Protected by the HERO (61 page)

I was a cocktail of emotions. I still felt cheated and most of all, deceived by Jordan. I didn’t think for a minute that he didn’t know that Amy had feelings for him. What hurt the most was that whenever I brought up how uncomfortable I was with his relationship with Amy, he had made me feel like I was overreacting and being insecure. I told myself that I was done crying, but that was the saddest lie. The whole situation literally made me sick to my stomach. I was done. At this point, I couldn’t care less if Jordan got out, or not. Let Amy help him get out and if he didn’t, let Amy hold his ass down. Maybe this was the universe trying to send me a message. Maybe me and Jordan weren’t meant to be together. Maybe he should be with Amy. If that was the case, then I didn’t need his ass anyway and I was done with this whole situation entirely. Jordan and Amy could go straight to hell for all I cared.

It was like all of the hope I had felt before had been drained from my body. The more I thought about it, the angrier I became. He was lucky that the bail bondsman was closed on Sundays, because I was thinking about going up there and getting my money back TODAY. I was also thinking about cursing Amy out and beating her the fuck up. The rage was short lived and soon dissolved into depression. I was hurt and humiliated. I couldn’t believe that he had made a fool out of me again. After a caramel frappe from McDonalds, the strength returned. For one, I was leaving that deadbeat in jail. Let Amy figure out how to get him out. I felt like a hero. I was cleaning up the streets. Jordan was right where he belonged, in a cage with the other animals. Good riddance. I was in pain now, but I would move on and with Jordan safely locked away, the healing process would go much smoother. I started thinking about all that he had put me through and felt this was exactly what he deserved. At least in jail, he would know that he had a place to sleep and something to eat because he was never living with me again.

*****

Monday

I woke up feeling uneasy. A part of me wanted to go down to the bail bonds office and get a refund, but the idea of doing that made my stomach hurt terribly so I knew that was not the solution. I decided I would not sabotage Jordan, but I also wanted this nightmare to be over. I took out my phone and texted Amy.

Me” I’m not going to drive you. I’m done with this whole situation.

After I sent the text, I put my phone away and proceeded to get my bed sheets and blankets ready to be washed. I was going to do laundry. I desperately needed to cleanse my space. Right when I was about to leave my apartment to go to the laundry room down the hall, Amy text me back.

Amy: What happened? I’m so confused. What’s going on?

I smirked.
I don’t negotiate with side pieces
, is what I thought, but didn’t say.

Instead, I ignored the message, and took my son and my basket of dirty linen and headed to the laundry room. While I was loading the clothes in the machines, I realized that I only had enough money on my laundry card to wash and dry my sheets and blankets. I would need to load more money onto the card, to do more laundry and I definitely needed to wash me and the baby’s clothes. Unfortunately, the reload machine only took money in variations of fives. On the bright side, I needed to leave to pick up diapers for the baby anyway, so I would make change while I was out getting diapers. I felt tense and very much unlike myself. I didn’t want to feel this way. I waited until the load was done washing and transferred it into the dryer, then headed to the store. Before I drove off, I texted Amy back.

Me: Never mind. What time do you want me to  you up to the bail bondsman?

Parked beside me was Jordan’s motorcycle. I briefly considered running it over, but thought better of it. If Jordan didn’t get out, I would most definitely be selling his motorcycle.

I turned the car on and pulled out of the parking lot, heading to the closest Walgreens. While I was in there, I picked up a box of diapers and got some five dollar bills. As I was coming out of the store, I ran into Jordan’s friend Lucky. Lucky had been with Jordan the day he got locked up. I put the baby in his car seat and put the box of diapers in the seat beside him, before closing the car door.

“What’s up Lucky,” I greeted him.

“What’s up Nia? How you been?” he asked me.

“Not good. You wanna get in?” I asked him. Lucky nodded and got into the passenger seat while I sat in the driver’s seat.

“So, what happened?” I asked him. After all of this time, I still did not know what went down. Lucky had been the only one there when it happened and this was my first time speaking with him since.

“Jordan was drunk and robbed this little bodega. I was arguing with Lovely when it happened and all I seen is Jordan sprinting past me. I’m like, ‘what’s going on?’ and he just told me to run, but I couldn’t because I was with my baby momma. Next thing I know, they’re arresting him.” Lucky told me as he shook his head. Lucky was friends with both Jordan and Amy so before I could stop myself, I broke down and told him everything that Amy had told me. To my surprise, Lucky had no prior knowledge of Amy having feelings for Jordan.

“If you want him out, she still needs to co-sign for him. He’ll be able to get out today, but he will still have to go to trial. I don’t think that you should drive her though,” Lucky said Even though I was hurting, in my heart I knew that I didn’t want Jordan in jail and the way that this was looking, he would be serving some serious time.

I really hated that we needed Amy at all. I felt that my feelings about the situation were still very raw and volatile, and that it would be in everyone’s best interest if Amy stay far away from me. I dropped Lucky off and returned to my apartment to finish doing laundry. I loaded the machines and when I checked my phone to see what time the clothes would be ready to go into the dryer, I had a text from Amy.

Amy: I feel like I just started a problem that wasn’t intended to happen.

Me: The truth needed to come out. Whatever happens from here was meant to happen.

Amy: I guess you did deserve to know, but you shouldn’t be mad at Jordan for it. It’s my fault. He’s probably going to hate me now, but don’t let this affect you and him.

Me: Oh, I’m mad at him. Don’t think for one moment that he doesn’t know that you have feelings for him.

Who the hell did Amy think that she was, telling me who I should and shouldn’t be mad at, taking up for Jordan like he was innocent. I wasn’t even trying to hear all that, so I just changed the conversation back to Jordan’s bail.

Me: Did you go see the bail bondsman?

Amy: No, I’m waiting to go with Jordan’s grandmother tomorrow. I told the bail bondsman about it earlier.

This completely threw me off. This bitch knew his grandmother too? Now I was completely convinced that she wanted my man, and this meant war. I could not let her save my man. I was going to save him my damn self! This meant war and I was willing to protect my king at all costs. Amy was trying to take my man and I wasn’t going down without a fight. I had an idea!

*****

Tuesday

I don’t know why I hadn’t thought of this sooner. I mean, I had thought about it, momentarily in anger, and had finally put things into perspective. I sold Jordan’s motorcycle. He would be heartbroken, but I’m sure he’d rather be free than own a motorcycle that he couldn’t even ride! The idea had come to me Monday night. Nothing could steal my hope and excitement. The only thing that worried me was fear that I would be too late. Monday night, I found myself missing Jordan terribly and was afraid of the idea of never getting to see him again. I tried to focus on the positives because I knew that all of the
what if’s
would depress me. The following morning, I woke up early. JJ and I got dressed and left the apartment in a rush to sell the motorcycle and free Jordan. For one, the motorcycle had to be towed. Luckily, I had just enough money to pay a tow company to bring it to the buyer. I made more than enough money to pay the bail bondsman. After selling his motorcycle, I had enough money to post his entire bail if I chose to! I didn’t. I paid the bail bondsman enough so that we wouldn’t need Amy’s hoe ass to co-sign. Within 45 minutes, I got a call that Jordan was being released and I could pick him up. I was ecstatic. As soon as I hung up the phone, I started dancing, jumping up and down and shaking my butt. JJ laughed and started dancing too. I picked up my son and did a spin. Daddy was coming home!

With JJ in his car seat and love in my heart, I made my way to the correctional facility. Jordan was standing outside waiting for me when I got there. I was so happy that I started crying. Jordan was crying too. Jordan embraced us, and JJ reached out his arms for his daddy to hold him.

“I’m so glad to be out. I was afraid you guys were going to leave me in there and I’d never get out,” Jordan told me, as tears streamed down his face.

“I thought we were too, especially after Amy confessed her love for you to me, and how if I were out of the picture, she’d try to be with you,” I said. Jordan’s face dropped. “After that, I knew it was war and I had to fight for what was mine. No one saves my man, but me!” I exclaimed, and smiled at him. Jordan forced a smile, but I could tell I had caught him off guard. “I’ll tell you all about it in the car.” I turned to walk toward the car, but Jordan grabbed my hand, stopping me.

“Wait,” he said. I turned around to face him, confusion on my face.

“Nia, I know I have put you through hell, but you truly are the love of my life and you should be my wife,” he told me. I smiled as Jordan dropped down onto one knee while still holding my hand with one hand and JJ in the other arm. “Nia, will you marry me?” he asked me right there on the sidewalk, outside of the correctional facility. I giggled at the beauty of it all. “Of course I will,” I told him.

“Let’s go to the courthouse right now. I don’t want to wait another minute,” he told me, as he looked deeply into my eyes. His gray eyes looked like liquid silver in the sun and I was drowning in them.

“Let’s go,” I agreed.

We got in the car, JJ in his car seat, Jordan sitting beside his son in the backseat and me in the front. I slowly, but surely, peeled out of the corrections parking lot.

“How did you get the money for the bail?” Jordan finally asked me. A proud grin spread across my face.

“I sold your motorcycle,” I told him. I couldn’t stop smiling as I watched Jordan’s reaction through the rear view mirror. His jaw dropped, but he quickly shrugged it off and gazed out of the window.

“I don’t even care. I’m just glad to be free again,” he said.

“You wouldn’t have to be going through this if you would…” I began, but I stopped myself. Instead, I told him, “I’m glad you’re free too. Let’s go get married.”

We headed into town and I drove us straight to the courthouse. With Lucky and JJ as our witnesses, I became Mrs. Jordan Rivers. Today was a happy day. After we were married, Jordan said he was ready to go home so that he could make love to his wife. I felt complete knowing Jordan was all mine. On our way home, we stopped to get something to eat from Burger King. We ate in the car as I drove, and Jordan told me crazy stories about what he had gone through in jail. By the time we got home, it was time for JJ’s nap. While I lay him down for his nap, Jordan went to take a shower. I couldn’t believe he was actually home! I had fought for him and I had won. I had never fought for anyone, or anything before. I had always held the firm belief that fighting over a man was beneath me. I would never physically fight a woman over a man. Unless of course, she put her hands on my man or my son. But this was different. I had to prove I loved him enough to fight for him. It was scary to think just how close I had come to losing him. But the war was not over. Jordan still had to go to trial.

I waved this dark cloudy thought out of my clear blue skies. I was going to enjoy our time together, and we’d figure out the rest later. Jordan came into the bedroom with a towel wrapped around his waist. His long blonde hair was wet and clung to his bare skin. Even though he had only been locked up a few days, he looked bigger, stronger, and sexier.

“You’ve been working out.” I pointed out with a grin. He grinned back, his dimples making my heart leap.

“A little,” he said. We couldn’t take our eyes off of each other. Jordan began rubbing coconut oil onto his skin. He glistened like a golden God.

“I missed you so much,” I told him.

“I missed you too baby,” he said, as he looked at me. Then he got down on his knees so that we were at eye level. “And I am so sorry for putting you through all of this. All of it.” I searched his eyes.

“I want you to stop being friends with Amy,” I told him.

“Done. I’ll do whatever it takes to keep you. I can’t lose you, Nia. If I lose you, I lose myself.” Jordan placed his soft lips on mine. It felt like forever since I had kissed those beautiful lips. I couldn’t believe this was all real. He was really here! I wrapped my arms around his neck and he picked me up, pulling me close to him as we became one.

I helped Jordan pull off my clothes, as we kissed. “Nia, I love you so much,” he said, between kisses.

“I love you too baby,” I told him, as he kissed my neck, his tongue swirling over my tender skin. I could feel his big, hard dick poking me through the towel.

He picked me up and I giggled as we left our bedroom, so JJ wouldn’t hear us.  Jordan carried me into the living room and lay me down on the couch. He kneeled beside me, taking one of my hands in his and kissing it. He kissed the tips of each of my fingers and then, without taking his eyes off of mine, he slid one of my fingers into his mouth. His warm tongue swirled around my finger. I grinned and bit my lip. Jordan sucked on my finger and then slowly slid it out of his mouth so that he could kiss me softly on the lips. I could kiss those lips for the rest of my life, and I planned on it.