Betrayal

by A. Marie

  He wasn’t with letting girls fight, he found it to be silly. They had already got a round in and NuNu had proven then she was with the smoke so there was no need to continue with the drama.

  Mandy stood up with tears falling, one eye swollen and embarrassed as everyone stood around and watched the action.

  “I'm so sorry Nu I swear I am. Please, I don't want to fight anymore,” she pleaded.

  “Bitch you should have thought about that before you went behind her back and was fucking her old nigga, TRUE friends don’t do shit like that,” Leah said as she advanced on Mandy.

  “Leah… Get your ass back here,” Marcus shouted, pulling her back in the opposite direction by the arm.

  Tyson had NuNu pinned against the back of his car, whispering something in her ear. She nodded as she listened to what he was saying. He was always able to calm her down and she loved that about him. NuNu turned facing toward Mandy. “Bitch you’ve been touched by an angel,” she said as she climbed in the car and leaned her seat back.

  Leah turned heading towards Tyson’s car but not before turning back and calling Mandy a scandalous ho. Everyone standing around started chanting, “Yoouuu’s a hooeee!”

  Mandy was filled with embarrassment as she jetted home, not stopping until she made it inside, locking the door behind her. She hadn't expected to be spotted by the girls or anyone else for that matter and was mad at herself from wanting that damn Faygo peach pop and watermelon Now and Laters so bad. She crossed the living room in hast, making her way to her bedroom where Dominic laid still sleeping.

  “Nic get up please,” she cried as she began coming out of her clothes. Dominic didn't budge which caused Mandy to yell with authority.

  “DOMINIC GET UP NOW!”

  She moved toward him and pulled the cover back. He laid there naked, dick hanging to the side with her dried juices all over it. He stirred slightly from the movement of the cover and then was up once she smacked him across the face.

  “Damn Man you tripping,” he said sitting up right in the bed, once he saw her swollen eye with blood dripping from her eye brow, he was up on two feet ready to fuck shit up. He went to touch her face and she winced.

  “What the fuck happened?” he barked as he looked her over.

  “NuNu and Leah jumped me on my way back here from the store, Nu did this to my face Nic, she did this because of you. I should have never got with you, this was wrong,” she cried hysterically as she covered her face and fell to the floor.

  Dominic found his boxers, putting them on with urgency and then sat next to her, consoling her as she cried while burying her face in the center of his chest. Dominic was fuming on the inside. Her cries made his blood boil. Dominic clenched his teeth together, as his jaw flexed, and his temple throbbed.

  “Shhh,” he said soothingly.

  He stroked her head softly. He had allowed this to play out the way it did and he cursed himself on the inside.

  “I'm so sorry ManMan. I swear to god I am. I never expected to fall for you baby, the night this all happened it was really on some get back shit with NuNu. I was going to smash you and then throw it in her face, but I fell for you baby and I'm sorry. I'll make this right, for you I have to make this right so no more static comes your way behind me loving you.” Dominic spoke with so much remorse in his tone. He felt guilty for the part he played that led to her assault.

  Mandy lifted her head at that remark. Her face was a mess and feeling ugly as ever, she sniffed, wiping her nose with the back of her hand.

  “I love you too Nic.”

  He grabbed her face, staring at her, “did you at least pinch the bitch?” he asked playfully. Mandy punched him smack dab in the chest and smiled slightly even though she didn't find it funny. “Look, I'm going to run you some bath water and get you cleaned up so we can figure out how to fix this between you two,” he said as he stood from the floor and pulled her up with him. He escorted her to the bathroom and plugged the tub with a sock since she didn't have a stopper. As he started the water, trying to get the temperature just right, he dropped his head at the sight of looking at her face. He felt terrible because he was the cause of all of this. He knew Mandy had liked him first, but he went after NuNu instead because she was prettier and not easy like her. Had he taken the time to acknowledge the attraction she had for him she wouldn't have betrayed her friend to be with him. Dominic stood and wrapped her in a hug.

  “I’m so sorry baby, I really am.” He offered once more as he pecked the tip of her nose.

  “It's okay Nic,” she whispered as she squeezed him tightly.

  “Will you get the radio please, so I can listen to music while I'm in this tub and relax, my body is aching so bad,” she said.

  “Yeah, baby I got you, anything else you want me to do?” He asked as he headed toward the door to seize the radio for her.

  “No, I'm straight.” She said as she started peeling out of her ripped t-shirt.

  After he made his exit, Mandy started taking off her under clothes and walked toward the bathroom mirror. The medicine cabinet that held the mirror was opened and when she shut it the image staring back at her instantly made her eyes water. NuNu had done a number on her face. Mandy always had insecurities about the way she looked and now her reflection looked worse in her eyes. Tears flowed down her face as a million thoughts ran rapidly through her mind.

  “Dominic,” she called out to him as she turned to stop the running water behind her.

  “Yeah,” he said, voice barely audible as he reentered the bathroom.

  Mandy slid in the tub getting comfortable but wincing once her head touched the back of the wall.

  “Can you go to the store and get me a Faygo, Peach pop and some-”

  “watermelon Now and Laters,” he said, finishing her sentence with a smirk.

  Mandy smiled as she closed the only eye that she could voluntarily and asked could he plug the radio up and set it on the end of the tub next to the candles that sat there from their rendezvous the previous night. Dominic did as he was asked, kissed her on the forehead and then headed out to get the snacks she requested from the store.

  Once Mandy heard the front door close, she climbed out of the tub and went to her bedroom trailing water behind her. She stood in front of her dresser again looking in the mirror hanging on her wall over the dresser and then pulled the bottom right drawer open, taking a box out from under a pile of her clothes. She placed the wrapped box on the bed and headed back to the bathroom to soak her body.

  She took a seat turning on the radio to 95.7. The station played nothing but oldies music and that's the type of music she was in the mood for while she relaxed. Kelly Price, A Friend of Mine was in mid play and had Mandy feeling fucked up. What were the odds of this actually being her life right now? She shook her head as her eyes prickled while singing the words to the song. She felt the lyrics and felt like it was NuNu singing this about her. Sliding all the way in the water she submerged herself and then came back up after about 20 seconds. She leaned her head against the tiled wall and cried hard from her soul, her life was a mess and she was filled with so much pain and guilt. Mandy’s eyes popped opened and she screamed before being punched in the head.

  “Leah, what the fuck are you doing?” Mandy cried.

  Leah didn’t speak. She pulled her by the hair trying to take her out of the tub but couldn’t get a tight grip on her wet hair. Mandy screamed for Dominic as she tried to defend herself, trying to get up but slipped back into the tub, accidentally kicking the radio, sending it crashing up against the wall and making it fall into the water as a result from the impact. Leah jumped back in fear as she realized what had just happened. The lights started flickering and Mandy’s body started convulsing from the electricity going through her body. Mandy splashed water everywhere as her body flopped wildly out of the tub and started smoking, frying her within minutes.

  Leah was terrified. She backpaddled into the hallway with her hands to her mouth and eyes wide in dis
belief as she looked at Mandy’s body lying on the bathroom floor. “What the fuck did I just do?” She said in a hushed tone as she looked around the hallway frantically. “Mandy,” Leah called as she headed back into the bathroom. “Mandy, please get up.” She cried. Little bolts were shooting through the water on the floor were Mandy laid. Leah looked toward the front door and darted for it. She couldn’t stay, she couldn’t take the blame for it. She grabbed the doorknob and looked back towards the bathroom as tears fell down her face. She shook her head, opened the door and made her exit.

  Dominic returned to the house and noticed it was dark in the hallway when he was sure he had left the lights on. “Mandy,” he called, making his way down the hallway. He placed the stuff she wanted from the store on the couch. He didn't hear the radio playing and the smell that invaded his nostrils made his stomach turn. It smelled like a mixture of burnt beef, hair, and charcoal. What the fuck? He said to himself, noticing the lights were out in the bathroom as well and the smell of fried hair becoming stronger. He opened the door. “AMANDA, NOOO!” He screamed. Dominic rushed inside and saw sparks coming from the outlet where the radio was once plugged in. He ran to her bedroom to get his phone, snatching it up with shaky hands. His eyes watered as he placed the call.

  “911 what is your emergency?”

  “Please help meeee, I need an ambulance to 0001 Tecumseh St. now please!”

  “Sir what is the emergency?” The operator asked.

  “My fucking girlfriend was in the tub... and... and... and just hurry the fuck up man, please.”

  Dominic threw the phone against the wall shattering it as he fell on the bed crushing the box Mandy had placed on the bed. “Man, what the fuck did you do?” He screamed out, grabbing his chest as he cried. He was crying so hard he could barely breathe and was literally sick to his stomach. “NOOOOO!” Was all he could get out. His vocabulary was gone and knowing that Mandy was gone as well made him want to be with her. Dominic felt the box against his back as he rolled back and forth from the devastation of finding his love laying on the bathroom floor lifeless. He lifted slightly, pulling the box from up under him. He looked at it confused because he knew it wasn't on the bed before he left for the store. He opened it taking out a note and pregnancy test. He saw the test results on the stick and yelled in agony snapping it in half.

  “AHHHH, she’s fucking pregnant man,” he howled, as he stood from the bed pacing the floor until he heard the loud knocks coming from the front door. He didn't hear the sirens from the ambulance but knew it had to be them knocking. He raced for the door swinging it open so fast that it sent the knob through the plaster of the wall.

  “She’s in the bathroom down the hall, water is everywhere and the fucking radio is in the tub” he barked growing more angry than hurt in the moment.

  Dominic tried to head back into the bathroom with the emergency respondents, but they stopped him dead in his tracks. Dominic protested. It was no way he wasn’t about to be by her side.

  “Sir, you need to do as you’re told, have a seat and let us do our job.” Dominic spun on his heels looking the man in the eyes as tears fell. “That’s my fucking life in there, I can’t just sit.” Dominic had never experienced heartbreak until this moment.

  “Well, you have no choice young man, have a seat now,” the officer said in a calm but demanding tone.

  Dominic wasn’t trying to hear anything. He stared the officer in the eyes, sneering. He needed to be right in the mix as they worked on Mandy. Dominic heard one of the responders. “We’re losing her, we have to get her to the hospital now!” He said. The EMC came flying down the hallways and rushed out of the house, putting Mandy in the back of the ambulance.

  Dominic couldn’t think straight, he felt it in his soul she was gone. He didn’t even bother to chase after them as they took her out. He knew he would never be able to come to her crib and lay up with her and talk about their life plans with one another. Mandy had poured out her soul to him within these walls, they talked about the things she endured as a child growing up. He too had opened up about his upbringing as well. Dominic rounded the couch and took a seat on the edge of it, noticing the note from the box in his hand still, he opened it. A letter addressed to him and Mandy's mother, Tracy.

  Dominic and Tracy,

  I am so sorry for the pain I will cause. Dominic… Baby… I'm pregnant and I am so sorry I will be robbing you of the chance to be a father. I love you and I hope you can….

  He couldn't even finish the letter, he folded it back up and tucked it in his pocket. Dominic dropped to his knees head to the floor, pounding his fist against the wood while cursing Mandy inside of his head for taking herself and his unborn baby away from him.

  Chapter Eight