by Stacy-Deanne
She held his face, gaping at him. “Anderson.”
“I can’t let you go. I love Boston, and I love my life there.” He sniffed her luscious scent. “But, none of that means anything without a woman to share that with. You’re that woman, Channing. I love you.”
“Anderson.” She took deep breaths. “You can’t mean this. You’d give up your life for me?”
“I don’t have a life without you.” He removed her gown and hoisted her into his arms.
Channing’s stunned expression suggested she was still trying to comprehend what he’d said.
“You’re not real.” She stretched out as he laid her on the peach sheets. “Men like you exist outside of romance novels?”
He chuckled, kissing her nose. “I’m no hero. Just a guy in love.”
“I love you too.”
“You don’t have to say that.” He got on the bed and kissed between her thighs.
“I mean it.” She panted as his mouth found her moist slit. “I love you, Anderson. That’s why I’m thinking of moving to Boston.”
He stopped licking. “Say what?”
“Yes.” She laughed, throwing her legs over his shoulders. “I’ve been thinking about it. You make me see the worth in myself. I can’t let that go.”
“You’ll never have to doubt my love for you, never.” He stood from the bed, undressed and got a condom out of his pocket.
“You’re so beautiful,” she whispered. “I love looking at your cock because I know it’s all mine.”
“It is.” He rolled the condom on and got on his knees in the bed.
“I come alive when you’re inside me.” She stretched her arms out.
“I love how you look at me.” He dotted kisses around her breast then licked her nipple.
“Hey,” a male voice screamed from outside the window. “Take that you black bitch!”
Tires screeched as a vehicle sped away.
“What the?” Anderson ran to the window.
A cross stood in the front of Channing’s yard, flames making their way from the bottom to the top.
“Call nine-one-one!” Anderson threw on his clothes and zipped out the bedroom.
When he got outside, neighbors were gathering in the street, gawking and pointing.
Anderson got the water hose from the side of Channing’s house and sprayed the small blaze.
“My god,” a woman screamed. “Who would do this?”
“Stay back!” Anderson walked around the cross, dousing it.
Channing ran out the house, her robe hanging off one shoulder. “Anderson, be careful!”
Anderson got the last of the fire out and, leaving a yard full of smoke.
Channing ran and turned off the hose.
“Lord have mercy.” A barefoot black man in pajamas waved as he caught a little smoke in his face. “I can’t believe this.”
“This don’t make no damn sense.” A dark-skinned woman with hair curlers closed her robe. “Are you all right, Mr. Abraham?”
“I’m fine.” Anderson threw the hose in the grass.
“My god.” Channing covered her mouth.
Anderson held her. “Did you call the police?”
“Yes.” She cringed, sobbing. “Anderson, who would do this?”
“I think it was Zayden and them,” another neighbor said. “I ain’t had my glasses on but I saw a red truck and it sounds like something he’d do.”
“We didn’t see him.” Anderson rubbed Channing’s arms. “We’re gonna need more than a guess if we expect the police to do something.”
“It was him.” Channing scowled, panting. “I know it.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
“Pregnant?” Dex stumbled from the door of the motel where he and Sonjay had enjoyed many rendezvous.
“I couldn’t tell you on the phone.” Sonjay stood against the dresser with her hands in the pockets of her black, denim jacket. “I’m handling it, Dex.”
He sat on the bed, staring in space.
“This is the first and last time we’re gonna discuss the baby. You hear me?” She approached him, body writhing with the ache of needing to touch him. “From this moment on, we go on with our lives and pretend none of this ever happened.”
He gripped his head. “Fuck me.”
“What?”
“Here I was thinking you invited me here to make love. Because you missed me as much as I missed you—”
“Dex, you broke it off with me, remember? You left me at the Saffron Hotel and said you wanted nothing else to do with me.”
“And I was wrong. I love you and I want you.”
“Stop.” She stuck her palm in his face. “I’m stopping this before everything implodes.”
He raised his head, breathing through his nostrils. “Is it mine?”
She turned away from him.
“Sonny,” he growled. “Is the baby mine?”
She couldn’t look at him. “No.”
He slapped the bed, and he stood. “Liar. I know it’s mine. I feel it.” He grabbed her, forcing her to face him. “Tell me the truth.”
“Maybe.”
He let her go. “What the fuck kind of answer is that?”
“Yes, it’s yours,” she yelled. “I haven’t been with Klein in weeks.”
“My baby,” he whispered, looking toward the ceiling. “My baby!” He scooped her up, twirling her. “Oh, I’m so happy!” He kissed her. “I love you so much, Sonjay.”
“Put me down, Dex.” She kicked. “Put me down.”
He did, giving her a juicy smack on the lips.
“What the fuck is this? You’re happy?”
“Course I’m happy!” He jumped in place. “We’ll be a family.”
“No, Dex.” She waved her hands in his face. “I’m raising this baby with Klein.”
He threw his head back, chuckling. “What did you say?”
“You heard me. We need to let go of this craziness and stop fooling ourselves.” She held back tears. “Stop tearing our hearts out thinking we can be together. I’m marrying Klein and this will be his child.”
“What the hell am I supposed to do?” He grabbed his head, yelling. “Let you walk out my life with my kid and be with another man?”
“Yes. That’s the best thing for all of us.”
“How the hell do you think you can make this decision?”
“Because of how Klein acted when I told him I was pregnant. Dex, he was so happy he cried.”
Dex swallowed.
“He wants to be a father and I won’t take that away from him.”
“What about me? You don’t think I want to be a father?”
“Come on, Dex.” She grimaced. “You don’t want kids. You never have.”
“You’re not erasing me from your life and you are not passing my kid off as Klein’s.”
“I’m not hurting him.” She backed up to the bed. “Why do you have to make everything so hard? Dex, this is the only way no one gets hurt.”
“What about my feelings? You’re so damn selfish, Sonjay.” He walked in a circle and stopped, facing the dresser. “All you’ve put me through, I’d never deal with it from another woman.”
Sonjay sat on the bed in tears.
“What about the baby? You’re gonna lie to it its whole life? What are you going to do when it’s eighteen and finds out I’m its daddy?”
“This is killing me.”
“That’s because you’re tortured because you want to be with me.” He knelt in front of her, rubbing her thighs. “All you have to do is tell Klein the truth and this nightmare will be over.”
“I can’t hurt him.”
“He’s a grown ass man, Sonny. Yeah, he’ll hate us for a while but he’ll get over it. He’d rather know the truth than you string him along. You think he’ll be glad if you lie about this baby being his and down the line he finds out it’s not? Why can’t you tell him the truth?” He moved her hands from her eyes. “Look at me. What’s going on? It’s more
than you wanting to protect Klein.”
She avoided eye contact, embarrassed to say it.
“I get it.” He moistened his lips. “You’re afraid I’ll leave you. That’s it.”
She lifted her head, tears trickling.
He touched her shivering face. “Honey, I’m not going anywhere.”
“You’ve never settled down with a woman. It’s not your style.”
“It wasn’t my style before you.” He kissed her, caressing her cheek. “I’m not leaving now or ever. If I stuck around through the hell you’ve put me through, doesn’t that prove it?”
“But I know Klein would never, ever leave me. I can’t be sure of that concerning you.” She wiped her eyes. “That’s scarier for me than anything.”
He stood, his stare burrowing into her. “I’m telling Klein the truth.”
“Don’t you dare.”
“I should’ve done it a long time ago. Look, I love Klein. I’d do anything for him but I’m not letting him have you. No way. You’re mine and he needs to know so we can move on.” He turned toward the door.
“No.” She jumped in front of him. “You stay away from Klein. I swear to God, Dex. If you tell him I’ll never forgive you.”
“That’s a chance I’m willing to take.”
“He’ll never recover from this betrayal. Please, Dex.” She took his hand. “He’s not strong like you are. You’ll survive without me. You could have any woman in the world.”
“I only want one.”
“Please. Don’t do this.”
“I’m not letting you go.” He kissed her, his craving for her scorching Sonjay’s soul. “Tell him and we can get married and raise our baby together. Fuck what anyone thinks.”
She laid her head against his. “I can’t.”
“Ah, fuck!” He punched the wall. “Why does he get everything, huh? He has you and he gets the baby too? What do I get? I get to stand around like an idiot for eighteen years wishing my kid knew me? No way, Sonny.” He shook her. “Come on, baby. Don’t do this.”
“I love you.” She kissed him, shivering. “You’re the man I want and you always will be but this is best.”
“Klein Osgood is not raising my kid.” He shook his head as he reached the door. “It ain’t happening, sweetheart. Not in this or any other lifetime.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
“Hey, beautiful.” Klein sat in his home office typing on his laptop when Sonjay returned from the motel. “You’re a sight for sore eyes. Did the meeting with your student’s parent go okay?”
Sonjay slammed the door, rushed to Klein’s desk and flung him around in the swivel chair.
His reading glasses bobbed on his nose. “Babe?”
Sonjay straddled him, drowning him in loud, passionate kisses for the soul purpose of trying to forget how much she’d hurt Dex and how she’d given up the love she really wanted.
She’d do anything to get Dex out of her mind.
“Whoa.” Klein snickered, moving his mouth so he could speak. “What’s this about?”
“I want you.” She yanked off her jacket and threw it to the floor. “Right now.”
“I see that.” Klein wiggled his legs, and she felt his nature rising between her legs. “Honey, I need to finish this.”
She snatched off his glasses. “You need to finish me.” She ripped open his shirt.
“Sonjay.” He sat at attention. “Honey, wait.”
She undid his pants, gyrating on his lap. “I need you now.”
“Sonny, wait.” He turned his head in the opposite direction of her kisses. “Wait, wait, wait. I can’t, okay?” He patted her butt, gave her two bounces and pulled her from his lap. “I need to finish this.” He continued typing.
“You’re refusing me? Yet always complaining I don’t ever wanna make love.”
“I’m creating a proposal for the mayor’s meeting with the fire department. They’ve been squawking about a raise for months and we don’t have the budget for it.”
Sonjay turned and walked away from the desk, rubbing her forehead.
“I have to suggest immediate options that will satisfy everyone which won’t be easy.”
“Forget Mayor Bordeaux, Klein. I’m trying to make love to you.”
“I want that more than anything, baby.” He kept his focus on the monitor. “But this can’t wait.”
She plopped on the wool couch by the slender bookcase. “Let’s get married right now.”
Klein laid his glasses on the ash-wood desk, eyebrows raising. “What did you say?”
“I don’t want to wait.”
“You’re the one who can’t decide a wedding date.”
“That’s right so why make a grand event of it?”
“Where is this coming from?” He squinted. “Is this because you’re pregnant? I had concerns about how it looks to the public for you to be pregnant before we get married but—”
“This has nothing to do with the public.” She stood. “Is the mayor and how things look all you care about?”
His eyes drooped. “Course not.”
“We can go to the courthouse.”
“But, you’ve always wanted a big wedding and your parents would kill us if we robbed them of our wedding day.”
“It’s not about them.” She sighed. “You still want to marry me, right?”
“I’ve wanted to marry you since we were kids, girl. Is this what you want?”
“Yes.” She touched her stomach. “I want to be your wife and have your child.” She
pushed away thoughts of Dex. “That’s what’s right for me, and I want the world to know it.”
“Okay.” He stood, pulling her to him with both hands. “But, we’re not doing it at some courthouse. We’ll have a small ceremony.”
“I don’t want my parents there. Channing can come and maybe Anderson but that’s it.”
“This feels like we’re sneaking around.”
“It’s our lives.” She sandwiched his face in her palms. “We can have a big wedding down the line but right now let’s just do it.” She hugged him. “As soon as possible.”
****
Dex entered Presley’s hospital room a few evenings later with a bouquet of pink, yellow and white carnations. “Hello.”
Channing squinted, holding her daughter’s hand.
“Bet you’re surprised to see me.” Dex chuckled, his wingtips squeaking. “I brought flowers.” He handed them to Channing. “Tried to get some as pretty as she is but none exist.”
Channing half smiled as she sniffed the bouquet.
“Looks like she’s got a whole garden in here already.” Dex gestured to the bouquets by Presley’s bed. “How’s she doing?”
Channing stretched. “The same.”
“I’m praying for her.” Dex stood on the other side of the bed and took Presley’s warm hand. “You need to come out of this quick, honey. Hurry and turn eighteen so I can marry you.”
Channing grinned.
Dex patted Presley’s hand and let it go. “Channing, I—”
“You don’t have to apologize. I’ve forgiven you. You did what you thought was best.”
“I still feel like shit about it though.” He walked from around the bed. “Sit here day after day waiting and nothing changes?”
“This brings me peace. It’s so hard going home while she’s here.”
“She’s lucky to have a mother like you.” He sucked his tongue. “I’ve been wondering what kind of father I’d be. Sonjay told me she’s pregnant.”
“How do you feel about it?”
“I love her.” He sighed, yearning in his eyes. “I’ve never loved anyone the way I do her.”
“She loves you too.” Channing crossed her legs in the chair. “That’s why I have to tell you something.”
“What?”
“Sonjay swore me to secrecy, but I can’t keep her secrets anymore. It’s not right for you, her or Klein to keep going on like this.” Her shoulders relaxed. �
�Klein and Sonjay are getting married Saturday with just me and Anderson there. Mom and Dad don’t even know.”
“Channing, that’s in seven days. Is Sonjay crazy?”
“Pastor Leto’s performing the ceremony at her house at five p.m. It’ll be in the backyard.”
“Wow.” Dex leaned over the sink. “She thinks rushing a marriage will stop her feelings for me but love doesn’t work that way.”
“She’s stubborn and she’ll take this secret to the grave. I can’t stand by while she brings up a child under false pretenses. Dex, if you love her like you claim you have to stop this.”
He leaned up, holding his side. “What the hell am I supposed to do? Sonjay does what she wants.”
“Don’t you want her?”
“Yes, but she has to be the one to end this. I’m not letting her off the hook this time, Channing. I’ve put my neck on the line for her and it’s time she takes responsibility. I’m not committed to Klein, she is.”
“Dex, she’ll marry him. She’ll do it.”
“Let her do it.”
“What about the baby?”
“If it’s mine, I’ll be there for it.”
“This isn’t the Dex I know.” Channing batted her eyes. “You’ve never been one to give up.”
“The older I get I’ve learned sometimes you have to. I’ll see you.” He exited and fell against the wall when he got outside the room. “Fuck.”
No way in hell would he let her do this.
CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
Sonjay arrived home from work to see that Klein nor Anderson were home.
She opened the front door and something just wasn’t right. An uncanny silence crept through the house, making every hair on Sonjay’s body stand.
She tossed her bags on the couch and started toward the kitchen when someone seized her from behind and flung their arms around her.
She attempted to scream but a sweaty hand smothered her mouth.
“What’s this?” Zayden whispered, his mouth against her ear. “Looks like I caught me a nigger. My very own nigger girl for me to do whatever I want.”
Sonjay shoved her elbow in his stomach and turned to run.
“Run and your folks are dead.”