Who Do I Run To?

by Black, Anna

  “I am, K.P., but I’m scared.”

  “Scared of what? You know I love you, and I’d never hurt you, Janiece.”

  “That’s not it. Do you really love me, K.P.? Are you certain you can be faithful to me? Are you sure you won’t do to me what you did to Kimberly?”

  “Janiece, Kimberly and I should have never gotten married. To sit here and tell you why I married her is something I can’t tell you. Back then, I wasn’t making decisions on what I wanted. I made choices based on what others wanted me to do. I’m so tired of doing things based on what others want me to do or what others think I should do. This is the first time I have done something based on what I wanted. And I want you, Jai.”

  “What do you want from me, K.P.?”

  “Your love, your understanding. I want you to love me back and love my kids. I need you and them and want you and them more than money, success, and popularity. I want you as my wife, Janiece. You are my match. I married Kimberly for all of the wrong reasons, and that is something I will have to deal with for the rest of my life, but I can't imagine my life without you.”

  She sat there in silence for a few moments. She didn’t know what to say. He had never before spoken to her that way.

  “So you are sure you’re ready to leave your home, your marriage, and be in a committed relationship with me?”

  “Janiece, I want you to marry me.”

  “K.P., you’re still married.”

  “Not for long. I told you I have filed for divorce, and it’s only a matter of time before it goes through. I have moved out, Jai. I’m not going back.”

  “Let me show you something,” she said and got up and went to the dining-room table and got the letter and card that Kimberly had sent her. She handed it to him.

  “What’s this?” he asked out of curiosity.

  “Just open them and read them,” she said and he did. He shook his head and laughed because he was in total disbelief.

  “Janiece, I’m sorry, baby, but I can guarantee you that she is all talk. You don’t have to worry about Kimberly.”

  “Why shouldn’t I worry about her, K.P.? It’s obvious that she thinks I’m the evil one that took her husband.”

  “Trust me, baby, you don’t have to worry about her. I’ll never let her or anyone hurt you.”

  “Well, K.P., I’m not afraid, but this is exactly the BS I never wanted to go through.”

  “I know, baby, and it’ll be over soon. I got so many plans for us, and I know you’re going to be happy.”

  “Oh yeah, like what?”

  “Well, first, remember how you always talked about going away and starting our lives over in Las Vegas?”

  “Yes,” she said sitting up so she could look at him in the eye.

  “Well, I have worked so hard the last year to make that possible for us.”

  “What are you saying, K.P.?”

  “I wanted to surprise you, but I guess now is the perfect time to tell you.”

  “Tell me what?”

  “I want us to move out to Las Vegas.”

  “Las Vegas! Are you serious?”

  “Jai, you have begged me and said to me so many times how you wish we could just go back to Vegas and start over, and the last year I’ve been making plans for us to move. I’ll be opening my own business there, and I want you to go with me.”

  “To Las Vegas?”

  “Yes. I can’t start my new life without you. I want to marry you, Jai. I have left Grayson Financial and the grand opening of Paxton Mortgages will be in three weeks. I want you to go out there with me for the grand opening, and while we are there, we can look for a house.”

  Janiece was in total shock.

  “When, how, how did you start your own business? I mean, starting a business takes money, a lot of money.”

  “I know, and trust me, it wasn’t easy, but it all worked out.”

  Janiece was still confused and amazed at the same time.

  “Oh my God, K.P., I don’t know what to say. Las Vegas is far, I mean, Janelle’s expecting her first baby and to just move out of Chicago is ... I mean, wow.”

  “All you have to do is say yes. I’m going, Jai, with or without you. I want a new start and a new life. When we took our trip out there, it was so perfect and I want to have a life with you and my kids. I mean, I love Chicago too, baby, and I understand that your sister is having her first child, but this is our lives at hand, and we have to live out our lives and what makes us happy.”

  “I know, K.P., and I’m not saying no. I just didn’t expect to hear something this big from you. I mean, I don’t have money to move to Las Vegas. I have things to consider.”

  “Like what?”

  “First, I’m not financially set to make a move like that, to ship my stuff and start over. I’m not loaded, you know.”

  “Yes, I do know that, but let me worry about all of that. You don’t have to worry about work, money, or shipping your things. All you have to do is say you will be there with me and for me, and I’ll take care of the rest,” he said sincerely.

  Janiece had no idea he was financially sound and had a great deal of money and investments so that he wasn’t going to have to struggle with anything. K.P. was a very smart man, and he invested and made a lot of wise money decisions when he was working for Kimberly’s dad. He took advantage of all opportunities that came his way. In fact, he had wealth even Kimberly had no idea about.

  “K.P., you say that, but you know I work hard and I don’t have all of this and all of that, and I would only be a burden right now. I have no money saved, and I just don’t know—”

  “Shhhh, listen, Jai. I’ll take care of us. Money is the last thing you need to worry yourself about. We are going to be okay. You don’t have to worry about working if you don’t want to, because I got us. If you want to go to school, pick up a hobby, whatever, I will take care of us.”

  “But how, K.P.? How can you afford to—”

  “Baby, I’m not Donald Trump, but trust me when I say we ain’t broke.”

  “When you say we ain’t broke, do you mean we ain’t broke as far as me having to work for you doing all the office work until business gets off the ground or we ain’t broke like I can have a house just a pretty as the one we stayed in when we went for my birthday a couple of years ago?”

  “Well, baby, to answer that, you don’t have to work ever if you don’t want to work, and we can get a house twice as big as the one we stayed in when we went for your birthday.”

  “Bullshit,” she said in disbelief.

  “Nope, baby, no bullshit. If you go out to Vegas with me for the grand opening, we can look at houses and after the divorce is final, we can be married.”

  “Just like that?”

  “If you want to do this.”

  “K.P., I do love you, and I have loved you for a long time. I really want to get excited and be happy, but I’m scared.”

  “Why, baby?”

  “Because this all seem so unreal. Things this great never happen to people like me,” she said with her eyes watering.

  “That is where you are wrong, Jai. Good things happen to good people. You are the most humble, selfless, loving woman I know. You have loved me for me from the beginning, and you have never tried to be a bitch or vindictive. So I’m the lucky one. I’m ready to do this, babe.”

  “K.P., I am so sorry, baby,” Janiece said breaking down. She started to sob loudly. He grabbed her and put his arms around her.

  “Come on, let’s go into the other room so we don’t wake the kids.”

  “Okay,” she said whimpering. Why did she sleep with Isaiah? She had to tell him how sorry she was for doing that. She followed him into the bedroom, and he closed the door. She sat down on the plush purple velvet chaise and K.P. sat down at the foot of the chaise so they could finish their conversation.

  “K.P., I’m sorry for hooking up with Isaiah. I didn’t want things to go down like they did; I promise you I never intended to hurt you. I wa
s so confused, and I thought I wanted to move on and I …” she said, now crying uncontrollably.

  “Shhhh, Jai, baby, it’s okay. I understand why you did what you did, and I’m not mad about that anymore. I just want us to start fresh, baby.” He moved closer to comfort her.

  “I just … didn’t know what—”

  “Baby, it’s okay. We’re going to be fine,” he said, and she looked at him trying to find some reassurance. He touched her face and pulled her close to kiss her. He missed her, and he didn’t care what happened last week or the day before. He started touching her, and Janiece lay back and allowed him to kiss her and stroke her breast. Then she remembered it was that time of the month.

  “Baby, wait,” she said stopping him.

  “What? What is it? What’s wrong?” he asked.

  “We can’t, baby,” she said, and he was looking at her like she was out of her mind.

  “Why? What do you mean we can’t?”

  “The curse,” she said.

  “Damn, how long?”

  “Yesterday.”

  “Ooookkkkaaayyy, that’s not good,” he said, and she giggled. “It’s okay. I want to, trust me, but I’m just happy that we’re together again. And this time, Janiece, I’m not leaving your side,” he said seriously.

  “Are you sure that’s how you want it?” she asked.

  “I wouldn’t have it any other way,” he replied and wished he had the diamond with him. They got in the bed. Janiece just rested in his arms. She felt good about her decision to be with K.P., but going to Las Vegas was still scaring her. She wasn’t a freeloader, and she was concerned about going there as broke as she was.

  “I love you, Janiece,” K.P. said softly in her ear.

  “I love you too,” she responded.

  He pulled her closer and squeezed her tighter. She slowly relaxed and stopped worrying about Las Vegas. She decided she’d cross that bridge when she got to it. Right now, she was content to nestle in his arms. Before drifting off to sleep, she wondered how she was going to tell Isaiah the truth. She had a few flashes of his body, his kisses, and his laughter. She liked him, no doubt, but she loved K.P., and that was her choice.

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  K.P. woke up to find KJ in bed on the other side of Janiece. He smiled and was so delighted to have his kids and the woman he loved under the same roof. He looked at Janiece sleeping so peacefully with his son next to her lying on her arm. He didn’t wake them because it was still early. Quietly, he arose and went to the bathroom, and when he came out, he was surprised to see Kayla up and sitting on the couch. He went over and sat down beside her, but she didn’t look up at him, she was so wrapped up in the program she was watching on the television.

  “Hey, princess,” he said brushing her hair away from her face.

  “Hey, Daddy,” she said not taking her eyes off the tube.

  “How’d you sleep?”

  “Okay, I like sleeping in my bed much better, though,” she said still focused on the children’s program she was watching.

  “I know, princess. Daddy didn’t intend for us to stay all night.”

  “Daddy, are you going to marry Ms. Janiece now?”

  “Well, Kayla, I dunno. Janiece and I have a lot to work out first.”

  “You don’t love my mommy anymore, do you?”

  “Princess, I do love your mommy, and I will always love your mom. She’s the reason why I have you and your li’l brother. Things are just different for your mommy and me, and it is a different type of love.”

  “How so?” she asked, and K.P. took a moment to think of how to answer that question.

  “Well, Daddy loves your mommy for being a good person and being your mother. Daddy loves Janiece like wanting to kiss her and hold her hand. It’s kinda complicated, princess, and you are too young to really understand.”

  “I understand, Daddy. You like Janiece like Mommy likes Mr. Rodney, right?”

  “Mr. who?” he questioned.

  “Mr. Rodney. He came over to our house the other day when Kami came over to babysit, and he kissed Mommy before they got in the car.”

  “Oh … Tell me, did he kiss Mommy right in front of you?”

  “No, I was watching from my room window, and I saw him kiss her and touch her bottom. I remember you telling me to never let anyone touch my bottom, Daddy,” she told him, not aware she was telling on her mom.

  “That’s right. No one is allowed to touch your bottom, don’t forget that. Now, when you saw Mr. Rodney kiss Mommy, did he kiss her like Uncle Marc kisses her when he greets her, or did he kiss her like I kiss Mommy?”

  “It was like the way you kiss Mommy when your head goes like this,” she said showing him head moments as she kissed her hand to show him what she saw. K.P. decided to leave it alone and not probe Kayla for any more information.

  He went down to his SUV to get the kids’ overnight bag. He saw a guy looking at him coming down the steps. He nodded and went back upstairs. When he saw him get into the silver 300, he remembered that car being in Janiece’s guest parking stall. Naw, that can’t be him. Must be the chick across the hall’s man, he thought to himself.

  He put Kayla in the tub first since she was up, and then he showered. Janiece and KJ were still sleeping, but he had to wake her because his dresser drawer was empty.

  “Jai, where are my things?” he asked, and she sat up, confused, because he woke her up out of her sleep.

  “Huh?” she said, rubbing her eyes.

  “My things … my boxers, my tanks, socks, and shit,” he said standing next to the chest.

  “Um … before you get mad, let me explain,” she said getting out of the bed. She stood and was trying not to talk loud because KJ was still sleeping. “I was upset, okay? And I didn’t know if we were over or if we’d get back together or what,” she said nervously.

  “Okay, but what did you do with my things, Jai?” he asked, hoping for argument’s sake that she hadn’t done anything foolish like throw them out or burn them. That was behavior he’d expect to get from Kimberly, not his precious Janiece.

  “They’re in the bag in the hall near the front door,” she said, and he walked past her to retrieve the bag. He came back into the room in his towel and just started putting his things back into the drawer. He was smiling, and she was wondering why he was smiling. She thought he’d be pissed, but he wasn’t.

  “Why are you smiling?” she asked him.

  “I just never pictured you putting my stuff out like trash,” he said in disbelief. He wasn’t mad, though, just surprised.

  “It wasn’t like that, K.P..”

  “Yeah, whatever,” he said and stepped into a pair of boxers. He looked so fine standing there, rubbing lotion on his arms. Janiece wished she wasn’t on her menstrual and KJ was not lying in her bed sleeping. She shook away that imagine of him hitting her from behind and went back to the subject.

  “Come on, K.P., you were not speaking to me at the time, and I didn’t know where we stood. I’m sorry, but I wasn’t going to throw your things out. I would have given them to you.”

  “I know you would have, baby. I’m not mad, okay? I’m not sweating the small stuff,” he said and kissed her on the forehead. He continued putting the rest of his stuff back. Janiece went to the bathroom, and he woke his son up. They all dressed and went out for breakfast. Then they went to the mall and shopped and ended up going to Hollywood Park to let the kids eat pizza again and play games.

  They had a blast, and Janiece enjoyed his kids. They were smart, polite, and funny. They had Janiece cracking up, and she got to thinking about having one of her own one day. K.P. was feeling so good to have Janiece and his kids together; he was no longer afraid to be seen in public with her, and he was glad that everything was finally out in the open. They held hands, kissed, and did all the things that were never before possible to do in Chicago.

  They got back to Janiece’s condo around six, and when they were coming up the steps, Isaiah was coming
down. Isaiah and Janiece didn’t speak, but their eyes locked as K.P. unlocked the door. Isaiah shook his head, and she turned away from him. He didn’t understand what she and K.P. had, and he didn’t understand how much she loved K.P.. She knew she should not have started messing around with him. She wished she hadn’t gotten involved with him at all.

  She was wrong, but she was curious about where he was going smelling and looking as good as he did. She couldn’t help but wonder if he was going to be with another woman or what he had going on that Sunday night.

  They got inside, and she tried to shake the thoughts of Isaiah because she didn’t want K.P. to detect that anything was wrong.

  K.P. tried calling Kimberly so he could take the kids home, but she wasn’t answering. He tried her cell phone, and she didn’t answer it either. He gave it a few more minutes, and then called again. After what seemed to him like tenth attempt, she finally picked up and gave much attitude.

  “Damn, K.P., why are you blowing up my phone?”

  “Kimberly, ain’t nobody blowing up your phone. I’m trying to bring the kids home. Where are you?”

  “Where I am is none of your business. What time you want to bring the kids?”

  “Well, considering the fact that it’s a school night, Kimberly, I was thinking now, so they don’t go to bed too late.”

  “Again, Kerry, what time do you want me to be home,” she snapped. He hated her ass, and he wanted to ask her if she was with Mr. Rodney, but he didn’t go there.

  “In thirty minutes,” he said and hung up. He knew she would have started another argument, and he wasn’t in the mood to go there with her. He had had a wonderful day with his woman and kids, and he didn’t want to ruin his mood.

  “Hey, baby, come ride with me to take my kids home,” he said, and Janiece’s mouth almost hit the floor.

  “Are you crazy or high?”

  “Neither,” he answered looking at her like, what’s the problem?

  “Then why do you think it’s a good idea to ride with you to your house?”

  “Because she has her man picking her up from the house to go on dates, so I can bring my woman to the house with me to take my kids home.”