by Black, Anna
He loaded his rental trunk and pulled out of the parking space, and as he was pulling out, Isaiah was pulling in. K.P. wanted to get out and knock his ass out, but he decided it wasn’t worth it. Although he was hurt and upset, he sincerely loved Janiece, and he wanted her to be happy, and it was hard for him, but truth is, if it was with Isaiah, then that’s what he wanted.
Chapter Forty
“So what are you gonna do now?” Janelle asked Janiece after putting her plate into the dishwasher. After K.P. had gone, Janiece called her to come over to help her work on getting Isaiah back.
“I don’t know, sissy. He doesn’t trust me, and I don’t blame him, you know?”
“Yeah, you shouldn’t have showed your ass the other night getting all crazy with K.P.,” Janelle said with a sad smile.
“Yea, I know.”
“It’ll be all right, kiddo, don’t worry,” Janelle said and got up. “Well, I’m going to be heading home. You know, once I eat, me and the baby want to go to sleep.”
“All right, now I told you to slow it down. You my size now with all those hips,” Janiece said looking at Janelle. Since she was pregnant and put on some weight, they looked more alike.
“I know, girl, but I kinda like it. I hope I keep some of these hips after this baby. I betcha I’ll look better in my jeans.”
“I know that’s right,” Janiece said and got up. “Let me walk you down.”
“Chile, please, it’s freezing outside. I’ll be okay. I’ll call you when I get to the house.”
“Are you sure?”
“Chile, yes. I parked in your parking stall anyway. It ain’t like you got a car.”
“I know, but I’ll get one soon. K.P. was generous enough to write me a check for my down payment. He knew his crazy wife destroyed my car.”
“Yes, we all knew, but that’s good he at least helped you out.”
“Yeah, he was nice about things like that, but, oh well, right?”
“Yes, you can say that again,” Janelle said and opened the door.
“I love you, sis. Call me soon as you get home.”
“I will, and I love you too. And, Jai, I’m proud of you, and I hope Isaiah comes around,” she said, and they hugged.
“Me too,” Janiece said, and they exchanged smiles. Janiece watched her sister go down the steps but closed the door quickly because it was bitterly cold and windy. She ran into the bathroom to tinkle.
When Janelle got to her car she dug in her purse for her keys. The wind was blowing so hard, and she wished she had taken them out upstairs like she normally did.
“Excuse, ma’am,” a man said walking up to her out of nowhere.
“Yes,” she said trying to see him clearly.
“Would you happen to know how to get to …” he said getting closer, then suddenly, Janelle felt a blow to her face. The punch was so hard it knocked her pregnant body onto the pavement. She tried to focus and reach out, but she was in a daze. He hit her again … and again.
“Please … please … I’m pregnant …” she tried to say, then she felt another cruel blow and she was unconscious. The guy stood over her and kicked her two times. She didn’t move. He bent over to get her purse, but he suddenly heard a man’s voice from behind him.
“Hey! What are you doing!” Isaiah yelled. The guy jumped up and took off running. As Isaiah got closer, he saw a woman lying on the ground. He rushed over to her. Her face was bloody and she was not responding. He thought for a second it was Janiece, but he couldn’t tell because her face was so messed up. He reached in his pocket to get his cell phone, and then he saw someone pull off quickly. He looked and realized it was K.P.’s wife’s jag that pulled away just moments after the guy ran off.
He called 911, and then he called Janiece. She ran down the steps and lost it when she saw her sister lying there beaten so badly. She started screaming and shaking her to wake her up.
“Please … Nellie, wake up … please … please— just wake up, baby. Please, everything’s, okay … You just gotta open your eyes for me, sissy … come on now,” she said crying and holding her sister closely. Isaiah tried to comfort her and calm her until the ambulance got there, but she was too hysterical.
“No, Isaiah! She’s all I got. My parents are gone, and Nellie is all I got,” she cried holding her. “Wake up, sissy, please wake up,” Janiece said. “My sister is pregnant … Isaiah, and who … would do this … she’s having a baby …” she said crying hysterically. By now, the ambulance finally pulled up.
“Janiece, baby, come on. You gotta move so the medics can take care of her,” Isaiah said, trying to get Janiece to let go, but she was holding on to Janelle too tightly.
“Janiece, come on, baby, they can’t help her. Come on. You have to let her go so they can help her, baby … come on,” he urged, and Janiece finally let go. The medics checked her vitals. She was alive. The lifted her onto the gurney, put her in the back of the ambulance, and got to work.
They told Janiece what hospital they were taking her to and told her she could follow.
“I don’t have a car, how … sir, I don’t have a car,” she said hysterically.
“Don’t worry, sir, we’ll be right behind you,” Isaiah said, and the guy jumped into the truck and they left. Janiece was crying and shaking. Isaiah hugged her tightly. “Baby, come on, relax. They’re going to take care of her. Shhh … come on, baby, calm down, okay? She’s gonna be fine. We have to go to the hospital.”
“Isaiah how did this happen to my sister? I told her I’d walked her down; my sister never goes without me walking her down, Isaiah. It’s my fault. If I hadda walked her down, none of this would have happened,” she said crying.
“Baby, it’s not your fault now, come on, let’s get her things,” he said picking up her purse and hat off the ground.
“I need my purse, Isaiah, and my cell phone. I have to call Greg.”
“I’ll get it. Come on, get in the car, and I’ll go up and get it,” he said and put Janiece into his car. He ran up and got her purse, her keys, and her cell phone. He went into her closet and grabbed her coat too, because she came down without one on. On his way back down, he couldn’t help but think about the Jag. He knew that woman had something to do with it, but he wanted to make sure Janelle was okay before he said anything.
When they got to the emergency room, they were told to wait. Janiece explained to them that her sister was pregnant, and they told her to just sit tight. As soon as the doctor was done he’d come for her. Shortly after that, Greg walked in and Janiece ran into his arms.
“Somebody attacked her, Greg; some evil person attacked my sissy,” she cried, and Greg was in tears.
“What did the doctor say? Is she all right? Is my wife okay? How’s my baby?” he asked frantically.
“I don’t know, Greg. The doctor hasn’t told me anything yet. It’s my fault. I shoulda walked her down.”
“Shhh, it’s not your fault. Don’t go blaming yourself.”
“She has to be okay. I can’t lose my sister, Greg.”
“Shhh, don’t think like that. She’s gonna be fine,” he said reassuringly, and Janiece calmed down a little. Isaiah was right there holding her and comforting her, and she was so glad he was there.
They waited for what seemed like hours, and finally, the doctor came out.
“Well, we have good news. She is going to be fine. The babies are okay. She didn’t suffer any injuries to her abdominal area; she’s just bruised up pretty bad. The swelling is going to take a few days to go down, but your wife is one of the lucky ones,” he told Greg.
“When can I see her?”
“In a little while. She’s being admitted, and then you and your family can see her. She’s not going to be alert, though, and she is going to need plenty of rest.”
“Doctor, I’m sorry, but did you say the babies are fine?”
“Yes, I thought you knew. It looks like a boy and a girl, and they are fine,” he said and Greg and Janiece were surp
rised. No wonder she was getting so big in such a little time. That explained it.
They sat down, and Janiece was relieved to know her sister was going to be okay. She sat with Isaiah, still shaken, but relieved. She let Greg go in first, and she told Isaiah he could go if he wanted to and that she’d get a ride from her brother-in-law.
“No, I’ll stay. I wanna make sure you’re okay and you get home safe tonight.”
“Thank you, but I’ll be fine. Greg will take me home.”
“No, Janiece, I wanna stay. The horrifying thing is, when I came up the steps from the laundry room and saw that guy over your sister, I didn’t know what to think. And when he ran and I came around the car and saw Janelle lying on the ground, I thought it was you, and I thought I had lost you. It scared me so bad, Janiece, but when I looked closer, really looked, I realized it wasn’t you. I was so relieved, but then I remembered meeting Janelle that night we went on our first date, so that’s when I called 911.”
“I thank God that you came when you did, because whoever it was could have hurt her worse.”
“You know something, Janiece? I didn’t want to say anything earlier, but I think I know who’s behind this.”
“What? What are you talking about? You know who did this and you didn’t say anything?”
“Listen, I know you were in no state of mind to be talking about that. I just wanted to make sure Janelle was okay first, baby. Believe me, I was more concerned about that and you than anything.”
“Okay, then, who, who would want to hurt Janelle?”
“It wasn’t Janelle they were trying to get; I believe they were trying to go after you.”
“What? Who—?” she asked confused.
“Do you remember back when you and K.P. went on your trip?”
“Yea …”
“Well, his wife Kimberly came by looking for him, and I saw her and that same silver Jag was parked in front. Now I know cars, and that Jag is not a Jag one could forget seeing. That was the same Jag that pulled away after I ran that guy off.”
“What? You can’t be serious,” she said in disbelief.
“Dead serious. Now, I don’t know what’s going on, but I think she got somebody to attack you and wanted to watch, and in that coat and hat, you and Janelle look almost identical,” he said. Those words frightened and chilled Janiece.
“Isaiah, we got to go to the police.”
“With what? We gon’ need some proof. It’s not like she gon’ confess.”
“Then I need to go over to that bitch’s house and beat her ass,” Janiece said. She was angry and wanted to get a hold of Kimberly and fuck her up the same way they did her sister.
“Baby, come on, think. What is that gon’ solve? We have to have proof.”
“How are we gon’ get proof?”
“I’m not sure, but we’ll figure out something.”
“Isaiah, I’m so grateful that you’re here. I didn’t want something like this to be the way we got a chance to talk, but since I have you here at this moment, I have to take a chance and tell you something.”
“What is it?”
“I love you,” she said. “I know I may have messed up any chance of us being together, and I can’t say I blame you, but I love you, and I’m sorry for all the bullshit, lies, and drama that I’ve put you through. If I could redo it all over again, I’d change everything except for falling in love with you,” she said, and he sat there in silence. She didn’t know what he would say, but she was happy that she had gotten the chance to tell him her heart.
He turned away and took a deep breath. Janiece knew that it didn’t matter, because Isaiah was a straight-up, no-nonsense guy, and if he decided to end their relationship, that was what he meant. She let out a breath and sat back in the seat and fought the threatening tears. She didn’t expect much, but she didn’t expect for him not to say a word.
“Janiece,” he said turning back to her. Her eyes had watered, but she didn’t let a tear drop. “Things have been good for us and things have been bad for us. You must understand that I want to be with a woman that I can trust. I still have almost six months to be in Texas, and if you are I are together, I want to be able to trust you, and I can’t lie and say that I do.”
Now she let the tears roll down.
“However, I love you too, and I’m willing to try because you deserve a chance, and I deserve you. I want us to have a long life of happiness together, and I want to be with you. I want to come back home to you when I’m done, and if you still love me and you feel like putting up with me, I’m yours,” he said.
Now she smiled.
She was so happy to hear him say that he loved her. She finally got it right. She had found her someone just for her. No fighting, no scratching, no threats, just a man of her own that wanted her too.
They kissed and held hands until Greg came out to get Janiece to go in to see Janelle. She looked so bad lying in that bed, and Janiece knew she had to find a way for Kimberly to pay for what she had done. She sat there with Janelle until the nurse said she had to leave.
Since Gregory was her husband, he was allowed to stay, so he did. Janiece was happy that Isaiah didn’t leave because she would not have had a way home. She would have had to take Greg’s car, and that would have scared her to go home alone under the circumstances.
When they got back it was late and Janiece was tired. She and Isaiah climbed into bed and fell asleep. She felt safe in his arms and got an unsettling feeling when she remembered he was schedule to leave the next day.
Chapter Forty-One
The next morning, Janiece woke up and overheard Isaiah on the phone. She wondered who he was talking to so early so she got up.
“I know, Captain, but my girl’s sister was attacked last night, and whoever did this was trying to get my fiancée,” he said, and Janiece wondered what fiancée he was talking about. “I know, but can you just please cut me this one break? Under any other circumstances I would never call and ask for an extension, sir, but, I just can’t leave right now,” he said, and she stood there listening. Isaiah was unaware that she was standing there.
“Sure thing … I will have my fiancée get the paperwork and fax it over to you ASAP,” he said, nodding. “Thank you, sir, one week is fine. I can assure, I’ll report back on the 12th,” he said and hung up.
“When did you get engaged?” she asked.
“Oh, baby, that was my commander. I just couldn’t leave you here today. So I called to get an extension.”
“And what did he say?”
“He said fine, but I need some papers from the hospital to fax to him to prove that I’m not lying about Janelle.”
“Why is all that necessary?”
“Trust me, baby it’s not, but sometimes they get that way. He probably won’t even look at them; he just wants to give me a hard time.”
“Oh, well, that shouldn’t be a problem. I’ll call my brother-in-law and tell him what we need, and when I go by the hospital today, I’ll get them for you.”
“Thanks, babe,” he said and kissed her on the cheek.
“Oh, is my sister’s purse still in your car? I have to get her keys and use her car until I can get me another one.”
“No, I think we gave her purse to her husband if I’m not mistaken. But I can take you to the hospital.”
“Are you sure? Because I know I’m gon’ be there probably the whole day.”
“And I’ll stay with you the whole day,” he replied, and she smiled.
“You are too much,” she said and went into the kitchen.
“Hey, when you thinking about getting a car?”
“Well, I was gonna wait ’til spring, but I guess I need to start looking.”
“What kind of car do you want?”
“I don’t know. I haven’t thought about it much.”
“Well, whenever you’re ready, let me know.”
“Why? You gon’ buy me a car?”
“Actually, I could. Are you forgetting
my family owns one of the largest car lots in Chicago?”
“Oh shit, I did forget about that. I remember you changing cars on me every other day.”
“Yea, that’s the upside to it.”
“There’s a downside?”
“Yep, but like I told my dad a million times, I don’t want to talk about it.”
“Well, I think it would be neat to work for family. I wish my daddy was still here to get me to work with him. Just to have him here, I’d work with him in a heartbeat.”
“I never thought of it that way.”
“Think about this, parents work hard to give their children something. Your daddy has one son. Who do you think he has hopes and dreams to take over when he retires or passes? His only son. So don’t give your dad a hard time. He’s only doing what 99 percent of daddies do.”
“That’s true,” he said, and then her phone rang. Janiece got up. It said, private. She paused for a second and didn’t answer. She let the answering machine get it to see if she could get “‘Crazy’” to leave a message.
Janiece figured that Kimberly believed that she had been attacked the previous night and was probably calling to boast, and sure enough, she was. Janiece and Isaiah listened to her message, and when she heard Kimberly’s evil voice, it gave her chills.
“I guess you know now that I am who I say I am. The next time you decide to go after someone’s man, you’ll think twice. And I heard the bad news this morning that you and K.P. are over. I wish I had known the truth before I let loose on your ass last night, but let’s just say that was your dose of reality. Now you know that Kimberly meant what she said when she told you, you were going to pay. Enjoy your time in the hospital, bitch, and I hope the swelling goes down quickly. Ciao.”
Janiece hit save and ran into her room and got all the cards and threatening letters. She and Isaiah got dressed and headed for the police department. Kimberly was the one who was going to get a dose of reality. Because of her evilness, she was going to do some time.