by Amarie Avant
***
Lido now owned a penthouse, which luckily had a five-star hotel next door. Hensley chose to spend the night, so he would not have to drive home to the Bronx with the snow falling faster.
Lido’s place dripped with the trappings of success. Rainbows reflected from chandeliers. There was an extensive number of fireplaces throughout. Expensive pieces of art adorned the walls. Not one single item signified that she cared for true friends or family. There were no personal mementos throughout the expansive home.
The three sisters were cozied up at the fire when Lido mentioned wine and headed down the hall toward the kitchen.
“I should be mad at you right now,” Yasmin whispered to Mila while the blaze crackled nearby. “We’re stuck here with this psycho overnight!”
“Lido is playing nice. Tomorrow morning, we will try to get her to introduce us to her therapist, something. The entire reason for this trip is to see to it that she’s receiving appropriate care. Nevertheless, I have faith that Faaid is more than capable of caring for the boys tonight. I hope Blake is half the father he is.” Mila added the last part under her breath.
“He is a good father.” Yasmin broke out into a beam; the first one that day.
Lido returned with the bottle of wine that she had been raving about. While eyeing Lido pop the top off the bottle, Yasmin slouched over near Mila and asked, “Should that bitch be drinking?”
“Probably not.” Mila eyed Lido as she poured the wine. Though she had workout attire that she had offered and had been accepted by her baby and oldest sister, the diva was damn near dressed in a negligee. Her tiny nipples played peekaboo.
Mila took measured steps when asking her next question. “Were you released with any sort of—”
“Medication? Drugs?” Yasmin spoke up.
“Nope.” Lido held three wine glasses by the stems and handed two of them over.
“Any therapeutic recommendations? Or referrals?” Mila held out her glass for Lido to fill it.
“I had a heat stroke.”
Yasmin scoffed. “It’s January.”
“My blood runs hot,” Lido replied, fanning herself. “See, I’m hot now.”
“So, as opposed to acting a plum fool,” Yasmin began, “you were having . . .”
“A heat stroke.” Lido nodded. Her entire façade appeared very serious.
Mila sighed heavily. The Lido in their presence was vastly different than the one they’d grown accustomed to. Maybe the supermodel just needed time to recuperate, and the involuntary hold allowed her the much-needed time to relax? Their middle sister always had this sort of anger that you could feel just being in the same room with her. She made people uncomfortable. Now, though, Mila didn’t catch any vibes from Lido. It was just a shame that they hadn’t caught up with Lido while she was still in the hospital to confirm everything . . . for sure.
They chatted for a while then Yasmin held up Mila’s finger. “While you were burning up in New York—in January—our baby sister got engaged.”
A long moment passed. Lido took hold of Mila’s hand and gasped. Her gorgeous face brightening. “Waan jeclahay—I like!”
“Thanks.” Mila twisted the ring with her thumb.
“Mila and I will start preparing for her wedding the moment we return,” Yasmin said.
“Just the two of you?” Lido sipped her wine.
“Um . . .” Mila started.
“Unless you’d like to . . .” Yasmin began. “But you’re all the way out here.”
“Let’s do a staycation! Wine country.” Lido held up her drink. “We can plan it. I’m in the wedding, right?”
With not a second to contemplate it, Mila nodded. “That’s a good idea, the mini vacay. But aren’t you always busy? Of course, I want you to be a bridesmaid. I just thought you’d . . .”
“I’ll clear my schedule.” Lido waved her off. “Mila,” she began addressing her eye to eye. “I haven’t always been the best sister . . .”
With Lido’s words caught in her throat, Mila didn’t know how to proceed. She hadn’t expected to be discussing the wedding. She’d expected to speak with a psychiatrist. Lido needed something—drugs or therapy—whatever. Mila had wanted to know what services were available to her sister but from a distance. After picking up Lido, Mila hadn’t been sure what to expect—wasn’t sure what version of Lido she’d be getting, but this? She had never thought she’d see this side of Lido.
Mila pulled at a coiled tress of hair at the nape of her neck and silently listened as Lido apologized.
“For the last couple of years, we haven’t been the closest, but you have always tried,” Lido said. “I don’t think I’m strong enough to love someone the way you’ve loved me, sis. The rehab group meetings you attended,” she paused, shaking her head. “I have to be honest and say I wouldn’t have done that for you if the situation were reversed. I’m sorry,” Lido croaked, tears slowly began to slither down her cheeks. “I’ve pushed you away, then the heat stroke and exhaustion. It was all so much that I’m realizing what is truly important. My sisters.”
Mila glanced at Yasmin subtly, wondering if this moment was a figment of her imagination. Seeing the befuddled look on their eldest sister’s face, she knew she’d heard correctly.
“You too, Yas. You are the truth. You and Mila are like ying and yang, and exactly what I’ve always needed. I love you both,” Lido said.
Before either the eldest or youngest sister could fully comprehend the moment, Lido was hugging them both.
It took Mila a second.
Honestly, she was at the end of her rope with Lido. Nevertheless, she’d made this trip because of what ifs.
Lido had made the sort of mistakes that seemed more than reckless. She could’ve gotten herself in a fight with someone crazier. The world wasn’t what it used to be—and they’d grown up during the Somali war.
Lido sank back and smiled, wiping away tears. “Mila, I’m part of the wedding, right?”
After a deep breath, Mila nodded. If her sister were discharged from the facility, she had to be of sound mind, right? “Yes. But I’m not having a long engagement.”
“Then I can take time off to help plan the only wedding my baby sister will ever have. I have the perfect wedding designer for you. We can meet next week. We’ll have everything planned then. And for the bachelorette party, we can go to wine country.”
They chatted well into the night. Since Lido had rooms filled with shrines for her great modeling achievements, and she refused to let her sister’s sleep on her expensive couches, they all ended up in her enormous, custom bed. A bed she promised her sisters that no man or woman or any combination of the sort had ever slept.
***
“Ready to finish what we started?” The voice was thick, nasally. Blake had broken Todd’s nose while bashing his face into the ground.
Now, Todd stood before Mila. They were at the glass house. She wore the same panty and bra set as before. Todd had traded in the master bathroom for the bedroom, and he was bruised and swollen from the beating Blake had dished out. She had nowhere to run. He blocked the exit, and there was no way in hell she’d trek back into the bathroom again—that’s where it all began.
“Leave me alone.” Mila spoke in a strong, concise voice. This was a dream. She knew it was only a dream. Yet, Todd reeked of sweat and the coppery scent of—Mila glanced down at his shoes and saw the blood again.
Bile torpedoed up her throat.
“Aren’t you so fucking beautiful, Mila.” Todd reached out and touched her cheek.
She slapped out at him, but her ability to do that was off. It was as if her hands were punching under water. Her fists would not connect with him. Todd plunged his finger into her mouth.
“Yeah, I want to fuck your mouth, Mila.”
With his extremity lodged down her throat, shoving back and forth like a diseased cock, Mila gagged. She bit down. This she could feel. Unlike her attempts to fight back, her teeth seemed to clamp down
.
Todd seemed none the wiser as he snarled, “I’m going to cum all over your skin. Face, hair, tits, all over your skin. Taint you for that fuck. Do you like that?”
He removed his finger. There were no ridge marks from her teeth, nothing. He started to unhook his belt, and his zipper went down.
“BLAKE!” Mila pitched into a seated position.
“Mila?” Yasmin sat up instantly, turning on the lamp. Her hand grazed Mila’s cheek. “You are okay. What is the matter, Walaashay yar?”
On the opposite side of Mila, Lido awoke. For a moment, her expression did not come close to the wealth of concern Yasmin’s had. Then her tone warmed with worry. “Bad dream?”
“No, that was a nightmare.” Yasmin spoke for her baby sister.
“Horrible.” Mila finally spoke. A disgusting taste in her mouth made it hard to swallow. The memory of feeling Todd’s finger sliding back and forth across her tongue caused her to gag. If it weren’t for the change Mila saw in Lido—ten times more profound than she’d ever noticed in the past—she would’ve jumped out of the bed and said they had to go now. She missed Blake with a vengeance. He always kept her safe.
Blake
Blake arrived early and was leaning against his car when the jet glided to a stop on the landing strip. The moment the door opened, and the electronic stairs descended, Blake stood up straight. Only twenty-four hours or so had passed since he had last laid eyes on Mila, but with her across the nation, it seemed ages.
His eyes tracked Mila as she came down the stairs. Her coat covered much of her sweater dress. He loved to see her bare legs in the winter. Boots covered her shapely calves. Her rich brown orbs lacked their usual luster, but when she noticed him some of the life in her eyes began to return.
Blake pulled Mila into his arms, his chin fit perfectly atop her hair. The thick, kinky tresses tickled his jaw.
“Hello, Blake,” Yasmin said. “Mila didn’t have much sleep. She’s grouchy.”
“Hey, Yasmin.” He held Mila at arm’s length. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.” Mila shrugged and then offered a smile. “I probably don’t look too hot.”
“The moment I laid eyes on you, Mila, all other women faded away. You are even more beautiful today than you were yesterday morning. But what’s wrong?”
Mila played it cool, heading for the front seat of the car.
“She had a bad dream,” Yasmin said, stepping in her sister’s path. “One like my youngest child had after he snuck out last Halloween with his friends and watched the original Freddie Kruger movie.”
Blake towered above Mila. “What was it about?”
“I can’t recall.” Her response was too quick for Blake’s taste.
“Well, I’m worried about her,” Yasmin said. Then added, not realizing she was adding to his worries, “After that scum came after her—"
Mila offered somewhat of a smile. “Yasmin, I am okay. I don’t remember the damn dream or if it had anything to do with Todd. It doesn’t matter. He’s back in jail.”
Have him murdered. The thought popped into Blake’s head again. He placed his hands on Mila’s shoulders and looked at her. “Was it about him?”
She seemed more awake when she started to argue. “Hell no. I’m okay, Blake. We spent the night with a deranged woman. That’s probably it. Now, I appreciate you picking us up so drive.”
With that, Mila got into the front seat and slammed the door.
Blake held the door for Yasmin as she slid into the backseat. He went around to the driver’s side and got in. The luxury sports car purred, lessening his tension. Seconds passed as he contemplated what exactly to make of Mila returning home, looking tired as ever. Had Lido been the cause of her nightmare? Or had Todd?
“Blake,” Mila said, her sweet voice laced with animosity.
“Mila, should we postpone the wedding?” He looked at her side profile.
A low grumble rolled through his woman as she turned to look at him. “Why would you ask that?”
“First, I will not worry about you having bad dreams, Mila, and all the shit that goes hand in hand with weddings just adds to stress. Planning these things takes extensive time.”
“Blake, you agreed to splurge. You said money would get things done, right?” She sounded like what should be the most important day of their lives should be done and over with.
“Baby, calm down.” He held up a hand in a gesture of peace.
Mila’s tired eyes narrowed more. “I just want to be married, Blake. Why slack off?”
“We haven’t even started, Mila. And although I’m doing my best to understand you, you deserve the best. And I won’t give you anything else. If you need time to think things through or therapy to overcome,” he ground the words out, “what Todd did, tell me!”
Usually, she’d turn away, but Mila met him eye to eye. “There’s nothing to tell, Blake.”
A drizzle began to fall as his car flowed into the slow, steady traffic. He was baffled. She had never acted so erratic, and he had learned as a child not to argue with an angry woman. His mother and Serenity took turns teaching him that.
He ordered, “I’ll talk to you once you’re ready to calm the fuck down and act rationally.”
Mila was done with him too. With baggy, sleep-deprived eyes, she adjusted the visor mirror and addressed her sister. “I know you have my best interest in mind, but you’ve been butting in way too much.”
“Well, excuse me,” Yasmin replied, half serious and half sarcastic.
“Last night, you included Lido in the planning of my wedding. After I had already told you that I may or may not want her to be in the damn thing!”
“Humph, I assumed you were going to play the good cop role to my bad cop role and alter your response. ‘Oh no, Lido, you are too pretty, too in demand as a model. You won’t have time to be in my wedding.’ Mila, you’re good at letting people down easily. That was your prime opportunity after you didn’t cuss her ass out like you said—”
“I don’t give a damn, Yas! You had no right to invite her.”
“Mila, you aren’t yelling, but I don’t like your tone.”
Mila turned in her chair and gave Yasmin a sideways glance. “You have a big ass mouth. I intended on sending my maid of honor an invite to the dress fitting and dress rehearsal at the most! Not an invite to have Lido’s hands in every single act. Why would you do that!”
“Hello! Because you couldn’t find your damned voice. So, I spoke up. I don’t mind being corrected—”
“Yeah, you love to argue,” Mila grunted. “Yet you call others monkey.”
“Pah! Then this is a good opportunity to gauge how much the sharmoto will put you first. After all, Mila, it is your wedding. If she steps out of line, I’ll redirect her ass myself!”
“Girl,” Mila scoffed. “Who said I need your help, huh?”
“Ladies.” Blake finally spoke up. The conversation had lasted all but two seconds with how quickly they argued, but he had the feeling there was no stopping them soon.
His endeavor to mediate was shot to hell. Mila paid him no attention. “You let her take over.”
“Mila, you seemed to like the idea. But you’re not getting the big picture. I wanted you to tell Lido off and—”
“Yasmin, stuff something in that big ass mouth of yours.” Arms folded, Mila sat forward.
Silence permeated the air. Both sisters had folded their arms. Blake took the opportunity to turn on the radio. Mila took the opportunity to turn it off.
His eyebrow twitched, but he chose not to speak up. Their sibling squabble was more than he had bargained for.
Yasmin continued to argue in a hushed whisper. “You were supposed to tell the bitch that you were getting married and set the ground rules. You always forgive Lido, and I know good and damn well that you want her in the wedding.”
Mila grumbled back. “Well, I don’t need your wannabe-Iyanla ass mediating shit for me. ‘Fix my life,’ my ass!”
“Okay, Mila.” Blake spoke. “Isn’t that enough cussing for you today or this week rather?”
She offered a quick glare.
Yasmin cleared her throat. “Girl, I haven’t seen you this pissed since we came to visit uncle one summer and your Barbie got lost on the plane ride back to Ethiopia. I’m beginning to think that Lido possessed your body in the midnight hour.”
The walls of defense that Mila had mentally started stacking up all crashed down. “Whatever, heifa.” A half grin was plastered on her face. As the image sunk in, she began to laugh. “It was my first and only Barbie, so I may have acted out of character.”
“I apologize.” Yasmin sighed. “I assumed you’d want Lido in the wedding.”
Mila’s eyebrow raised. “I really do want Lido in my wedding, healthy and of sound mind—Lord only knows. Hell, I would have settled for just her sizes for the wedding planning in order to have the maid of honor dress designed—and then have her there just for the big day. You know, Mother orchestrated everything for your wedding. I would have loved that. Nevertheless, Yasmin, I don’t want the drama.”
“Well, I thought Lido would show her ass. Then we could’ve cut her down right then like we had planned to do after she left us searching the town for her. It would’ve given us ammunition to put her in her place. But she didn’t act like an ass. I’m sure she will play nice for the wedding, Mila.” Yasmin played it cool.
“We can only hope . . .” Mila said.
***
The traffic in Los Angeles was atrocious. By the time they dropped off Yasmin, the rain was slamming down on the windowsill. The freeway was at a standstill as Blake veered toward the onramp toward Interstate 405. They hadn’t chatted much since Mila had caught an attitude earlier with her sister.
“I’m really hungry,” Mila said.
“Damn, we won’t be home for another hour. All the arguing you just did must have made you hungry.” He inched further forward and leaned over to grab the inside of her leg.
She placed her hand over his warm touch. “Thanks for not being a dick. I was a bit much.”
“You were, but I can’t be angry with you. You’re cute when you’re angry. And when you eat,” he said, reaching up to rub her belly.