Love Without Loyalty

by Kaige Keira

  “Don’t you speak French,” Avery asked Autumn. Autumn nodded her head yes. “Well what does this say?” Avery showed her the menu and pointed at the item.

  “It says our black asses need to go to Mickie Dee’s and get some hot fresh French fries.” Autumn looked at Avery who was giving her the stink eye. “It really does say that.”

  Avery grabbed the menu back from her and looked at it. “No, it doesn’t.” After about a few more minutes had passed, Avery put the menu back down on the table and stood up. “Where is the nearest McDonald’s?”

  Autumn smirked as she pulled out her cell phone and googled it. “About five minutes away on canal street. But I prefer the one further down.”

  Avery placed a twenty-dollar bill down on the table and helped Autumn out of her chair. “You are paying for it,” Avery said as he watched Autumn’s ass jiggled as she walked away.

  Chapter 14

  2 Months Later

  BLESSINGS STOOD IN front of the apartment building as she waited for Priest to walk out. She didn’t want to be here, but she had no choice in the matter. Her heart was telling her to go and see him, but her mind was also telling her to leave. After waiting for Autumn to leave out to head to class, Blessings hopped in her car and drove to where she knew Priest was now staying. It was the only other complex he would spend money to stay at in the city. It was gated and you needed a key card to get into it, including the elevator.

  Blessings dialed Priest number as she eyed the pregnancy test that was sitting on the seat next to her. She couldn’t believe she was pregnant. She always would make him pull out or she would make sure she tracks the days to see when she was fertile, just to prevent this. But lately, she had been feeling sick, especially in the mornings. Now here she was, pregnant and single.

  Blessings spotted Priest and Asha walking out together, holding hands. Blessings rolled her eyes as she hung up the phone and exited the car. She didn’t want to cause any confusion this morning. She just was going to show him the pregnancy test and be on her way. He deserves the right to know. Asha doesn’t even exist right now.

  Blessings walked up on them and she felt bile suddenly rising in her throat. Calm down, Blessings said to herself. If a doctor was around to check her vitals, she was sure they would be off the charts. Her heart was racing, and she was sure her blood pressure was up.

  “Priest,” Blessings called out. He froze before he turned to face her. He looked guilty as if she had caught him in the act. But Blessings couldn’t worry about that right now. Another child has been thrown in this messed up mix.

  “What are you doing here,” Asha asked angrily as she looked at Blessings suspiciously.

  Blessings ignored her as she kept her eyes on Priest. “I need to talk to you in private. It’s important.”

  “Whatever you need to say, you can say in front of me,” Asha exclaimed as she grabbed Priest’s arm. Blessings rolled her eyes, but she held on to her tongue. She didn’t have time for Asha antics.

  “What is it,” Priest asked in a soft tone. He could tell something was wrong. It was written all over Blessings body.

  Blessings sighed as she looked away from him. Asha was doing the most by clinging unto him like he was going to blow away. He made his choice to be with her. Just like Asha forced a baby on their relationship, Karma was coming back around to do it to her.

  “If you cared at all about me, then you would talk to me alone,” Blessings said as she closed her eyes. “You owe me that much.”

  Priest looked at Asha, who was still throwing daggers in Blessings direction. “Let me go talk to her,” he said to Asha as he pried her hands off his arms.

  “What,” Asha exclaimed as she looked at him. “You can’t be serious.”

  “I’m just going to be over there by her car,” Priest explained. “Relax.” Asha pouted as she looked at Priest. Blessings smiled. Asha was suddenly getting a dose of the shit she put out there.

  Priest and Blessings walked to the car in silence. She wasn’t sure on the way she could tell him. She just hoped he believed her and would be there for her, no matter the decision.

  “How are you,” Blessings asked quietly as she looked down at her feet. Priest’s heart tugged at his emotions as he saw the toll their breakup had on her. She wasn’t defiant as she used to be. She was defeated.

  “I’m good, Blessings,” Priest said in a reassuring tone. “What made you come way over here?”

  Blessings kept her eyes to the ground as she talked. “I have been feeling sick lately. So, I took a pregnancy test.” Priest eyes bugged when he felt like she knew where she was going with this.

  “Are you pregnant,” he asked excitedly as he eyed what was in her hand. Blessings nodded her head as she handed him the pregnancy test. “I can’t believe it.”

  Blessings smiled when she felt how excited he was. But her joy was short lived when she saw Asha walking over. Blessings snatched the pregnancy test out of Priest’s hand and stuck it quickly in her pocket.

  “What are yall talking about,” Asha asked as she looked at Priest. Priest still had his eyes on Blessings. He admired her for telling him. She could have easily hidden this pregnancy for him, but she didn’t. His Blessings was still somewhere in there. He hoped in due time they could mend their bond and be a family again.

  “Something that doesn’t concern you,” Blessings said as she focused her attention on Asha. “Now please, run along somewhere and go fetch something.” Blessings was tired of Asha butting into something that didn’t concern her.

  “If it involves my man it does concern me,” Asha said as she looked at Priest, who was just standing there. “Little girls can’t compete with a grown woman.”

  Blessings scoffed. “Please if it wasn’t for Imani, you wouldn’t be here. You knew how Priest is about having a family. I can’t fault him from being there for his daughter. But what I can kick his ass for, is fucking me and leaving me the way that he did.” Asha glared at Priest.

  “I said I was sorry,” Priest said as he locked eyes with Blessings.

  “Yea, well I’m sorry too,” Blessings said as she placed the pregnancy test back in his hand. “You know what? I made my decision. This is too much.” Blessings walked around her car to get to the driver’s side.

  Asha grabbed the pregnancy test out of Priest’s hand. “Did you tamper with this test?” Asha looked at Blessings then at Priest. “So, nobody here me talking to them?

  Priest’s heart fell to the ground as he knew what Blessings was about to do. “Don’t do that,” he begged her as he moved away from Asha. He always knew Blessings was the woman who would give him his first child. A boy. Blessings were his rib. He knew he fucked up and broke her heart but the kid resting in her womb could help fix what was broken between them. But he knew that would be a long shot.

  “No,” Blessings said to him. “I’m not doing it. I thought I could, but I can’t. You and this fake ass Erykah Badu deserve each other. Love and happiness my ass.”

  “Please,” Asha said with an attitude. She rolled her eyes as she placed a hand on her hip. “If I wanted to play childish games, I would have played them with Imani. The hell I look like arguing with an 18-year-old over dick I slobbed and nutted on first? My juices still on his dick. That’s a stain he can’t wipe off even if he wanted too.” Asha walked to their apartment door. She had enough of the childish banter. She was a grown woman who had a baby for the man she loved. Was she wrong for keeping it a secret? Yes. But she only did it to protect her heart and her piece of mind. Asha looked back at Blessings before she walked out of the door. “Since you were so secure in your relationship, ask him where he was and who pussy he was swallowing whole when he came to Atlantic City both of those times, sus?” Asha winked at Blessings and then sashayed in the door.

  Blessings shook her head as she looked at Priest. “I would never hurt you, huh?” Blessings said to him as she mimics the words, he used to tell her. “I will love you forever and ever.” Blessings looked
at Priest with tears welling in her eyes. “That’s what you said, right?”

  “Blessings,” Priest began.

  “Stop,” Blessings said as she held up her hand. “Your words don’t mean shit to me anymore. I should have followed my first mind. I should have just stop caring and let you be. But I was foolish to think you wasn’t like the rest of these niggas. You want your woman at home while you go out and do God knows what. So, fuck you Priest. You want another child have one with that bitch.” Blessings hopped in her car and slammed the door. She pushed the start button and quickly drove off. She looked in her rearview mirror and saw Priest still standing there, watching her drive off. Her heart broke into two as she began to cry.

  “I’m ok,” she told herself as she wiped her eyes. “It’s going to be ok.” Blessings pulled her car over as she closed her eyes as she repeated the words over and over. When she felt like that wasn’t enough, she began to recite a bible verse. “The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.” Blessings repeated the Psalms verse as she tried to get her bearings together. She remembers hearing her mother repeat the same scripture several times when her father had passed.

  “Please help me,” Blessings prayed. “I can’t take this pain no more.” Blessings placed her hand on the steering wheel as she felt a scream ripping through her insides. She let it out as she gripped the wheel tighter.

  AUTUMN SAT IN FRONT of Avery as he ordered lunch for them. They had been together almost every day for the past two months and it has been blissful. The only time they were apart was when it was midterms and Autumn stayed in to focus. But even then, Avery kept his presence around her by sending her favorite snacks. “So, how are your classes coming along,” Avery asked Autumn. They were sitting inside of the Cheesecake Factory before Autumn went to her last class of the day.

  “I will be glad when the semester is over,” Autumn admitted. “Finals are just around the corner and then I can enjoy winter break.” Autumn looked up as the waitress brought their drinks out to them. “How was work?”

  “Slow,” Avery said as he grabbed her hand. “Not a lot of people buying houses in the wintertime.” Autumn suddenly became quiet as she saw who had just walked into the establishment. Avery followed her glance and his heart dropped when he saw Yvonne and Tori walking in. Avery never told Autumn that Tori was now staying with Yvonne and Mark. He didn’t know how.

  Autumn quickly got out of her chair as she walked over to them. Avery quickly followed behind her. “Autumn let’s just go sit back down,” Avery suggested as he tried to grab her arm. Autumn jerked her arm from out of his reach as she moved to the table the duo had just got seated at.

  “Tori,” Autumn said as she reached her destination. Tori was surprised to see Autumn. “What are you doing here? And with this bitch?”

  Avery and Tori was both stunned when Autumn cursed. She rarely spoke harshly to anybody, let alone cursed. Yvonne smiled as she looked at Autumn. “Nice to see you again,” Yvonne said as she looked at Tori. “Please direct your sister back to her table before our clients get here.”

  “Clients,” Autumn asked as she looked at Tori. Tori was wearing too much makeup that was giving her the illusion that she was older than her actual age. The dress she wore was also leaving little to the imagination. “Are you hooking,” Autumn asked Tori. Tori was trying to speak but she couldn’t get the words out. “You left home to fuck strangers? Are you serious?”

  Yvonne sighed as she placed the menu on the table. “Sweetie, you been hanging around ignorant niggas for far too long,” Yvonne said to Autumn. “Please show some class and leave from by this table.”

  “I will show you class,” Autumn said as she tried to reach across the table and touch Yvonne. Avery quickly grabbed Autumn and held on to her. “Tori, you can come home. Mom will understand.”

  Tori sat down in the seat as she looked at Yvonne, who was looking at the menu. “You want to go back to where you had to compete for attention,” Yvonne asked Tori as she kept her eyes still on the menu.

  Tori looked at Autumn and shrugged her shoulders. “You are embarrassing yourself, Autumn. Leave me be.” Tori picked up her menu and glanced down at it.

  Autumn nodded her head as she bit down on her bottom lip to keep from crying. “I do it because I love you and I just want to see what I saw when Mom brought you home when you were a baby. You are smart and can be anything you want to be in life. Then suddenly you changed without a warning. You shut me out when all I wanted to do was help you.”

  Tori kept her eyes on the menu. She didn’t want to look at her sister for fear she would start crying. Too much was riding on today. They were on the verge of being kicked out of the hotel. Tori had to step up to the plate to prove she could pull her weight. Mark was loving on Tori in more ways she could imagine a man could love on his girl. He had her sprung and if he was to tell her to jump, she would immediately ask how high. There was nothing she wouldn’t do for him.

  “Autumn, go away,” Tori said as she finally looked at her sister. “I am fine. I don’t need you smothering me anymore.”

  Avery grabbed Autumn’s arm and tried to usher her back to their table, but Autumn decided she needed to leave. She was two seconds from being in an altercation with Yvonne. “It’s time to go,” Autumn said to Avery. Autumn moved away from the table but before she got far, Yvonne spoke up.

  “I’m surprise you are acting like this,” Yvonne called out to Avery and Autumn. “I thought for sure Avery would have told you that your sister was staying with me when we were at his aunt house. He was right there.”

  Autumn turned to look at Avery as he just stood there. “Is she serious,” she asked Avery.

  “As a heart attack,” Yvonne said as she took a sip of her drink. Everybody eyes were now on them as Autumn stepped closer to Avery.

  “Why didn’t you tell me,” Autumn asked him.

  “I didn’t know how,” Avery said as he reached for her hand. Autumn looked at him with disgust written on her face.

  “You couldn’t or you wouldn’t,” she asked Avery. “You have been in my face for the past two months and you didn’t think I needed to know where my sister was laying her head. You sat in my bed and watch me cried my heart out when I told you I was scared of getting a phone call saying my sister has been found.”

  Avery reached for Autumn’s hand again. “I’m sorry,” Avery said again. Autumn slapped him as soon as the words left his mouth.

  “You are selfish, and you only think about yourself,” Autumn said angrily. “Where is the loyalty? Oh, I forgot. You the same dude that let your cousin get her heartbroken by your best friend. Your loyalty should have been to your cousin first.” Autumn looked at Avery and then walked out of the restaurant.

  “Autumn,” Avery yelled her name as he ran after her.

  “Leave me alone,” Autumn said as she pulled out her cell phone. She requested an Uber and was please one was in the area. “Don’t call my phone or come by my house until you get rid of whatever baggage you are carrying.”

  “I don’t have any baggage,” Avery said as he looked at her.

  “Nigga, please,” Autumn scoffed as she looked at him. “Why didn’t you tell me Yvonne was around my sister?”

  “Because it’s none of my business. Tori gone make her own decisions,” Avery said as he looked at Autumn. Autumn stepped back as she shook her head.

  “But she is a part of me,” Autumn screamed. “Regardless if she is fucking hardheaded or not, she is still my fucking sister. But I forgot you the same negro that hasn’t even called to check on your own cousin.”

  “Blessings is alright,” Avery said warily. “She will get over it.”

  Autumn shook her head. “You right. She will. And I will get over you as well.” The Uber driver pulled up and Autumn hopped in the backseat. “Don’t call me,” Autumn reiterated to Avery.

  Chapter 15

  Chicago opened the door, surprised to find Autu
mn standing on the other side. “What do we have here,” Chicago said in a shock tone. “What brings you to this part of town?”

  Autumn shrugged her shoulders as she looked down at her shoes. “You put your address in my notebook. Plus, I didn’t know where else to go.”

  Chicago leaned on the door. “You ok,” he asked as he looked at her intently.

  Autumn shook her head as she kept her head down. She didn’t know how she should feel. She expected Avery to be this great guy, but he ended up fumbling, again. Autumn didn’t have time for that. She needed consistency across the board. Not just when it benefitted him. “I’m just going through something.”

  Chicago held his door opened wider as he motioned for Autumn to walk in. She paused before she stepped closer to the door. “I’m not gone bite.” Chicago gave her a wink as she blushed. Autumn stepped all the way through the door.

  She walked into the living room and was surprised to see a black sectional sofa in the middle of it. She looked around the apartment and it was every bit a bachelor’s pad with a flat screen tv on top of the fireplace. A few gold pillows laid sprawled across the sofa as a football game was showing on the tv.

  “You hungry,” Chicago asked as he looked at Autumn. Autumn nodded as she took a seat on the sectional. “Well, I’m cooking mac and cheese and fried chicken. That’s ok with you?” Autumn looked at him with surprised.

  “Yea, I can burn in the kitchen,” Chicago replied as he walked into the kitchen.

  “Just don’t burn the kitchen down,” Autumn shouted as she continued to look around. Autumn got up from the sectional and walked into the kitchen. Chicago was placing raw chicken into the hot grease that was in a pot. Autumn took a moment to really take Chicago in. From his broad shoulders to the way his chest looked in the wife beater, Chicago is definitely a fine ass man. His gray sweats showed off what he was working with.