by Chunichi
It felt like my stomach had dropped out my asshole. My head began to spin. My world collapsed in an instant. One minute my future was so bright and happy, the next, it gets crushed by the woman who I thought I loved. I had been used once again by Misty.
I grasped my heart and quickly walked out the house. I was struggling for air when I got in the car. I felt like I was having a fucking panic attack. I couldn’t believe that bitch was using me to get rank back on her job. Tears began to run down my face as I started the car and pulled off. I didn’t know what to think or who to trust. I couldn’t believe I’d let this happen again. Did she even love me? People are always betraying me, I thought as I drove to the house to meet the real estate agent.
I tried to call Touch, but he didn’t answer. I sent him a text asking him to meet me at the house. I wanted to come clean to him about everything, including Misty. He was the only person I felt I could turn to. My only hope was that he would take me back and keep his word about being a better man to me.
“Oh my God! What is he doing here?” I said to myself in a panic.
When I was pulling up to the house, Rico was in the driveway. I almost shit in my pants. I couldn’t deal with him right now, on top of everything else. That was the last thing I needed.
Instead of pulling in, I just kept driving past the house. I looked in my rearview to see if Rico had seen me. He didn’t seem to react like he had seen me. Thank God for that.
I went to the store to buy a ginger ale to help with my constant nausea. I loitered around the store, wasting time in hopes that Rico would be gone by the time I drove back. I must have looked like a crack addict the way I was pacing up and down the aisles. I just couldn’t stay still, I was so worked up and on edge. Everything was happening too fast.
I tried to read a magazine, but it was impossible for me to concentrate on any of it. I threw the magazine down and went back to my car. If Rico was there, so be it. I had dealt with enough shit today. What’s one more little drama?
“Whew!” I gave a sigh of relief as I drove up.
Rico’s car was out of the driveway. He had left. I pulled in the driveway and waited for Touch. I sat singing along to the tunes of Keri Hilson, desperately trying to keep my mind off my problems. As I sat there, through my rearview mirror, I got a glimpse of Touch pulling up. He parked on the street in front of the house instead of coming into the driveway.
He must be angry with me, I thought.
As I was opening my car door, I saw Rico rush toward Touch from next door. That’s when I realized he hadn’t left. He’d just parked his car someplace else. I jumped out of the car and headed in their direction, but before I could reach them, Rico and Touch had already locked eyes, and both pulled out their guns.
“No!” I yelled, as I ran to get between them.
As soon as I reached them, shots were fired. I looked down to see my white shirt turn dark red. Realizing I’d been shot, I grabbed my stomach.
“My baby!” I yelled, collapsing on the ground. Looking up from the ground, I saw Touch come running over to me.
He threw himself on the ground next to me and cradled my head. “Bae, you okay?” he screamed. “Stay with me!”
I was starting to have trouble breathing. I felt like I was going in and out of consciousness. I tried to speak, but I could only moan as blood trickled from my mouth.
Touch was crying and rocking me back and forth like a baby. “Jewel, don’t give up. I love you. I’m sorry for everything.”
I looked into his eyes, and in the faintest whisper, I was able to say, “Baby.”
He looked at me surprised. “Did you say baby?”
I nodded my head slowly, every movement for me painful at that point.
“Are you pregnant?” he asked.
I nodded again.
“Is it mine?”
I nodded yet again and smiled.
I heard Touch say one last time, “I love you.”
And the darkness slowly came to my eyes. I couldn’t fight anymore, but I was happy to know that Touch truly loved me.
Urban Books, LLC
78 East Industry Court
Deer Park, NY 11729
California Connection 3 Copyright © 2011 Chunichi
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means without prior consent of the Publisher, except brief quotes used in reviews.
ISBN: 978-1-5998-3247-0
This is a work of fiction. Any references or similarities to actual events, real people, living, or dead, or to real locales are intended to give the novel a sense of reality. Any similarity in other names, characters, places, and incidents is entirely coincidental.
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