Falling For Mr. Nice Guy

by Nia Arthurs

  “I’m sorry, Jada,” Chelsea said, putting a hand on her shoulder. “I know you’re hurting, and I can’t fix everything for you no matter how much I want to, but I need you to do something.”

  “What?”

  “When you’re ready, when it hurts a little less, I need you to think about that last moment with Papi. Remember when he squeezed your hand?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Don’t you think it was his way of telling you goodbye? His way of asking you to let him go? That he’d be alright?”

  Jada wiped her nose.

  “I need you, Jada. I need you to be the strong one right now. It’s in you. It has to be in you, but what do I know, right?”

  “Chelsea...” Jada said, but her cousin stormed and slammed the door.

  Overwhelmed, Jada stood to her feet and headed for the front door. She needed to get out. Somehow, she had to conquer the numbness. She had to feel again—even if all she could experience was pain.

  The Caribbean storm worsened outside. Raindrops threw themselves against her face, soaking her until her hair went limp. Thunder cracked the sky and lightning drew a yellow line in the dark clouds.

  Jada closed her eyes and lifted her face to the sky. Somewhere behind the storm, there was the sun. Somewhere behind the lightning, there was a rainbow. Her heart swelled and though the grief washed over her as a strong tide, so did hope that things would get better.

  The refreshing taste of the raindrops on her tongue was a cleansing of the soul. She missed Papi with every breath, but the thought of his saying goodbye to her during their last visit gave her strength.

  Soaking wet, Jada trekked up the stairs to her apartment and went in search of a towel. Drying off in the bathroom, she turned to flip on the shower when she spotted a paper bearing the clinic logo in the trash can.

  Curiously, Jada fished out the scrap. Noticing the rest of the torn pieces, she retrieved them all and set them back in their rightful place until the crinkled paper was complete again. Proud of her puzzle-fitting-skills, Jada absently skimmed the document.

  When her mind registered what she had read, she grabbed the paper only to watch the pieces flutter out of her hands. Jada pounced on the scattered remains and formed the whole once more, reading the document with a sinking heart.

  It was the result of Chelsea’s blood test dated two weeks ago. The day she got the news that Papi had passed. Jada glanced up, recalling that Chelsea had gotten a call at that very moment too. Had she known from then?

  Her hand began to tremble and she lifted the scrap of paper that held the test results to the light, praying that she was seeing things, that the clinic had gotten the information wrong.

  Chelsea Kendrick… 3 weeks pregnant

  Jada fell back, still clutching the paper. Had Chelsea been carrying this alone all this time? Who was the baby for? When had Chelsea gone out to conceive it?

  The questions swirled through her mind as Jada waffled between excitement at the prospect of a niece or nephew and guilt for not noticing that Chelsea was carrying such a big secret alone.

  When the initial buzz wore off, however, only one question lingered. What were they going to do now?

  ***

  The house was strangely quiet without Winston there. His brother had been crashing with him for over a month and though his untidiness and general snarky personality made it a chore to be housemates, he had gotten used to his presence.

  Lately, he’d been seeing less and less of Winston.

  Adam briefly wondered if he was the problem. After all, the common denominator in both his relationship with Jada and his relationship with his brother was him.

  He pressed his face into a pillow and groaned, wondering how he’d changed so much in just a few short weeks. Solitude used to be his best friend. Adam would work until his eyes crossed and then he’d sleep only to wake up and work again.

  After he met Jada, things turned upside down and he felt empty and restless without her. His regard had even leaked out to reach his brother which was unthinkable in the Lockwood clan.

  Sinking to the ground, Adam glanced at the clock on the wall. He could force himself to work or pay Jada a visit.

  Work. Jada.

  Work. Jada.

  It wasn’t even a hard choice. Adam hopped up and grabbed his keys from the stand. In three large strides he was out the door and jumping into his car. Fifteen minutes later, he stopped in front of Jada’s apartment.

  Hopefully, his girl would be up to a visit. She hadn’t been herself for the past few weeks and though Adam knew that he had to be patient, it was hard to see her going through such a tough time on her own.

  “Adam?” Chelsea said, her voice laden with surprise when she opened the door. “What are you doing here?”

  “I…” He should have thought of a proper answer in the car.

  “Who is it?” he heard Jada’s sweet voice in the background.

  “Adam!” Chelsea yelled back while letting him through.

  He walked into the cozy living room and spotted Jada with her legs curled up on the couch. She wore grey gym shorts and an old blue T-shirt. Her hair was up in a messy bun with a bandana over the front.

  He thought she looked adorable, but when she saw him, she squealed and covered her face.

  “Adam, don’t look at me! I’m a mess.”

  He laughed. Partly from the joy that came whenever he was near her and partly because of her reaction which pointed to a recovery of her old self.

  “You look beautiful,” he said, drawing nearer to her as if a magnet propelled them together. Jada tried to make herself small in the couch, but he scooped her up and deposited her into his lap.

  There. She could curl up as much as she wanted now.

  “What are you doing here?” Jada asked, climbing off him.

  He felt a flash of disappointment at the distance, but accepted it quickly and moved on. “The house was empty.”

  “Where is Winston?”

  “I don’t know. He doesn’t normally report his activities to me.”

  “Speaking of secret activities, I meant to tell you a while ago. I saw him hanging around a group of rough-looking men.”

  “Really?” Adam tilted his head. “When?”

  “A few weeks ago. You don’t think he’s trying to hire people to hurt you so he can get the company, do you?”

  “Winston knows I don’t want the company. He wouldn’t hurt me over it.”

  “Are you sure?” Jada asked, her nose crinkling. “I know you want to give him the benefit of the doubt because he’s your brother, but don’t let your guard down.”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  “Well…” Chelsea stood and nervously clutched and un-clutched her hands. “Since we’re talking about secret activities, I have something I want to say.”

  Jada straightened, her attention fully on her cousin. Adam managed to tear his eyes away from the woman at his side and focused on Chelsea as well.

  “It’s okay, Chels,” Jada said. “You can be honest.”

  Chelsea tilted her head. “Do you know?”

  Jada nodded solemnly. “I do.”

  Unsure of what was going on, Adam simply sat back and watched the two cousins interact. It was refreshing to have Jada back to her old self again and though he knew her hurts wouldn’t disappear overnight, he was grateful that she was taking small steps forward.

  “How did you find out?”

  Jada stood and grasped Chelsea’s hand. “Why didn’t you just tell me?”

  “I was ashamed.”

  Unable to hide his curiosity anymore, Adam spoke up. “Exactly what are you talking about here?”

  “I never got the job at the bakery,” Chelsea said.

  “Chelsea’s pregnant,” Jada said.

  The two froze and looked at each other. Adam winced, aware of the awkward tension descending on the room. Then Jada’s words registered and he looked at Chelsea. She was pregnant?

  Chelsea, too, was equal
ly stumped. “W-what did you say?”

  Jada covered her mouth. “You weren’t going to tell me that you were pregnant?”

  “I-I can’t believe this.” Chelsea staggered back and he rushed to his feet, grabbing onto her hand and guiding her to the sofa. She sank into the red cushions and held her head.

  “Are you okay?” he asked. “Should I get you some water?”

  “I’ll get it,” Jada said. She rushed to the kitchen and soon returned with a glass. Chelsea accepted it and drank it down in four big gulps.

  “I didn’t want you to find out,” she said quietly.

  “We live in the same house. How were you going to hide it from me?”

  Realizing that the two needed a minute, Adam mumbled an excuse to leave. The women barely waved him away as they locked eyes on each other and threw words back and forth. Adam was more than relieved to get out of there.

  On his way back home, he wondered at the changes that would ensue in Chelsea’s life and by extension, in Jada’s life. The women already teetered on the edge of their finances with just the two of them. How would they account for another mouth to feed?

  Adam parked the car in front of his home and climbed out.

  “Adam Lockwood?” he heard a deep voice.

  “Who’s there?” His eyes scanned the dark outline of his neighborhood. Adam’s hands dived into his pockets, searching for his cell phone. A shadow formed in front of him and he spun around to find a tall, broad shouldered man in a black suit.

  “You’ll need to come with me,” the man rumbled.

  Adam fisted his hands, prepared to fight when something crashed against the back of his head. The stars fell from the sky and circled around him before everything went black.

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Jada tried very hard to understand where Chelsea was coming from, but it was nearly impossible to bypass the fact that her cousin hadn’t planned to tell her about the pregnancy.

  “Who is the baby for, Chels?” Jada demanded.

  “I don’t want to talk about it,” her cousin said stubbornly.

  “Are you kidding me? We’ll have to figure this out together and for that I need more information.”

  “You don’t.”

  “Does it look like I’m in the mood for games?”

  “It doesn’t matter who the kid’s father is. The bottom line won’t change. I’m having a baby and you can either accept that or not.”

  Jada paced the living room and pulled at the ends of her hair. Stubbornness ran in their family, but this was one moment where Jada wished Chelsea would push their genes aside and focus on reality.

  “The lab work said you’re three weeks pregnant.” Jada did quick calculations. “That meant the weekend Adam and I went to San Pedro…” her voice trailed as realization dawned. “That’s why you pushed me to go with Adam. You didn’t want me around to see what you were doing.”

  “That’s not true,” Chelsea cried, but the guilty look in her eyes gave it away.

  “No,” Jada breathed. “Did you accept another escort gig? Is the father of the baby some old man? Is that why you don’t want to tell me?” Jada covered her mouth. “The bruise! Did he hit you?”

  “You’re asking too many questions,” Chelsea said, covering her ears. “Just drop it. I’m already freaking out over having to tell my mom.”

  “Chelsea…”

  “At least I’m twenty three, which is four years older than she was when she had me.”

  Jada calmed down a bit and went to sit next to her cousin. Despite her disappointment at Chelsea’s dishonesty and secrecy, she wanted to be here for her. She was even beginning to think that a new life entering their family right after losing Papi was a gift.

  “You need to know how much I care about you and how much I’m going to care for this baby,” Jada said. “You can trust me. What happened that weekend?”

  Chelsea took a deep breath. “I tried to work at the bakery. I really did… but waking up so early and spending all day on my feet was hard. I wasn’t used to it.”

  A harsh word sprang to Jada’s tongue. After all, she worked from sunup to sundown every day. No one had ever died from hard work. Instead of letting the annoyance spring free, she stomped it down and listened.

  “So, when you left with Adam that day, I called Gus and asked if he’d be interested in going out.”

  “Chelsea,” Jada groaned.

  “I know. He invited me over to his place and—”

  “Did he hit you?”

  “No,” she said, looking down.

  Jada stepped forward and lifted her cousin’s chin. “Look me in the eyes and tell me the truth.”

  With their gazes locked, Chelsea spoke without flinching. “I’m being honest. He didn’t hit me. I got drunk and knocked my head on the doorknob.”

  “You got drunk… you got drunk so you could sleep with him?”

  Chelsea nodded. “I know you’re mad, but please don’t do anything to Gus. He’s going to be my baby’s father after all.”

  “So… all this time, what have you been doing? I saw you get up and leave everyday with my own two eyes.”

  “I went shopping,” Chelsea said. “Sometimes, I went to the park and just sat down. Sometimes I hung out with my friends.”

  “I can’t believe this.”

  “I’m so sorry, Jada.”

  At that moment, the phone rang. Jada quickly swiped the screen and slammed it against her ear, letting all of her frustration out on the caller.

  “Hello?”

  “Jada, this is Winston.” She heard the nervous tenor and stood to attention. “Is Adam there?”

  “No, he left a few minutes ago. Why?”

  “Oh no,” Winston said.

  “Winston, what’s going on? Why are you looking for Adam? Did something happen?”

  “If he calls you, please let me know.”

  “Winston—” The dial tone sounded in her ear. Feeling unsettled, Jada dialed Adam’s number.

  “What’s wrong?” Chelsea asked.

  Jada flipped her index finger in the air and shushed her cousin. The phone rang for a bit and then went to voicemail. Jada tried again, but got the same results. She hung up and started pacing.

  Winston’s voice had held a world of fear. The memory of his association with the thugs tiptoed into her head. Something was wrong. Had he sent the gangsters in to off his brother and then called her to secure an alibi.

  “Jada!” Chelsea yelled, bringing her whirring mind to a screeching halt. “What’s going on? I heard you say something about Adam?”

  “Where are the car keys?”

  “They’re in my room.”

  Jada stalked to Chelsea’s room and picked the keys up from the desk. When she whirled around to walk out, Chelsea blocked the doorway.

  “Talk to me.”

  “I need to go check on Adam.”

  “Why? He was fine when he left.”

  “He’s not picking up his phone.”

  “So what? Maybe he fell asleep.”

  “You don’t get it. Adam always answers me. I can’t explain it, but I have a bad feeling.”

  “Jada! Jada!” Chelsea called after Jada’s back. She ignored the cries and raced to the car, not letting up on the gas until she arrived at Adam’s house. Once there, she found Winston pacing the lawn and biting his fingernails.

  “Adam?” He turned around hopefully, but the expression fell when it landed on her.

  Jada’s emotions smattered together, clamoring for attention. Anger managed to climb to the top. In a fit of rage, she grabbed Winston by the collar and brought him close.

  “Where is Adam? What did you do to him?”

  “I didn’t do anything,” Winston said, his voice trembling. “I didn’t.”

  “Where is he?”

  “I-I don’t know.” Winston looked to the left and Jada did too. Adam’s vehicle was parked in the driveway, the door still open and the keys in the ignition.

  “
He would never leave his car open like this,” Jada whispered.

  “I know,” Winston said. “They took him.”

  “Who?”

  When he didn’t answer, she made a rushing motion as if to grab him again. He winced and held his arms up to cover his face.

  “It wasn’t me, okay! At least… it wasn’t intentional.”

  “What do you mean? I know everything about the company. About how much you want the position.”

  “You have it wrong. I love my brother.”

  “You’ve got a funny way of showing it.”

  He glared at her and admitted. “I didn’t come to Belize for a vacation, alright. I came because… I messed with the wrong people in the States. Gamblers.”

  She frowned, wondering if she should believe him.

  “Dad cleaned up the mess as quietly as he could and told me to lay low so I came to Belize.”

  “What does that have to do with Adam?”

  “I wanted to check out the night scene in the city so I visited a few backroom poker joints. I owe some money and I was working to pay it back, but they roughed me up and I told them I’d get it from my brother.”

  “Did you tell Adam any of this?”

  “No. I’m really worried.”

  “We’ve got to call the police,” Jada said, grabbing her phone.

  “No.” Winston chucked it from her hands. “I already called someone.”

  “Who?”

  “Our father.”

  ***

  Adam breathed against the gag in his mouth. It tasted bitter and gritty as if someone had rolled it around in dirt. He blinked, but the darkness was pressing. Vague outlines pranced in the distance as if they existed behind the film.

  He tried to lift his hands and found that he couldn’t. They were bound together behind his back. Adam squirmed, moaning against the cloth in his mouth. The muffled cries for help bounced back to him without effect.

  A sharp, piercing pain spread through his scalp and he hissed, quickly calming his movements so as not to jostle the injury. What did these men want? Where was he? How did he get out of here?

  “Jada…” he whispered.

  Once again, the world went black.