“Hey, my boy,” David said when DJ walked in. He ran over to my brother and sat on his lap.
“What’s up?” I spoke to my brother and Scott, who was seated right next to him.
“I see Brooklyn is riding fly, huh?” David said laughing.
“Damn, how did you know? We just left the dealership not too long ago.”
“Candace sent me a picture with her cheesing hard in the background.”
“What kind of car did you get her?” Scott asked.
“She wanted the Audi Q3. It looks like a girly car to me, so it fits her perfectly,” I replied.
“Damn, she got a top of the line whip,” Scott commented.
“She’s top of the line so what did you expect?” I bragged.
“It’s much better than some baby mama’s get,” he quipped.
“She’s not just a baby mama, but that’s not up for discussion right now,” I said ending the conversation.
“Your wife has been calling here looking for you,” David said with a frown.
“What’s new? Her ass calls everywhere looking for me.”
“You and Kennedi are good though right?” Scott asked me.
“I don’t know what your definition of good is, but I’m straight,” I replied.
“You better be happy you didn’t get her ass pregnant yet. It’s really over for you when she pops out a baby,” David warned.
“I’m good with just my one for now. Watch DJ for me so I can go call her back.” I walked to the back where the break room is located and dialed Kennedi’s number. She started fussing as soon as she answered the phone, never bothering to say hello. I was only three months into my marriage, and I was starting to regret it already. Kennedi didn’t know it, but she was pushing me closer and closer to Brooklyn with every word that she spoke.
KENNEDI
“I feel like I’m going crazy sometimes,” I complained to Tiffany. “All we do is argue and I’m scared that I’m pushing him away.” We were seated outside at Starbucks drinking coffee while I vented to her.
“If that’s how you feel then stop arguing with the man about every little thing Kennedi. You’re beginning to sound just like your mother. Everything is not always going to go your way,” Tiffany replied.
“I know that Tiffany, but it’s not supposed to be like this. I understand what he’s saying about us waiting to buy a house. I’ve even learned to accept his son being over there every day, but something is not right. We’ve only been married for five months, and I hardly ever see him. He’s either working or with his brother. If I didn’t know any better, I would think he was cheating on me again,” I ranted.
“That man is not cheating on you. Y’all just need to sit down and have a long talk about how you feel.”
“I’ve tried that, but he always thinks I’m nagging. We’re supposed to be trying to have a baby, but we barely have sex anymore. One or two times a week was alright before, but that’s not going to do it if I want to get pregnant. I damn near have to beg just to get that. I’m telling you that something is not right. Dominic has a high sex drive. If he’s not getting it from me then who is he getting it from?” I wondered aloud.
“It only takes one time for you to get pregnant Kennedi,” Tiffany said laughing.
“This is not funny Tiffany. I don’t know what I’m going to do if Dominic and I don’t get our marriage on the right track.”
“Hey beautiful, how have you been?” Someone said from behind me. I turned around and smiled when I looked into Scott’s handsome face. I’ve never been with a white man, but he could definitely get it. If I wasn’t so committed to Dominic’s ass, he probably would have gotten it already.
“Hey Scott, you remember my cousin Tiffany,” I said introducing them again. They exchanged greetings as we continued to talk.
“I don’t want to intrude. I’m just coming to get me some caffeine,” he told us.
“You’re not intruding. I need to get going anyway. Call me later Kennedi,” Tiffany said standing to her feet.
“Let me grab me some coffee, and I’ll be right back,” Scott told me. I watched him walk away, and a feeling of guilt crept up on me. I hadn’t done anything wrong, so I quickly shook it off. I really needed someone to talk to, and Scott has always been a good listener. Tiffany was always taking Dominic’s side, and that pissed me off.
“So how’s married life treating you?” Scott asked while taking a seat.
“I could complain, but I guess I shouldn’t,” I replied.
“That’s good, your husband does enough complaining for the both of you,” Scott chuckled.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” I asked. I felt my temperature rising, but I tried to remain calm.
“Don’t blow up, I’m just messing with you,” he replied.
“So Dominic has been talking about me at the office, huh?” I inquired.
“No, not really, but I do know that there’s some trouble in paradise.”
“If this is paradise, I would hate to see how it feels in hell.”
“It can’t be that bad.”
“It’s really not bad at all. We just need to get on the same page about our marriage. Once that happens we’ll be good,” I said hopefully.
“So how are you handling being a step-mother? I know that has to be hard.”
“It was at first, but I’m adjusting. Financially, DJ is his responsibility, and I get that now. As long as the mother is out of the picture I’m fine.”
“But is she really out of the picture? It seems like she’s benefiting financially too.”
“Obviously, you have something to say so just come out and say it. I don’t have time to try and solve your riddles,” I hissed. I said it a little louder than I needed to, and a few people turned around and looked at me for having the sudden outburst. Scott was cool, but he was pissing me off at the moment.
“Chill out, no need to go all postal on me,” he joked.
“I’m sorry for yelling, but I’m not in the mood to play games. You seem to be saying something without actually saying it. That’s driving me crazy.”
“Did you eat yet?” He asked.
“Don’t try to change the subject, say what you have to say,” I demanded.
“I’ll tell you whatever you want to know, but only over lunch.”
“Scott, I’m a married woman. I don’t have any business going to lunch with you.”
“That never stopped you before. Besides, you’ll want to hear what I have to say.”
“Where do you want to go?” I said agreeing to go with him.
“Follow me and I’ll show you.”
I really wanted to decline Scott’s invitation, but curiosity got the best of me. I don’t know what Dominic did to piss him off, but I was benefiting from it.
****
Later that afternoon I was sitting on my sofa drinking a glass of wine. I was so upset that I could hardly think straight. Dominic was supposed to be home over an hour ago, but he had yet to show up. I called his phone twice and each time he said that he was on his way. I picked up the stack of papers that were scattered all over my coffee table and stared at them once again. I was so tired of crying, but I couldn’t stop the tears from flowing. Just as I wiped my eyes for the hundredth time today, I heard Dominic’s key turning the lock. I wasn’t surprised when he walked in carrying his sleeping son. What struck me as odd was the fact that DJ was already wearing his pajamas. He’s never come to our house like that before. That was the least of my worries, so I let it go for now. I jumped up from the sofa and ran to the front door, looking outside.
“So where is it Dominic?” I asked as I looked around like a crazy woman.
“Where is what Kennedi?” He asked as he laid DJ down on the sofa.
“Where is the vehicle that you spent almost forty thousand dollars on? Apparently, we’ve had it for a few months, but I sure as hell have never seen it,” I yelled. I couldn’t believe my ears when Scott told me that Dominic had purchased B
rooklyn a car. He didn’t just purchase her any old used car either he got that bitch an Audi. I had to do a double-take when I pulled up his bank statement and saw the price. I had to go back a few months to get it, but the proof was right there in black and white. When I went back further and dug a little bit deeper, I got a few more surprises. He had purchases from furniture stores and appliance stores that we’ve never even been to totaling thousands of dollars. I knew that he’d gotten Brooklyn an apartment, but I had no idea that he’d furnished it for her as well.
“It’s not ours, so you’re not going to see it,” he replied flippantly.
“So we have to wait a year to buy a house. I can’t even see a doctor about us having a baby, but you can go out and spend almost forty thousand dollars to get that bitch a car! You didn’t even consult with me about it,” I screamed.
“Lower your damn voice before my baby wakes up and yes, I bought Brooklyn a vehicle so that her and my son can get around without waiting for someone else to do it. I don’t have to consult with you to spend my own damn money.”
“Dominic we are married. There is no way in hell that you can take that kind of money out of our account without telling me about it.”
“What do you mean our account? The last time I checked my name was the only one on there. And since you want to check shit out, look for all the charges from Saks and Mac that you put on there,” he yelled.
“Now I see why my name is not on the account. It’s not about me regaining your trust like you said, you just don’t want me to see what you’re doing for Brooklyn.”
“No, it’s about you being money hungry. Everything with you is about a dollar. Whatever I do for Brooklyn is done to benefit DJ.”
“So you had to get her a brand new Audi Dominic? Why couldn’t you get her a nice used Toyota or some shit like that?” I raged.
“So you’re riding around in an eighty thousand dollar car, but you want me to put my son in something used? You got me all the way fucked up,” he said while shaking his head at me in disgust.
“It’s not like he can drive the damn car. As long as that bitch doesn’t have to ride the bus she should be satisfied. And you didn’t buy my car. I already had it when we met,” I yelled.
“Daddy,” DJ said as he woke up crying. Dominic rushed to pick him up and walked upstairs. I followed behind him trying to continue our conversation. He rocked DJ back to sleep and placed him in his playpen. He went into our bedroom and laid down on the bed.
“Are you going to continue to ignore me Dominic?” I asked my husband.
“Either that or I’m getting my son and leaving. You already woke him up with all your screaming and hollering.”
“I’m sorry, but we need to talk about this,” I said in a lower tone.
“There’s nothing to talk about Kennedi. I bought her a car, and that’s the end of the discussion. You always look for shit and get mad when you find it. Come to me if you want to know something. I don’t have anything to hide from you.”
“Obviously you do. I have to hear what’s going on with my husband from other people,” I said.
“What other people are you referring to Kennedi?” He asked.
I had talked all over myself without even realizing it. My heart started beating fast because I couldn’t tell him who I’d been talking too. I would never forgive myself if Scott lost his job because of me.
“Just forget it Dominic. I feel like we’re drifting further and further apart,” I cried. “All we do is argue all the time.”
“That’s all on you. We talked about all of this before we even got married. I told you not to go through with marrying me if you had a problem with anything.”
“I can’t believe you just said that. Not marrying you was never an option,” I said crying harder. After crying my heart out, Dominic finally came over to comfort me. It took him long enough, but I was just happy to be in his arms.
“I don’t want to lose you Dominic. I’ll do whatever I have to do to save our marriage,” I said while looking him in his eyes. He looked away without responding. I tried to kiss him, but he turned his head away from me. That hurt my feelings, but I still wasn’t discouraged. I stood up and started to take off my clothes. When I was done, I started to do the same with Dominic.
“Not tonight Kennedi, I’m not in the mood,” he protested.
“Please Dominic, I really need this right now,” I begged. I laid down on my back and pulled him on top of me. He didn’t look like he wanted to, but he ended up making love to me anyway. In my mind, whatever problems we had were a thing of the past. Right now, I was looking forward to our future together.
BROOKLYN
“I’m going to sit down. This boy is wearing me out,” I told Taylor. Taylor and I had taken the kids to a local fair not too far from our house. DJ was full of energy, and I was tired of chasing him. Dominic was supposed to come with us, but he couldn’t make it. His parents had gotten some new furniture, and he and David had to help their father move it. Although I swore that I wouldn’t, I ended up hooking up with Dominic again. As wrong as I know it was, the heart can’t help who it loves, and I love Dominic more than words can say. It wasn’t that he was my first or the father of my son it’s because of who he is as a person. He’s so attentive and selfless, and that makes me love him even more. With his looks and finances, he could be selfish and arrogant if he wanted to be, but he’s nothing like that. He makes sure that DJ and I are straight before anything else. If I didn’t know for a fact that he was married it would be hard to tell.
“I’m ready to go. We’ve been out here for hours,” Taylor said. I left my car at home while DJ and I rode with Taylor and her girls in Bryce’s car. My brother and I were better than ever after having a long talk a few months ago. I realized how wrong I was for trying to involve him in me and Dominic’s business. They were friends, so I understood his decision to stay out of it. He tried to warn me, but I didn’t listen.
“Let’s go get some ice cream,” I suggested.
“Girl, anywhere that I can sit down is cool with me,” Taylor replied. We gathered up all of the kids and got them into the car. It was already dark outside, but it was still early.
“Ice cream mommy,” DJ sang over and over. He was talking so good, and he wasn’t even two years old yet. All of my hard work with him was paying off.
“Okay baby, we’re going to get some now,” I replied. Taylor parked in front of the ice cream parlor, and all of us got out. We ordered what everyone wanted and took a seat at one of the tables.
“Have you heard from Kevin since everything went down with y’all?” Taylor asked me. I ended up telling her and Candace what happened, but I never told anyone else.
“Yeah, his crazy ass still calls sometimes, but I never answer. I blocked his number, but I know he calls from other places. I don’t answer any numbers that I don’t recognize.”
“He really is nuts. I can’t see what he possibly has to say to you.”
“Girl, I don’t know and I really don’t care.”
“Are y’all ready to go?” Taylor asked the kids after we’d been sitting there for a while. I wiped DJ’s hands and mouth, and we were on our way again. We hadn’t even made it to the bridge good enough before my baby had fallen asleep in his car seat. My nieces were both playing on their handheld games while Taylor and I talked.
“Look at this Jackass riding so close behind me,” Taylor complained.
“They don’t even have any lights on,” I observed as I looked behind me. It was hard to make out the make and model of the dark colored pick-up truck that was trailing us. The windows were heavily tinted so I couldn’t even see the driver.
“Oh my God!” Taylor screamed when the truck slammed into the back of us. My nieces were screaming, but I was trying to remain calm.
“Taylor drive faster and try to lose them,” I suggested in a panic. Taylor did as I instructed, but the truck kept up with us.
“Ahhh,” Taylor screamed when the tr
uck hit us again. This time the screaming woke my baby up. He too was crying loudly from his car seat.
“Taylor try not to lose control of the wheel. I’m calling the police.” As soon as the operator came to the phone I started giving her our location and telling her what was going on. She assured me that help was on the way, but I just hope it came soon.
“Call Bryce,” Taylor said. Before I had a chance to dial out, we got hit again causing Taylor to lose control of the wheel. The car veered too far to the right, and we were plunging into a ditch. Taylor’s head was bouncing all over the place, and her forehead was dripping blood. I heard the sirens in the distance the moment the car came to a complete stop. I looked back at the kids to make sure they weren’t hurt. Besides being scared and crying, they seemed to be fine.
“Are you alright Taylor?” I asked my sister-in-law. Blood was trickling down her face, but she was still conscious.
“My head is hurting, but I’m good. As long as the kids are alright that’s all that matters,” she replied. I grabbed my baby’s bag and gave her some of his wipes to clean herself up. I pulled out my phone to call Dominic and my family to tell them what was happening.
The police took our statements, but there wasn’t much that we could tell them. A dark colored pick-up truck wasn’t much of a description. The EMT’s were called out to check on us, and they insisted that we were taken to the hospital. They wanted to check out Taylor’s head wound and make sure the kids were alright. Dominic and my family were already in route.
After getting DJ checked out, it was my turn to be seen. Candace and Co-Co had made it to us so they sat outside until I got checked out. Once I was done, they came back and found me sitting on the edge of the bed in a daze.
“What’s wrong Brook?” My cousins asked me. I looked into their eyes and started crying like a baby.
DOMINIC
I rushed through the hospital’s emergency room in search of my family. When Brooklyn called and told me that they had been in a car accident, my whole world stopped. I was at my parents’ house with David helping my father move some furniture when she called. I dropped everything and rushed out of the house with my mama and David right behind me. My father stayed behind with Nyla and Ivan, but he made us promise to call and keep him updated. My mama was already crying even though I told her that they were alright. We walked up to the nurse’s station, but we spotted Candace in the hallway holding my baby.
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