When Hell Freezes Over (26 page)

Defeated, she said, “You don't have to yell, Keaton. I guess I can stay with Deacon.”

“Good, now get moving.” He turned to Meridan and said, “Get dressed. I'm going to take you by your house to get some clothes, then you're going with me so I can pick up my luggage. We're going to Texas and that's final!”

“But, Keaton—”

He cut her off. “Don't you understand what could've happened to you guys tonight?”

She lowered her head. “We're okay, Keaton. Nothing happened.”

“I'll take you by force if I have to, Meridan. I know you don't want me to get your dad involved because he would be acting worse than I am. I'm trying to protect you. Let me… Please!”

“What about my job?”

He tilted her chin. “Take a personal leave. I don't care, but you're not staying here!”

They were all silent for a moment.

Keaton walked over to the window. “Look, this situation isn't good and you know it, so stop trying to play it down. Please act like you have the good sense God gave you. This maniac is trying to kill you! What is it that you don't understand?”

Meridan walked over to the window and stood next to him. She touched his arm and said, “Keaton, I hear you. I know I've laid a lot of drama on you
tonight. We're all emotional right now and, under the circumstances, I'm trying to be reasonable and think this thing through.”

He turned to her. “Dad's last fund-raiser for his campaign is coming up soon. A change of environment will do us both some good; plus it'll give you a chance to meet my parents.”

“I don't know, Keaton. I have a lot of patients who depend on me.”

“What good are you to them if you're dead?”

He wrapped his arms around her.

She sighed. “I guess you're right.”

Tightening his hold, he said, “Good!”

Meridan was torn. She wanted to be with Keaton so much; especially after her ordeal with Jacob and now that it seemed Sam was back to finish her off. Keaton was right about one thing. She didn't want her father to find out what happened with Jacob. He wouldn't think twice about taking a shot at him. Neither would any of the other men in her family. Most dangerous were her teenage cousins, Devon and Keyshaun, who were attending Morehouse College in Atlanta. They never liked Jacob and would take him out in a heartbeat.

Back at her house, Meridan reluctantly packed as Keaton made sure her house was secured. She was still upset about the altercation with Jacob. Never in her wildest dreams did she think her life could get to this point.

Keaton walked in and compassionately asked, “Are you ready?”

“Keaton, I have no idea what to take or how much.”

“Don't worry about it. Just take what you think you need. If you need anything else, we can get it once we get there.”

She looked at him. She could see the hurt and helplessness in his eyes. “Are you sure about this, Keaton?”

He zipped up her suitcase. “Yes, I'm sure. Now, let's go.”

Her telephone rang and they looked at each other. She picked it up. “Hello?”

“Why the hell did you run out like that?”

She closed her eyes. It was Jacob. “I don't have anything to say to you right now, Jacob.”

Keaton frowned and angrily said, “Give me the telephone.” He snatched
the telephone from her hand and said, “Jacob, this is Keaton. You come near her again and your ass is mine. You touch her again, I'll kill you. Do I make myself clear?”

Laughing, Jacob said, “This is between me and Meridan.”

“Not anymore! Stay away from her!”

Laughing again, he said, “We'll see how you feel when you find out the truth about her. She's not what you think she is. I'm the only one who can give her what she needs and she is what I need.”

Keaton hung up the telephone. He was pissed! Meridan noticed the change in the color of his skin.

“What did he say?”

Keaton grabbed her luggage. “Don't worry about it. Let's go.”

 

O
ver at his sister's house there was total chaos. MaLeah and Fredrick were crying; Arnelle and Winston were in shock. The sudden news of Keaton telling them that he was leaving and taking Meridan with him left them in awe. Winston grinned and tried to comfort MaLeah. The moment he said he was leaving, she started screaming. They knew this day was coming, but they didn't expect it so suddenly.

Arnelle looked at her brother and Meridan and asked, “What's wrong?”

Keaton hugged her and said, “I'll explain later, but we have to get going.” He ran upstairs to get his clothes. Winston followed him so they could talk. Arnelle escorted Meridan into the family room. She could see the worry on Meridan's face.

Arnelle held Fredrick in her lap and asked, “Do you want to talk about it, Meridan?”

“Oh, Arnelle, it's a mess. My childhood friend and I had an altercation while I was in Atlanta. He wants me to marry him, but I don't love him like that. He purposely put a passion mark on my neck just to piss Keaton off and, of course it worked. Then I have this former classmate that recently got out of jail for assaulting me and it seems the idiot has come back to try and finish the job.”

Shocked, Arnelle asked, “Assaulted you?”

“Yes,” she admitted. “Because I pressed charges, that criminal got angry and tried to kill me.”

Shocked, she said, “Oh my God! Why?”

“It's a long story, Arnelle. It all started because I wouldn't have a relationship
with the thug. Now, Keaton wants me to go home with him to get away. Arnelle, I saw Keaton's temper and it's scary. I don't want him to get hurt or make himself sick because of me.”

Arnelle patted her hand to comfort her. “Don't worry about Keaton. It's so obvious he's in love with you.” She sighed. “Look, Meridan, none of what Keaton's doing probably makes any sense to you. The reason is… He's never had anyone to care about like this before. He'll probably fumble his way through it, so just bear with him and let him go through the motions. He cared about someone once before, but it was nothing like what he's feeling for you. Things didn't work out with that other person, thank goodness.”

Meridan wasn't surprised to hear that Keaton had once been seriously involved with someone else. As a matter of fact, she was surprised he wasn't already involved with someone before she met him.

She sighed and said, “I'll do my best, Arnelle. I just hate that he's caught up in the middle of all my drama.”

“Do you love him, Meridan?”

“Yes, I do, very much.”

“Have you told him?”

Blushing, she said, “Yeah, I guess you can say I reluctantly told him.”

Curious, Arnelle asked, “How did he react?”

Meridan blushed again. “He handled it rather well.”

“I'm not surprised,” Arnelle added. “It's past time for my dear brother to settle down with the
right
woman. What did he say when you told him?”

Softly, she answered, “He told me he loved me, too.”

Arnelle hugged her. “Good, so you have nothing to worry about! Then the only thing he's caught up in is being in love with you. I'm so happy for both of you.”

“Thank you, Arnelle,” Meridan told Arnelle as she stood.

Upstairs, Winston and MaLeah watched Keaton pack. MaLeah was still pouting.

As he packed his clothes, he said, “Hey, Shorty, I'll see you real soon. Aight?”

She crawled out of her daddy's lap and over to Keaton so she could hug his neck. “Don't go Uncie Key,” she said with tears streaming down her face.

This broke his heart. “I'll see you soon, sweetheart. Please don't cry.”

Winston leaned back on the bed and motioned for MaLeah to come to him. “What's going on, Keaton? Why are you jetting out of town and taking Meridan with you?”

Continuing to pack, he said, “Long story, Bro. It's too much to tell you about tonight. I will say that punk ass fool she grew up with got a little physical with her when she was in Atlanta yesterday. But that's not the most serious thing going on.”

Winston sat up and asked, “What do you mean?”

Keaton sighed. “Meridan told me she was stabbed by some dude in college because she wouldn't kick it with him. He served time and now it seems he's out and coming back to finish the job.”

“Damn! I had no idea,” Winston whispered. “Did her homeboy in Atlanta hurt her?”

“Nah, just scared her a little bit. I had a little talk with him when he called her house a little while ago. Had the nerve to say Meridan isn't what she seems, or some shit like that.”

MaLeah had stopped crying and was not lying across Winston's chest. He kissed his daughter. “Well, don't get yourself mixed up in anything you can't get out of but you know I got your back.”

“Yeah, I know. Thanks.”

“You must really love her, huh?”

Keaton sat down and covered his face. He knew this was the question Winston had been waiting for him to answer for some time. There was no use denying it anymore.

“Yeah, man. I love her.”

He got up and walked over to his dresser. He pulled out a box and tossed it to Winston. Catching it, he slowly opened it.

“Dayum!”

Keaton softly said, “Tell me about it. I saw it last night in the jewelry store.” Winston sat up, looking at the huge platinum diamond ring. He had to admit that he really didn't expect Keaton to do something like this so quickly. “Are you serious?”

Laughing, Keaton said, “Yeah. I'm tripping about it myself, but when I saw it, I knew it was the one just for her because she's the only one for me.”

“She doesn't have a clue, does she?”

“Not about the ring, but she knows how I feel about her.”

Smiling, Winston said, “You didn't even see this coming did you, Bro?”

“Hell! No!”

“Do you have any regrets?”

“Not a one,” he said with pride.

“I tried to tell you, but you didn't believe me. So it looks like we'll be getting that summer home after all, huh?”

“Only if she says yes.”

Winston stood up, hugged Keaton, and said, “Congratulations.”

“Thanks, but don't say anything to anybody; especially Arnelle.”

Picking MaLeah up, he said, “I'll be cool. We're going to miss you around here.”

Zipping his luggage, Keaton said, “I'm going to miss you guys also. But I'll see you soon at Daddy's campaign dinner.”

“That's right. Well, call us when you get in.”

“I will.”

Winston stood. “I guess I'll let you finish packing. I'll see you downstairs.”

“Aight.”

“Come on, MaLeah.”

She jumped up and down on the bed and said, “I wanna stay with Uncie Key!”

“No, come on, sweetheart.”

Keaton smiled. “She's okay. Let her stay.”

“See, that's the problem. It's bad enough that you bought her that Barbie car. We'll have drama every night when it's time for her to go to bed.”

Laughing, Keaton said, “She's my niece. It's my job to spoil her. Just wait until Fredrick gets a little older. I'm going to repeat the same things with him.”

“Whatever. See you downstairs.”

Winston left the room, leaving MaLeah and Keaton to say their goodbyes.

Picking her up, he said, “MaLeah, let me talk to you a second.” She sat in his lap and he hugged her. “You know you're my girl, don't you?”

“Uh, huh.”

He kissed her and said, “I want you to be a big girl and take care of Fredrick while I'm gone. Okay?”

“K!”

“Kiss!”

Keaton kissed MaLeah, then picked up the telephone and dialed. A female voice picked up the extension.

“Hello?”

“Hey, Momma.”

“Hey, Baby! How are you doing?”

“I'm fine, Momma. Look, I'm coming home later today and my plane lands at noon. I need you and Daddy to bring my car to the airport if you don't mind.”

“Why can't we just pick you up?”

He paused. “Because I'm bringing a young lady home with me. MaLeah's right here. Do you want to speak to her?”

“Of course I do,” his mother beamed happlily.

Keaton handed the telephone to MaLeah, who lay back on the bed. MaLeah giggled and talked to her grandmother, who she hadn't seen in a while. After a few minutes, she handed the phone back to Keaton.

“Momma, thanks for bringing my car to the airport.”

“No problem! We'll see you two later. Have a safe flight.”

“Okay, Momma. I love you.”

“I love you.”

Keaton's mom hung up the telephone and said, “Herbert! Keaton's bringing MaLeah home with him today. Their plane lands at noon. He wants us to get his car and drive it to the airport for him.”

Herbert Lapahie smiled. “It's going to be so nice to see my grandbaby.”