Around the Way Girls 9 (19 page)

After putting away everything that Annette had bought, Breezy lay down on the sofa to take a nap. A few hours later, she was awakened by King shaking her roughly. “Breezy, wake up! Wake up!” She opened her eyes but closed them back. “Breezy!”

“What?” she whined feeling completely drained. The pregnancy was draining all of her energy.

“What the hell are these?” He was shaking the bottle of prenatal vitamins that he'd found lying in the hallway. They'd fallen out of the bag when Breezy and Annette had put the stuff away but neither of them had noticed. Those pills were telling him something that he didn't want to believe and something that he didn't think he could ever accept.

Breezy looked up at him still half asleep. He reached down and pulled her up by her arms. “Answer me, gotdamn! What the fuck are these?” He held them so that she could see.

She wiped sleep from her eyes and focused on the bottle. When she realized what he was holding, her eyes got big as saucers. She hadn't wanted him to find out so soon. She'd known that she couldn't hide it forever but things were already bad between them and she knew this information would only make it worse. “T . . . they are p . . . prenatal vitamins,” she stuttered.

King lost it and pushed her back on the sofa. “Are you telling me that you are fucking pregnant?” he screamed down at her. He was so mad he could have literally killed her with his bare hands. There were indescribable emotions running throughout his body at that moment. Emotions that he didn't even understand. The only thing going through his mind was that this shit could've been prevented.

“Calm down, King,” Breezy pleaded. Her eyes filled with tears as she cowered back against the sofa as far as she could go. She'd never seen him this way before and feared that he might hit her. “Please don't do this.”

He threw the bottle of pills across the room. The bottle crashed against the wall. The top popped off and pills spilled everywhere. Breezy had her head down with her arms covering her head. “Breezy, I am going to ask you one more time before I tear this whole entire room down with your ass! Are you pregnant?”

Annette heard King yelling and came to see what was going on.
Lord, if it isn't one thing, it's another.
She made her way into the living room. She saw Breezy crouched down with her arms over her head and King standing over her. “What in the world is going on in here?” She wiped sleep from her eyes; she'd been taking a nap as well. Curtis was right behind her.

“Well? I'm waiting,” he told Breezy not paying Annette or Curtis any attention. He needed to hear the words from Breezy's lips to believe what he already knew to be true.

“King, why are you asking me a question that you already know the answer to?”

“Answer me.”

“Yes. Yes, I'm pregnant, King, but it isn't my—”

He snatched her up off the sofa by her boney arms and began shaking the shit out of her. “Yes, it is your fault! It is, Breezy! You were the one who chose to go back after he'd already raped you once! You made that decision! You! Not your ma! Not Terry but you!”

Curtis grabbed him. “That's enough! Now take your hands off of her. I'm not playing with you, King.”

Without thinking King snatched away and pushed him causing Curtis to stumble back into the wall. “Get your hands off of me, nigga!”

Curtis got his balance and charged toward King. He was about to put an ass whooping on him that he felt was long overdue. King's attitude and temper had become too much and there was no way he was going to allow a child he'd raised to disrespect him and be putting his hands on him. He'd done way too much for King to accept that type of treatment.

Annette saw what was about to take place and rushed between them. “Curtis . . .” She placed her hand on his chest. “Baby, calm down, let me handle this.”

“Nah, fuck that.” Curtis knocked her hand off of his. “He got me fucked up. I will beat the brakes off of his little punk ass! Ain't no child that I raised gon' be putting their damn hands on me.”

“I understand that but please let me handle this.”

Curtis passed Annette and said to King. “You are lucky that I love your mama as much as I do because if I didn't somebody would be calling the paramedics in here for your ass today.”

“Man—”

That was the only word that King was able to get out of his mouth before Annette turned around and smacked the rest of them from his memory. She slapped him so hard that it took him a few seconds to realize what had happened.

“Ma!”

She slapped him again and then walked up closer in his face.

“What are you going to do?” she asked, her eyes locked on his daring him to say the wrong thing. “Huh? What are you going to do?” she repeated not giving him the chance to reply. “Boy, have you lost your mind? After all that this man has done for you and me. You have the audacity to stand here and disrespect him?” King looked the other way and Annette reached up and jerked his face back around so that he was looking at her. “No, you look at me when I am talking to you. I don't know what your problem is and I don't care but that will never happen again. Do you understand me?

“Yes, ma'am,” he mumbled.

“Now tell Curtis that you are sorry.”

He looked at Curtis. “I apologize.”

“You and I need to talk man to man and then you can apologize. I'll be outside when you are ready to talk.” He turned to walk away but then stopped. “Let me just say this before I go. I don't care how upset you get; don't you ever let me see you put your hands on another woman, because you weren't raised that way! You have never seen me put my hands on your mother. Do you know why? Because a real man knows that his hands don't belong on a woman.” He was so upset and disappointed with King that he could barely stand the sight of him. He walked outside to try to cool down some. He felt that the fresh air might help to clear his head some before he spoke to him.

 

 

Curtis was sitting on the sidewalk watching two little boys wrestle when King walked outside. King took a seat next to him but didn't say anything. For a few minutes they were both silent just watching the kids play. Both of their minds were in overdrive. King was trying to think of what to say and also thinking about Breezy. Curtis was remembering when King was the size of the two little boys. He realized that he wasn't a baby anymore and that he'd grown up. He tried to place himself in his shoes and remember how hotheaded he'd been at his age, dealing with puberty, girls, and becoming a man. He knew that a lot of King's behavior came from the fact that his hormones were all over the place as he made the transition from a boy to a man. He also knew that there were a lot of different emotions consuming him when it came to Breezy. Emotions that he didn't understand, which caused him to react the way that he did when it came to her. He loved that girl so much that it was nearly driving him crazy and he didn't even realize it.

Curtis chuckled at his thoughts.

Hearing Curtis chuckle and seeing a slight smirk on his lips confused King but it also gave him the green light to speak. “Listen, Pops, I apologize for pushing you and disrespecting you.”

Just that quickly the smirk disappeared. “Just don't let that shit happen again because next time I'm busting your ass,” Curtis stated in a tone that told King that he meant business.

“I understand, Pops.” King shook his head and ran his hand over his head. “I don't know what got into me. I just lost it when Breezy confirmed that she was pregnant.”

“You love her,” Curtis stated, still watching the kids.

King looked at him because he wasn't sure if he'd just heard him correctly. “Come again?”

Curtis looked at him for the first time since he'd been sitting next to him. “I said you love her. You always have but now it's different. You may not realize how much you love her but an old head like myself can see it bright as day. As a matter of fact I saw it years ago.”

“Pops, you trippin'. I mean, yes, I do love her, I guess because we were friends for so long; but it's not like girlfriend-boyfriend type of love.”

Curtis started to laugh.

“What's so funny?”

“You. A blind man could see that what you feel for that girl is more than some best friend shit. Look at how you are over her. You will rip somebody's head off over her, even now when you claim that you can't stand her. The anger that I saw in you just now isn't what you see in someone who only loves someone as a best friend.”

“Yes, it is. I mean how else was I supposed to react?”

“You should definitely be mad but not like how you were.”

“I have a girl, Pops, in case you haven't noticed.”

“Humph. Yeah, one that I hope you are using protection with.” Curtis raised an eyebrow at him and King dropped his head. “Son, girls like Vita come and go but girls like Breezy will be there when the world turns its back on you. Vita is one of those people who are only in your life for a season.”

“Huh?”

“I mean that she ain't the type a man would settle down with but at your age that doesn't matter. You are only seventeen. You have awhile before you even think about settling down.” He stood up and brushed the dirt from his pants. “Word of advice. Put your pride to the side and be there for Breezy. She needs you and if you don't stop acting like an ass you may push her away. I mean, imagine how she feels having to carry a child by a man who sexually abused her. This baby will be a daily reminder of what she has been through. If you ask me she is a strong-ass woman already and is going to make some man very happy one day.” He winked his eye at King and patted him on the head. “If you play your cards right it could be you.”

After Curtis had gone inside, King sat outside for a while just thinking. He wasn't ready to go back in yet. His phone rang; it was Vita. He ignored it because he didn't feel like talking at the moment.

When he finally did decide to go inside the house it had gotten dark outside. He didn't see Breezy on the sofa so he walked down the hall toward his room. She was coming out of the bathroom drying her hands. When she saw him she jumped. That made him feel like shit.

“I ain't gonna hit you. I'm sorry about earlier. I just need some time that's all. I'm hurt, Breezy,” he admitted. “I've always been protective over you. When no one else was there I was. Holding you when you cry, fighting anybody who looked at you wrong. Your problems have always been mine because I made them mine.

“When you left that day with your ma that cut me deep because I was thinking that you were going to stay here so that you wouldn't have to go through that stuff no more. Then you went back and look what happens. You are carrying his child. I can't describe to you how that makes me feel knowing that nigga was touching you, hurting you, and taking advantage of you. Not only that but that sorry-ass faggot had the nerve to plant his seed inside of you.” He was mad all over again. “I just need time, Breezy.” He walked off shaking his head.

He went in his room and lay down on the bed in the dark. As he lay there, Breezy's voice started to play in his head again singing that song and only one part kept playing over and over.
“Boy, you said you would be here for me . . .”

He jumped to his feet and turned on the light, walking over to the dresser. He rummaged through his drawers and pulled out a dark pair of sweats and a dark shirt. He hurriedly changed and left his room. He needed to take care of something. As he passed through the living room, he looked at Breezy who was sitting on the sofa eating some crackers. “You're right. I did say that and I meant it.”

She looked at him confused but he didn't bother to give her any explanation. He pulled his hoodie over his head and walked out the door. Every step he took toward his destination his anger grew. When he reached the house the porch light was on. He walked up to the door and knocked.

Teresa was laid back on the sofa when she heard a knock at the door. “Who is it?” she yelled.

“It's King.”

What in the fuck does he want?
she wondered, making her way to the door. She snatched it open. “Hey, Breezy ain't—”

King pushed her so hard that she went sliding across the floor and he stepped over her. “I'm not here to see you,” he growled and headed down the hallway in search of Terry.

“Yo, who that at the door, Teresa?” Terry yelled, laid back on the bed propped up on a pillow in only a pair of boxers.

“I'm who was at the door, you nasty-ass piece of shit!” King announced as he barged into the room.

Terry tried to get up off the bed but he wasn't quick enough. King jumped on the bed and started wearing his ass out. He beat him until he was unconscious. The next thing he knew two police officers were there dragging him off of Terry and cuffing him.

Breezy was curled up under the covers, knocked out when a sharp pain in her stomach woke her up. She tried to get up but the pain was nearly unbearable. She waited for a few minutes and then tried to stand again. This time she stood up but the cramping was so bad that she couldn't walk. She screamed for Annette and kept screaming until she heard her coming down the hallway.

“What is it?” Annette asked, her heart beating rapidly in her chest.

“My stomach hurts really bad.”

Annette saw dark liquid running down Breezy's legs. A strange look covered her face. “Is that blood running down your leg? Oh my goodness, we have to get you to the hospital.” She ran to her room and threw on some clothes.

Breezy grabbed the blanket from the sofa and wrapped it around herself. She felt sort of embarrassed but was in so much pain that the embarrassment quickly disappeared.

Annette came back with the phone pressed against her ear. “Yes, sir, apartment 117G. Please get someone out here as quickly as possible, please.”

Curtis came down the hall carrying a foldout chair. “Here you go. Keep that blanket wrapped around you and sit down right here,” he told Breezy.

“Thank you.” She was scared to death. She'd never been through anything like this and didn't know what to expect. She knew that bleeding couldn't be a sign of anything good. So she began to pray silently.
Lord, I have a feeling that I am about to lose my baby or I already have. I know that you don't make any mistakes and so I won't question why. All I ask is that you help to ease the pain that I am feeling for losing someone I never had a chance to meet. I know that I should probably be happy right now because it was Terry's baby but I'm not because it was also my baby. I know that if no one else understands how I feel you do. So as you have helped me through so many things before, I ask that you will please wrap your loving arms around me and also bring me through this. Oh and please take care of my baby until I join him or her in your Kingdom. In Jesus' name, I pray, amen.

The phone rang. “Maybe that's the ambulance, baby.” Annette told Breezy, touching her on her leg. She pressed the send button to answer the phone. On the other end, an officer explained to her that they had King in custody for assault and battery. She went down the hall and checked King's bedroom to be sure that they had the right person because to her understanding King was in his room asleep. She opened the door and turned on the light. Hurt was what she felt as she stood there staring at her son's empty bed. “I will be there as soon as I can,” she told the officer, feeling defeated. She felt like between Breezy and King she couldn't catch a break for nothing.

Breezy was in a lot of pain but she could tell by the sound of Annette's voice that something was really wrong. Annette walked back into the room with tears in her eyes. “Lord, I don't know how much more of this I can take.”

“What's wrong with King?” Breezy fought through her pain to ask.

“Lord, have mercy; help me.” Annette paced back and forth. “Lord, I can't handle all of this at once. I am only one person.”

Curtis stood up and crossed the room to where Annette was. He stopped her from pacing and held on to her. “Baby, what's going on?”

“I just got a call that King is in jail for assault and battery!”

“What in the hell?” Curtis was shocked to hear the news about King, especially after he'd just talked to him earlier. “Listen, I'll go with Breezy; you go and take care of King.”

“I don't even know if I have the money to get him out with.” Annette ran her fingers through her hair.

“How much is his bond?”

“I don't know.”

“Well it doesn't matter what it is. Get it from our joint account.”

“I'll pay—”

“Annette, that's my son too. Now go and get our baby and bring him home.” He kissed her. “Calm down, baby. Everything is going to be okay. I got you, like always.”

Annette kissed him again. “I love you.”

“I love you too. Now go and get our boy.”

Annette couldn't describe how thankful she was to have Curtis. He was a good man. She let Breezy know that she would come to check on her as soon as she got King, and then left.

A few minutes later the ambulance arrived. Curtis was right by Breezy's side. When they arrived at the hospital the doctors asked a million questions. They tried to reach Teresa but no one was answering the house phone. They went ahead and gave Breezy the medical attention that she needed. She had to have a D&C done and they admitted her.

Two days later, Annette picked Breezy up from the hospital. She was more than glad to be out of there. “Where is King?” she asked as soon as they were inside the car.

“His ass is at the house after costing me fifteen hundred dollars to get him out of jail. Damn fool went over there and beat the hell out of Terry!” She cut her eyes at Breezy. “Tell me the truth; did you know he was going over there?”

“No, ma'am, I sure didn't. Right before he left he said something about him saying something and meaning it. I didn't know what he was talking about and he left before I could ask.”

“I just hope that when they go to court Terry's sorry ass will drop the charges.” She looked worried.

“Yeah, I hope so too. I sure hate that he did that. I just want to move on and forget about my ma and Terry. They have caused me enough pain to last a lifetime.”

“I know what you mean.”

The two of them continued to talk until they got home. When they walked through the door, Vita and King were hugged up on the sofa.

“Hey, Ms. Annette,” Vita spoke.

“Hey,” Annette replied before going into the kitchen. She wasn't crazy about Vita at all and to be honest she was getting quite sick of looking at her.

Breezy noticed that Vita hadn't spoken to her but didn't care. She was tired and all she wanted to do was rest. Her body had been through a lot. She sat down on the loveseat since they were on the long sofa where she slept.

“Hey, Breezy, how are you feeling?” King asked taking her completely by surprise.

“Hey. I'm feeling okay, just a little bit tired.” She let out a sigh and tried to get comfortable on the loveseat.

“If you want, you can go back there and get in my bed.”

“Huh?” She lifted her head and looked over at him, taking notice of what he was wearing.

Today he had on a pair of red Nike sweats and a black tee with a red/black durag. The diamond in his left ear shined like a miniature light bulb. He sat next to Vita looking like a young Memphis Hitz.

“I said that you can go back there and get in my bed if you want,” he repeated.

“Yeah, I think that I will.” She accepted his offer knowing that she'd rest a lot better in his bed versus the sofa. She glanced at Vita, who rolled her eyes. She ignored her and got up to leave the room.

On her way out she heard Vita tell King, “I love you, bae.”

“I love you too, li'l mama,” he responded.

Breezy went ahead in the room, changed her clothes, took her pain medicine, and then crawled into bed. Before she knew it, she was out like a light. King invaded her dreams.

“Breezy, Breezy! Wake up!”

She opened her eyes and looked around. It had gotten dark outside. King had turned on the lamp next to the bed. “Are you okay?”

His eyes were glued to her chest, which caused her to look down too. Her nipples were hard as little pebbles straining against the thin fabric of the shirt that she wore. Feeling embarrassed, she crossed her arms over her chest. “I'm okay. How long have I been asleep?”

“Just a couple of hours,” he said with a smirk and decided to mess with her. “That must've been some dream that you were having. You were moaning ‘I love you' and shit. Let me find out you lying in my bed having freaky dreams about some nigga.”

“Huh? Boy, be quiet. You just making up stuff.” She knew that she'd said his name in her dream and was praying that she hadn't said it aloud.

“I ain't making nothing up. When I walked in you were saying ‘I love you too.' I wish Ma had told me to come wake you up a few minutes earlier. I probably would've heard more than that.” He laughed.

“Shut up!” She picked up a pillow and threw it at him. “What does your ma want?”

“For you and your dream man to come and eat!” he continued to tease.

She got up from the bed and pushed him. “You make me sick.”

“Is that any way to talk to your best friend who just caught a charge for you?”

The mood changed some. “About that . . . King, I really wish that you hadn't done that. I don't want you in any trouble.”

“He deserved more than what I did to him. He deserved to die! You just concentrate on getting yourself right and not going back there. Don't worry about me.” He pulled her to him and gave her a big hug.

She melted against his chest and in those strong arms. He smelled so good.

“And for the answer to your question: I'm right here and that's where I'll always be.”

She was confused. “What question?”

“When you was singing the other night.”

She thought back to the other night when she was singing Jennifer Hudson's “Where You At” and smiled enjoying the feel of his arms around her.