Scarlett 3

by Tiece

  “So, you’re on your way over to Rick’s mama’s house, now?” Scarlett asked her best friend.

  “Yeah, she said that she needed to see me and that it was important.”

  “Stephen is going to meet you there, right?” Scarlett questioned.

  “Yeah, girl,” she said. “I don’t know why she asked that he come too, but maybe it’s because Stephen has been a father to her grandkids more than her own son had been and she wants to thank him.” She shrugged her shoulders. “Who knows?”

  “Or she wants to make sure that he’ll still be there for them since Rick is gone.”

  “Yeah, probably,” Nina said. “I don’t know what Stephen’s intentions are now though since he fucked around and got that bitch pregnant.”

  “Well, at least he’s back being cordial with you. I didn’t think he’d ever get over the feeling that you’d betrayed him again.”

  “Yeah, in his eyes, because technically I didn’t,” Nina said. “I don’t even remember fucking with Rick that day; especially being naked and in the bed. I want to give him the benefit of the doubt, because I once loved the hell outta that man. I just can’t help but feel like he fucked me over, though.”

  “Dirty bastard,” Scarlett sneered.

  “Come on, Red. Maybe I did drink too much and just blanked out. I’ve done that before.” She said, still torn and now back trying to take up for her dead baby daddy.

  “Yeah, whatever,” Scarlett irritably stated. “One minute you’re against him and the next you’re with him. You need to make up your mind. Whatever drug he gave you, still got you fucked up.”

  Nina smacked her lips at her blunt, smart ass mouth best friend. “Hey look, I’ma have to hit you right back. This nigga got Faye in the truck with him.” she angrily shook her head. “One minute I think he’s trying to be good and sympathetic towards me and the next minute I think he’s hell bent on hurting me. I mean, why in the hell is she here? She doesn’t have shit to do with anything we have going on and especially concerning Rick’s mom.”

  Scarlett shook her head. This was the same exact reason why she wanted nothing to do with Luke and April’s baby. “Well, have fun.” She told Nina.

  Nina scoffed. “Yeah right, bitch,” she said as they ended their call. She took in a deep breath then proceeded to get out of her car.

  Nina looked over at Stephen and slightly smiled. “Hey, I didn’t know that you were bringing company along to such a private affair.”

  Before Stephen could say anything, Rick’s mom came to the door. “Heeeey,” she called out from her front porch. “Y’all please, come in.”

  Nina headed up to the front porch with Stephen and Faye following close behind her.

  “Nina, are you okay?” Faye asked.

  Nina stopped in her tracks and turned to face Faye. “Listen, bitch. I don’t give a fuck about you being pregnant. Just because you got Stephen fucked up in the head, don’t mean that I’ll fall for your little act.”

  “Nina,” Stephen softly called out. “Don’t do this here,” he said. “She rode along because Rick’s mom asked her too.”

  Nina turned with a quick roll of the eyes, and then headed up the porch steps. Rick’s mom gave Nina a hug. “Yes, I did invite her over, too” she said, piggybacking off of Stephen. “Please, calm down Nina. I think that she needs to be here for this too, since she’s in Stephen’s life now.”

  “Congrats on your baby,” she said to Faye. Stephen is an excellent father, even to my grand’s.” Stephen smiled and gave her a hug, but he didn’t have a clue how she knew that Faye was pregnant unless Nina told her.

  “Hey, how are you?” Stephen asked, giving her a hug, too. They were definitely familiar with each other being that Stephen always had her grandkids and either would drop them off or pick them up from her house. He was no stranger to her, because he was good to her babies and they talked about him all the time.

  Rick’s mom smiled a little. “I’m hanging in there. It just seems to get harder and harder instead of easier, though.”

  “I can only imagine,” Stephen said as he followed the ladies into the living room.

  “Y’all have a seat.” She said then looked over at Faye. “We haven’t formally met, but I’m Mrs. Brown, Rick’s mom.”

  “Nice to meet you,” Faye said with a cautious smile.

  “I’m not gonna waste any time here. I’ve gone back and forth with this thing in my mind for over a week. I just didn’t know how to handle the situation, but I prayed about it and God gave me his answer.” She picked up her remote and pressed play on the DVD player. Everyone looked puzzled, not knowing what was going on.

  The video started and began to play some horrendous things. Rick was shown with an out of state, out of mind, body, and soul Nina lying on the bed. She was clearly drugged induced and Rick was clearly violating her in every sense of the manner like it was legal.

  Nina gasped for air. “Oh my God,” she whispered, feeling lost as hell that Rick had set her up, and then had the nerve to record it. She knew that it was something going on, but never did she think that he’d take it that far. “What was he thinking? We have kids together. Why’d he do this to me?” She questioned as tears came down her face.

  “I don’t know, but I don’t wanna see this.” Faye stated then stood up on her feet. “This clearly has nothing to do with me.”

  “No, you sit down. You definitely need to see this.” Rick’s mom angrily insisted. Her voice was shaken, mixed with a distasteful expression on her face.

  Stephen looked over at Nina and felt like the lowest scum on the earth, because he left her in that state. He’d walked out on her when she needed him the most.

  Then as they looked at the video in silence and disgrace, Rick’s phone rang and he answered it.

  “Yeah.” Rick answered then put the phone on speaker.

  “What’s up? Are you where you supposed to be?” Faye asked.

  “Yep,” Rick said.

  “Did you do what you’re supposed to do?” Faye asked.

  Stephen looked over at Faye with disgust in his eyes. He’d immediately recognized her voice at “What’s Up?” He couldn’t believe the woman that he’d been laying up with was this conniving and deceiving. Faye couldn’t say a word as she sat with a motionless, blank stare. The tears wailed up in her eyes as she looked at the video in horror.

  “Oh my God,” Nina said, realizing that Faye was in on the set up. She was shaken to the core. A part of her wanted to tear out at Faye, but she couldn’t move. The feeling of betrayal and embarrassment had her in a cold choke hold.

  Mrs. Brown looked over at Stephen with a displeasing expression still planted on her face. “Stephen, there’s more.” Rick’s mom said as she skipped a couple of chapters on the DVD player. A new video recording cut in and it was dated back a day before Rick was killed. It showed Faye driving her car as Rick recorded her from the passenger seat.

  “You better give me that video.” She said, looking over at him with a smile.

  “I’ll give it to you when I’m ready. This is my proof just in case you decide to act funny. I keep telling your good pussy ass that.”

  “Me, act funny?” Faye smugly grinned. “We fuck every time I come home as your little way of keeping me in my place. You better be glad you got some good dick or I wouldn’t be with that shit.” Rick laughed at her. “Just give me the video. I’ll keep it safe so it never gets in nobody’s hands. We can both go to jail for this. Shit, just at least let me alter it, and then I’ll give it back.”

  “No,” Rick grinned. “Aren’t you about to go back to Florida? This lil deal that you conjured up doesn’t seem to be working for me right now, but it’s working for you. Baby mama won’t even speak to me, but you’re lying up with a nigga and got him thinking that this is his baby that you’re carrying. We both know that it’s mine,” he said reaching over and touching her stomach.

  “It could be his,” Faye said, with a shrug of the shoulders.

/>   Rick smugly shook his head. “Don’t forget that you were the one that told me that you lied to the nigga that the condom popped, when you know it didn’t.”

  “Boy, turn the camera off,” Faye said, swatting her hand at him holding the camera, and then the picture blanked out.

  Rick’s mom looked at Faye with tears in her eyes. “You’ll never raise that baby if I have anything to do with it.”

  Stephen’s eyes reflected unfaithfulness and sadness. “Come on.” He grabbed Nina by the hand, not able to stand in the room with Faye any longer or he was going to nut up on her. He knew that Nina wanted to drag her to hell and back, and then back to hell as the look on her face showed pure hatred for Faye. “She’s not worth it. Let’s just go,” he said as Rick’s mom called the police. Faye sat speechless as they exited the house, both feeling played, used, and abused. Neither could say a word about what they’d just witnessed. Nina was too stunned to even want to fight, but she was happy to know that the truth had come to light.

  Stephen walked her to the car then hugged her. “I’m sorry,” he said with tears in his eyes. “I’m truly sorry that I didn’t believe you.”

  Nina was hurt, but she knew that they’d both been played. With an unpredictable past that she’d had with Rick; she could blame him for not believing her. “We’ll work this out somehow,” Nina said, hugging him back. She was mad at Rick, because he’d hurt her more than ever, but she was also relieved that the truth had come out. Maybe she was finally going to get her man back with no outside worries or conning bitches standing in the way. A part of her was glad that Rick was dead and she’d accepted it from that day forward, knowing that her kids would have a good dad in their lives and that dad would be Stephen.

  Chapter 18

  Scarlett sat at her office desk as she waited for her doctor to come back to the phone with her test results. Since the deaths and the break-ups, she’d been losing her mind and her health. She didn’t feel like herself. She had headaches and discomfort in her lower abdomen. She felt nauseas, but never vomited. She couldn’t understand if she had a virus or was coming down with something, but she was going to find out soon.

  The doctor returned back to the phone. “Hey Scarlett,” the doctor’s light voice answered.

  “Hey,” Scarlett spoke. “What’s the verdict?” She joked with soft laughter.

  “Well,” the doctor paused. “Your blood work is normal. However, you are pregnant.” She informed her.

  Scarlett almost fell out of her chair. “Say what now?” She said, grabbing her stomach.

  “I said that you’re pregnant.”

  Scarlett took in an anxious deep breath. “OH MY GOD!” She said through unbelievable excitement. “Are you sure? You’re not just saying that are you?”

  “No,” the doctor assured her. “I’m just as positive as your pregnancy results.” She teased.

  Scarlett was in disbelief. “I was told back when I was a teenager, after an illegal abortion that I’d had, that I could not have children.”

  “I’m sorry to hear that.” The doctor spoke. “But, I don’t know who told you that. I do know that it isn’t true. If there was anything wrong with you when you came here a few months ago, I would’ve known. I told you then that everything was normal and that you were healthy. I never said that you couldn’t have babies.”

  “I know, but I just still thought that I couldn’t.” she said, almost in happy tears, thinking that she’d had plenty of chances to get pregnant. “I just don’t see how it never happened.”

  “It never happened, because you were never ovulating. Some women aren’t as fertile as others. According to your last menstrual cycle, the magic occurred around six weeks ago and now you have this miracle inside of you.”

  Scarlett smiled from ear to ear. She wasn’t sure if she was ready for a baby, but she wanted this baby more than anything in the world. This was something to be very happy about.

  “This is the best news that you could’ve ever given me.” She said with delight.

  “Well, congratulations to you and the father.” The doctor said. “And be sure to call back on Monday to schedule for your prenatal appointment.”

  “I won’t forget,” Scarlett said as she and the doctor ended their call. She was happy, but hearing the words congratulations to you and the father brought her back to reality. Six weeks prior she’d had sex with Luke then within forty-eight hours she’d had sex with Troy. She didn’t want to have a baby by Luke, since he was now connected to April. She also didn’t want to have a baby by Troy, because there was too much betrayal that couldn’t be forgiven by him.

  Her thoughts were torn as she turned out the lights to the office, but she headed home to relish in her good news.

  ____________________

  Ten minutes later, Scarlett found herself speeding up a little since Anton had called for her to hurry home. He’d said something about Gwen being in distress, a word she’d never heard him use before. Her mind was racing from all sorts of thoughts. In just that little time, Luke had messaged her and told her that he had some news for her that he’d rather relay in person. From the way things looked, she was going to be seeing him within the next hour since he insisted on coming to her house. It was no telling what he wanted, but she wasn’t falling for that mushy stuff nor was she taking him back, baby or no baby.

  She pulled up in the driveway and nothing looked unusual as she scanned the area. She couldn’t understand why Anton was calling her like that. She figured that the ambulance or the police would’ve been there how he carried on. She got out of the car and stepped up on her porch. A light scent of strawberries and cream blew past her nose, causing her to think about Troy. She held her stomach and smiled. It was like a sign, because she loved his scented candles that lit up his house and smelled so tasty. It always put a smile on her face. She stood there in the moment, missing him immensely. She wished that she could just see him, his smile and feel his touch then she would know if her baby was his.

  She stuck her key in the door then entered the house. Immediately, she grabbed her chest upon seeing the house full of lit strawberries and cream candles. The sweet smell took over all of her senses as she glowed inside. She stood in front of the door as she slowly closed it behind her while glancing around the house. Seeing the table set for two definitely let her know that Anton was up to something as he stepped out of his room.

  “Hey Sis,” he spoke with a smile. “Before you sit down to eat this great meal from Red Lobster. I think you should first enter your bedroom.”

  Scarlett smirked. “Ant, what are you up too? Where is Gwen?”

  “Mama not too long ago left here to go see a friend and I’m not up to anything.” He smirked back. “Just go inside your room.” Scarlett felt fuzzy inside. She’d already gotten the best news of her life and she didn’t know what could possibly make it any better. “Goooo,” Anton insisted, still smiling like a chessy cat.

  Scarlett walked into her bedroom and blushed as the butterflies happily danced in her stomach. “Oh my God,” she whispered, looking at the twelve dozen of roses filled in pretty vases all over her room. Rose petals covered the comforter on her bed, as well as, the floor. She looked toward the bathroom as Troy stepped out of it, looking debonair and fine as hell as always.

  “Hey you,” he spoke with a sincere look on his face.

  The butterflies started hollering and screaming inside Scarlett’s stomach. “Hey you,” she spoke back as Troy coolly walked over to her.

  “I know this might be a bit much, but I was always told that if you’re gonna do something, do it big,” he said.

  “And what exactly are you doing?” she asked, with a blushing smile on her face.

  Troy looked her directly in the eyes. “I looked at a video of my mom the other day and she said that the past shouldn’t be held against anybody. She also said that if I ever find true love then to take advantage of the moment, before someone else does.”

  “Troy, my God,”
Scarlett uncontrollably blushed. She had missed him so much and in that moment she wanted nothing more than to be with him.

  “I want you in my life. I love you, regardless of what has happened.” He said.

  “It’s been weeks since we’ve spoke,” Scarlett said, thinking that he’d hurt her by not answering or responding to her heartfelt voice or text messages.

  “I know and I’m sorry. I had to figure out a way to get past my anger for what had happened. I was deeply hurt,” he admitted. “I’m over it now and I want you in my life. I’ll leave the street life. We’ll start a business so you don’t have to work in that shop anymore. We’ll have babies of our own and I’ll always be here for you.” Scarlett smiled at just hearing the word babies, because now she could have as many as God would let her.

  Troy got down on bended knee and held Scarlett’s hand as he kissed the back of it. “My life has been miserable without you. I love you. Will you marry me?” He anxiously asked, popping open a black velvet box containing a stunning five carat diamond ring.