Betrayal

by A. Marie

  BOP

  “Get yo sorry ass up,” she screamed as she hit him again this time socking him in the eye. Marcus shot up pissed and holding his eye as he tried to restrain her from throwing more blows his way.

  “Leah, chill the fuck out,” he said as he stood behind her, bear hugging her.

  Leah was enraged. He had hurt her and then had the nerve to not come and talk it out with her. Seeing him sleeping so comfortable as if he had not one worry of losing her, pissed Leah off. Her man was a cheater but yet she wanted him, she craved him.

  “Fuck you, Marcus!” She shouted as she tried to free herself from his tight hold.

  “Let me the fuck go NOW, Marcus before I-”

  “Before you what? Go in my pockets like you did ole girl,” he said chuckling at the thought.

  He loved the thought of Leah being able to handle her own. She was aggressive and he relished in the thought of her being with catching heat behind him.

  “Leah, you savage as fuck, you know that.” Marcus leaned into her attempting to kiss her ear. He knew that was her weak spot and he needed her to calm down. Just as his lips were getting ready to connect to her earlobe, she moved her head forward. “Don’t fucking put your nasty as lips on me,” she said as she elbowed him in his side freeing herself. Marcus leaned over holding his side and winced.

  “Leah! Man, you got one more time to put your fucking hands on me,” he barked.

  “You broke my heart you bitch ass nigga, so I’m going to lay hands where I fucking please and if I want to lay them on you that’s exactly where they going to land.”

  Marcus stood up straight, grabbing her by the waist and pulling her in. He needed to subdue her. He needed to get her to let her guard down and forgive him. Marcus had scolded himself the whole ride home after pulling from in front of her house. He knew his actions were stupid and mad disrespectful.

  “I fucked up bey, I know,” he whispered.

  “You damn right you fucked up,” she shot back. Leah began to cry. She was now depleted. Here she was trying to be the roots of Marcus’s tree while he was busy wanting the leaves that would eventually fall.

  “You know the shit I've been through and the things I’ve seen and for you to play me like this after you said you got me, is hurtful. I never expected this shit from you, Marcus. Where did I go wrong?”

  At that very moment, Marcus knew he had her locked in and he used her vulnerability to his advantage to get her to stay right where he wanted her and that was with him. He was certain she wouldn’t leave. Marcus looked her in the eyes and rubbed her cheek.

  “I’m not ready to settle down, I can’t just fuck one girl, I mean I can try but that’s only if you stay down with a nigga,” he said challenging her. Marcus needed to see if Leah was going to be his rider. He wanted her to be like Chrissy, go with the flow and willing to accept whatever he dished out. He hoped that his plan to get her to submit would work. Leah recoiled at what she was hearing. Marcus had lost his mind. Stay down for what? To be disrespected and feel worthless.

  “What the fuck you mean you’ll try if I stay? Are you crazy?” She asked in disbelief.

  “Listen either you with me or you, not, either way, I’m going to do me and since you not sure if you with me then you can get the fuck out until you figure it out.”

  Leah’s eyes couldn’t stop replenishing tears as she tried to process how he went from her mister charming to a typical dawg ass nigga. Marcus sauntered over to his bedroom door and opened it knowing she wouldn’t leave and that she would fall for his game. Leah looked at him with shocked eyes, mouth agape.

  “Wow.”

  Leah swiped the tears from her cheeks and walked right past him as she made her exit. Marcus was caught off guard by her actions. This is not how he planned for it to go. He was certain she would stay. Leah making her exit, instead of caving for him put something on him. He loved this girl but wasn’t ready to settle down. Selfish. Marcus was selfish because he still wanted her to stay and put up with his bullshit, while he sorted through his mess. Marcus wanted to stop her. Something was telling him to stop her, but he let her walk right out the door without a word. His ego caused him to let his love leave. Leah walked back out the same way she came as she dialed NuNu up. As soon as her friend answered she asked her to come and get her from the gas station that was right up the street from Marcus’s house. She walked down the long driveway, then looked back at the house as she shook her head. I’m cool on that nigga.

  Three weeks had gone by since Leah and Marcus had last seen or spoken to each other. He never reached out like she thought he would and that cut her deeply. Leah was spending a lot of time at work, school and with NuNu. NuNu was getting bigger by the day but she still went to school and on days she couldn't make it, Leah would collect her work she needed and then return it if NuNu needed her to. Luckily for NuNu, she had all the credits she needed to graduate so being pregnant didn't set her back school wise, she just hoped she would be able to attend her prom as she and Leah had always planned.

  Leah walked in NuNu’s house from school and when she entered, she was taken aback by the face she saw staring at her.

  “What's up bossy?” Tyson asked as he stood to take the extra book bag from her hand. “Hey Ty,” she said as she finally took her eyes off Marcus.

  “Ty, can you run me to the store real quick please?” Leah asked.

  She didn’t wait for a response. Leah was heading back toward the door until Marcus’s comment stopped her.

  “I’ll take you,” He said, standing up from the rocking chair he and Tyson had just put together for NuNu. Leah spun back around.

  “Naw, you good Mr. I can’t just fuck one bitch.”

  Leah didn’t know what made Marcus think she’d just be willing to ride with him. They hadn’t spoken in weeks and here he was having the nerve to want to offer her a ride after he had kicked her out and had come at her with the craziest ultimatum. Leah scoffed.

  “Ty, I’ll be at your car,” she said, turning to him and then heading out the door.

  “Okay, sis here I come,” he said heading to the kitchen to grab his keys off the counter.

  Marcus headed out the house catching up to Leah before she got to the sidewalk and grabbed her hand. “Leah, so this what we on?” he asked, turning her to face him.

  When she turned around tears were falling as she nodded and then headed for the car after snatching out of his grasp. Marcus remained on the sidewalk until Tyson came out of the house. Tyson walked past Marcus who was now on his phone and tossed Leah the keys so that she could unlock the doors. Leah popped the locks and climbed in. She didn’t know what he expected. Marcus had left her heart stomped on in his mother’s basement. She wasn’t willing to turn a cheek to his bullshit. He was willing to allow another bitch to ride shotgun and she wasn’t coming second to no one. Tyson made his way to the driver’s side climbing in as he yelled to Marcus that he’d get back up with him later. Tyson then shut the door and before he started the engine Leah stopped him.

  “What? I thought you wanted to go to the store.”

  “No, I just wanted him to leave and I knew he wouldn’t stay if you left cause he knows Nu don’t like his ass.”

  Tyson shook his head laughing at her cause she was right, NuNu couldn’t stand Marcus. She would always give him attitude anytime he would have him around and talk mad shit about how she was glad Leah had left his ugly, cheating ass alone.

  “But for real Ty, when did y’all get all buddy-buddy?”

  “Leah, I’ve been known him from around the way. Him and I do business and get to this money. I can’t let what y’all got going on disrupt my money flow, I had to tell Nu the same thing,” he said.

  Leah folded her arms and rolled her eyes as she threw her head against the headrest slightly. Seeing Marcus’s face had ruined her day. His presence was one she wanted to avoid for as long as she could. Since that night in his basement, she had been broken. It was no way that she could ever forgi
ve him. I can’t just fuck one bitch, Leah scoffed as his words played back in her head.

  “Ty, you know Nu got that in check,” Leah said, smiling.

  Tyson smirked. NuNu was his weakness. That was something everyone knew and something he would never deny. However, when it came to his money, it was a different story unless it would bring her harm in any way. Other than that, NuNu didn’t dictate his business.

  “She may run a lot of things, but one thing she doesn't run is the way I get my money, that’s one thing she will never be able to control.”

  Leah smiled knowing why he put so much force behind that never.

  “Okay brother, I can respect it, but for future references when you know I'm on my way can you at least give me a heads up and I'll wait until y’all done before I come over here.”

  “I got you.”

  They both exited the car and headed back in the house. Leah was ready to be up under her friend. She needed NuNu to make her laugh and get her mind off her now reopened wound.

  “Nuuuu,” Leah called out, being dramatic.

  “What?” NuNu shouted from the back.

  “Come here,” Leah stated as she sat in the rocking chair waiting for her pregnant friend. “Hell no,” NuNu shot back. Leah was crazy to think that she would get up from her bed. “I'm comfortable and I'm not getting up.”

  Leah couldn’t do anything but laugh as she got up and made her way to NuNu’s bedroom. Before she climbed in the bed she paused, “y’all haven’t been fucking on these sheets have y’all?” she asked knowing they more than likely had.

  “Every damn night,” Tyson called from the bathroom.

  NuNu put her hands over her face shaking her head at his damn mouth. This boy just says whatever. Leah had tears falling from laughing so hard.

  “Tyson shut the hell up,” NuNu finally said, removing her hands from her face.

  “What? Leah knows I be making you put a leg by your ear while I'm in that.”

  “Ty, spare me the details,” Leah replied as she took a seat on top of the covers.

  “Girl what are you going to do with him,” Leah said looking at her friend. Leah made herself comfortable and took the remote from NuNu to find something on T.V. to watch. NuNu was busy reading baby books, so the T.V. was watching her.

  “She not going to do nothing with me but love and fuck me good, ain’t that right baby?” Tyson stated as he kissed NuNu’s lips and rubbed her stomach.

  As much as NuNu wanted to talk shit, she didn't. There was no need in telling him to watch his mouth. He was just as blunt as she was but worse. They were just alike so telling him to stop was like telling herself to stop and that wasn’t happening.

  “That's right baby.” She said smirking.

  Leah couldn't contain her smile as she looked at the couple in awe. They were beautiful together. Their chemistry was everything. Leah loved the way Tyson loved her friend. NuNu deserved it after what she had gone through with Dominic and Mandy. Mandy. Just the very thought of her sent a chill down Leah’s spine. She quickly shook the thought from her mind.

  “Y’all so cute,” Leah complimented after Tyson was done rubbing and kissing his unborn baby.

  “Aight baby girl I'm about to bounce, you need anything before I leave?” he asked.

  “No, we good,” NuNu said, referring to her and the baby.

  “Aight, I’ll see you later call me if you need anything.”

  “Okay Ty,” NuNu said, getting annoyed because it was the same routine before he left the house for the day. He always wanted to make sure she was comfortable and had everything she needed before he ripped the streets up. He couldn’t help it though. She was his first love. His first baby was coming, so he had to make sure they were okay. Tyson made his exit and the two girls began chatting about everything that had been going on lately.

  “I finally listened to Mandy voicemail this morning,” NuNu announced.

  “Did you really?” Leah asked in shock.

  She just knew that NuNu would never listen to it. She was certain that her friend had deleted the voicemail a while ago. What Leah didn’t know was that NuNu had always had the urge to listen to the voicemail since she received the news about Mandy’s death. Regardless of what had happened, NuNu couldn’t help but still consider her a friend. NuNu was stubborn but she couldn’t just ignore four years of friendship. She wished that she could rewind time and go back to the last day that her and Mandy had faced off. She would have certainly handled it a lot differently, by listening to her friend.

  “Yeah,” NuNu said sighing as she rubbed her stomach. The baby was stretching her, she rubbed her belly gently smiling at the metamorphosis. It was her way of soothing her love. NuNu felt like every time she touched her stomach it was her way of bonding with her baby.

  “I'm actually sorry for how I handled things with her and because of that I forgive her,” she said.

  “That's good Nu, I'm glad,” Leah said as her mind drifted back to the dreadful day of Mandy’s death. Flashbacks ran through Leah’s mind of Mandy kicking the radio and then seeing her body shaking uncontrollably. She then thought about the letter that she had read for Dominic that saved her life from ever having Mandy’s death investigated.

  “You know she left Nic a letter and I ended up reading it to him Nu, that letter rocked my heart. I didn't know she was battling things with her mother like that.”

  Leah was now crying.

  “I actually can relate to how she feels about her mom because I feel the same way about mine. She came by my g mommy house looking for me and I'm glad I wasn't there,” she said, sniffing and wiping at her face.

  “Aww boo please don't cry or you are going to make me cry and I do enough of that shit being pregnant,” NuNu said looking at Leah with sympathy, trying to keep her tears at bay.

  Leah started feeling a churning in her stomach and her mouth salivating. She rushed to the bathroom making it just in time as clear fluids came spewing from her mouth. She was throwing up so hard she got petechiae on her face and started sweating.

  “Oh my god,” she said to herself after she was finished as she went over to sink to rinse her mouth out with water and then mouthwash that she found in the medicine cabinet above the sink. Leah turned to see NuNu standing in the doorway of the bathroom and she jumped.

  “Dammit Nu, why the hell you scare me like that,” she said holding her chest.

  “Leah Bre’Ana you pregnant, aren't you?” NuNu asked as she shook her head not even wanting her thoughts to be true. She did not want her friend to have a baby with a two-timing nigga like Marcus. He was no good for her and as of lately she couldn't stand even the sight of him, that's why she always remained in her room when he was around.

  “I don't think so,” Leah said, not wanting to believe it could be true.

  Leah wanted no parts of Marcus. He had hurt her to her core with the disrespect. She missed him terribly, but she couldn't see herself giving into what he requested just to have him. A baby would certainly complicate things.

  “Leah you’ve been sick a lot lately. I think you should find out if you’re pregnant or not that way you can see what else could possibly be wrong,” NuNu said as she turned on her heels and made her way back to her bedroom.

  Leah stood there in the middle of the bathroom shaking her head in disbelief. This can't be happening, she thought as she tried to remember when her last period was. Her mind raced. She couldn’t remember when her last cycle occurred. Leah normally was good with keeping track and she couldn’t believe the realization as it smacked her in the face.

  “Oh FUUCKK.”

  Leah ran to NuNu’s bedroom.

  “I’m fucking late,” she yelled as she entered the room.

  “I’m fucking late.”

  NuNu’s eyes grew wide and she placed a hand over her mouth and one to her heart. She knew it. She knew that Leah’s symptoms were signs of pregnancy. She had experienced the same things when she first found out she was with child.
r />   “Leah. No,” NuNu said as she climbed back up from the bed to hug her friend.

  “Nu, what will I do if I'm pregnant? I'm scared and I don't want to have a baby with a man like him,” Leah said as she cried on her friend's shoulder.

  Leah wasn’t ready for a baby. Hell, she didn’t even want a baby… especially with Marcus. Having a baby was supposed to be special. However, what she and Marcus had going on wasn’t special. She didn’t want to deal with the attachments that came with him. Leah wanted to finish school without a baby on her hip. She knew a lot of girls in her school walking around with growing bellies. Leah had vowed she would never be one.

  “Wait, what happened to you taking your birth control pills?” NuNu asked.

  Leah’s mind had not been in the right places since the day she ran out of Mandy’s house. She had been so wrapped up in trying to take her mind of that day she drowned herself in Marcus and completely forgot to refill her prescription.

  “I must have forgotten to refill my script,” Leah said, shaking her head and then burying her face in her hands.

  “Listen we will go get a test, have you take it and then go from there. You have been stressed out lately with everything that's been going on so maybe it's throwing your cycle off,” NuNu said, trying to be positive.

  NuNu knew deep down inside that Leah was pregnant. She just hoped like hell that she could be wrong.

  “Nu, I’m sure I won’t be that lucky just to be stressed out and be late. I bet any amount of money that this boy done trapped me,” Leah said as she buried her face back in her hands. Ain’t this about a bitch, she thought. Leah climbed in the bed, stretching out across the cover. She laid on her side, tucking her hands in between her legs as she cried herself to sleep.