An Unexpected Love (Women's Fiction/BWWM Romance) (10 page)

“What do I do, Val?” Layla cried over the
kitchen sink. “I don’t how to make it right.”

“It’ll be okay.” Valerie rubbed her back.
“She’s just a teenager, and it’s hard at her age to deal with what she’s
feeling. Maybe she should get some counseling.”

“
Right
.
Like she’d go.” Layla swiped her nose with a paper towel. “I can’t go back and
change things. What if that’s the only way to fix it?”

“You’ve got to do the best you can from
here on out.” Valerie took the paper towel and dabbed Layla’s cheeks. “You are
a wonderful person and a great mother. I’m sure some people with your condition
can’t even function. I bet they don’t even have their kids. Those girls have
been blessed.” Valerie got another paper towel and handed it to Layla. “They
were raised in a wonderful home in a nice neighborhood. They have two parents
with great careers. They never wanted for anything. Aliyah’s looking for
perfection, and she’s too young to realize there’s no such thing as perfect.”
She took one of the plastic cups off the counter filled it with punch from the
punch bowl. “I’m proof that there’s no perfection in this world, Lay. If so, I’d
have five kids by now.” Valerie sipped punch. “I wouldn’t have to play God to
have a baby.”

“How’s that going anyway?” Layla poured herself
some punch into a cup. “David still doesn’t wanna do the Gamete Transfer
thing?”

“He keeps saying we won’t be able to
afford it, and the insurance won’t cover it.”

“You say that like you don’t believe him.”

Valerie sipped. “Honestly, I don’t think
David wants to have another child. He has his son, so maybe for him that’s
enough.”

“I don’t believe that.” Layla shook her
punch around in her cup. “He loves you more than anything.”

“All I know is that every time I bring the
procedure up again, he gets so mad we end up arguing.” She licked punch from
her lips. “Then again, when are we not arguing these days? We argue about every
damn thing including…” She looked toward the kitchen door.

Layla urged her to go on. “What?”

“Your little sister,” Val spat with her
nose turned up.

Layla sighed. “She’s
our
sister.”

“I doubt she’s my sister. Hell, I think
she’s adopted.”

“You are something else.” Layla laughed. “We
were right there when Momma had her. She started having her in the car,
remember? By the time Daddy got us to the hospital, she was out.”

“That’s a sign of how she was gonna be.”
Valerie waved her finger. “She couldn’t wait to get into the world to spread
her evilness.”

“Evilness?” Layla shook her head as she
sipped punch.

“Yep, couldn’t even be patient enough to
come out on time. All that hollering Momma was doing. She said it felt like
Corrine was ripping her to shreds.” Valerie motioned her cup to Layla. “
‘Cause
she was the devil’s child.”

“You need to quit.” Layla chuckled. “I had
two babies. Believe me they all feel like they’re ripping you to shreds.”

“Corrine is the spawn of Satan or some
shit. I should’ve grabbed Momma and pushed her back inside.” Valerie guffawed.

“You crazy!” Layla almost spit out punch.
“How long is this thing between you and Corrine gonna go on? You say Aliyah
needs counseling, but she’s not the only one.”

Valerie raised an eyebrow. “What does that
mean?”

“I think you need to talk to someone.”

Valerie set her cup on the counter. “No, I
need
you
to talk to Patrick.”

“Talk to Patrick? Have you lost your
mind?”

“I need you to do me a favor.” Valerie
tucked her arm in Layla’s. “Please, please, go to Patrick, and ask him to talk
David into trying the procedure. I know if Patrick tells him to, he’ll at least
consider it.”

“Val, I can’t…”

“Please.” Valerie tugged on her arm. “It
might be my last shot. We’ve tried everything else. I gotta get David to turn
around.”

“Do you hear yourself?” Layla pried
Valerie’s arm from hers. “You want to manipulate your husband.”

“I want a baby, damn it.” She put her hand
to her mouth. “I want a baby, Layla.”

“I know.” She hugged her. “I know you do.”

“It’s not fair.” Valerie cried into Layla’s
chest. “There are women who can have baby after baby, and they don’t even want
them.”

“Yeah. Cross’ momma didn’t want
him
.”

“I’ll never understand that. I’d give
anything to have a child. You know it’s all I ever wanted.”

“You can’t do it like this, Val.” Layla
pressed her hands on Valerie’s cheeks. “You can’t let this change the person
you are. You talk about Corrine manipulating people, but then don’t you go down
the same road.”

“I just want Patrick to talk to him.” She
wiped tears with her hand. “David will listen to him.”

“You need to talk to him.”

“What if he says ‘no’ again?”

“What about adoption?”

“I want my own baby.” Valerie leaned
against the counter. “I want a baby that looks like me and sounds like me. I
deserve that.”

“There are a lot of kids that need
parents.”

“I know,” Valerie whispered. “Maybe I’ll
consider it when I’ve run out of other options, but I can’t give up now. If
David can’t understand that, then maybe I need to move on and find a man that’ll
support me in this.”

“Are you saying you’d walk away from your
marriage if David doesn’t agree to the procedure?”

“I love David to death, but I won’t let
him get in my way of having a baby.” Valerie’s gaze dropped to the floor. “I
want what you and Momma experienced. I’ll do anything to get that.”

Luckily, Val soon left the kitchen because
Corrine entered a few seconds later.

“Val was in here, wasn’t she?” She turned
up her nose. “I smell that nasty perfume.”

Layla set her cup on the counter. “I don’t
know what we’re gonna do with you two. Why two intelligent women can’t sit down
and talk things out, I’ll never understand.”

“I don’t want to talk about her.” Corrine stretched.
“I need a drink.”

Layla filled a cup with punch and passed
it to her.

“I mean a real drink.” Corrine glanced
into the cup. “Wanna get
outta
here?”

“You know I can’t drink on my medication.”

“Come on.” Corrine sipped punch and licked
her lips. “One time won’t hurt.”

“I don’t care for drinking, and you know
why.” Layla sat at the table. “It reminds me of the mess we went through
growing up with Daddy. If I never saw alcohol again, it would be too soon.”

Corrine sat beside her. “Let’s get back to
what we were talking about in the car.”

“Oh no, don’t start that.” Layla rubbed
her forehead. “I told you Patrick and I are over.”

“But he wants you back, and I don’t think
he’ll give up.”

“He has to give up.” Layla laid her hand
on the table. “I don’t love him anymore.”

Corrine crossed her legs. “I’m supposed to
believe you have no feelings for that man after twenty years?”

“Not feelings a wife would have for her
husband, no… Are the girls still on the porch?”

“Last time I walked through they were.
Aliyah stays on that phone like her momma.” Corrine giggled.

“I don’t stay on the phone.”

“Layla, you checked your phone a hundred
times before we got here. You think I didn’t notice? You were seeing if Cross
called you, weren’t you?”

She tingled. “Maybe I was.” She moved her
finger along the edge of the table. “We’ve been talking every day. When I was
in Wellington, I enjoyed being with him. Now I can’t wait to hear his voice
over the phone. I get goose bumps when I think of his name. I feel like a
teenager again.”

“My God.” Corrine propped her arm on the
table. “You’re in love with him, aren’t you? Is that why you don’t want Patrick
back?”

“I don’t want Patrick back because the
feelings are long gone. Guess what?” She touched Corrine’s hand. “I’m going
back to work.”

“What?”

“Yep.” Layla laid her hand on her cheek.
“I’m going back to Royal Delights, and this time I’m never leaving. Working
will be good for me.”

Corrine snickered. “I’ve never known
someone who dodges a question like you, Lay.”

 
“What?”
She stood and pulled down her blouse. “I’m not dodging you.” Then she got her
cup off the counter.

“Then answer the question.” Corrine put
her cup to her mouth. “Are you in love with Cross?”

Layla finished her punch and tossed the
cup in the trash. “What if I am?” Then she abruptly left the kitchen.

Bright lights caught the corner of
Shanti’s eyes from down the street. A long, gold-brown Cadillac crept toward
Vanessa and Warren’s house and stopped in front of the girls.

“What the hell?” Shanti frowned. “That
piece of crap.”

“Shut up, girl.” Aliyah smiled and patted
her hair. “That’s my man’s car.”

“Your man?”

“Yeah, it’s A.C.,” she said as she put her
phone up.

With a black-and-mild cigar hanging out of
his mouth, A.C. let the tinted windows down and scooted to the passenger’s
seat. Rap played low on the radio. “What’s up, baby?”

“Hey.” Aliyah stepped off the porch and
twisted to the car.

A somewhat cute, light-skinned dude with a
black baseball cap stuck his head out of the backseat window.

“What’s up, mommy?” he asked Shanti.

“What?” She closed her legs tighter, even
though she wore jeans.

He stuck a cigarette in his mouth. “I said,
‘What’s up?’” He tilted his head and stared as if he tried to see through her
clothes.

“When I asked you to come by, I didn’t
know you were bringing
him
.” Aliyah
gestured to the light-skinned guy. “I thought we were gonna spend some time
alone.”

“It’s cool, baby.” A.C. took her hand. “Me
and Khalil were gonna chill out at my place a little bit. Momma’s working a
late shift.”

Khalil blew a puff of smoke in Shanti’s
direction.

“How about you come with us?” A.C. rubbed
Aliyah’s hand. “Just for a few minutes?”

“I don’t know.” She glanced toward the
house. “I don’t wanna hear my momma’s mouth.”

“She’s at her party, right?” A.C. asked.
“She won’t even know you’re gone. I’ll bring you back in twenty minutes.”

Shanti clenched up as Aliyah opened the passenger
door and said, “All right.”

 
“
Liyah
.” Shanti ran down the steps. “What are you doing?”

“Going to hang with my man.”

“That’s right.” A.C. scooted back into the
driver’s seat.

 
“I’ll
be back in twenty minutes,” Aliyah said.

“Wait.” Shanti put her hand on the car
door. “I can’t let you go off with these guys.”

“What?” A.C. grimaced. “What you trying to
say? This is my girl. I’m not gonna do nothing to her.”

Shanti glared at him. “How do I know
that?”

“Come with us then,” Aliyah said.

Shanti turned from Khalil’s intense stare.
“No…I—”

“Then I’ll be back in twenty minutes.”

“Wait.” Shanti sighed. “I’m coming with
you.”

“Hey, I like that.” Khalil opened the
backdoor and scooted over.

Shanti said yet another silent prayer and
got in.

****

Aliyah and Shanti followed the guys inside
A.C.’s place.

“I can’t believe you called Momma,” Aliyah
whispered to Shanti. “Damn, somebody needs to teach you how to have fun.”

“I didn’t want her to be worried.” Shanti
glanced down the hall as they walked to the living room. “And I wanted her to
know where the bodies would be.”

“Funny.” Aliyah smirked as she stuck gum
in her mouth.

“She said we better be
outta
here in twenty minutes, or she’s coming to get us.”

Aliyah hit her arm. “
Thanks
, snitch.”

Shanti rubbed the spot. “Ouch.”

A.C. lived in a cozy, redbrick two-story
that appeared so clean that you could probably eat off the floors. Shanti figured
his mother was the cause of that because, judging by the trash that had been in
A.C.’s car, he had never picked up a thing in his life.

“You said your mom’s working a late shift?”
Shanti asked.

“Yep.” A.C. took his baseball cap off and
turned on the overhead light. “She’s a nurse. She works at Ben
Taub
.”

“Oh.” Shanti fidgeted with her arms in her
pocket.
 

“Relax, baby.” Khalil poked her in the side
when he passed. “
Y’all
want something to drink? Got
some forties.”

“I’ll take one,” Aliyah said.

Shanti grabbed her hand. “No you won’t.
You’re not drinking any forty.”

“And who are you? My guardian?” Aliyah
asked as she flounced over to A.C.

Shanti huffed, “Lord knows you need one.”

She caught Khalil staring and quickly
turned away. “Do I make you nervous?” he asked.

“No.” Shanti shivered. “Why…why you say
that?”

“Because…” He puffed the cigarette. “Your
voice is shaking, and you keep looking around like something’s gonna jump out
at you.”

“I’m…I’m fine.” She backed into the
television. “Shit.”

They laughed.

“Relax, girl. I don’t bite.” Khalil took
the cigarette out of his mouth. “That is unless you want me to.”

Shanti moved in behind A.C. and Aliyah. A.C.
whispered in Aliyah’s ear and she nodded.

“Say, uh…” He pointed to Khalil. “We gonna
go upstairs for a few minutes.”

“All right, playa.” Khalil nodded.

A.C. took Aliyah’s hand as he told Khalil
and Shanti, “
Y’all
get acquainted.”

“Wait.” Shanti rushed in front of them.
“Where are you going,
Liyah
?”

“I’m just going upstairs.”

“Where upstairs?” Shanti shifted her weight
to one side.

“Where do you think? In case you forgot, I
came here to spend time with my man.” Aliyah put her arm around A.C.’s waist.
“It’s bad enough you called Momma like a baby. Can’t you sit out here for ten
minutes by yourself? Nobody’s gonna bother you.”

Khalil leaned back and looked at Shanti.

She whispered in Aliyah’s ear, “Don’t
leave me alone with him.”

Aliyah pushed her. “Girl, please.”

“I don’t like the way he’s looking at me.”

“I’ll be back,” Aliyah said. “If he does
anything, just scream and I’ll kick his ass.”

She and A.C. left the room as Shanti
exhaled, “Shit.”

“Why don’t you sit down?” Khalil rubbed
the spot beside him on the couch. “We can get to know each other a little
better.”

She crept toward the front of the couch. “I
don’t wanna get to know you.”

“I wanna know
you
.” He removed his cap and scratched his head. He had pretty,
wavy hair cut low. “Why don’t you wanna know me?”

“No offense, but I don’t wanna be here. I
just came because I’m worried about my sister.”

“Why?” He straightened up. “A.C.’s cool.
He really likes her.”

He stared at her blouse and she crossed
her arms over her chest.

“Would you stop staring at me? You’ve been
doing it the whole time.”

“What can I say?” He leaned forward. “You
put a beautiful woman in front of me, and I’m gonna look, girl.”

She tried to steady her shaking hand to
check her watch.

He grunted. “Man, why you so nervous?”

“I’m not nervous.” She sat way on the
other end of the couch. “And stop staring at me.”

He flicked the cigarette in the ashtray. “How
old are you?”

“Sixteen.”

“I just turned twenty.” He turned the
television on Showtime but kept the sound low. “
What’cha
wanna watch?”

“Nothing.”

“Look, I’m just trying to be nice.” He set
the remote beside him. “What school you go to?” he asked as he put his arm on
the back of the couch.

“Why do you care?”

“Are you always so mean?” He scooted
closer. “What school you go to, girl?”

“Lamar.”

“I went to Madison.”

She gasped, “You graduated?”

“Yeah, I graduated. I’m not stupid. I got
a job too. I work at
Kinkos
.”

Shanti glanced toward the doorway. “Man,
Liyah
needs to come on. What are they doing? We need to
go.”

“What do you think they’re doing?” He
stuck the cigarette back in his mouth. “They’re doing what we
could
be doing.”

Just as he scooted closer, Shanti stood. “Back
off! Nothing—and I mean nothing—is going to happen between you and me.”

“Is that right?”

“Yeah, it’s right.”

“Why?” He put his foot up on the coffee
table. “You got a boyfriend?”

“No.”

He blew smoke in her direction. “You want
one?”

 
“You’re
not my type, believe me,” she spat as she got out her phone.

“What are you doing?”

“Calling my mom to come get us.”

“Wait a minute.” He stood and put his hand
on hers. “Don’t do that. I’m just being friendly.”

“I…I just wanna go.”

“You don’t have to be nervous.” He sat
back down. “Sorry if I made you uncomfortable. We can just watch TV.”

Reluctantly, Shanti sat down.

“Hey…” He reached for her. “Can I have
your…”

“No, you can’t have my number.”