by Zi'ere
I listened to and never argued with the doctors all the while remaining prayerful that Zoey would wake up one day to see her beautiful babies. The only issue’s from the doctors came when they discussed what kind of mental or physical capacity Zoey could possibly be in when and if she ever woke up. Of course, her medical needs would be met regardless to whatever it was she or the babies needed. It didn’t matter to me what she could or couldn’t do after she woke up. I just needed her to be available so I could see her face every day. I needed her to be in the physical world. I prayed every day that God would not take the one and only blood relative I had from me like he had done with our parents. I had gotten stingy in my prayers. I wanted her to be okay but it was not okay for him to take her from me. While I had Zoey’s condition in my hands, I also had Amina’s condition in my pockets.
Amina had taken the news of Zoey being in a car accident just as bad as I had, so I heard. After an eight hour procedure called a heart ablation, Amina was sent home to recover the next day. Before she was discharged we were able to have a talk about the business end of our relationship. Most importantly the status of our friendship had to be understood. A few seconds into the conversation, we both realized our relationship with each other was detrimental to us. We agreed that we will leave the business end to professional decisions that were in the best interest of our employees and our bank accounts. Amina stressed that she could and would be able to separate the two when it came to her sister as well. The ending agreement was that in her absence I would take the reins of Barton Modeling Agency. She demanded that I complete every action needed to keep us at the top. We sealed the deal with a pinky promise and with legitimate signatures on the dotted lines.
For some reason Amina already had the documents drawn up in advance that would take Emani off her throne for the best interest of the organization. I decided to hold my mule and keep my thoughts to myself regarding the reasons she had to do such a thing to her sister. My sweet Amina was so wise and calculated in her moves. I was inspired by her aspirations to still make a difference from behind the scenes. I respected her on a new level that day. Emani would never be able to drive another wedge between my best friends who also doubled as my sisters.
I stood by and watched Carlos gather Amina’s body up and place her into a wheel chair. The three of us exchanged hugs and kisses on the cheek reciting good byes, I will talk to you later’s, and I love you’s. Minutes later they were on their way home. In addition to their nanny, the rest of the Haywood clan would all be waiting for Amina’s arrival. I could rest easy because I knew Mrs. Anna would see to it that Amina didn’t lift a finger until she was sure Amina was okay and not a minute before. Seeing the way Carlos looked at and handled his wife gave me a warm feeling on the inside. Just a few days ago I didn’t think that would ever be a possibility for me to experience for myself. But now those doubts were gone away again now.
I could truly be happy for her because now I had my own king. In just a few hours I had experienced the kind of love that she had gotten from Carlos starting from their first night together. Liam stood beside me the entire time. He rubbed my back when I needed it. He held my arm when I thought I might fall. And, I got the feeling that he had unconditional love for me. Thinking back Amina had tried to warn me about what long lasting love was. She tried to keep me from been blind to the fact that Quese was incapable of giving me what I deserved even before she knew he was already a married man. I had been a fool for love. I took the power from Emani, I admitted my error first. I had already claimed the rights to my own story. There was nothing she could say to me that I hadn’t said to myself.
2
Hearing my late Mom’s voice every morning as a type of wake- up call had not been working well for Liam by the time he had spent a whole week waking up beside me. I was sure I would release my bladder after laughing so hard at him jumping straight up as if my Mom was about to walk into the bedroom as we both lay in bed naked. The laugh was loud and it came from my gut, tears streamed down my face I was laughing so hard. After ten years of having the comfort of still listening to my Mommy’s voice even though she had passed away, I had to get a new alarm clock to appease the only man who had ever heard the alarm sound. Waking up to Liam’s handsome face and warm body beside me was the ultimate reward for the sacrifice I had to make.
In the following weeks of spending every waking minute of visitation time in the ICU, I was folding under the possibility of losing my baby sister. It became evident that I needed a support team, Liam took his post. To make my heart feel better I needed heart to heart loving emotionally and physically. Anytime we were alone for five minutes we were tearing the clothes off each other. It was evident that Liam might as well move into the master suite after a few days. At first we tried to save face with each other. We touched and agreed that it was the safest and most logical move for the both of us. Liam moved all of his personal things from his spare room on the first floor and also from his own condo into my home. Yes honey, Laini had a man in the house!
After a long day of taking care of business, I had come home to find his side of the room that was my closet overflowing with clothing just like my side had been. He was as much of an addict to clothing as I was. I had been styling him long enough and I had grown to love his sense of style. He was now different in my eyes. I couldn’t quite put my finger on it yet, but his clothing and shoes were always just right. It was safe to say Liam had swag. Any and everything looked good on his body. He had always looked and smelled so good. I knew he didn’t think so but I had felt that way about his looks, actions, and smell for years. He was everything a good man was supposed to be and I noticed it almost immediately.
From the very start I considered myself lucky in love for the first time ever in my life. At a time when I was cloaked in disaster, he popped up out of thin air and made me feel safe. Maybe it was just the sense of security I had grown to become accustomed to with him. After all, he’d started out being my driver when we both were just teenagers. Liam started out on his first day at the job being very protective over me. My Daddy loved that about him. No matter how many men had hurt me or had proven to be unreliable in my personal affairs, I could always depend on Liam to be consistent in my life. I couldn’t stomach thinking that once everything had returned too normal he would go back to his previous position.
Even though I couldn’t understand how we could ever erase how comfortable we had gotten with each other in my bed. I had definitely seen worse from a man so I couldn’t let the possibility die. While the building was shut down I tried to focus on all the medical emergencies going on with the people I loved most in the world. Every moment I could spend in the hospital I did. Instead of Liam waiting outside the door, he was by my side offering help. After the doctor’s informed me that there was nothing more that I could do, I had no choice but to put the pieces back together at the Jefferies and Barton building.
From the hospital, Liam and I had gone into the office. In the beginning I was putting in a hard ten hours of work with a working lunch. Liam recognized the signs of depression and stress immediately. He shut the operation down. He insisted that I make changes to the dynamics of my personal and professional affairs. Diving head first into running two corporations was what I had done without thinking twice. When there were four of us it wasn’t easy but now there was just me and the remaining assistants. Nothing was going to be an easy task any time soon. Liam refused to let me lose myself in my work. He refused to let the concept of not trusting rule my life. I needed to get rid of the snakes in the building as soon as possible so that I could delegate responsibilities. The next step would be to put sulfur down all around my affairs.
3
Some nights after Liam had rocked me to sleep with good old fashioned sexual loving; I still couldn’t sleep knowing my baby sister was in the hospital lying helpless. I would sneak out of the house, drive to her, and spend the night with her sleeping beside the hospital bed. One night I had just gotten d
one fixing the roll away cot to sleep for the night when Zoey spoke my name. At first I thought I was hearing things. After hearing my name with stronger force I turned around to see Zoey with her eyes wide open. I couldn’t get to the nurse call button fast enough before Zoey snatched it away.
“Ohmigod Zoey! You woke up! We need to get someone in here to check you out.” My excitement was too much for me to suppress.
“No! No, you can’t do that right now! Wait, please wait a minute. Can I have some water?”
“Bug, you just woke up out of a damn coma! I don’t think you need to drink anything until the doctor says so!” Laini was taking no chances.
“I have been awake for three days now- nobody knows though. I couldn’t just start talking to you when there was the possibility someone could hear me. Laini, my throat is dry. I’m not asking you for a seafood platter, I just need some water!” Zoey’s voice was shaky.
My hands were trembling as I fixed her a cup of ice water from the little Styrofoam pitcher found in all hospital rooms. After a few sips, she looked revived.
“I have some things to tell you and I think you are going to want to be seated when you hear it all. But, we gotta make sure nobody knows I am awake. And by nobody I mean not even Liam.”
I ran to the door to make sure it was closed tightly.
“First, I want to say that it means a lot to me that you and Liam have been here every single day. Even when I really was out cold for real, you know at first. Even though I wasn’t conscious, I still heard every word you said to me. You were never in jeopardy of losing me, it wasn’t my time. Remind me later to tell you about mom and dad.”
I couldn’t control my tears at the mention of possibly losing Zoey. She had the choice to stay with our parents versus coming back to me. She had chosen to stay with mom and dad but she was turned away. I was devastated.
“Don’t be mad at me because I wanted to stay with mom and dad. It was just a warm feeling that I never wanted to end. I’m sorry. You know I love you with everything I am, it was just at the time I thought I was in control of being there. It was beautiful and warm. No one would want to be here if given the choice. I know I’m rambling but I need you to understand how carefree and light I felt. I was a beautiful experience. Please don’t be upset with me.”
“I understand Bug, I promise.”
“I don’t believe you.”
I looked away from her face. I was crushed honestly. I knew she would choose mom and dad. She didn’t even mention her babies.
“I understand. Can I call the doctor in here now?”
“No. I have more to tell you.”
“I’m sure it can wait until you have been checked out! Why are you fighting with me right now?”
“Sis, Emani has launched a full blown attack on our name, our business, our money, and our lives. She has teamed up with Angel, Mekhi, Yvette, and Tory to cripple us all and bring us down to our knees for people all over the world to see. She has targeted the Jefferies name, the honor of her own sister and the Haywood name.” Zoey was talking too fast.
“Whoa, whoa, whoa- where is this coming from?” I was almost positive that there was more news to come.
I couldn’t say that I was prepared to heart it all.
“Yvette is Tory’s sister, the children Yvette had you thinking she is struggling to take care of, are really Tory and Quese Calhoun’s kids.
4
“Are you talking about the Tory that was at the airport setting me up in a catfish scheme with Que? That Tory? Quese’s wife Tory?” Hurt was being laid like bricks.
The pain began to surface all over again.
“The reason they were able to get the relationship to seem so real is because Yvette linked all of your electronics with undetectable software. Tory had Yvette to clone your cell phones and iPad. I’m sorry Laini. I know that Yvette meant a lot to you. I also know that you really took her for a friend honestly and faithfully.”
The tears were flowing in an ugly cry. I had hoped that she was done dumping information, but Zoey kept on talking like a snitch on the First 48.
“Emani linked up with Tory by way of Angel. Angel still has a vendetta with Stephanie because Cedric married her and is getting her pregnant every year. For some reason Angel feels that Stephanie is the one in the wrong. When Emani started stealing money from the Agency it was too easy for her to pay Tory to keep your focus on Quese instead of corporation business. Angel is plotting to get Steph back while Angel is doing Emani a favor because she is jealous of the relationship Darrell has with Steph. But think about it, who better to give Angel access to Haywood family business than a real Haywood. She was actively trying to get Amina to come up with the funds to buy us out of the Agency. Amina refused so she set her sights on us. Mekhi was trying to kill me that night of the wreck. He pinched my nose and covered my mouth at the same time. He tried with all his might to end my life by the time the paramedics made it to the scene. He hadn’t been able to scare me into the notion that life is so short and we needed to get married right away. I found out all Mekhi wanted from me was to use me as a footstool to reach into the fashion industry for his piss poor designs. Emani figured you would not want to continue on the family business without your family not being at your side. My death was supposed to cripple you even more after you had been heartbroken over Quese.”
Weeping hadn’t stopped my ears from working. I heard every word Zoey said. As a matter of fact, I was still stuck on the fact that Mekhi had actually tried to kill my sister as an order from Emani Barton- Haywood.
“Mekhi is HIV positive and is bi-sexual technically. But I honestly think he is a full blown gay guy. He thinks I don’t know it but when I hired a private investigator I got more information than was worth the small fee the guy charged me. Emani’s babies do not have one Haywood gene in their blood. Mekhi is Emani’s sperm donor. She had no idea about his status because he didn’t even know. I am willing to bet every penny I have that Emani and those babies are positive too.” Zoey raised her eyebrows.
“Shut yo mouth girl! Ohmygod, what about you and our babies?” It wouldn’t make a difference with their status was, I would just need to get educated on the subject if either were infected. If Magic could do it, Zoey would be no different.
“I always used protection with Mekhi whenever the act was attempted. That’s why I say that I think he is gay because he barely ever could get it up to shoot with me. Then after I got a hold of his medical records I shut everything down. I have been getting tested every three months just to be sure and every time I have been negative. The night of the accident, I had everything set up to have his guard lying on the floor. Cedric was in place to take care of him for me that night but we never made it back to the condo.”
“Damn, Zoey! When were you going to tell me all of this shit?” I was hurt, confused, and angry. She didn’t pay me a bit of attention, she kept right on talking.
“Emani’s babies belong to Mekhi. The Haywood’s are in disarray within the family because of Emani’s doing. Darrell and Emani’s sex life is almost nonexistent. When it does exist, it is with a condom. With all of her sister-in-laws around her getting preggers, she had to act fast. She has been trying to get pregnant again ever since.”
“This is too much for me!”
“I have one more thing Laini.”
5
“What else can there be when the same people we thought loved us and were on our team has been using us this entire time? I am going to kill Emani and Yvette’s ass today!”
“The little boys in my belly, that are about to make a grand entrance into the world in a few months are going to be Chandler, Arizona’s royalty times two.” Zoey turned her head so that she would not have to acknowledge how scandalous she had been.
“Your baby’s daddy is a Haywood?”
“I am pregnant with Darrell Haywood’s sons.”
“Zoey! Emani’s husband? How in the hell did that happen! Damn, you know that man is married! How
could you do this Zoey?” To say Laini was upset was an understatement.
These broads had been so judgmental about my life but were living real life scandalous affairs for real! I was pissed. If Emani wanted to kill Zoey’s ass before, my Lord! When Emani found out Zoey had legitimate Haywood babies that didn’t not come from her union to her man…things were not going to get any better before they got worse first. The bible says that the last shall be first. I wanted to be first, last when the revelation of all this scandalous behavior became public knowledge.
“It was the night Amina came home from the hospital. When Emani was bringing up all that noise about Mekhi’s sexual orientation and then we had that fight. She violated me first Laini. I didn’t want to leave Amina’s house because I was afraid of what I might do to Mekhi if I saw him that night. At that time I had not had an opportunity to talk to Cedric about my problem. Darrell was so upset with Emani that he didn’t go home that night either. A simple pity party about our significant others turned into an ongoing affair. I’m not saying I was right for spreading my legs but it is what it is.”
“But still, if she got pregnant by Mekhi she could have passed the virus on to Darrell. Yet you were still sleeping with him anyway.”
“Darrell has stopped having sex with her since I told him about the test on Mekhi. Just out of the need to know your status, he has also been getting tested regularly. Before I got here, it was something we would do together. He has not slept with Emani since.”
“Are you sure about that? You know how that heifer brags on how whipped she has Darrell.”
“She can say that all she wants. I will know for sure in a lil bit.” Zoey lay back on her pillows as if she was exhausted.