How Deep Is Your Love 3

by Jade Royal

  “But look what you do to me,” he said, nodding down at his groin. Sure enough, through the sheets, Charm could see his thickening arousal. But like his stare, seeing his cock grow did nothing for her. She only shrugged.

  “I don’t think your heart or your lungs can take it, so you’d better calm down.” Terrell reached for her hand and held it. He was relieved that she didn’t pull back from him.

  “I’m sorry you ended up in jail. That wasn’t right of the cops to arrest you like that,” he said. “I wish I was physically there to help you.”

  “I had Denzel. He was there for me. Even came to the arraignment, and he waited for me to get out of the jail all day, so I wasn’t alone when I was let out on bail.” Terrell sucked his teeth.

  “You’re still fucking that guy?” He asked. Charm just smirked at him, and not giving him an answer.

  “You should be lucky I paid the bail. I doubt he even makes any damn salary on the wages of an artist. I’m not trying to be a dick, but you shouldn’t be giving yourself to a man that can’t take care of you. You would have still be in that damn cell without me.”

  “You know, I thought that too. But then I realized how wrong I was. And I’m just gonna tell you that you’re wrong as well.”

  “Yeah, sure,” he scoffed. Charm realized how little Terrell had changed. But she really wasn’t expecting him to. Then again, he’d say anything to have her get back with him. Including making her doubt Denzel. But there was no doubt in her man right now. At that thought, Charm smiled. ‘Her man.’ She liked the way that sounded.

  Terrell looked at Charm curiously. He’d said nothing funny, but yet still here she was sitting next to him smiling dreamily.

  “Charm,” he said. She blinked and snapped out of her daydream.

  “Sorry, you were saying something?” She asked.

  “Just that you need to come back home.”

  “Yeah, well, I’m not interested in being a sister wife.”

  “And what do you expect to get from him, huh?” He asked.

  “I expect him not to fuck another girl after committing to me and getting her pregnant,” Charm shrugged. Terrell opened his mouth to speak, but he didn’t have nothing to say. How could he say anything. So he just sighed and crossed his arms. Thankfully, the doctor came into the room to give them something else to talk about.

  “Ms. Bradley,” he greeted.

  “Hi,” Charm smiled, standing to greet him. Terrell grunted at the doctor’s acknowledgment of her maiden name. That shit got under his skin.

  “So how’s he doing?” Charm asked, nodding towards Terrell.

  “Well he’s healing up real good. There’s been no sign of clotting, and his blood pressure has been pretty stable.”

  “So I can leave soon then,” Terrell interjected.

  “Yes, you’re getting there, but your ribs need a little bit more healing time. You’re breathing patterns still concern me as well.” Terrell shook his head. Charm sensed his longing to go home and she knew it wasn’t the same situation, but she’s been trapped before when she was in jail.

  “Relax, Terrell. You’ll be out in no time. You’re getting stronger and stronger each day,” Charm tried to cheer him up, but his facial expression didn’t change.

  “I’d say in about another week or so you’d be ready to go home,” Dr. Murphy said.

  “Well that’s something to look forward to,” Terrell finally spoke. Charm was happy he’d have something to look forward to.

  “Hang in there,” Dr. Murphy said to Terrell, before smiling at Charm and walking out of the room. The nurse followed him out. Charm looked at Terrell. He had his eyes closed with his head tilted back.

  “Terrell?” she called. He opened his eyes and looked at her.

  “Just resting my eyes,” He tried to take a deep breath in but he could only go so far. He started moving around in the bed.

  “What’s the matter?” Charm asked.

  “I gotta take a leak,” he replied. He tried leaning forward, but the pain on his face made it clear that moving around hurt like a bitch.

  “Wait.” Charm warned. “Let me get the nurse first.”

  “I don’t need the nurse,” he sighed. Charm sucked her teeth at his stubbornness. He was breathing heavily and he hadn’t even gotten out of the bed yet.

  “Give me the pan,” he said, pointing underneath the bed where the bedpan was. Charm understood what he wanted to do. She rushed to close the room door so he’d have privacy, before she went to retrieve the bedpan for him. He remove the sheets from his body and pulled up the hospital robe. Charm took a quick glance at his shaft, before averting her eyes. She stood, shifting her weight on either foot as he used the bathroom into the bedpan.

  “If I didn’t know any better, I’d think you were afraid to look or something,” he said. “I don’t know why. I’ve only been fucking you with it for damn near ten years.”

  “Don’t be a dick,” Charm scoffed. He finished emptying his body of fluids. Charm grabbed a pair of gloves, shoving her hand into the latex, before she took the pan from him and took it to the bathroom to dump it into the toilet. When she came back into the room, he was still laying with his dick hanging out. And just because she knew the man that was her husband, she knew why. In the bathroom, she wet a washcloth before going back out to him.

  She took the wash cloth and wrapped it around his shaft, wiping him clean. For some reason, having it in her hands stirred up a bunch of emotion. To think that she’d had it in her body for ten years and he’d turned and used it on another woman he’d known or a couple of months just got her angry. On her way to the hospital, she’d told herself that she wouldn’t let him see her being upset about the situation. But holding his dick, Charm couldn’t help but to start squeezing, as anger began to pump through her body. Terrell jumped and grabbed at her wrist.

  “Charm, let me go,” he ordered. Charm looked at him with a brow raised. The fear in his eyes shot down to her core. And then she realized what she was doing. What if Denzel walked in and saw her holding on another man’s dick? What would he think? Charm immediately let go and backed away from the bed.

  “Shit, I’m so sorry,” she gasped. She yanked off the gloves and went to wash her hands and take several deep breaths. She only returned to the room when she was calm and her heart was beating steadily. Terrell looked at her cautiously when she returned.

  “I should expect that kind of thing from you,” he said. “I’m surprised you haven’t tried to castrate me sooner.”

  “It’s not even worth it,” Charm shook her head. “I don’t know what came over me.”

  “You’re still upset,” Terrell said. “Because you still love me and don’t know how to respond to this.” Charm shook her head.

  “I shouldn’t still be upset. I need to move on. Just like you’ve moved on.”

  “If you think I moved on, then you got it all twisted. How could I move on from you, Charm? Just look at you! You’re so beautiful, I don’t even know what to do with myself. And you think I want to let you go?”

  “You sure have a shitty way of showing that,” Charm crossed her arms. “You really just couldn’t wait until Destiny had my eggs in her? You just had to fuck her?!”

  “It’s not like you were fucking me, Charm. You were mad at me every damn day about something that wasn’t even my fault to begin with!”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “The fact that we couldn’t have our babies is your fault, Charm. Not mine. It’s your body that can’t keep the pregnancy. But you were always pissed at me, like I could control your miscarriages, like I had a say in what happened. Once my sperm reached your egg, Charm, then it’s up to you. My job is done! So if you kept losing the damn babies, it was no fault of mine, yet still you refused to accept that!”

  Charm just stood there looking down at him. Was he serious? Wait, was she seriously surprised by this? She shouldn’t be. Terrell felt the same for a long time and his position hadn’t
changed. Why should it have changed?

  “I guess that’s all the more reason for you to just let me go, Terrell. I’ll never be the woman you want me to be.”

  “Terrell, I’m back!” Destiny squealed, coming into the hospital room. She stopped in her tracks as she closed the door when she saw Charm standing there. She crossed her arms and huffed.

  “Why when I turn my back she’s always here?” Destiny asked Terrell. Charm snickered.

  “What the fuck is so funny?” Destiny snapped.

  “He cheated on his wife with you. You expect him to be faithful?” Charm laughed.

  “You know, you look pretty chipper for a jailbird.” Charm’s smile vanished immediately. Destiny rolled her eyes and went to stand next to Terrell’s bed.

  “How you been?” She asked him tenderly.

  “A little tired,” Terrell replied. Charm watched as Destiny rubbed his chest and kissed on him. Obviously she was doing it because Charm was right there and Terrell didn’t stop her.

  “I’m gonna get a ban on this room for you,” Destiny said. “You may trust her, but I still think she’s the one that shot you.”

  “Oh cut the bullshit. We all figured out that you were the one that called the cops and lied about me having the gun.”

  “Can’t prove that, now can you?” Destiny smirked. Charm clenched her hands into first, trying to resist the urge to slap fire out of her. Destiny was literally, playing with her freedom and it more than pissed Charm off.

  “Cut that out,” Terrell said to Destiny. Charm was shocked. “I told you, you’re not gonna accuse her of that bullshit, and you’re gonna respect her.” Charm’s mouth fell open. Was Terrell really defending her? Maybe his meds was making him loopy.

  “Whatever you say,” Destiny sighed, sarcastically. “Don’t you wanna know about my visit?” She whined.

  “Of course, I do,” Terrell replied. Charm didn’t understand their conversation, but then everything made sense, when Destiny pulled out two photos. Charm knew an ultrasound when she saw one. She’d seen plenty of them when she was pregnant and after she’d lost her babies.

  “Still too early to know the gender, but just look. I can’t even believe I have this inside me.” Destiny gave Terrell the photos. He gasped as he looked at his floating baby that was within Destiny’s uterus.

  “I hope I get a little man,” Terrell smiled at Destiny. “Man, I can’t believe this.” He touched Destiny’s stomach.

  “Is everything alright? What the doctor said?”

  “They just prescribed me some vitamins and folic acid. My iron levels are low. Here.” She showed him the scripts.

  “I know you don’t have insurance, but I’ll handle that. For now, I’ll pay out of pocket for the scripts. Get to the pharmacy before they close and get these filled. I need to make sure my boy is alright in there.” Destiny laughed as Terrell kissed her stomach.

  “You’re so sure it’s a boy.” She giggled.

  Tears began to blind Charm’s vision. She didn’t know why she was crying over a man she didn’t love anymore. And she wasn’t crying over Terrell per se, but she was crying because of the experience they were having that she was robbed of not once, but four times. And she wished she could have that moment, but she would never. Not being able to handle it anymore, she sucked in a deep breath and hurried out of the hospital room.

  “Charm!” Terrell called after her. But Charm didn’t stop. She wiped her eyes and tried to retain her dignity as she hurried out of the hospital.

  ********

  Denzel was covered in paint as he worked heavily on the large portrait he was making for Jason. He had already finished the paintings for their art events and planned out lessons for the art classes so he was using his free time to work on the gift for Jason. Brianna and Jason were both working so with Charm at the hospital, Denzel was alone in the gallery. He thought about calling Charm to make sure she was okay, but he figured if there was a problem she would call him. So he decided to give her the space she needed. But that didn’t mean he stopped thinking about what the hell Terrell was saying to her. Denzel had no idea why he all of a sudden was so damn territorial. He was hardly ever that way with Gabrielle. She knew there was shit he just didn’t tolerate, but he was never on her back about any man she talked to, or what she did. With Charm, he felt himself being too worried about what could ruin their relationship.

  He was getting antsy after only 20 minutes of Charm being gone. What if they were talking about reconciling their relationship? That would leave Denzel heartbroken like a muthafucker. If love worked on time he would have tried to hold off until she was officially divorced. Because then, maybe he wouldn’t have this inner panic about her and Terrell. Then on top of it, he paid her damn bail and for her lawyer. He took heed to what Charm told him, but in the back of his conscious, he just couldn’t stop thinking about that fact.

  “You know what?” Denzel put down his paintbrush and wiped his hands on his paint stained jeans. He pulled his phone from his pocket, ready to dial Charm’s number. He stared at the picture of her in her contact information and he couldn’t help but smile. His phone vibrated in his hand before he could actually call Charm, alerting him of another call.

  “Hey, Ma,” Denzel answered.

  “I thought I raised a better man,” she scolded. Denzel closed his eyes. His mother, Daisy, was a sweet woman despite all the hardships she went through, especially with his father. But Denzel believed because of those hardships, she had a slight edge to her that made her toleration for any kind of bullshit very low. And apparently, Denzel had done something to trigger her no toleration radar.

  “I would like to think you raised a good man,” Denzel replied.

  “Don’t smart mouth me. Think I can’t hitch a flight to L.A and conk you on the forehead?”

  “Quit fussing, lady. What’d I do now?”

  “I’ve been waiting for you to propose to Gabby. I gave you my blessing. Yet still, for months, I haven’t heard not a peep about wedding bells.” Denzel sighed. He knew he was about to get an earful, because he hadn’t even told his mother that he’d even ended their relationship.

  “Look, about that-”

  “And then,” she cut him off. “I call my future daughter in law to see what’s going on. Only to find out that my son is a cheat, who slept with a married woman!”

  “What?!” Denzel exclaimed.

  “Don’t what me! How could you do that to a woman who stuck by you for ten years?!”

  “You’ve got it all wrong, Ma. I didn’t cheat on Gabrielle.”

  “Oh?”

  “We were broken up before I moved on,” Denzel said.

  “What happened? I thought marriage was coming next?” Denzel realized how much he had been leaving his mother out of the picture, so he broke it down for her, explaining how their relationship was heading for the worst.

  “I can’t believe this,” she sighed.

  “It’s fine, Ma. Don’t worry about it too much.”

  “Of course, I’m going to be worried. You know, I won’t get any younger. And I want to enjoy grandchildren.”

  “Yes, Mom. I know.” Denzel didn’t like disappointing his mother, but truthfully, she would be a grandmother if Gabrielle didn’t do what she did.

  “Why don’t you get back with her, D? When I spoke with her, she sounded remorseful, and maybe you can just give her a second chance.”

  “No, I can’t do that,” Denzel said.

  “Why? Because of that married woman you’re fucking?”

  “Seriously, Daisy?” Denzel asked. When he became an adult, he always called her by her first name when she cussed at him. Especially in that way.

  “Yes, seriously!”

  “I can’t get back with Gabby, because I fell out of love with her. Besides, the woman you’re talking about is separated from her husband, and she’s working on her divorce. She’s an amazing woman, with a wonderful heart, and a beautiful soul. Plus, she’s a painter as well.�
� Daisy was quiet for a long time. When he first introduced her to Gabby, he sounded just like he sounded right in that moment. In love.

  “You’ve already fallen in love with her, haven’t you?” She asked him.

  “Daisy, don’t be ridiculous,” Denzel scoffed. He didn’t want to tell his mother the truth, because he didn’t want her to start hassling him. And if she didn’t get the right answers she wanted, she was going to hop on a plane and come here just to meet Charm.

  “I let you call me Daisy when I cuss at you. But don’t get too damn comfortable. Don’t Daisy me. I think I need to come meet this woman.”

  “No, Mom, no you don’t,” Denzel said. “We’re both extremely busy.”

  “Well, if she’s gonna be in your life, boy, then I wanna meet her.”

  “And you will. Don’t worry yourself about that.”

  “Wait! Is this the same woman you told me about that gave you a job at the art gallery?”

  “Yes, that’s her,” Denzel confirmed.

  “Interesting,” she hummed. “Well, I can’t tell you what to do, but I had high hopes for you and Gabby giving me plenty of grandchildren to look after. I mean, for ten years, it was basically set in stone.” Denzel sighed hard. He rubbed his face as he thought about having a baby with Gabrielle. Even though their relationship was essentially over, he would have still wanted his kid. And even now, he thought about what his and Gabby’s baby would have looked like.

  “Something is troubling you,” Daisy spoke.

  “Like I said before, I had no desire to marry Gabrielle. I thought I did when we were younger, but she just turned into someone I didn’t think I could spend my life with.”

  “And you won’t get back with her?” She asked. “Even if she changes?”

  “I don’t know, Mom. All I know is that you were gonna be a grandmother, and I was gonna be a father.”

  “So what happened?”

  “She killed it,” Denzel gritted. “Before I could even tell her my opinion, before I could even tell her I wanted my kid, she took it upon herself to go and kill it. And I just know that right now I can’t be with a woman that did that.”