“My fiancée,” he smirked as he held the phone up and showed Lyric.
“Congrats. She’s ugly just like your mama,” Lyric replied as she fixed her hot drink.
“You know, when I first got that ring, I got it for you,” Javier noted.
“Thanks for giving me yet another reason to praise God. He’s always looking out for me,” Lyric replied.
“Now, look at you. Pregnant by a criminal. I saw your little boyfriend the other day when I went to court. You can do so much better Lyric. I love you so much that I’d be willing to raise another man’s baby just to be with you. The baby is a part of you, so I would love him just as much. Nobody would even have to know,” Javier said seriously.
He was nuts and definitely not the man that Lyric thought he was. Javier really thought it was his world and everybody else was just living in it. Rejection was new to him and he couldn’t handle it.
“Didn’t you just say that you were engaged? She looks like a grown ass man, but that’s still fucked up.”
“I can make that go away just as easily as it appeared,” Javier replied.
“I would gladly be a single parent, struggling to make ends meet before I ever get into a relationship with you. The fact that you’re even asking while committed to someone else says a lot about you. I can’t be with a man who stays in his feelings more than I do. You treated Ms. Mary like a dog and all she wanted was a little assistance. You have no compassion or love for people. And besides all that, I just don’t trust you,” Lyric rambled.
She didn’t even wait for Javier to respond before she grabbed her coffee and walked away. Javier was delusional and he kept proving that with his actions. He hated to not get what he wanted, but he had to learn to live with it. He was the male version of his mother and she loved to be in control too. Maxine prided herself on never losing a case and Javier was the exact same way.
After going back to her office, Lyric did some work and waited for Elise to return. It was almost lunch time when the other woman came back. Elise came straight to Lyric’s office like she promised and took a seat.
“Here is the file on Mr. Harrison. It’s a lengthy one,” Elise said as she handed it over to Lyric.
“My God,” Lyric gasped as she sat there and went through it.
“Yeah, I said the same thing,” Elise replied.
“This can’t be right. According to some of these records, Bronx was only ten and eleven years old when some of these crimes were committed,” Lyric pointed out.
“It’s the same thing with Ms. Mary’s son. He was only five years old according to some of the dates in his records. Somebody is doing a shitty job of keeping records or they’re getting the case files mixed up. That’s what I wanted to talk to you about. I really think it’s time for us to get Mr. Malone involved. There’s no telling how many other people this has happened to,” Elise pointed out.
“I can ask, but I’m not sure if he’ll have time,” Lyric said.
“Honestly Lyric, he needs to make time. Something like this could be a potential problem for the firm in the long run. If the families find out and want to sue, Mr. Malone and his firm could be held liable to some extent. Some of his attorneys helped to prosecute some of the cases. I mean, we sign a waiver upon hire saying that we’re on our own if something like this happens, but you just never know,” Elise said.
“I need to get his original records from the prison like you did with Ms. Mary’s son,” Lyric replied.
“I don’t know who Mr. Malone called, but I had what I needed the very next day,” Elise commented.
“Let me call him and see if he’s available,” Lyric said as she picked up her desk phone and dialed his extension.
“Hey Lyric,” Mr. Malone answered on the first ring.
“Do you have a minute? Elise and I wanted to discuss something important with you,” Lyric said.
“I was just preparing for a conference call, but I have about twenty minutes to spare before then,” Mr. Malone replied.
“We’re coming to your office right now,” Lyric said before she hung up the phone.
She grabbed the file folder that Elise had given her and walked to her boss’ office with Elise following right behind her.
Chapter 44
Zina popped another peppermint in her mouth and got out of her car. As soon as she walked up to Kierra’s door, it opened and her cousin welcomed her inside.
“Hey boo,” Kierra said as she hugged her.
Zina’s attire kind of surprised her because she was usually dressed more feminine. Seeing her in baggy sweats and a hoodie was not something that Kierra was expecting. Zina used to dress like that a while ago when she was in the streets with her men doing dirt. Kierra was hoping that she wasn’t up to her old habits again.
“Hey girl. What’s up with you?” Zina said as she took a seat on the sofa.
“What’s up with you? Are you sick or something?” Kierra asked.
“You have no idea. My stupid ass got off the shot to give Deuce a baby and ended up getting pregnant by the next nigga instead.” Zina frowned.
She made an appointment to resume taking her shots the month before and found out that she was already pregnant. Zina hadn’t had a regular cycle in years so that was nothing new. The weight that she gained should have been a sign because that didn’t happen too often. She hadn’t even been kicking it with Tripp that long to be having a baby with him. That nigga must have had some potent sperm and she could see why he already had six kids.
“Oh, so that explains the baggy clothes. Is Tripp or Deuce the father?” Kierra inquired, trying to pick Zina’s brain.
“Deuce? The fuck makes you think he’s the daddy?” Zina countered.
“Look, you know I love you and I love Lyric just the same, but I have to keep it real with you about why I asked you to come over here,” Kierra said.
Zina listened as her cousin ran down the entire story of how she supposedly answered her ex-husband’s phone at Ace’s a few nights ago. She even told her about Deuce calling her from jail to help him out of the situation. Zina was lost about everything that she was saying, but she wanted to get to the bottom of it.
“Listen, I haven’t been at Ace’s since me and that bitch Sanai got into it. I haven’t seen Deuce since he left my house and he doesn’t even have my new number. He was probably telling the truth. That bitch Sanai is scandalous. She probably don’t fuck with Lyric and did that shit just to piss her off. I don’t know why her stupid ass used my name though,” Zina fumed.
“For some reason, I really believed him when he said it, but I’m happy that you confirmed it. This is all a big ass mess. Lyric is eight months pregnant and stressing. Deuce is in jail stressing. I feel like I’m in the middle of a game that I didn’t even ask to play,” Kierra sighed.
“I don’t have time to be trying to cause confusion in nobody’s household. Deuce made his decision and I’m okay with that. I won’t sit here and say that I’ve never chased a nigga before because we both know that would be a lie. But the times that I did, the shit was mutual. Never have I ever chased a nigga who straight up told me that he didn’t want to be with me anymore,” Zina pointed out.
“What about your situation? How far along are you?” Kierra asked her.
“Bitch, I don’t know and I don’t care. You know I ain’t having no damn baby. I already made my appointment. I just hope I’m not too far gone to get it done,” Zina answered.
“Does Tripp know?” Kierra asked.
“Nobody knows but you. This nausea is kicking my ass and peppermints just ain’t cutting it. I’m not trying to start all over with a nigga that I might not be with next week. Baby Blue and Armani will be my only two forever. That nigga Tripp already got a Brady Bunch,” Zina said, speaking of his three sons and three daughters.
Zina was already having problems with his two baby mamas and she couldn’t see herself bringing another baby into the equation. More than likely, Tripp was still fucking them because
they always wanted to fight her. She couldn’t see that happening if nothing was going on. She was good with it though because her and Tripp hadn’t really made things official. Dealing with him was just her way of getting over Deuce and it helped. When Kierra’s doorbell rang, Zina snapped out of her daze and looked over at her cousin.
“Don’t be mad at me, Zina, but I just wanted to get to the bottom of everything,” Kierra said.
“Don’t be mad at you for what? Who is that?” Zina asked.
“That’s Lyric,” Kierra replied.
“The fuck did you invite us both over here for?” Zina yelled angrily.
“Look, you and Lyric have always liked each other up until we all found out that her and Deuce were messing around. Both of you were blindsided and that’s not y’all fault. We all know that Deuce is to blame, but there’s no need to state the obvious. You said that you’ve moved on and she forgave him and stayed with him. I’m just ready to put all the bullshit behind us,” Kierra said.
“I don’t have nothing against the bitch, but you got me fucked up if you think we’ll ever be in each other’s company again. Ain’t that much forgiveness in the world,” Zina fumed.
“I’m not crazy Zina. I know that will never happen. I just need you to clean up the mess that his cousin made,” Kierra replied.
Zina sat there deep in thought. She had her ways, but she wasn’t as bad as people tried to make her seem. She wasn’t a hater and that was something that nobody could ever say about her. She could have been petty, but that wouldn’t have gotten her anywhere. She had to be the bigger person for once and do the right thing. If that meant making things right between her ex-husband and his new woman, then that’s exactly what she was going to do. She nodded her head, letting Kierra know that she was on board with her plan. When the doorbell rang again, Kierra snatched the door open to reveal a very pregnant Lyric. She was a pretty girl and she could see why Deuce went after her. Lyric walked into the house and paused when she saw Zina sitting on the sofa.
“Really Kierra,” Lyric snapped as she turned and attempted to leave.
“Yes really, just let me explain why I called you over here,” Kierra begged as she stood in front of the door and blocked her cousin’s exit.
Zina listened as Kierra told Lyric the exact same thing that she told her. She could tell that Lyric was listening and agreeing just as she’d done a few minutes before. After a few minutes, Lyric sat down on the smaller sofa and relaxed. Kierra looked at Zina and nodded for her to start talking.
“First of all, I’m doing this as a favor to my cousin. I don’t fuck with you and I never will again,” Zina started.
“The feeling is mutual sweetie. You can proceed,” Lyric flippantly replied.
Zina had her fucked up if she thought she was going to talk crazy to her. She was known for going in on people, but Lyric wasn’t the one. She needed to redirect her anger because she was mad with the wrong person.
“Please y’all. We’re all adults and we should be able to talk without arguing,” Kierra spoke up.
“But anyways,” Zina said while rolling her eyes.
“Zina, please,” Kierra begged.
“Well, I don’t know what you heard,, but I haven’t seen Deuce in a minute. When he got his shit out of my house, I changed my number and my locks. If he said it was Sanai who answered his phone, then it’s probably true. I know for a fact that it wasn’t me,” Zina replied.
“Thanks for clearing that up,” Lyric said as she stood to her feet and prepared to leave.
Zina was tempted to let her stubborn ass go, but she needed to keep it real with her. Like she said, she was never a hater and she wasn’t about to start hating on nobody. Zina stood up too and looked Lyric directly in the eyes before saying what she had to say.
“Lyric listen, this might sound crazy coming from me, but it’s the truth. Deuce cheated on me with you, but he’s not a cheater. We had lots of problems during our years together but infidelity was never one of them. I was shocked as fuck when I found out that he was cheating because that’s something that I never had to worry about with him. You got a damn good nigga and I hope you know that,” Zina assured her.
Lyric felt like shit to be taking the word of Bronx’s ex-wife over his, but that’s exactly what was happening. As crazy as it sounded, Zina put her mind at ease and put her fears to rest. Bronx left and divorced her and she still didn’t have a bad word to say about him. To Lyric, that said a lot. Zina didn’t seem like a bitter ex-wife or a scorned woman. She was doing what she was always known to do and kept it real.
“Thank you, Zina. I really appreciate that more than you know,” Lyric said sincerely as she walked closer to her.
“Girl ugh. I know you ain’t trying to come hug me. Shit will never, ever get that real. I still don’t like you, but I dislike Sanai even more. Bye cousin. Come lock your door,” Zina said with a frown as she walked away.
Lyric and Kierra laughed, but that was typical Zina. She was outspoken and ratchet and that would probably never change.
“That bitch is nuts,” Kierra chuckled once she saw her cousin out and locked up.
“I’m so mad at myself right now,” Lyric said as she flopped down on the sofa.
“Why?” Kierra asked.
“For not believing what Bronx said,” Lyric replied.
“It sounds so weird when you call him that,” Kierra laughed.
“I know, but I don’t know him as Deuce,” Lyric noted.
“Well, at least you got the truth. What do you plan to do now?” Kierra asked.
“He proposed to me,” Lyric confessed as she stared off into the distance at nothing.
“What! When?” Kierra questioned in shock.
“Saturday night after the concert. I let my insecurities get the best of me and I turned him down,” Lyric admitted as tears fell from her eyes.
“Please tell me you didn’t,” Kierra replied.
“I did and I feel so stupid right now. I trust him, Kierra. I was scared to admit it and I probably sound stupid saying it, but I do. I know it was fucked up how we got together and I can’t even explain it. I know I’m not the best judge of character and that’s been proven too many times to count. But, I trust him and I really don’t think that he would do me wrong. Be honest with me, Kierra. Am I stupid for feeling that way?” Lyric questioned as she looked at her cousin and awaited an answer.
“No Lyric. I don’t think you’re stupid at all. Deuce is not a bad dude and I always did feel that way. I’m not making excuses for his actions, but Zina caused the demise of her own marriage. That man tried but she never wanted to meet him halfway. I told her years ago that she was going to lose a good man, but I never thought that she would lose him to you. I see a side of him that I never even knew existed when he was married to her. He really loves you and there’s no doubt in my mind about that,” Kierra replied as she hugged her.
She never told Lyric about the time that Deuce came to her house after they broke up and she probably never would. But, it was then that Kierra saw just how much he loved her cousin. He didn’t even look at Lyric the same way that he used to look at Zina. For the first time in a while, Kierra could actually see that he was happy.
“This is him calling me now,” Lyric said when she saw the number that Bronx always called from trying to Facetime her.
“Go in my room and close the door. I’m about to start cooking and my music will be too loud,” Kierra said as she got up and pulled Lyric up right after.
As soon as Lyric walked into the room, she closed the door and answered the phone. Even though she’d wiped her eyes, Bronx could still tell that something wasn’t right.
“What’s wrong?” Bronx asked as soon as Lyric’s face popped up on the screen.
“Nothing, I’m good,” Lyric replied.
“Why were you crying then? And, where are you?” he questioned since he didn’t recognize the background of the house.
“I’m at Kierra’s house. Zina
just left,” Lyric replied.
“The fuck happened? Is that why you were crying? Did she try to fight you or something?” Bronx fumed, asking more questions than she could answer.
“Bronx, no, just calm down. Kierra wanted us to talk about what happened at Ace’s,” Lyric replied.
Granted, he did ask Kierra to help him straighten things out, but he didn’t think she would get both women face to face. He only wanted her to get the truth from Zina and relay the message to Lyric. He knew how Zina was and he would hate for things to get ugly. There was no limit to what he would do if she played with Lyric, especially while she was carrying his son. He didn’t want to jump to conclusions, so he calmed down enough to let Lyric tell her story.
“Okay, so what happened?” he asked.
“She just cleared everything up,” Lyric replied, instantly making him upset.
“Oh, so you believe what Zina said, but it was fuck me and my feelings when I tried to tell you the truth,” Bronx snapped angrily.
“No, it’s even like that,” Lyric said, even though she knew that it was.
“How is it then, Lyric? I’m supposed to be your man, but you took the word of my ex-wife over mine. That shit don’t even sound right saying it out loud,” Bronx fumed.
“I know baby and I’m sorry. I was wrong and I apologize. I just want you to get out of there. Mr. Malone is working on that right now,” Lyric replied.
“Nah, fuck that. Don’t try to change the subject. Leave me up in this bitch. I might not be ready to come home to your ass,” Bronx fussed.
“Okay Bronx, I get it. I should have trusted you and I’m sorry that I didn’t,” Lyric sighed.
“You can keep that fake ass insincere apology. You ain’t even crying so I know it’s not real,” Bronx said.
“What! You want me to cry,” Lyric laughed.
“I don’t find shit funny. You always make me cry,” he replied.
Heartbreak And Past Mistakes Page 43