denise gasped at her mother's presence. “Yeah, it's me.” She walked closer. Her whole body began to shake as she looked at her mother's sunken face and the lesions covering her face and arms.
“What are you doing here?” Tammy asked. “How did you know where I was?”
“Carmen told me that you weren't in Life Support. She told me that she'd been up here to visit you. I see you're hanging in there.”
“I didn't think you wanted to see me. I wouldn't want to see me if I was you.” Tammy turned her head away from Denise.
Denise fought back tears. “Why'd you hide this from me for so long?”
“I didn't want to complicate your life anymore than it was. You were busy with school, basketball, and taking care of Mama. I didn't want you to have this on your mind as well.”
Denise looked down at her mother. She knew she was right. Denise was dealing with a lot during her first years of college. If she'd known about Tammy, she may not have been where she was then. “You got it from using?”
“I don't really know. I was hoin' and using. It could have been either one.” A tear fell from Tammy's face.
“How long do you have left?”
“A few more weeks at the most.”
“Damn!” Denise yelled as she hit the tray sitting next to her.
“Denise, listen to me. I don't want you to think about me. There will be a package sent to your house by Mema's attorney. It'll contain all you need. I don't want a funeral at all. I don't even want you there. You play basketball and go on with your life. I never was there for you, and that was my biggest mistake. But, Denise, I love you so much, and I only want what's best for you.”
“How am I supposed to concentrate on the tournament or school with this on my mind?”
“Denise, there's nothing you can do. There is nothing anyone can do but me. So I'm doing what is necessary. Leave my room and never come back. You play ball and win that tournament and go pro. That's the only thing I can do for you now.”
Tears rolled down Denise's face. “I can't just leave you here. You're still my mom.”
“No, Mema was your mother. I'm the woman who had you. I was never there for you, and I regret that. But you need to do what is best for your future, and watching a junkie die ain't it. Now please, Denise, leave my room.” Tammy turned her head toward Denise again.
Denise looked at her mother. She sucked up her emotions and walked toward the door. She turned around and looked at Tammy again. She called her name.
“Yes, baby?” Tammy said as she turned back around toward Denise.
“I forgive you for everything.” Denise walked out the door. As soon as she made it to the elevator, she broke down.
 
 
Carmen opened the door to her room. Nic wasn't there. She felt her heart breaking. “No, no. I fucked up.”
“Didn't expect to see you here.” Nic walked into the room.
Carmen turned around. “I figured we needed to talk.”
“We needed to talk two weeks ago. You didn't seem to care then!” Nic realized that she didn't do anything wrong.
“Nic—”
“Fuck you, Carmen. I told you not to go. I begged you not to go!” Nic was furious. “You want to look at the fact that La kissed me. What you did was ten times worse than a girl kissing me that I didn't even kiss back.”
“I, I had to—”
“You know what I did when she did that? I fucking left the room and told her to never contact me again. That bitch cheats on you constantly, treats you like shit, and you run off to be with her. You leave me to go be with her! You ought to be glad I didn't fuck!”
“Nic, I had to go,” Carmen cried.
“No, you didn't!” Nic yelled.
There was a knock on the door. She opened the door to see Lena standing there.
“Lena, what's wrong?” Nic asked.
Carmen walked to the door and saw the bloodshot eyes and dried tears on Lena's face.
“I didn't have anywhere else to go,” Lena said as she began to sob. “Everything's over.” She fell into Nic's arms.
Nic carried her into the room.
“Lena, talk to me. What's going on?” Carmen said as Nic put Lena on the bed.
She couldn't speak. She just handed Carmen the package that the girl gave her.
Lena's heart had dropped when she opened the package at the beauty shop. Inside were pictures of Brandon and this girl. She saw a picture of him putting his head to the girl's pregnant belly. The girl had also given her the child's birth certificate and social security card. Lena saw a letter with her name on it. She'd opened it when she got in her car.
Lena,
I know you are going to despise me for the rest of your life. I understand. I was the other woman who was with your man. I now know it was the biggest mistake I ever made. Brandon and I were together for three years. I didn't know about you until you arrived at Freedom. That's when I found out that Brandon had a main chick, and it wasn't me. But by then I loved him and was determined to keep him. Love makes you do some fucked up things, including get pregnant by a man who will never really love you.
Yes, the baby is Brandon's. As you can see from the birth certificate, Brandon took full responsibility for him. He even named him Jonathan Brandon Redding. I just knew that the baby was going to change things between us, but I was wrong.
Suddenly Brandon got a conscience and realized he wasn't going to lose you for anyone, not me or his own child. I do admit that he loves you very much, and he has paid me to get out of town. The only thing is that, per his contract, he paid ME to get out of town, but not his baby. So, I am leaving Jonathan with you and Brandon. It may be selfish, but I know that he will have a better life with you and Brandon than he will ever have with me.
I know that you probably don't want your husband's bastard child, and I'm sure that divorce is on your mind. But I want you to know that I was the only one. Brandon loves you and told me that he was never going to do this again to you. You are a lucky woman in the end. I had him part-time, but you have him forever. You can pick John up at Nanny's Day Care. I have enclosed paperwork signing over my rights to you. I have already signed them.
Lena closed the letter. She began to cry as she looked at the picture of the baby. It was the same picture she saw in Brandon's desk.
Something told her to forget it, but she couldn't. She picked the child up from the day care and headed back to her house. When the baby began to cry she broke down. She told the housekeeper to watch the child. She packed some of her things and left her home.
 
 
“That sorry son of a bitch!” Carmen yelled as she looked over the items in the package.
“I left the baby at my house with the housekeeper. I had to get out of there,” Lena said.
“It's fine, Lena. We're here for you. Is there anything you want?” Carmen said.
“Yeah, Lena, you can stay here with us,” Nic offered, looking at Carmen.
Carmen looked at Nic and turned back to Lena.
“No, this is the first place he is going to come. I don't want to see him. I want to go somewhere he can't find me.”
All three of them knew there was only one place Brandon didn't know about.
Chapter 36
Denise lay down on her bed. Cooley sat in the chair next to her.
“Man, I know you are hurting right now, but I believe she did the right thing. Denise, you've come too far to give it all up now.”
“Man, it's like I feel like I'm going to hell if I don't go spend all the last days with her.”
“Naw, bruh, it's not like that at all. You're doing what she would want you to do. You staying here isn't going to help her live longer. You did the best thing you could do. You let her know that you forgave her. That's all she ever wanted.”
“You know I got a call from the New York Liberty. They want me to come to their camp this summer. They want me.”
“Hell, yeah. That's what I'm talkin' about. Shit, I wish you was gonna be closer to Miami. But, hell, we gonna be ballin', so we can visit each other.” Cooley laughed as she tried to take Denise's mind off of Tammy. “Man, only a few weeks left.”
“Yeah, I know. God this has been a long-ass year. I can't wait to fuckin' graduate and get the hell up out of here.”
Cooley knew the time was right. “Bruh, there is something I have to show and tell you.” She headed to her room and came back with a large envelope.
“What's all this?”
“Well, I'm only telling you this because of your safety. Man, I told you Rhonda was crazy, but you don't even know the half of it.”
“Don't start that again.”
“Dee, for real. Look, Dayza is Rhonda's suitemate. She told me that Rhonda be like yelling your name and listening to crazy music and shit. She said that Rhonda spazzed out after you left her alone the last time. She was like going off and shit to the R.A.”
“For real?” Denise looked troubled.
“Man, for real. She said that Rhonda like rolled out and didn't come back 'cause they were going to call security on her. So we broke into her room.”
“You broke into her room?” Denise said.
“Well, kinda. We just kinda popped the lock. Look, man, the important thing is what I found. Check this shit out.” Cooley threw all the documents on the bed.
Denise started to look at the pictures and information.
“Man, the girl is fucked up. I did a check on her, and the bitch is bi-polar and manic depressive and some more shit.”
Denise continued to look through the pictures. She noticed the picture of the drawer filled with info on her. “Is this in her room?”
“Hell, yeah. She got like a collection on you and shit. Oh, and look what I found at her crib.” Cooley pulled out her shades. “You know what that means.”
“Your room.” Denise put her hands on her head. “How the fuck did I end up with the nutcase?”
Cooley laughed. “Kinda crazy, huh? The tables are turned for once.”
Denise looked at Cooley. She was right.
“Man, I'm glad you found this shit out. I better not see that girl. She been up in my crib and shit. We need to get the locks changed.”
“You bet not see her? Man, if I see her,I'm gon' beat the black off of her. Look what she did to my damn clothes. But I hear she hasn't been to her room in a while.”
“Well, you know what, C, fuck it. I'd rather she stay away than attempt to come back into my life for any reason.”
“I feel you on that.”
Suddenly they heard a knock on the door. They both walked to the living room as Carmen opened the door with her key. Nic was carrying Lena.
“What the hell happened?” Denise exclaimed as she grabbed Lena out of Nic's arms.
“I'll explain everything. Take her to your room, please,” Carmen said as she paced the floor.
Denise carried Lena to her room. Lena was crying hard. Denise couldn't make out anything that she was saying. She put Lena in her bed and headed back into the living room.
“You are fucking bullshitting!” Cooley yelled. “What the fuck did I tell y'all!”
Denise sat in silence trying to absorb everything that Carmen said. She was furious.
Carmen noticed the look on Denise's face. “Dee, don't even think about it,” Carmen warned.
Denise just looked at her.
“Brandon is a bold muthfucka, I tell you. How the fuck he gon' let this shit happen? See niggas don't think shit out at all,” Cooley said as she sat down on the couch.
“Well, I don't know what Lena is going to do,” Carmen said.
“So, I guess she'll just stay here for a few days until she clears her—”
Cooley quickly interrupted Carmen, “Hell, no, she won't stay here! Man, Brandon ain't finna send people up here to get his wife. She need to go home and deal with that shit. She knew what she was getting into when she married his ass.”
“Cooley, come on, that's fucked up!” Carmen yelled.
“No, it isn't. Come on, C, you know good as I do that Brandon already got static with Dee over Lena. If he finds out that his loving wife ran to the arms of Denise, he's going to be ready to pop off.”
“He doesn't know where y'all live,” Nic added.
“And he is a fucking superstar. He can find out where we live and anything else he wants to find out. I ain't down with this. Denise, say something!” Cooley yelled.
Denise raised her head. “She can stay here until I leave for Nationals. I'm sure she'll calm down in a few days.” Denise got up and walked to her room.
Cooley cursed, but knew she had lost.
“Lena?” Denise said as she walked into her room.
“How could he, Denise, how could he?” Lena said. She finally stopped crying as hard, but tears were still streaming down her cheeks.
“Lena, I don't have the answer to that. But just try to get some rest. You want something to eat?”
Lena shook her head. “Thank you for letting me stay here. I heard y'all in the other room.”
“It's no problem, and you know it. Now go to sleep.”
Lena turned over and closed her eyes.
Denise headed back into the living room.
Cooley came out of her room with a bag in her hand. “I'm gonna stay at Lynn's tonight, a'ight. You can sleep in my bed.” Cooley gave Denise daps and opened the door.
Misha finished packing her bags to go home. When she got off the phone with Carmen, she knew Memphis was where she needed to be right then. Misha couldn't believe Brandon had a child.
“You ready, baby?” Patrick said as he walked in the room.
Misha closed her suitcase. “Yeah, I am.” She threw her arms around Patrick. “I am so sorry about this.”
“No, baby, I understand your friends need you. I'll be praying for Lena and her situation.”
Misha kissed Patrick. She that she had made the right decision. Patrick was her future. She was able to do what many women couldn't do: she was leaving the gay life behind her. “I love you so much.”
“I love you too. Now let's get you on that plane.”
 
 
Nic and Carmen drove in silence until Carmen broke. “I just can't believe this night.”
“Yeah, it is real fucked up,” Nic responded. “I feel bad for Lena.”
“I know, and I can't believe that woman left her child like that. Nic, I know you're mad at me.” Carmen shook her head in disbelief.
“Carmen, don't. I don't want to talk about it. I understand why you went. You needed closure.”
“Nic, I'm sorry.”
“Carmen.”
“I felt guilty.”
Nic looked at Carmen. “What do you mean? Guilty for what?”
Carmen began to cry. “I did that to her. I wished for her to experience the pain that I felt. I wished it all the time. I ... I wanted her to be hurt.”
“Baby, you can't put that on yourself. Carmen, that is not your fault. Tameka did that to herself.”
“But I wished it on her. I should've been careful what I wished for. I never really wanted her or anyone to truly get hurt.”
“It is not your fault. Why didn't you talk to me about this?”
“Nic, you get so emotional when it comes to her. I didn't want to make you mad.”
“You made me mad by doing what you did.”
Carmen put her hand on Nic's leg. “Baby, please, I am sorry. I need you. You make me whole.”
Nic wrapped her arms around Carmen. “Baby, I love you more than I've loved anyone in my life. Just let me love you, Carmen, damn!”
“I've never had anyone to treat me the way you do.”
“Carmen, if you just let me in. Baby, I'm not trying to hurt you. I just want to make you happy. I just want to give you all the love that you give to everyone else in your life. You don't deserve anything less. Let me love you, Carmen.”
Carmen closed her eyes as Nic held her tight. Finally, she let go. The wall built around her heart finally broke down. “I love you, Nicole.”
“I love you too, Carmen. I'm not going anywhere.”
 
 
Denise heard Lena's footsteps heading toward her direction. She watched as Cooley's door opened. Lena stood there wearing nothing but a T-shirt.
Denise sat up in the bed, watching as Lena walked closer and climbed on top of her. Lena planted a sensual kiss on her.
Denise pulled back. “Lena we don't need to—”
“Denise, please, I need to feel good. You're the only person who makes me feel good. Please don't say no.” Lena kissed her again. Lena straddled Denise. She began to grind against Denise's pelvis.
Denise wrapped her arms around Lena and returned the kisses. Their tongues stroked each other and aroused all of their senses.
Denise ran her hands down Lena's back, slowly pulling her shirt up over her head. She looked at Lena's perfect naked body sitting on top of her. Lena's breast sat up perfectly as though they were inviting Denise to devour them. She did.
Denise grabbed Lena's long ponytail and pulled her head back. She slowly sucked on Lena's neck as Lena continued to grind against her pelvis. Denise ran her hand down the front of Lena's neck until she reached her breasts. She just wanted to feel her. She massaged her breasts, using her index finger and thumb to play with Lena's nipples. They quickly became erect.
Denise slowly ran her tongue around Lena's right nipple, licking circles until she placed the whole nipple in her mouth. She sucked on Lena's breasts, keeping everything slow. She was not going to rush this experience at all.
Lena's body responded pleasurably. Denise could feel her own body becoming more and more excited with every touch.
Denise slowly picked Lena up and placed her on the bed. She stood up and held her hand, out. As soon as Lena grabbed her hand Denise scooped her up in her arms. She carried her to her room and laid her on the bed.
Denise undressed.
Lena had never seen Denise completely naked before. She studied Denise's curves. She didn't realize she had so many. She looked at the curve of Denise's ass. Her pussy reached the height of its wetness.
Denise pulled out a box. She took out her latex manhood and strapped it on. She looked over at Lena who had positioned herself in the middle of the bed. Denise put one knee on the bed as she raised Lena's leg. She licked her way to Lena's inner thigh, leaving her name branded on her leg forever.
Denise slowly opened Lena and felt her wetness. She smiled at how wet she made Lena. She slowly stroked her index finger in and out, using the index finger to entice Lena's clit, until Lena begged for her to taste her.

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