Dreams Do Come True

by Jada Pearl

  Jesse struggled with the hands that were holding him. Eric and several security guards were around him within minutes, and he was forced to lay still on the floor. His vision was clouded from the tears that were forming in his eyes. Jesse stopped struggling. He was suddenly tired. He watched as the guards covered Ebony’s body. The ship’s doctor was kneeling next to her body soon after.

  Eric looked over to Shontell and then to where Sandy stood, nodding to them but staying focused on the task at hand. He lifted him up once the body was removed. Jesse looked around for Shontell. Nico was kneeling next to her whispering to her, as she kept her head down. He didn’t want Nico next to her. He called out to Shontell. Her head snapped up. He could see the tears flowing down her face.

  “Shontell, Shontell. I love you. I did all this for you. I love you. You hear me?” he was shouting towards her direction. The guards led him out of the dining area. He looked back, trying to see Shontell. Nico was now holding her, and he couldn’t see her face. What right did he have to be with her? She belonged with him.

  Everyone was looking at him. He had to protect his career. This may still help to resurrect it. At least that’s what he was telling himself.

  All For Love

  Shontell

  Shontell refused to look at Jesse, although she could hear him calling her name repeatedly. Nico held her tight and kept whispering, “Everything is going to be okay.” But was it? Sandy ran over to her best friend, and Shontell collapsed into her arms. Sandy patted her hair and let her cry her heavy sobs. Sandy’s tears flowed as well. Everyone in the room was visibly upset. Nico stood with John, as they all had to remain in the room to be questioned. Shontell and Sandy both dried their eyes. The ship’s captain came into the room and called them over one-by-one to get their details. When it was her turn, Nico asked her if she needed him. Nodding her head, he joined her in the private room where they conducted the interviews.

  “Nico, please don’t leave me,” she whispered during one of the breaks the captain allowed her to take. Her interview was much more extensive.

  “I am not going anywhere!” he told her with sincerity in his eyes. The captain returned and questioned her for twenty more minutes. When he released her to go, they went straight to his room. Opening the cabin door, he ushered her in and had her sit on the couch. He had room service bring her some tea, and he gave her the sedative the doctor gave him for her. Within minutes, she felt her body starting to get relaxed. She gave Nico a half smile, as she closed her eyes.

  Shontell woke up from her sleep with a start. She was sweating. The room was dark, and she figured she was in her room. She could hear voices in the other room. Her head hurt, so she just laid back down. She heard a faint knock on the door, and then the room flooded with light. Sandy walked in and put a cool towel on her forehead. Shontell opened her eyes and tried to sit up. “Are you okay?” Sandy asked her. Shontell nodded, asking her what happened. She only remembered coming into the room with Nico. Sandy filled her in with as much detail as she knew. Nico left to do the concert, and the captain asked him to keep the incident quiet since it happened in the private dining area. They still didn’t know how Ebony had managed to get into that area. Sandy told her that her family would notify Ebony’s parents that evening. Her parents had already called a few times to check up on her, after Sandy called them to let them know what happened. They wanted to talk to Shontell, but said they would wait until she was up from resting.

  Sandy told her that Jesse was being held in a guarded room. She had just finished giving her the last of the details when Nico opened her door and walked into the room. Shontell sat all the way up. Sandy got up and excused herself, as she grabbed the towel she brought in and quietly left them alone. Shontell wanted to go straight into his arms. But instead she patted the bed next to her and Nico sat down, gently folding her in his arms.

  Nico

  Nico took his shoes off and got into the bed with her, pulling her closer to his body. All through the concert, he felt like he was on automatic. They all did. They prayed for Ebony and her family before they went on stage. Dennis felt the worst, as he was the closest to Jesse but even he didn’t know all his secrets. He was the one who was so adamant that he be included as one of the celebrity guests. He was in shock. Nico worried that Shontell would blame herself for all this. He wanted her to know that she couldn’t blame herself. Jesse was responsible for his own actions.

  “Shontell, please don’t think any of this is your fault. As bad as this whole situation is, Jesse and Ebony are both adults. You can’t control their actions. I am sorry this happened. Baby, please talk about this. Don’t shut me out,” he pleaded with her, as he tipped her chin towards him. Shontell didn’t reply to his words. Nico felt her slipping from him, and he needed to hold on. He knew that he would need to give her some space. He also wanted to be there for her. He was thinking about asking Martin about cancelling the overseas tour. He didn’t think that he could be without her for the six weeks that they were scheduled to be there. Maybe he could get her to go with him. Nico and Shontell had somehow fallen asleep in each other’s arms. He was awakened by the sound of his cell phone going off. He answered in a whisper, but what the caller said made him sit straight up. He looked over at Shontell as he got out of bed so he wouldn’t wake her.

  “You can’t be serious! She can’t handle that now,” he spoke into the phone in a hushed yell. He listened to the caller and sighed, as he saw Shontell watching him out the corner of his eye. He ended the call and walked back to the bed. How in the hell was he supposed to tell her this? He looked at her, and she knew something was wrong.

  “Who was that on the phone?” she asked him. Nico ran a hand over his face and looked at Shontell. He took a deep breath before answering her.

  “That was Martin. He said that the captain contacted him and said that Jesse is being irrational. He is refusing to sign his statement and cooperate unless he talks to you first. He said that he only wants ten minutes. Then they can do whatever to him. But not until he sees you first.” Shontell looked at Nico with an open mouth. She sat there for a moment or two. She wanted Jesse out of her life. If this was how to do it, then she would do it. Sighing, she swung her feet out of the bed, putting her shoes on. Holding her hand out to Nico, she said, “I will go, if you will come with me.”

  Shontell

  Standing outside of the door where Jesse was being held, she became scared. She wasn’t scared of him literally. But she was scared that she wouldn’t be able to handle the situation.

  “Okay, I am ready,” she told him, as she squeezed his hand hard.

  “You sure?” he asked her, not even caring about the pain in his hand.

  “No, but I don’t see much of a choice. I know that you are nearby, and that will help,” she replied. An officer walked up and was about to get them in, when the captain held up his hand to Nico. “Son, I can’t let you go in there. He will go off the handle if he sees you two together.”

  “I am not letting her in that room with him alone,” Nico told him.

  “You don’t have a choice. I’m sorry.” Nico looked over at Shontell

  “It’s okay. I will be okay. Come get me one second pass ten minutes,” she told him, giving him a weak smile. He let go of her hand, and Shontell instantly felt cold. The captain nodded, the officer opened the door, and she walked in. Jesse had his back to her. She walked around the table, after the officer who was watching him acknowledged her. Jesse looked a mess. His usually curly hair was wild, and his eyes were bloodshot red. He looked tired. When he heard her footsteps, he looked up and his whole face changed.

  “I…I didn’t think you would come,” he told her. Shontell didn’t say anything, but took a seat. Jesse was handcuffed at his hands and feet, which made her feel a little better.

  “Why did you want me to come is the better question? Why did you ask to see me?” she asked, not breaking the stare they shared.

  Jesse

  Jesse looked at
the woman he had been in love with for the past five years and knew his life was over. When they told him what he did, he went crazy. He didn’t even remember stabbing Ebony. He just remembered that he had to make her stop talking. He could see the sadness in her eyes and how tired she looked. It broke him even more to realize that he was the cause of it all.

  “I needed to see you. I wanted to tell you that I am sorry for all this. I didn’t love Ebony. She was just my way of staying close to you. She always keeps me updated on what you were doing when you left me.” Shontell looked at him with shocked eyes and an open mouth.

  “You’re kidding, right? You were keeping tabs on me?” she asked him.

  “Don’t look at it that way. I just thought of it as keeping an eye on my investment. I did save your company. Plus, you wrote those songs for me. I wanted them. I needed them for my career revival,” he confessed to her. He touched the cold steel that encased his wrists.

  “You know, you are a sick man. I am not your investment. You needed the songs? You can’t be telling me you think I have those songs. I wrote those when we were together. But those songs are history—just like we are.”

  “What?” he yelled. This made her jump, and the guard moved forward.

  “What do you mean the songs are history? I need those songs. I need those songs,” he continued to yell at her. Shontell could not believe that this is what it was all about. She felt sick.

  Eric stepped closer and his voice filled the small room, taking them both by surprise, “Sir, lower your voice or we will end this conversation,” he said to him, as he placed his hand sternly on his shoulder. Jesse’s eyes looked wild. He was angry at her. How could she do this to him? Those songs were going to bring him back on the scene. She was bluffing. She still had them and was probably going to use them with her new man. “Shontell, I better not hear my songs on the radio. If you record those songs with Nico, I swear I’m going to…”

  “Going to what? Kill me like you did Ebony?” she yelled at him.

  “Aren’t you even sorry you killed her? Why did she die? Because she was about to tell on you? I can’t believe I ever loved you. You aren’t a man. You’re a coward. I hope you rot in jail,” she told him, as she stood up. She slapped him across the face. “That’s for Ebony’s family,” she told him, as she headed to the door.

  “Wait, I’m sorry. I’m sorry I overreacted. I…I love you. Shon, please…don’t walk out yet.” He quickly calmed down.

  The officer called her name, motioning to the paper. Shontell slowly sat back down. She looked at him, and he thought he saw a glimmer of love in her eyes. He needed her, and he needed her to believe in him.

  “Shontell, please tell me you will support me through this,” he begged. Shontell just looked at the guard and then back at him.

  “I will do anything for you, Shontell. I just need to know you will be there. I am sorry I used Ebony. I needed you back in my life, but I thought you wouldn’t give me the time of day unless I was back on top again.” He continued to plead his case to her. This was his chance to make her see how much he loved her. It was his last chance, as he went to touch her face and felt the cuff biting into his skin.

  Shontell

  Shontell watched Jesse and was glad that he was handcuffed. She remembered what Eric just told her about needing to have him sign the admission sheet. It was similar to a confession. But, because they were on the water, it was a different protocol. It would be just a formality, since he was definitely guilty. “If I agree to support you, will you sign this paper?” she asked him. She unfolded the sheet, and Jesse looked at her for a moment. He smiled a small crooked smile and turned to the guard.

  “Give me the paper. Shontell, I would do anything for you. If this means you’re going to leave Nico and be by my side, I will do this.” Shontell tried to keep a straight face, but it was hard to not show any emotion. She watched as the guard pushed the paper closer to him. Jesse started signing the paper they needed and slid it over to her. She looked at it and then nodded. Standing, the guard took the paper and she backed to the door. She looked at Jesse. What she saw wasn’t the Jesse whom she had loved. She needed to get out of there. She had enough and walked to the door. She turned the knob and looked over her shoulder.

  “Jesse, God knew what he was doing when he took our baby away! I hope you rot in hell,” she told him quietly, wiping the tears away as she closed the door. She heard him yelling and screaming once he realized what she said to him. She didn't know why she told him. She wanted him to hurt like she did. She also did it for Ebony. No matter what she did, she didn’t deserve this. She went straight into Nico’s arms and cried. Nico held her, as he took the confession from the officer. The captain thanked her, and they exited his quarters.

  Nico

  Nico heard what she said, but he didn’t want to ask her about it. Baby? He put all that aside and held onto her. She needed him now more than anything else that was going on. He, along with the captain, Martin, Eric, and one other officer who served as witnesses, listened in on the whole conversation. He wanted to go in there and rip his heart out for the things he told Shontell. He knew that being an entertainer could be hard and finding love could be even harder. He saw that in Shontell immediately; he couldn’t hurt her. He saw just how much of a fool Jesse was for doing so. Jesse was wise enough, at some point, to know how good of a woman Shontell was. They walked back towards his suite, but ran into his parents who were coming to see him. They heard what had happened, and they wanted to check on his friend.

  “Son, there you are. We have been looking for you two. Are you all right, young lady?” Nico’s mother asked her. Shontell wiped her face and nodded yes. She was still too upset to talk.

  “Nico, go inside and make some tea for Shontell. I am going to take her to clean up,” his mother told him. She gave him a look when she noticed he was about to protest.

  Shontell

  Shontell let Mrs. Baker lead her to her suite a few doors down. She sat down while his mother went into the bathroom. She came back into the room with a warm cloth and handed it to her.

  “Shontell, my son told us what happened earlier today. I’m sorry about your friend. I wanted to take a moment to talk to you. I have never seen my son so happy with a woman until we met you. I know he said that you were friends, but I think it’s more than that.” Shontell was about to say something when Nico’s mother placed her hand up.

  “Let me finish, dear. Your friend, Sandy, gave me some details about your past. And don’t be mad at her. She just wanted to look out for you. But even though your past was bad, don’t let it control how you will do things in the future. One of the things that has kept me and Nico Sr. together was communication. That word means a lot to people in love. If you talk about everything…and I mean everything…you two will work out just fine. My son loves you. I can see it all over his face. I can tell you are good for him. This business can bring out the evil in people, which you know about first hand. Child, it can also bring out the best…if you let it. What I am trying to tell you is: even through the storm, you still need an umbrella. Let Nico be that umbrella for you. He can shield you from that storm, if you let him. Take what happened today and learn from it. All apples aren’t bad,” Mrs. Baker told her. Shontell listened to her, and knew she was right. She closed her chapter with Jesse when she closed that door. She would let Nico help her get through this storm.

  “Thank you, ma’am. I appreciate your words of wisdom. I know my mother would have said something similar if she was here.”

  “I know she would have. Nico called your parents earlier because he saw they called you. He told them what happened, and my husband and I spoke to them as well. They raised a beautiful daughter.” She blushed and hugged her.

  “Thank you again. I guess I need to call my parents. Can you tell Nico I went to get my phone?”

  “Sure, baby, I will tell him. See you in the morning,” Mrs. Baker told her, as she headed back to Nico’s room and she went to
her room to get her phone.

  She walked into the room, and Sandy and Eric were in the sitting area.

  “Hey, you guys. I will be out of here in a hot second. I just need my phone,” she told them. Sandy came over to her and hugged her, and she felt her best friend’s pain.

  “How did it go?”

  “Well, it went bad. We have a lot to talk about later. I am going to stay in Nico’s room. I will see you at breakfast in the morning, okay?” They agreed and she told Eric goodbye, as she grabbed some clothes and her phone. She decided to go into their private rehearsal area and make her call. Her mother cried throughout the entire call. Since her mother and Ebony’s mother were good friends, she had been with her since she had received the news. It didn’t matter what Ebony had done; she didn’t deserve to lose her life over it. She ended the call with her parents and sat at the piano bench. She tapped on the keys and sighed. It was so true that everything was a lesson. We were always being tested. Jesse tried to control her life, even when he wasn’t a part of it. Even when he didn’t realize he had that control, she had given it to him by not allowing herself to heal and move on from the hurt he had caused her. She sat up straight and began to play the piano. Before she knew it, she was singing. “Listen, to the song here in my heart, a melody I start but can't complete. Listen, to the sound from deep within, it’s only beginning. To find release…” She belted out the song with all the emotion she had left. She never even heard Nico come in, as he sat there and let her sing. When she finished, she sat there and was startled by his clapping.