by Tosha Damaya
≈
Sydney woke up to the smell of food. Opening her eyes, she saw Zeke standing in front of her with a breakfast tray that held pancakes, bacon, eggs, and hash browns. The food looked delicious and just by looking at it, she could tell that he didn't make it.
"You can't cook, Zeke."
He chuckled and placed the tray on her lap. "I ran out and got something for you to eat. I knew that you would be hungry."
She was, but was afraid to eat anything because she didn't want to vomit the food back up. She grabbed the fork and ate some of the eggs and when her stomach didn't repulse it, she continued to eat.
"Thank you for getting food for me."
"No problem, I have to feed my baby."
Sydney ate until the plate was empty. She sat back and rubbed her full belly. "Now I feel like a fat cow."
"You're eating for two now, Syd; you have to eat more," Zeke stated before removing the tray. "Get dressed and meet me in the living room, there's something I need to talk to you about."
Sydney recognized the tone in his voice, so she knew it was something serious. Getting out of bed, she just threw on a summer dress and came out of the bedroom. Zeke was in her kitchen cleaning, so she went and sat on a bar stool and watched him. He looked an absolute perfection and had her mouthwatering all over again. She wondered if being horny was another side effect of pregnancy.
"How did you get in?"
"Sierra gave me her key. Is it okay that I stayed? I know we haven't been spending the night with each other lately."
Sydney waved it off. "It's fine. You're probably the reason I feel so well-rested. You make a good pillow, and you feed me in the morning."
Zeke returned her smile. "Well, since you feel that way, I thought that you should move in with me, Sydney. I tried calling you last night, and I freaked when you didn't answer. I don't like feeling helpless, and for a moment I felt like that last night. I was finally able to relax when I found you asleep on the couch."
Sydney sighed. Zeke was being controlling and overprotective of her. "I'm sorry I missed your call, but I was sleeping, and if it makes you feel better, I can give you a key. I don't need to move in with you."
He knew it was going to be a fight to get her to move in. "I don't want to miss any part of the baby growing," he pleaded.
"You're not going to miss a moment, Zeke. Right now, it’s the size of a peanut. The only thing you're missing is my queasiness."
"I want to be there for you whenever you're sick, Syd. I can't do that in a house twenty minutes away."
Can I move in with Zeke? She spent a lot of time over at his house, but she had never spent a consistent amount of time over there. She usually stayed a night and then came back home. Zeke's house was large enough that she could have her space, but she worried about her feelings getting hurt. "What about any women you're dating? How are you going to explain me to them?"
"I'm not seeing anyone right now, Syd. You and our baby are my top priority. I’m not interested in anything else," he proclaimed. "I want to take care of you, just let me do that."
Sydney wanted to say yes, but she didn't wish to rush into a decision. It would be wonderful to live with Zeke, but so many questions still plagued her mind. Will it only be until the baby is born? Will I keep my apartment? Would we share a room or would I sleep in the guest bedroom?
"You're thinking too hard, Syd. Just think about it, please. I would sleep a lot easier if I knew you were with me."
"I will,” she agreed.
Zeke left the apartment to give her time to think things over. An hour later, she still hadn’t made a decision. When Sierra came barging into her place, she welcomed the distraction.
"Hello hello, sister dear."
Sydney took one look at her and knew that she’d had sex. "So I guess Ethan paid you a visit?"
Sierra ignored Sydney's comment. "I don't know what you're talking about, dear sister. You're the only one feeling a Coleman boy."
Sydney rolled her eyes. "I'm not stupid, Sierra. I think it's good that you and Ethan are together."
Sierra groaned. "We're just having sex; we're not together."
"It's never just sex, I learned that the hard way," Sydney admitted. She almost told Sierra that Zeke wanted her to move in, but decided not to. She wanted to make the decision, and she didn't want Sierra pressuring her.
Sydney got up to get something to drink. She opened her fridge and looked for soda and couldn't find any. Instead, her fridge was stocked with water and juice. She started to panic and looked for her coffee in the pantry, and it was missing.
I am going to kill him.
≈
Sierra and Sydney were working Saturday night together. The two of them were a good team, and they didn't need a third person, so Sydney sent the other employee home early.
Sydney was ready to head out as well. Not to go out, but to get into bed. At the moment, she was sitting down to rest for a few minutes. Lately, her energy seemed to diminish quickly, and her body appeared to ache more as well.
"You okay?" Sierra asked.
Sydney got up and started cleaning again. "Just a little tired."
Sierra observed her sister and could tell that she was physically exhausted. She looked at the clock and saw that it was only eight and the store closed at nine. "Let's close up early Syd, it’s been a slow night," Sierra suggested.
"What if someone comes?"
"Who cares? They should've brought their ass in sooner," Sierra stated. "Don't make me call Zeke," she threatened when Sydney wouldn't move.
Sydney hated that Sierra and Zeke were teaming up against her. "Don't act like you care about me, you just want to see Ethan."
"Not true. I care about you, and I'm excited to see Ethan. You get some rest, and I get some dick. It's a win-win for both of us."
Sydney started to laugh. She agreed with Sierra, and they turned the lights off before heading out of the store.
"I forgot my purse," Sydney shouted. "Go ahead and leave, I don't want you to be late for your date with Ethan."
"Are you sure?" Sierra asked her.
"Yes. I'll see you later," Sydney said before heading back to the office. She found her purse on the desk and went back to the front of the store intending to leave. She looked inside of it digging for her keys when she heard the beep signaling that someone had entered the door.
"Sierra, I told you to leave," she said looking up. It wasn't Sierra in the store with her. When Sydney saw the man dressed in all black with his face covered in a ski mask, her heart started beating rapidly. It was one of her worst fears for herself or any of her employees. "Please don't hurt me."
The man held a gun up and pointed it at her. "Just give me all of your money and I won't touch you."
Chapter Thirteen
Sydney thought about the different options she had in a situation like this. He was a big guy, so fighting him was out of the question. One option was running and calling for help, but the gun pointing in her direction kept her from moving. She didn't want to risk being shot by the intruder.
"Show me where the money is, Sydney" he demanded.
She felt a chill travel through her when he said her name. Do I know him? She didn’t recognize his voice. Sydney pointed to the hallway at the back of the store. "There's a safe in the office," she stuttered. Her nerves were getting the best of her.
He walked up to Sydney, grabbed her by the arm, and dragged her in the direction of the hallway.
"Which door?"
Sydney pointed to her office door, and he shoved her against it with force. "Open it."
Grabbing her keys from her purse, she opened the door and went to the office. He followed behind and watched her input the combination. When she opened the safe door, he pushed her out of the way, causing Sydney to hit her head against the wall.
She groaned in agony and watched as he started shoving money into the pockets of his pants and jacket. He was so focused on the task that he had forgotten about
the gun and had placed it on the ground. Sydney saw this as her opportunity. She slowly and quietly slid back until she was out of the storage closet. Standing up, she snuck out of the office continuing to watch him stash money away. She was almost out when she bumped into her office chair. He turned at the sound causing Sydney to panic and run.
Hurrying and heading towards the exit, she pulled out her cell phone from her purse and dialed 911.
"911 what's your emergency?" The operator asked.
"Help me, I'm being robbed!" Sydney yelled into the phone.
"Ma'am, where are you located?"
Sydney was about to tell the woman when the phone slipped out of her hands. Deciding to leave it, she kept running until she got to the front door. She prematurely felt relief before being pulled back inside.
"You are such a stupid woman," he sneered in her ear. "I should shoot you for doing that stupid shit," he said before slapping her across the face, causing her to hit the ground.
Sydney rolled over and came face-to-face with a gun pointing at her. "Please don't," she begged. “I’m pregnant.”
She didn't want her life to end this way. Images of her family and Zeke flashed in front of her eyes. There were so many things she wanted to do before her life ended. One of those things was to become a mother, and now this man could end her and the baby's life with one pull of the trigger. She closed her eyes and expected the inevitable.
Sydney waited to feel the pain of the bullet hitting her body. Time passed, and nothing continued to happen. She opened her eyes and saw that she was alone in the room. She could see the flashing of lights outside and saw the officers getting out of the cars. She laid on the ground and took a deep breath. I’m okay.
≈
Zeke rushed from his car towards the hospital with his heart beating rapidly. Once he was inside, he grabbed the first nurse he could find to demand Sydney’s location. His heart finally got the chance to rest when he saw that she was unharmed and sitting on the bed, talking with the doctor. He walked towards Sydney and wrapped his arms around her. Zeke buried his head in the nook of her neck and took in her scent. Words couldn't explain how he felt at the moment. He was just grateful that she was alive.
"Are you okay," he asked, pulling back to get a good look at her. He could see her bruised cheek, but she didn't appear injured anywhere else.
Sydney sighed. “They're only keeping me for observations. I can go home in a couple of hours."
He shook his head. "You aren't going home. You're staying with me."
Sydney rolled her eyes. "I meant your house. I don't want to be alone tonight."
He was happy that he didn't have to argue with her. He pressed a kiss to her forehead and turned to the doctor. "Is she going to be okay?"
"She's going to be fine. She sustained a slight injury to head, and there's some minor bruising to her face, but she's okay to go home. I just recommend that she gets some bed rest. We prescribed some pain meds just as a precaution."
Zeke relaxed. "Thank you."
The doctor focused his attention on Sydney. "I'm going to get your paperwork together, and then you can go," he said before leaving the room.
"What happened, Syd?" Zeke asked after the doctor left the room. He was sitting in a chair beside her hospital bed. He scooted close enough so that he could hold her hand while they talked.
She took a deep breath. She’d already told this story to the officers and didn't have the energy to say it all again. "Sierra and I were leaving the store, but I had forgotten my purse, so I told her to go ahead. I went back into my office, and when I came back to the front, he was waiting for me. He had a gun and wanted the money from the safe. I gave it to him but tried to run, so he slapped me. I thought he was going to shoot me. Thank God the cops showed up," she explained, not going into detail.
Zeke felt his anger rise, but kept it under wraps while Sydney spoke. "Did you get a look at him?"
She shook her head. "A mask covered his face. He didn't talk much, but he knew my name, Zeke."
Zeke soaked in the little information she provided and made a mental note to contact the on-call officers for tonight and get more detail from them. He wasn't going to rest until the guy that decided to take money from Sydney was found.
He was about to ask her more questions when the door opened, and her parents rushed in. Zeke was about to move from the bed, but Sydney held onto his hand when he tried to leave. He sat and listened as Sydney's mom cried, and her father asked questions about the incident.
"You aren't going home," Sydney's father commanded, after she was done speaking.
Sydney sighed. "I know that. I'm staying with Zeke daddy. The robber took my purse; it wouldn't be safe for me to go home."
Mr. Adams looked at Zeke holding his daughter's hand, sitting beside the bed. He always respected Zeke and knew that he was a good man, and he trusted his daughter in Zeke's hands. "Take care of my little girl,” he conveyed, looking Zeke in the eyes.
Zeke nodded his head. "Of course Mr. Adams. I'm not letting her out of my sight."
≈
Sydney's parents left the hospital with a promise to come see her the following day. Sydney was able to get released, and Zeke drove her to his house. They were getting comfortable when Sierra and Ethan rushed inside.
"Where is she?" Sierra asked frantically. Zeke told her and she took off in the direction of his master suite.
"What the fuck happened, Zeke?" Ethan asked.
Zeke poured them a drink. After taking a sip, he explained the situation. Ethan listened and didn't speak until Zeke was finished.
"What type of man robs a flower shop?" Ethan exclaimed. "He had to pass restaurants, convenience stores, and banks to get to Sydney's store. I know she's successful but come on now, that shit just doesn't sound right."
Zeke thought it over and realized that Ethan was right. The pieces of the puzzle didn't fit together. Sydney's store has been open for six years, and no one has ever robbed it before. Everyone loved her in the community. "Someone targeted Sydney."
Ethan nodded his head in agreement. "That's what I think."
Sierra had her arms wrapped around Sydney, squeezing her to death. Sydney was tired of being fussed over. At this point, she just wanted to get into bed.
"Everything is okay,” she told her sister for the hundredth time.
"I should've just stayed with you, Syd. I feel like it’s all my fault," Sydney admitted. If something had happened to her sister, she would've never been able to live with herself.
"You couldn't have done anything to help, Sierra. It would've just been the two of us, instead of me.”
“I would’ve beat that nigga ass.”
“Go home, Thugnificient.”
Sierra refused.
“Listen, I'm okay, you don't have to worry about me. The doctor told me to rest.”
Since leaving the hospital, Sydney had been getting phone calls from extended family and friends. She also got a few phone calls from the local news, wanting to get an interview. Zeke had told her right away to not say anything to the media.
"Sierra, I want you to finish your date with Ethan, and we'll get together tomorrow. Mommy and daddy are coming for lunch, how about you come, too. Maybe we can have a little BBQ," Sydney planned quickly. She was trying her best to push Sierra out of the house.
“Fine.” Sierra got the hint and left the room, but promised to come back and check on her tomorrow.
Enjoying the silence, Sydney crawled into bed and closed her eyes. A short time later, the other side of the bed sunk in and she felt Zeke watching her. "It's not polite to stare at people while they're sleeping," Sydney whispered.
"You could've been killed, Syd."
She opened her eyes. "But I wasn't. I'm not going to dwell on what could've happened," she sighed before turning over and facing the other side of the room. She didn't like being a victim. She always considered herself a resilient person. Something like this wasn't supposed to happen to her.
>
Zeke scooted over on the bed and wrapped his arms around Sydney's waist. "You don't have to be brave around me. I can admit that it scared the hell out of me when I heard about the situation. Just the thought of not seeing you again almost killed me. It made me realize a lot.”
Sydney felt the same way. When that man pointed the gun at her, Zeke flashed before eyes along with her parents and siblings. Just thinking about it got her teary eyed.
"It was the worst experience of my life," she finally admitted. "I never felt so small, and I swear I saw my whole life in front of me, and I saw the future that I wouldn't get to experience. A complete stranger determined the outcome of my life," she whimpered.
Zeke turned Sydney over so that she was facing him again. He wiped the tears from her eyes. "I'm sorry that you had to go through that, baby. I wish I could take the memory away from you."
Sydney buried her head in his chest and cried softly. Zeke rubbed her back until she stopped sobbing. He was going to find the person that decided to hurt Sydney.
"I need to tell you something," Sydney said, lifting her head back up.
"What is it, baby?" Zeke asked softly.
Sydney took a deep breath. She wanted him to know how she felt even if he didn't feel that same.
"I love you, Zeke."
"I love -"
"No," Sydney interrupted. She knew that he was going to say that he loved her, too. "I'm in love with you. I think I've always been, but I was too blind to see it. Those feelings didn't come forward until we became physical to make the baby. I don't want Davis or anyone else because I want you. I want us together as a couple, boyfriend, and girlfriend and then eventually married. I want to be Sydney Alexis Coleman one day," she admitted.
When Zeke didn't say anything, she started to panic. "If you don't feel the same way, I understand. I just wanted you to know how I felt. I -"
Zeke interrupted her by placing a soft kiss to her lips that lingered. He’d missed the touch of her lips against his. He wanted to spend the rest of his life stealing her kisses.