FEVERISH UnbRoken

by Vasser, LaShawn

  “What? What the hell did he come see you for?”

  “I could easily say it’s handled, but out of respect for our marriage, I’ll share.” Her tone was icy. “He called his lawyer this afternoon to tell him that he was withdrawing his petition as a good will gesture. Your attorney should be calling you soon about it. Raymond said all he’s ever really wanted was a relationship with you and Garrett Jr. He would like to sit down and talk.”

  Garrett shook his head back and forth. “You fell for that bullshit?”

  “I think he’s telling the truth.”

  He laughed sarcastically. “Right because Raymond always tells the truth and would never betray me. The next time I see him, it will be in a courtroom. We filed a counterclaim, and I’m not withdrawing my petition.”

  “Would it hurt you to hear him out?”

  Garrett dropped his arms and moved away from Imani. “We’re talking about Raymond. Shannon already told me that he knows my investigators pulled up some damaging information about him. He’s playing you.”

  “I get it. Raymond is a douche. However, I think he’s for real this time. If you won’t do it for yourself, do it for Garrett Jr. Consider this . . . what do you plan to do when Garrett wants to know more about Shannon and Raymond? They are his birthparents. At some point, he’ll want to know. I understand you’re pissed, but you just talked with Shannon. Why not Raymond? It can’t hurt.”

  Garrett was getting angrier by the second. Imani had just accused him of not taking her side, and now she’s standing before him advocating for Raymond? He wasn’t trying to hear it. “How I deal with Shannon and Raymond is honestly none of your business.”

  Imani blinked twice. She was a little shocked. “Garrett, you married me thinking I’d be a good mother to your son. Are you honestly telling me this is none of my business?”

  His face was a hardened mask. “I won’t ask you again to stay out of it.”

  Imani was angry, but mostly she was hurt. “I’ve come to love that little boy. He owns a piece of my heart. I want to make sure that whatever plans you’ve come up with are good for him too, not just you.”

  Garrett took a seat at his desk. Imani couldn’t miss the edge to his voice. “I’ve got a lot of paperwork to get through and a meeting coming up shortly.”

  She was attempting to control her anger too. “Growing up, family always came before work or anything else, Garrett. You can’t just end this conversation because you said so and you don’t want to hear what I’ve got to say.”

  He looked up from his paperwork, eyes stormy like the sea. Garrett wasn’t quite sure what made him angrier; the fact that if it were up to him, he would never tell his son about Raymond and Shannon, or that Raymond had gone near Imani and she seemed to be taking his side. His insecurities were taking hold.

  “The decisions I make are worth millions of dollars. I have plenty of issues that need my attention, and I don’t have time for your temper tantrums. We can finish this conversation when I get home. Until then,” Garrett pointed towards the exit. “Close the door on your way out.” He paused before seeming to remember one more thing. “Oh . . . and stay the hell away from Raymond!”

  He looked back down at the paperwork in front of him. Imani had been effectively dismissed.

  Chapter 23

  Imani came home after more than what would be considered a stressful day and decided a nice long soak was in order. She needed to talk out her feelings with someone and called her sister, Aaliyah.

  The phone rang several times, and Imani thought it was going to go to voicemail. Then, huffing and puffing, Aaliyah answered, “Hello.”

  “Hey, did I catch you at a bad time?”

  “If you mean, feeding the baby with one hand and trying to fold laundry with the other then, yes.”

  “I can call you back.”

  “That’s alright. It’s as good a time as any. Since your niece was born, all I seem to do is multi-task.”

  “I can’t wait to get back down there again to see her. Chloe was so little right after she was born.”

  “She’s not so little now. This little mama eats up where she’s going. Anyway, what’s up? I can hear something’s wrong in your voice.”

  “Am I that transparent?”

  Rocking Chloe, Aaliyah sat down on her bed. “Yes. What did Garrett do?”

  Imani smacked the bath water with her hand. “Ugggggh! He’s so frustrating! I don’t know what to do about him. The man is one mass of contradictions.”

  “Am I to assume you wanted something, and he said no?”

  “No, Aaliyah. I’m serious. It really isn’t about me. It’s about us as a family. He’s having a hard time grasping what that means. For the record, I know I didn’t birth Garrett Jr., but I couldn’t love that little boy more than if he’d come from my own body. His father, on the other hand, is a giant asshole. He won’t listen to me.”

  “No offense, Imani, but didn’t you get married to help him gain custody of Garrett Jr.? It might take him a bit more time for him to accept your marriage is the real deal.”

  Her words hurt. Imani had fallen in love with Garrett and hoped he’d felt the same way. At times, it seemed like he had, but today wasn’t one of those days. “That might have been true in the beginning, but I thought things had changed between us. Dubai was supposed to be a new beginning.”

  “What happened?”

  “I met his ex, Shannon, today at his office, all five feet nine inches of her. After she had tossed her glossy red hair in my direction, that chick tried to flex her muscles. I wanted her to know I wasn’t the one. I was all prepared to snap her skinny little neck. She was disrespectful, and Garrett had the nerve to get mad at me for standing up for myself.”

  “Were you acting out in front of his employees?”

  Imani pressed her lips together. She pulled the sponge out of the water and squeezed its contents onto her naked body. “I wouldn’t say I was acting out per se. It was more like, setting her straight.”

  “Hmm . . . you were embarrassing him in front of his employees.”

  “What would you do if that were Drew?”

  “The exact same thing except for the police would probably be involved. Here’s the thing, Drew doesn’t run the kind of business Garrett does. He’s also not as high profile. The people who work under Garrett have got to respect him. He can’t be seen as a joke. It’s bad enough the tabloids are always saying crazy things about your entire situation, but he can’t have his business associates not taking him seriously too.”

  “I get that. I might have flown off the handle just a little bit, but, and this is a massive but, my opinions with Garrett don’t seem to carry much weight. His brother, Raymond, stopped by my office today. He wants to squash this entire soap opera. Garrett’s not having it. I just think he’s allowing his hate for his brother to cloud his judgment in doing what’s best for his son.”

  “Can you blame him? The guy’s a snake. Disgusting at best. I wouldn’t want him within eye distance of anyone I cared about.”

  “I understand all of that, but they are family. That should mean something. I honestly think Raymond is sorry and he’s acting out because he’s always felt inferior to Garrett.”

  “Sleeping and fathering a child with his wife is a bit more than acting out. Family would never betray you that way.” Aaliyah placed Chloe over her shoulder in the hopes of rocking her to sleep. “What do his parents have to say about all of this?”

  “Garrett’s not close to his parents. It was mainly just him and Raymond.”

  “Gross. That makes his betrayal even worse.”

  “I get it. I honestly do, but when Garrett Jr. gets older, he’s going to want to know about Shannon and Raymond. Even if they don’t have a good relationship, shouldn’t they at least have one?”

  “I don’t know. That’s a tough one.”

  “What’s worse than anything is that Garrett—” Her words faltered. “Today, he treated me like the hired help.” Imani
wanted to cry. “Initially, I married him because I wanted to help, but I would never have gone through with it if my gut didn’t tell me there was something special between us.”

  Aaliyah giggled. “Are you sure that something wasn’t a throbbing vagina?”

  Imani didn’t want to laugh. She was hurt, but Aaliyah coaxed one out of her. “I’m sure that might have had a little to do with it but no. I would never have married Garrett if the only thing between us was just off the charts and absolutely fantastic sex.”

  Aaliyah turned serious again. “I get the feeling Garrett doesn’t really know what the meaning of family is. At least, not the way we see it anyway. Haven’t you said he isn't exactly close to his parents? And, what brother sleeps with his brother’s wife? I mean really? That’s some tacky shit right there. Maybe he needs more patience than you’re used to showing. Maybe this is where you can show him better than you can tell him?”

  “I don’t know. What you’re saying makes sense, it’s just right now, I want to hit him over the head with a blunt sharp object.”

  “Please try not to do that. I’m not bringing Chloe to prison to visit you.”

  The doorbell rang.

  “I’d better go. Someone is ringing the bell. Our housekeeper left, and Anna is out with Garrett Jr.”

  “Okay. Call me later.”

  “Will do.”

  Imani hopped out of the bath and grabbed a towel. After quickly drying off she pulled on her thick terrycloth robe, then ran down the stairs. “I’m coming!”

  Once she got to the door and pulled it open, she was surprised to find Raymond. “What in the hell are you doing here? Garrett is going to flip!”

  “Hey, beautiful. May I come inside?” Raymond didn’t wait for an answer he just barreled his way inside.

  “Oh, no. No, no, no. You’ve got to go. You cannot, and I mean under no circumstances, be here when Garrett gets home.”

  “I guess you talked to him about my proposal, and he wasn’t very receptive.”

  “That’s putting it mildly.” Imani tightened the belt on her robe. “It’s going to take some time for Garrett to move beyond your betrayal and until hell freezes over to forgive you.”

  “Why is that not surprising? You know as kids he was always the one who didn’t want to take risks. He needed to know everything from A-Z before he’d make a decision on anything. I would say, you’re the lone exception.”

  “Seems to have served him well. Look, I don’t mean to be rude, Raymond, but you’ve got to go.” The room started to blur, and Imani began to feel hot. She attempted to swallow, but her mouth was as dry as cotton. Her feet were unsteady, and she began to sway on her feet.

  Raymond started to look at her strangely. “Are you okay?”

  The next thing Imani knew the room faded to black just as she heard Garrett’s voice. “What the hell are you doing with my wife in your arms!”

  *****

  Imani woke up in bed. She had no idea how she’d gotten there. Slowly, she attempted to sit up and whispered his name. “Garrett?”

  He was sitting on the other side of the bed. Worry lines etched across his face.

  “What happened?”

  “You passed out.”

  “Raymond?”

  He gritted his teeth. “You wake up, and the first word out of your mouth is Raymond!”

  “No, I-I . . . he was here and then I passed out. I just wanted to know what happened.”

  Garrett’s face was like granite. “He’s gone. However, he didn’t leave without dropping a few nuggets of information. Why didn’t you tell me you two have been talking to each other?”

  “What? Because we haven’t. I mean, not really.”

  “Don’t lie. I went through your phone. I know there was at least one conversation before we went to Dubai. How many more were there?”

  Imani was starting to get worked up. “You went through my phone? What’s the matter with you? I’m not Shannon, Garrett.”

  “You should calm down.” She thought the statement was ironic coming from him when the bulging vein on the left side of his neck looked as if it was going to pop out. “You getting all agitated is not safe for the baby.”

  The color drained from Imani’s face. She must have been hearing things. Her words came out very slow. “What are you talking about? I’m not pregnant.”

  “Dr. Anderson came over to check you out. He gave you a blood test. Apparently, you are pregnant.”

  Imani was shocked. More than just shocked but in utter disbelief. She lay back down on the pillow before she could pass out again. Her words were quiet. “How’s that possible? You and I have been very careful.”

  “Yes, we have. I just have one question. Is this déjà vu?”

  At first, Imani didn’t understand. Then, dawning hit her like a ton of bricks. “What are you asking me, Garrett?”

  “I think you know, but if I have to spell it out, I will. Is this baby mine or Raymond’s?”

  Imani was horrified. Everything happened so fast. It wasn’t until she felt the stinging in her hand from slapping Garrett hard across his face that she realized she’d hit him. “Get out. Get out! Get away from me this instant!”

  With pain in his eyes, Garrett stared at her for a brief moment, then got up and walked out of the room.

  Imani was left with the shock of finding out she was going to be a mother with a husband who thought she was a tramp and had betrayed him. What the hell was she going to do?

  *****

  The day of the custody hearing had finally arrived, and the three weeks before had been hell. Imani and Garrett hadn’t said more than a few words to each other while walking around as if the other didn’t exist. He’d even began sleeping in the guest bedroom the same night they found out they were going to be parents.

  How could Garrett not believe she was carrying his child? It was more asinine than those who believed both Elvis and Tupac were still alive.

  Imani felt ill. Not just from the morning sickness, but because she honestly felt stuck. She had no idea how to reach Garrett. How were they supposed to move forward? He was her husband in every way, and she loved him. Only, he was allowing the pain and betrayal of the past destroy their future.

  Before going into the courtroom, they came face to face with Raymond. He spoke. “Garrett, Imani. I wish we could have come to a private resolution, but if this will give you a better sense of security, then I’m fine with it.”

  Garrett’s jaws clenched. He didn’t say a word. He’d lain awake more nights than he cared to admit wondering if Raymond was giving up on this fight because he was planning for round two with Imani’s child. Garrett didn’t know who the father was, and it was taking everything within him not to kill Raymond. All he knew was that, if she were pregnant with Raymond’s baby, he would lose his sanity. Imani had given him hope that the world wasn’t as bleak as his experience would suggest. And, hope that she could restore his faith in people.

  He loved her, and the mere thought that the child she carried wasn’t his was all consuming. He hadn’t eaten or slept much since he’d found out about the pregnancy.

  Garrett pulled Imani close while guiding her away from Raymond and into the courtroom by touching the small of her back.

  Great. Imani watched the interaction between the two brothers. She had replaced the doggy bone known as Shannon that the two used to fight over. Only Garrett was being stupid. He was missing out on the joy of this pregnancy by holding on to something that had nothing to do with her.

  She didn’t glance in Raymond’s direction. As a matter of fact, she had been practicing her expressions for this very moment. It pissed her off that she even had to. That so many people were caught in the cross-fire of their hatred for one another—Garrett and Raymond took sibling rivalry to a whole other level.

  Shannon was already in the courtroom when they walked in. There wasn’t even really a trial. Raymond stood before the courts and withdrew his petition, giving up any rights to his son.
Garrett was named the legal parent. Surprisingly, Imani’s petition to adopt Garrett Jr. was put on hold and court was adjourned. He hadn’t even discussed it with her, and it hurt to the point of physical pain.

  Garrett was icing her out. Was he preparing to leave her?

  As they were leaving, Shannon called out to them. “Garrett.” She even acknowledged Imani with a nod. They stopped walking just outside the courtroom. “I want to say . . . I’m sorry for all the hurt you’ve gone through because of us. I genuinely am sorry.” Her contrite look seemed just as practiced as Imani’s only moments ago. “I can only hope that one day, Garrett Jr. will forgive us. Please take good care of him.”

  There were so many things Imani wanted to say, but she kept her mouth shut. Garrett didn’t say a word. He looked right through Shannon.

  The drive home was made in silence. In her head, Imani had attempted this conversation so many times. Yet, when she opened her mouth, nothing would come out.

  Finally, Imani worked up the courage to talk to her husband. As soon as they crossed the threshold of the door, she turned to him. She softened her voice. “Garrett, we should talk.”

  He wouldn’t make eye contact with her. “I had Anna pack a few things for Garrett Jr. and me. We’ll be staying at Devonshire for a while. They are already there.” Devonshire was the home he’d had when they met. Garrett had never sold it. He ran a frustrated his hand down over his face. “I need a bit of time to get my head together.”

  Imani tried to touch his arm, but he pulled away as if he’d touched something hot. “Y-you’re leaving me and didn’t even have the guts to discuss it with me first?” Imani did all she could to keep the rising panic at bay. “Garrett, nothing happened between Raymond and me. You’ve got to know that. And what about, Garrett Jr.? He’s three. We can’t keep bringing people in and out of his life, allowing him to get close, then snatching them away.”

  She could see in his eyes that he didn’t believe her. How was that even possible? Imani had had all of three conversations with Raymond.