Niecy backed away from me with her hands in the air. “Pretty girl is the one in here harassing me. I ain’t said nothing to her, and she’s the one who keeps looking at me like she’s crazy or something.”
“Pretty girl,” the guard said to me, “leave Niecy alone. All she wants is some attention, but don’t give it to her.”
I took the guard’s advice by turning myself around to face the wall. Niecy continued to chastise me and the other young lady, as well. I ignored her by closing my eyes and doing only what a place like this would allow me to do—think. I thought about everything, from my ongoing betrayals to Charles. I didn’t even know if I would ever get a chance to spend time with my BFF’s again, and that was real scary. I couldn’t even imagine my life without them. And what about Trina’s baby? Would I even be there to see it come into this world, like I was when Kayla had Jacoby? We had all been so tight then. Nothing had been able to keep us apart. I had been so happy for Kayla then, as I was right now for Trina. Just didn’t know if I would miss out on everything. I couldn’t help but think that there was a chance that I would be in a place like this for the rest of my life. It sure was no picnic, and I was positive that there were more jealous women in prison like Niecy, waiting to start some shit.
My thoughts then turned to Charles and how he had just vanished. I was still puzzled about that situation, but Trina had said she didn’t know what was up, because she hadn’t been in touch with Keith. I had even asked if she would borrow some money from him. She’d said that she would reach out to anyone that she could, and to my surprise, so had Kayla. Her intentions were to put up some money, but I didn’t think she had enough to cover my whole bail. It was a lot for anyone to come up with, and I was so thankful to my BFF’s for doing whatever they could do.
I lay sideways on the bed, still facing the wall. It was hot as hell in the cell, and my forehead was dotted with numerous beads of sweat. I curled into a ball, my eyes started to flutter, and I fell asleep.
That night I dreamed that I was free. Dreamed that I was back at home, and Charles was there with me. We were having sex, while Cedric stood at the door, watching us, drinking alcohol from a bottle. He laughed at the thought of me not being able to handle Charles, and Charles laughed too. But as I got up to go curse Cedric, he lifted the bottle he was drinking from and poured the alcohol all over my face. My eyes burned, and when I attempted to open them and escape from my dream, my face was being sprayed with water. That was what I thought it was, until I opened my eyes and saw a bushy-ass, nasty pussy staring at me.
“Oops,” Niecy said, laughing. “It’s dark in here. I thought you were the toilet.”
I totally lost it. I threw that fat bitch off of me and then jumped on top of her. Gripping her hair with my hand, I pounded her damn face, turning it fire red.
“Bitch, do not fuck with me!” I yelled. “Do you hear me? Stop fucking with me!”
Our other cell mate tried to get me off of Niecy, but by that time, several guards had come into the cell to pull me away from her. I kicked and screamed as they dragged me down the hall and then threw me into a tiny-ass room that had filth running down the walls and another shit-stained toilet in the corner.
“Pretty girl, you haven’t been here that long to be causing so much trouble,” one of the guards said. “It looks as if this may be your permanent home for a while, so you’d better learn how to clamp your mouth shut and cope. ’Cause if you don’t, I’ll tell you what. You are going to have a difficult time, more than what you will ever expect.”
The guard slammed the door, leaving me there with my thoughts. I sat with my back against the wall and my knees pressed against my chest. All I could think about was how fucked up this was. My father might have been proud of this, but surely not my mother—may she continue to rest in peace. I leaned to the side, and with my face on the concrete floor, I had flashbacks of my friendships with my BFF’s and thought about all I had done to them. First, I reflected on one of the worst things I had done to Kayla. At the time, I hadn’t even recognized how wrong I was.
* * *
We were all at Cedric and Kayla’s house, and we had just finished dinner. The fellas were downstairs in the basement, playing pool, and me and my BFF’s were watching TV there. As soon as Cedric went upstairs, I pretended that I needed to go outside and have a smoke. But realistically, that wasn’t the case. I made my way upstairs to find Cedric. The moment I reached the top stair, I saw him standing by the kitchen counter, waiting. He placed one finger over his lips in a gesture for me to be quiet. He then nudged his head toward the garage door and walked toward it. I followed.
Inside the five-car garage was a fleet of lavish cars that belonged to him and Kayla. The only spot that was empty was the spot where Jacoby parked his car. Cedric unlocked his Rolls-Royce and opened the back door. I saw that there was plenty of room in the backseat.
“Are you serious?” I whispered, then giggled. “We’re just going to talk, aren’t we?”
“Aye, that’s all I want to do, unless you have something else in mind, like hooking me up.”
We laughed, and I got in the backseat with him. Talking wasn’t in our plans. His hands eased up my skirt, and the moment his fingers slipped into my wetness, I turned around and got on my hands and knees. Cedric unzipped his pants and flipped up the back of my skirt. He moved my thong to the side, then filled my hot pocket with his hard, thick meat, which always guaranteed me an orgasm.
“You know I’m jealous,” Cedric whispered in my ear while long stroking me from behind. My ass was hiked up, and the sounds of my pussy juices made him aware that he was hitting the right spot.
“Jealous of who or what?” I moaned. “You have no reason to be jealous. I’m the one who is jealous. Jealous of Kayla for getting a piece of this whenever she wants to.”
“You can have a piece whenever you want to, too. Just ask for it. And the next time you come over here, leave the broke-looking joker at home. He’s an embarrassment, and I know you can do much better.”
“I can. That’s why I’m doing it with you and not with him.”
Cedric tore into my insides and rushed me to the finish line so we could hurry back inside. The car rocked fast from the speed of our action, but as soon as I opened my mouth to react to him busting my cherry, the garage door lifted. Cedric covered my mouth with his hand, and we dropped down low on the floor in the backseat. My pussy was dripping wet from a mixture of our juices, and the feel of Cedric’s dick still in me was spectacular.
For whatever reason, I was hoping that Kayla would see us. It wasn’t that I hated her or anything like that. I had just lost a lot of respect for an ungrateful bitch who didn’t realize or appreciate what she had. Cedric peeked through the tinted windows and whispered to me that it was Jacoby, not Kayla. He waited until Jacoby was inside before he hit me with a few more strokes that tickled my insides and gave me something more to smile about. He had definitely gotten what he wanted, but now it was time for me to get what I wanted.
“Before we go back inside, I need to ask you for a favor. I know you’re getting tired of me, but until I find another job, I don’t—”
“How much?” Cedric said, then planted a kiss on my cheek.
“Several hundred dollars. Whatever you can spare is fine with me. Anything will help me right about now.”
“I’ll transfer the money into your account in the morning. And don’t be ashamed to ask me for money. We have to look out for each other.”
No doubt we did. I was very appreciative of Cedric’s generosity. Like always, he came through for me. I intended to always come through for him.
Ten minutes later, Cedric and I entered the house as if nothing had gone on between us. I had the audacity to look my friend in the face, as if I hadn’t just fucked her husband and asked him for money.
* * *
No words could express how I felt right now, and then I started to think about a time when I had betrayed Trina too.
*
* *
I thought Keith was alone that day, because Trina had told me she was going out of town. I arrived at his house; the door was unlocked. I didn’t even need the key I’d gotten from Bryson’s office. The downstairs was pretty dark. Upstairs was too, but I could see light from a television coming from his bedroom. I sauntered up the stairs and could hear soothing jazz music. Apparently, he was trying to set the mood, so I made my way to his doorway. I peeked inside the room and saw him sitting up in bed, with a sheet covering him from the waist down. I knocked on the door and then walked inside. Keith picked up a watch from his nightstand. He was expecting me.
“You’re almost ten minutes late. I didn’t think you were coming. I was about to fall asleep, because these shows on the television are boring.”
“Then Evelyn to the rescue, right?”
I didn’t want to waste any time with this. Keith appeared to be on board, and that was a good thing. His eyes locked on me as I removed the belt from my coat. When I peeled the coat away from my shoulders, I saw him suck in a deep breath. I stood before him with no clothes on and ready to handle my business. Keith patted the spot next to him, then cocked his head back.
“Come here,” he said softly. “My brother said you were sexy as hell. I guess, now I believe him.”
I crawled on the bed like a courageous tiger. Moved so I was face-to-face with him, then leaned in for a kiss. This time, he didn’t back away. He didn’t reject me, and his mouth opened wide. I couldn’t believe what a great kisser he was. No wonder Trina was hooked.
“Sweet lips,” he said, holding the sides of my face. He lightly bit my lips a few times and then backed away when the phone rang.
“Sweet pussy too,” I replied. “Wait until you taste it.”
The ringing phone interrupted us again.
“You may want to go answer that,” I said. “Just in case it’s you-know-who. The last thing you may want is her showing up here tonight.”
Keith shrugged, but he took my advice. He snatched the sheet away from him. Lord have mercy on that body of his.
“I’ll go get my phone, and why don’t you run to the kitchen to get us some wine out of the fridge?”
I really didn’t want any wine, but since Keith was cooperating, what the hell? I went into the kitchen to get the wine and two glasses and then stopped by the bathroom to pee. I could hear Keith going off on somebody over the phone, but then his voice went silent. It was probably Trina. Then again, she was on a plane to LA. Keith’s ex-girlfriend came to mind, so I hurried out of the bathroom to eavesdrop on the conversation.
I returned to the bedroom with the wine bottle and the two glasses in my hand. Keith was back in bed, lying on his side, with the sheet covering him. The television had been turned off, and his cell phone was on the nightstand, ringing again. This time, he ignored it and didn’t say a word. I set the wine and the glasses down, then crawled on the bed next to him again. When I pulled the sheet away from him, that was when I got the shock of my life. I eased away from the gun that was aimed right at the center of my forehead, which was starting to build up a sheen of sweat. The look in Trina’s eyes was deadly.
“Bitch,” she said through gritted teeth, “you got five motherfucking seconds to get your coat back on and get the hell out of my man’s house! And if you ever, I mean ever, come back here again, I swear to God that I will blow your damn brains out!”
Trina didn’t look like she was bullshitting, so I didn’t bother to respond. I kept my eyes on the gun, which trembled in her hand, and carefully eased back off the bed. I bent down to pick up my coat but didn’t bother to put it back on. I waved at her and then jetted down the stairs so fast that I almost fell and broke my neck. Keith was waiting for me at the door. His face looked like stone as he held the door wide open. I was too embarrassed to say one word. After I ran outside, he slammed the door so hard that it shook the house. Apparently, he wasn’t down with my plans, after all.
* * *
Tears welled up in my eyes as I thought about that day. I didn’t deserve to have any friends at all, and I was so grateful for Kayla and Trina for sticking by me. Lord knows, they didn’t have to. I couldn’t even be mad if they decided to scrap all their plans and leave me in here. I deserved this. I had to take the fall for everything, and it was my responsibility to try to make this right. I just didn’t know if it was too late for me. Maybe it was.
20
Trina
I was running out of options for Evelyn, but I didn’t want to tell her that. Money, money, and more money was what we needed. But since Evelyn had gotten herself into a fight with someone behind bars, I wasn’t even able to speak to her. For days Kayla and I pondered what to do next. She had been contributing most of the money, and she was to the point where she couldn’t afford to give much more. The only other person whom I could turn to was Keith. Yes, he needed to know about our child, but he wouldn’t learn about my pregnancy today. After what Evelyn had done for me, I had to put that situation on the back burner and figure out what I could do to save her. I also didn’t want Keith coming back to me because I was pregnant. I wanted him to forgive me totally because in his heart, that was what he wanted too. Since I hadn’t heard one word from him, it was obvious that he wasn’t there yet.
Keith had money, but it was nowhere near what Evelyn needed. Every little bit helped, so I went to his house to see him. I rang the doorbell, then waited with bated breath for him to come to the door. Looking in through the window, I could see him coming down the stairs. His eyes shifted to his bedroom, then back to me. Before he opened the front door, he looked upstairs again. He then unlocked the door and opened it an inch, wearing nothing but a pair of jeans. A black do-rag was tied around his head, and his colorful tats were in full effect.
“Yes?” he said through the cracked door.
“I need a favor.”
He opened the door wider, then stepped outside on the porch with me. It was chilly, but the cold didn’t seem to bother him.
“What kind of favor?”
“Before I tell you what it is, I need to elaborate on some of the things you’ve probably heard on the news about Cedric’s murder, and to tell you about my involvement. Do you have time to listen?”
He answered with a nod, and I began to tell him about everything that had happened since I left here. He kept shaking his head and turning it away from me, as if he was disgusted.
“How did you manage to get yourself caught up in that mess?” he said when I finished telling my story.
I started to tell him that I wouldn’t even be in this mess had he not put me out of his house. However, I quashed that line of reasoning and went another route instead.
“It just happened, and we both had to defend ourselves. I feel horrible that Evelyn is in there, and the truth is, I should really be in there too. Can you help me with some money to pay her bail? Her attorney is going to want a lot of money, and neither of us has it.”
“Evelyn has it. She has it all. Didn’t she tell you?”
“I know your mother and father gave her some money for what happened with Bryson, but her accounts are frozen. We can’t get access to any of her money, and the banks won’t even talk to Kayla or me about those funds. Our hands are tied, and I’m to the point where I don’t know what else to do.”
Keith was silent; then he released a deep sigh. “Go talk to my father. He should be at home. And if you can’t work out anything with him, come back here. I may be able to free up some money somewhere, but it won’t be anywhere near what you need.”
“I know, and whatever you can do will be much appreciated. Thank you.”
Just for the hell of it, I reached out to hug Keith. It sure felt good to be this close to him again, even if it was only for a few seconds. He backed away from me.
“Good-bye, Trina.”
My heavy heart just wouldn’t let up. I turned around to walk away, but then I pivoted around once again and called his name before he entered the house. This
time, I ran up to him and locked my lips on his. I held the back of his head, pulling him to me as I forced him to kiss me. To my surprise, he didn’t reject me. But he also didn’t allow the kiss to go on for very long. He backed away, but I continued to hold his head and gaze into his eyes.
“I know someone is in there, and I don’t care who she is. I don’t want to know who she is, but I can assure you that she won’t be in your life for long. I’m coming back. You are taking me back, and all I need right now is for you to give me a little hope. All I need is a little hope, and it will surely help after all I’ve been through.”
He stood in silence while looking at me. And when he spoke up, yes, indeed, he gave me hope. “I love you, Trina. I will always love you.”
That was enough for me. I left on a serious high. Seemed like I’d waited forever to hear him say those words to me again. I knew he was still trying to cope with what I had done, and it was too soon for me to push. Another woman had him in her possession today, and all I could say was that she’d better enjoy her time with him while it lasted.
* * *
I rang the loud doorbell, and its chime was like a song being played. It was my hope that Netta wouldn’t come to the door, only because I didn’t want her looking at me all crazy and questioning me about what had happened between me and Keith. I was sure she knew all about it. But unfortunately for me, I didn’t get my wish. She opened the door, displaying a fake smile that I could read through.
“Keith called and said you would be coming over,” she said. “Charles’s office is upstairs, the second room on the right. But before you go up there, I want to say this to you. When you hurt my sons, you hurt me. And if or when he forgives you, it doesn’t mean that I have to.”
She walked away. I couldn’t even say anything to her, because if any woman had done to my son what I had done to Keith, I would probably be bitter too.
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