“Not to mention—how are you going to just walk up in here and ask me to baby sits like everything is fine? I just came home from jail yesterday because of your lies. What the hell possessed you to tell the police I abused you? Why would you lie like that? That’s fucked up, Shelly. And I don’t have time for games.”
“I apologize, Brian. It’s just that I was upset. You bruised my arm. You really hurt me, Brian. I couldn’t believe you had handled me that way, especially with our son present.”
Lexie’s eyes stretched wide in disbelief at the nonchalant tone of Shelly’s response.
“Are you kidding me? You were swinging on me. I tried to stop you from hitting me…You are on something, you know that?” Unable to keep still, I began pacing the room. Shelly was really working my nerves and it was time for her to leave. My hand gestures became wild and my deportment began to unravel.
“Never mind that—we need to work out something for Brice this coming weekend,” she said as she waved off my apparent anger.
Lexie walked away from the door and took a seat on a side chair to watch our interaction as if she was watching a show. It was obvious that this little episode had become entertaining to her.
I was becoming completely undone and was grasping at my composure, trying to keep it together. The more I grasped, the more it fell away from me. After several deep breaths and one long, heavy sigh, I decided not to let go. I grabbed Shelly by the arm and commenced to throw her out the door.
“Brian!” Lexie called out to me as she stood to her feet. The entertainment was over. “Let her go. Not in front of Brice!” With two steps, Lexie was at my side.
The fuzzy darkness that clouded my vision began to dissipate when Lexie called my name, and even more so after she said Brice’s name.
In a clenched-toothed whisper, I told Shelly, “Get out of my house.” Comfort enveloped me as Lexie remained by my side, solidifying our partnership, signifying our united front. Her small hands rubbed calming circles on my back. Shelly’s face revealed her shock. What did she expect? Her confused expression showed that she realized her power over me was waning fast. I wanted my son in my life, but not at astronomical costs and without an inkling of peace in my own home. Right there and then I decided that I would be in Brice’s life but not by her terms. If she got used to pulling the strings from the start, there would be no turning back, ever.
Lexie’s circles calmed me, and I was able to both see and think with more clarity. I wasn’t intending to hurt Shelly physically, just remove her from my presence, with her conniving ways. Brice being in the vicinity and Lexie’s support helped me hang on to reason. Shelly should have considered herself lucky. My partnering with reason must have set her off.
“She might be your Fiancé, but I’m your son’s mother. I will always be in your life. If you didn’t want me back then why did you come looking for me?” Shelly screamed, on the verge of tears. Lexie’s hand stopped moving on my back, creating a crack in our united front. I was sure my neighbors now knew all of my business.
“Don’t even go there, Shelly! You know why I sought you out.”
Lexie cocked her head to the side and gave me a look that said “Really?” as if she’d found out something she hadn’t known before. Her hand was now completely removed from my back and crossed at her chest. Lexie’s head went back and forth between Shelly and me as if she was intently watching a tennis match. I wanted Shelly to just shut the hell up. She was good for causing a scene, and with Lexie’s full attention, I was sure she’d take advantage of this opportunity to showcase.
“What do you mean don’t go there? You came after me. I didn’t come after you. I told you that I was married! Now I’ve left my husband and moved back to Brooklyn so Brice can have a life with his father and this is how you act? I can’t believe you, Brian. I told you from the start that it was all or nothing, that this was a package deal. There is no Brice without me. You knew that, yet you still sought me out. Now you act like you don’t want to have anything to do with me,” Shelly continued ranting while periodically taking in Lexie’s facial expressions to gauge how the bullshit was being received.
Lexie’s face beamed with understanding as if she was connecting some elusive dots. Shelly’s bullshit was working on her. If I had work to do before Shelly showed up at the door, it was nothing compared to what I’d have to do now to save my may-nothappen marriage.
“Shelly, cut the bullshit and get away from my door. You are going too far now and making this into something it never was.”
“Don’t get in front of your little girlfriend and try to turn things around now!”
Lexie’s eyes stretched wide again, and this time her hands moved from her chest to her hips. Up to now, she hadn’t said a word. I wondered just how much digging I’d have to do to get out of this. I wished Shelly would momentarily turn into a man so I could knock her out and not feel like an ass about it. She was really challenging my manhood. Only punks hit women and I felt like being a punk, if only for one night.
“I’m not standing here listening to this,” I said with my hands up. “I’m out of here.” As I turned to walk away, I felt a weight on my back. It was Shelly.
“Brian, wait!” Shelly had wrapped her arms around me from behind. “Okay, let’s work something out.” The back of my shirt was growing damp with her tears, causing it to stick to my skin.
“That’s enough!” Lexie found her voice. “I’ve seen enough! Brian! Shelly!”
“Lexie, wait!” I jumped in before she could say another word. Lexie said our names with such finality it cut right through me. “Shelly, let me go.”
“Listen to me, Brian!” Shelly pleaded.
“No, both of you listen to me!” Lexie asserted. “Brian, you can have this sick bitch. I can’t and won’t be a part of this.”
“Sick bitch?!” Shelly let me go. “Who are you calling a bitch? Bitch!”
I grabbed Lexie and marched her to the other side of the room before she could haul off and sock Shelly in the eye. Shelly was behind me, yelling and carrying on as I walked Lexie toward the kitchen. This whole scene was out of character for everyone involved. Emotions were running high, curse words muddied the air, and venom was shot from every mouth. When Brice began to cry, I realized that someone had to make an attempt to bring things down a little.
“Lexie, baby, calm down. This doesn’t have to be like this. I will take care of this situation. I don’t need you fighting and carrying on. I love you. You’re the one I want to spend my life with and nothing is going to stop me from having you with me for the remainder of my years. I don’t care what we have to go through. That’s it. This has to stop right here and now.”
Lexie tried to push me away from her but I wasn’t having it.
“It’s her that you need to talk to,” Lexie said, huffing and puffing.
“Her has a name, and don’t act like you don’t know what it is!” Shelly screamed. “I don’t care what he says, I still have his baby! Something you don’t have! Something you couldn’t do!”
Visions of a distraught Lexie in the doctor’s office after receiving the news of losing our baby flashed across my mind. I felt my heart go limp. Lexie released a sound akin to a wounded warrior and charged at Shelly. Lucky for Shelly, I was able to get a hold of Lexie before she could rip her face off. The fear that gripped Shelly showed in her eyes. Shelly jumped out of Lexie’s reach in the nick of time. Brice cried louder. Lexie’s wails mixed with the rest of the anxiety that hung in the air. I was exhausted.
“Shelly, you need to leave now!”
“But, Brian, what about us? What about Brice? We need you! What you don’t need is this savage of a woman. Did you see her? She tried to kill me. Tried to kill the mother of your only son!”
“Shelly, stop it and get out!”
Spitting out insults and bad names, Lexie continued her rage under the restraint of my arms.
“So it’s her over me and your child, huh? Is that what this is, Brian
? Are you trying to make a point because she’s here now?” Shelly poked, still dodging Lexie’s attempts at getting her hands on her. “Do Brice and I mean anything to you anymore?”
“Brian, let me go so I can beat the shit out of this chick!” Lexie screamed while kicking and swinging around me, trying to hit Shelly.
It was beyond my understanding why Shelly was even still there.
“Shelly, Brice means the world to me. You, on the other hand, are a different story. If I could have Brice without you, things would be just fine. I love Brice, but sometimes I honestly wish it wasn’t Lexie who lost my baby!”
The next thing I knew, Shelly had climbed onto my back and was beating me in the top of my head with her legs wrapped around my waist. Lexie managed to get loose and started pulling Shelly by her hair from behind. I had one hand on Shelly, trying to get her off of me, and one hand covering my head in an effort to block her volley of punches. Lexie yanked Shelly’s hair hard, causing her to fall back on top of her. She then rolled over on top of Shelly and commenced to laying a full case of whip-ass on her, applying a good portion to her fair-skinned face. I tried to pull Lexie back and tripped over Shelly’s feet, giving Lexie the opportunity to land a few more tosses. Breathing hard and having had her fill, Lexie let up before I could make it back to my feet and began dragging Shelly, who was now screaming at the top of her lungs, in concert with Brice, toward the door. Once Shelly had cleared the entrance, Lexie slammed the door with Brice still inside and Shelly banging desperately on the outside.
Completely spent and looking like she’d lost a fight with a bear, Lexie exhaled roughly, narrowed her eyes at me, and headed for the bathroom. My son reached his small hands toward the doorknob to try to get to his screaming mother on the other side. I picked him up, comforted him, and looked back in the direction Lexie had gone before I opened the door.
By the time I opened the door, Shelly had made it back up to her feet. Brice’s head was on my shoulder and I rubbed his back. Using the back of my hand, I wiped away his tears one last time before handing him over to Shelly.
She glared at me as she took him. “This is far from over,” she declared before storming off.
I covered my head with my hands and wondered what else could go wrong. One way or another, I was going to fix things with Lexie. I had a wedding in three weeks that was going to happen no matter what. Somehow I would have to convince Lexie that things would work out. No matter how it happened, I needed her there beside me.
Shelly stomped all the way to the elevator, looking back at me with evil eyes. When she got on the elevator, I went to the window to watch her leave the building and get into her car. The pristine, white convertible and the normally beautiful, wellkempt woman was a stark contrast to the convoluted mind she possessed.
Once I saw her place Brice in the car, I left the window. I didn’t want her to catch me watching her. Flopping down on the couch, I wondered how the rest of this night would play out.
Just then, Lexie exited the bathroom, looking a lot less savage than she had moments before. Her hair was pulled back into a hand-swept ponytail and her clothes were straightened out. She looked at me with a blank expression that she held for several beats before her eyes once again filled with water. I went to her to hold her. At first she pulled back, refusing to let me touch her. When her resolve left her I held on for dear life, hoping my embrace would say the things I needed to say but couldn’t find the words to. Her body rocked under my embrace and she released a flood of emotions. We stood there holding, releasing, and sighing until soft knocks at the door interrupted our private session.
I kissed Lexie on the forehead, then kissed away her tears before opening the door to find my son standing alone in the hallway with a duffle bag at his side. The loud screech of tires peeling from the asphalt snapped me out of my momentary state of shock. By the time I raced to the window, Shelly had recklessly taken the corner, nearly mowing down two young guys crossing the street.
Chapter 15 Shelly
When I reached my condo, Daddy was leaning against the door of his Mercedes S 600 with his arms crossed. At first I wondered how he knew I was there. Then I flinched at the thought of how I looked, being that I had just been in a fight with two people. Daddy’s strong, large frame took hastened steps toward me. Concern marked his face and I could tell as he examined my messy hair, bruised cheeks, and wrinkled clothes, that he was at a loss for words.
“Pudding! What happened? Who did this to you?” he asked as he held me at arms length to inspect me closely. Confusion, anger, and hurt all flashed in his eyes one by one. “Don’t tell me Brandon put his hands on you!”
I dropped my head. I didn’t want Brandon to get in trouble but I couldn’t tell Daddy that Brian was involved. Daddy would never accept Brian if I disclosed that bit of information. It would forever cause problems once Brian and I were finally back together.
Daddy shook me slightly because I still hadn’t answered. I no longer wanted Brandon anyway, so why did I care about him having issues with my father?
“Shelly!” Daddy yelled my name. I couldn’t remember the last time he’d called me Shelly.
I was still contemplating my story. I had to get this one right.
“Shelly, answer me! Who did this to you? Tell me now!” Daddy demanded.
“I can’t, Daddy,” I said, and tears flowed quietly down my cheeks. The truth hurt and I couldn’t get my lips to push the words out. Brian let that woman put her hands on me. How dare he allow that? I was the mother of his child, not her.
“Can we go inside, Daddy? I’ll explain everything to you then,” I said.
“Sure, baby. Come on,” Daddy agreed as he walked me inside under the security of his reassuring embrace.
Once we entered the house, my father went straight into daddy mode. He ordered me to go to the bathroom and clean myself up while he put on some tea. By the time I emerged from my bedroom freshly dressed, Daddy had a platter sitting on the coffee table with our favorite tea biscuits, my bamboo-decorated teapot, two matching cups, and an array of herbal teas to choose from.
I averted my eyes from his gaze so he wouldn’t see the truth. I knew the questions would come hard and fast. My father wasn’t one to waste time.
“Come sit down,” he ordered with both love and urgency as he patted the space next to him on the sofa.
Slowly, I walked toward him with my eyes cast downward. I sat next to my father and settled into the crook of his armpit with my feet curled beside me. He had always been my strong tower, my safe haven.
“Now tell me what the hell happened to you today!” His big voice boomed with assertion.
I shifted under his arm, making myself more comfortable as I mentally prepared what I was about to say. I could feel my father’s impatience in his breathing as his large chest rose and fell.
“Did Brandon do this, Shelly?” He was calling me Shelly again. “Talk to me now. I’m not leaving until you tell me something. Whoever did this to you will pay! Did Brandon do this to you? I told him earlier to give this thing some time,” he said, moving me from his side, forcing me to face him.
“You saw him today?!” I sat straight up. “When did you see him?” I asked, recalculating my story as I spoke.
“Yes. He came to me because he wanted to talk about what you two were going through. He wants you to come back home with the baby, but you told him you’d gotten back with Brice’s real father. What’s this all about, Shelly? I didn’t even know you’d left Long Island until I spoke to him earlier. Why didn’t you tell me? I came here to talk to you about all of this and when I get here you look like you’ve been attacked.”
I was on my feet pacing in circles on the plush pink carpet. That stupid Brandon went running to my father about our problems. Daddy was the last person I wanted to tell. Everything needed to be in place before I clued him in to what was going on.
My father stood, his imposing frame hovering over me, stopping me in my tracks. He crossed
his strong arms before his chest and glared at me with his piercing black eyes. His taut jaw line moved from side to side as it always did when he was losing his patience with someone. His dark chocolate complexion seemed to radiate as irritation percolated just beneath his skin. My story began just before he exploded.
“Daddy, he didn’t mean it. I know he didn’t,” I said with pleading eyes, conjuring up a few convincing tears. “He was so upset because I said awful things to him. I just wanted him to leave because I don’t want to go back. I don’t want him anymore. I pushed him to make him mad, thinking he would just go. I kept pushing him until he finally grabbed me to stop me and I just lost it. I don’t even know what happened next. He didn’t mean to hurt me. I’m sure he didn’t mean to do it. I pushed him.” I spilled all of that made-up information out in a manner worthy of an Oscar.
My father’s strong jaw began to twitch and his black eyes narrowed to tight slits. His crossed arms dropped to his sides for a moment, then he crossed them once more. He began rubbing his chin as if contemplating his next move.
“Daddy, please!” I begged, almost sorry for putting Brandon in harm’s way. But I had been left with no choice. I couldn’t possibly have implicated Brian. “Don’t do anything, Daddy! It was my fault! Please just leave Brandon alone! Do it for me, Daddy, please?”
My father set his gaze on me with those narrowed eyes, turned and walked toward the door. His footsteps, softened only by the plush carpet, still generated a solid thud with each step.
“I’ll be back!” Daddy said as he stomped through the door.
I could only pray that he didn’t run into Brandon any time soon. All I needed was a little time to work things out with Brian. Then I could fix everything.
In Her Mind (Mountain High Valley Low ) Page 8