TAKING THE FALL - the Complete Series (10 page)

Two months later

I hear the doorbell ring, and yell, “Be right there!”

I know it’s Justin but he’s ten minutes early and I still need to get dressed, having only done my hair and make-up. I look down and trace my finger over the tattoo I got two months ago. The days and weeks seemed to drag on since then, and a small part of me kept thinking Carter would show up. He didn’t. The tattoo of his name on my ribcage is a reminder that he would always own a part of me, even if at times I hated him.

Slipping a yellow sundress over my head, I grab a pair of woven wedges that will look perfect for the barbeque. I locate my bag and my phone and open the front door.

“
You look great, Layla,” Justin beams, leaning in and giving me a kiss on my cheek.

“
Thanks, same to you. You look more casual than usual,” I say. It’s true, because he normally wears suits. Today Justin has on khakis and a polo. With his blond hair and blue eyes he looks like a strapping, corn-fed good old boy.

“
I thought I’d try something different for a change. You ready?”

“
Yep,” I answer, and make my way down the sidewalk to his white Volvo. He opens the door for me, and I slide into the passenger seat.

Things with Justin have been good. We’re not dating anymore, and he asked to remain friends. I thought people always said that but never ended up doing it, but Justin really wanted to try. We seem to talk more now than we did when we were together. I don’t have many friends, besides Jeanette, so I’m trying to engage more with people. Plus it helps that he’ll always lend a hand when something goes wrong at my house. It’s nice to have a man you can rely on.

I was excited when Jeanette asked me to come over and barbecue at her place. The pool had just opened up in her complex, and I wanted to get a little sun. I’ve been spending my free time enjoying having a piano again, and haven’t really been making an effort to be sociable. I was happy when she invited me over, but shocked when she told me to bring Justin. I guess Saint who, shockingly, is still around, told her to play nice. Saint seems good for Jeanette, but she doesn’t really talk much about him. I don’t think she wants to show how in love she is when I’m still pretty broken up about Carter. I tell myself I’m moving on, but some days there’s no hiding from the lie. I’m interested to see how Jeanette and Justin behave today.

When we get there, we spend most of the day outside by the pool, just eating and hanging out. When the sun starts to set and the mosquitos come out, we decide to go inside to play a few card games. Everyone has been getting along great and no one is ready to call it a night. Even Saint seems to be good with Justin, even though they’re clearly from two different worlds.

Not even two games in and I feel it come over me. I race to the toilet just in time to throw up everything I’ve eaten. This has been happening to me on and off for the past week. After I’ve finished I go to the sink and rinse my mouth out. I look up and see Jeanette in the mirror, watching me.

“
How long?” she asks and I know where this is going. I’ve been trying to pretend it couldn’t be true.

“
Few weeks,” I admit, making her eyebrows nearly hit her hairline.

She walks over to her medicine cabinet and pulls out a pregnancy test. This makes me give her the same eyebrow treatment in return.

“
Cool it. I’m not knocked up. Saint made me take one a few weeks ago. I couldn’t get the guy to wear a condom if my life depended on it and sadly, once he gets me hot, I let him do whatever he wants to my body. But little does sweet Saint know, I’m on the pill.” She takes the test out of the wrapper and hands it to me.

“
I’m scared,” I whisper.

“
It’ll be fine. Whatever the test says we’ll get through it together, just like everything else.”

“
I meant I’m scared about your boyfriend trying to get you pregnant,” I joke, trying to lighten the mood.

“
You and me both,” she says on a nervous laugh. I can tell we’re both feeling anxious.

I stare at the test, take a deep breath and then do what I have to do. And then we wait. I think normally you’re supposed to set a timer and then look, but Jeanette and I just stare at the thing like it’s going to get up and walk away.

Two pink lines come up way freaking faster than it says they should.

“
Oh my God,” we both say at the same time.

“
You’re pregnant!” Saint barks behind us, and we both scream, not realizing he’d opened the door. He looks at Jeanette, not me. She shakes her head and I raise my hand a little sheepishly. It’s then I notice Justin standing behind him with a shocked look on his face.

I look back to Jeanette and ask the only thing I can think of: “What am I going to do?”

Part of me is excited that I’ll now always have this connection to Carter, but just as quickly that’s replaced with shame. My silly little brain had a quick thought of him coming back to me, but who wants a man to be with them only because they’re knocked up.

Fuck that. Who knows where Carter is or worse, who he’s with. That thought makes me turn to the toilet and throw up again.

“
Oh Lays, calm down. We have options here,” she whispers, and I think only I can hear her.

“
You can go ahead and shut that shit down,” Saint says, matter-of-factly. “Carter would lose his fucking mind if he found out you had an abortion.”

Spinning around I point my finger at Saint, “I’m not going to have an—” and it’s then that all of his words catch up to me.

I look over at Jeanette and I see her catching up as well. When her eyes meet mine, they’re full of pain. She closes them and shakes her head, answering my question.

I switch my focus back to Saint and glare at him with all the hate I have inside me. “How do you know Carter?” I snap.

“
Fuck me,” is all he says and his eyes go to Jeanette. She’s staring off into space and just shaking her head in disbelief. You can see the moment it all starts to snap into place.

He’s Carter’s man

“
Why?” I ask, bringing his eyes back to me.

“
I can’t answer that for you, Layla,” Saint says.

“
Because you don’t know or because you won’t tell me?” I question.

“
A little of both. But I do know he loves you.”

“
You don’t know shit,” I spit. Why have Saint here watching me if he loved me? Why isn’t Carter here himself? I want to scream until my lungs burst.

“
If there’s one thing I know about Carter it’s that.”

I can’t do this anymore. The hope that was still dangling there for Carter slips free. I won’t do this anymore. They have to let me go, let
us
go.

“
Why won’t you guys just let me go? He said I was free. Just give me my freedom!” I yell at him.

“
You’ll never be free of Carter. Never. Even more so with his baby inside you.”

Bullshit, I think to myself. If he truly cared he would’ve been here for me. I went to see him in prison and he took my first kiss and told me to leave. He came back again, taking my virginity this time. Maybe he was just fulfilling his needs with me. I’m just not getting how I fit into all of this. My mind can’t take it anymore. Nothing is making any sense to me. If he loved me, he would’ve told me what the hell is happening. He knows I can’t remember and that it’s driving me crazy. Does he really think keeping me in the dark will help me?

Why does he keep ripping this scab open? I’m not dumb. I know I’ll always wear the scar of Carter’s love on me, it’s part of why I got the tattoo. But they won’t even allow the wound to heal. They keep ripping it open and making me bleed. They’ll keep doing it if I let them, until it consumes me.

“
You’re just like him,” I say. “Filled with lies. He doesn’t love me. Does a man leave the woman he loves? Does he rip her to shreds and then leave her to pull herself together alone? If that’s your guy’s kind of love, I don’t want any. Keep it.”

“
Layla, there’s just so much you don’t know,” Saint says, but I’m not hearing it anymore.

“
You’re not getting it. No one cared enough about me to tell me. And I’m done. When you leave here you tell Carter if I ever see him again we’re all going to find out how much of my father I have in me. And this baby, it’s mine. I won’t have it in his world. I’ll make sure it never knows your type of love,” I hiss, before turning to face Jeanette who is staring at Saint.

“
You got what you needed from him?” she asks, still not taking her eyes from him.

“
Yes,” I say, grabbing her hand

“
Get out,” she says, way calmer than I thought she would.

“
Mama, it’s not what you think.”

“
Don’t call me that,” she says through gritted teeth, and I can see her control slipping. I squeeze her hand tighter so she knows I’m here.

“
Jeanette, it’s why I came here but not why I’m staying.”

“
You used me.”

“
That is not true!” he shouts.

“
I won’t be used by another man. I’ve played that game before and I won’t play it again. Get out. We’re through.”

I can hear the pain in her voice. This must be the past she still hasn’t told me about.

“
We’re so far from through and you know it. You. Are. Mine.”

“
I’m not your shit. I’m not your goddamn anything, Michael.”

Saint goes to reach for her but Jeanette shrinks back from him and he stops.

“
Touch me and I’ll scream this house down. You better get out or I’m calling the cops.”

Saint takes a step back and I see his shoulders drop in defeat. “I’ll give you some time but this will never be over, Mama,” he says with resolve and turns to leave. It’s only then that I notice a silent Justin behind him walk out at the same time.

And then Jeanette does the one thing I’ve never seen her do. She cries.