Heartbreak And Past Mistakes

by Chenell Parker

  “Oh Lord. I don’t even want to know right now. I’ve had enough drama today to last me for a lifetime. I just want to go home and get in my bed,” Lyric said.

  “Yeah, go get you some rest. That’s exactly what I plan to do.” Mr. Malone yawned.

  He hadn’t had a decent night of sleep since he first learned about Javier and his family’s wrongdoings. His wife had been on his back about slowing down and that’s exactly what he planned to do. As soon as he got over the mess that Javier created and moved his main office, he was going on an extended vacation.

  “You need to eat something too,” Bronx said as he stood up and pulled Lyric up from her chair.

  “Oh and congrats. I see that rock on your finger and it wasn’t there before,” Mr. Malone observed.

  “Thanks.” Lyric smiled.

  “When’s the big day?” he asked.

  “We haven’t even had time to discuss the details yet. We just made it official this morning,” she replied.

  She and Bronx walked out of the building with her boss as they continued to talk. Once they got into the parking lot, they went their separate ways.

  “What do you feel like eating?” Bronx asked as he grabbed Lyric’s hand.

  She had a stressful day and he just wanted her to relax. “Nothing really,” Lyric replied.

  “You really don’t have a choice Lyric. I know a lot happened today, but you have to eat something baby. I understand. You and dude didn’t end on a good note but he was somebody that you were feeling at one time. I know your feelings are probably all over the place right now, but it’ll get better,” Bronx promised.

  “I love you,” Lyric replied as she looked over at him.

  Everything that Bronx had just said was right. Although she hated some things about Javier, she did have feelings for him at one time. Although those feelings were long gone, she still didn’t wish death on him. She would have much rather see him go to jail to pay for his crimes.

  “I love you too, baby,” Bronx replied.

  He and Lyric ended up going to his grandmother’s house since she had just finished cooking. The timing of her call was perfect and they headed straight to her house and enjoyed a home cooked meal.

  Chapter 47

  “Come on Bronx. You’re not even trying to find anything to wear. The service starts in an hour,” Lyric fussed as she moisturized her curly hair.

  “That’s because I don’t want to go. That nigga tried to send me away for life. The fuck do I need to go to his funeral for,” Bronx argued.

  “Because I asked you to. I don’t want to go either but he was still my co-worker since Mr. Malone never officially fired him. He wants everybody from the firm to go and pay their respects,” Lyric replied.

  “It’s a good thing I don’t work there,” Bronx replied as he flipped through the channels on the tv.

  “Fuck it then. You better not even think about touching me tonight or any other night. I’m not even sleeping in the bed with you no more,” Lyric fumed.

  She thought that he was going to give in when she said that, but he just stared at the tv and ignored her. Bronx was stretched out in his boxers like he didn’t have a care in the world. Lyric was heated as she grabbed her clothes from the bed and stormed out of the room to go get dressed. An entire week had passed since Javier was killed and the entire firm was preparing to go to his funeral. Just like Mr. Malone said, seventeen people, including Javier’s parents, were arrested the day after his murder. The Livingston’s and a few others had posted bail but the entire ordeal was far from being over. Every news station was airing the scandal and it was an entire mess.

  Once the story about Mary’s son came to light, people were protesting outside of the police station for her release. Elise acted as her attorney and she ended up going home on house arrest temporarily. There was no way that she would ever see a day in court. The cancer that was eating away at her body would more than likely get to her first. Mr. Malone said that they really didn’t know what to do with her for fear of public backlash. He was happy that Javier’s fuck up didn’t shine a negative light on his firm. They were judging him solely on his actions and not who he worked under.

  Lyric looked at her reflection in the full body mirror that was in her spare bedroom. She had on a simple black maternity dress with a pair of black flats. She was two weeks away from being due to give birth and that was as good as it would get. When the bedroom door opened a few minutes later, she smiled when she saw Bronx standing there in his black slacks and black dress shirt.

  “You better stop threatening me with sex. That shit won’t always work.” He frowned.

  “It won’t?” Lyric countered with raised brows.

  “Yeah, it probably will, but stop doing that shit just to get what you want. Let’s go,” he replied.

  Lyric went to the bedroom to get her purse and they left soon after. Just like she knew, the church where Javier’s service was being held was a mess. News crews were everywhere and the police had part of the street barricaded. Bronx parked on a side street so that they wouldn’t get caught up in all the traffic once it was over with.

  “They’re acting like Javier was a celebrity or something,” Lyric said as she and Bronx walked towards the church.

  “Fuck that nigga, dead or alive,” Bronx fumed.

  “Bronx!” Lyric yelled. “Stop speaking ill of the dead.”

  “It is what it is. My grandma always said that God knows your heart, so lying about how you really feel is pointless.” Bronx shrugged.

  “Yeah, I guess so,” Lyric replied as they walked into the overcrowded church hand in hand.

  Lyric looked around, but she didn’t recognize anyone that she knew. The place was huge and just about every seat in there was filled. She and Bronx were lucky enough to find a seat to the back before the service got started. After a while, Lyric spotted Mr. Malone and his family sitting closer to the front. When Paisley saw her, she pointed her out to her father. Mr. Malone waved for them to come closer, but Lyric shook her head saying no. He wasn’t trying to hear that, so he got up and went to get them.

  “We saved a seat for y’all on our row. The entire firm is sitting together,” he said when he got closer.

  He wasn’t going away, so Lyric and Bronx got up and followed him to their new seats. They were now close enough to see Javier laid out in a black and gold casket wearing a black and gold pin stripped suit. He looked a little darker than she remembered but that was the only difference that Lyric could see. Once the funeral got started, things moved fast. Lyric had never been to a catholic church before but they were up and down throughout the entire service. Mr. Malone spoke briefly and so did a few other people. Once it was time to view, Lyric and Bronx got in line and followed the people who were before them.

  “Is it bad that I wanna bitch slap a dead man?” Bronx whispered to her.

  “It’s very bad. We need to get my boo saved,” Lyric giggled.

  When the service was over, they followed the procession outside but they weren’t going to the burial. Lyric had done what Mr. Malone asked and showed her face at the funeral. All bets were off after that.

  “Hey Lyric,” Elise said when she and her husband walked up.

  “Hi,” Lyric replied while smiling at them both.

  Elise’s entire face was red and her eyes were swollen. She wasn’t very close with Javier, but his death seemed to hit her hard. Maybe she was just an emotional person because she cried throughout the entire service.

  “Can I talk to you for a minute Lyric?” Elise requested.

  “Sure. I’ll be right back baby,” Lyric said as she looked at Bronx.

  He nodded his head and stood there with Elise’s husband while she pulled Lyric to the side.

  “I messed up Lyric. I did something that I shouldn’t have and my conscience is going to drive me crazy,” Elise said as she started crying again.

  “What’s wrong Elise? What did you do?” Lyric asked.

  “I told
Ms. Mary about what Javier did to her son. I know that Mr. Malone told us not to say anything, but I did it anyway. I just wanted her to know that she wasn’t crazy and her son wasn’t a liar. I didn’t think that she would take things to the extreme like she did. I swear, I never thought that she would kill him,” Elise sobbed.

  “Calm down Elise. This is not your fault. Everything was going to come out anyway. It doesn’t matter if you told her a day or two before. She was going to find out eventually. Don’t do this to yourself Elise. Don’t live with the guilt of what Javier did. None of this is on you,” Lyric assured her as she pulled her into a hug.

  She had told Bronx too, so she couldn’t even be mad at Elise if she wanted to. She was distraught and she didn’t need to be carrying that kind of guilt around. It wasn’t healthy.

  “Thanks for saying that Lyric. My husband said the same thing but I don’t think I’ve had a good night’s sleep since everything happened,” Elise said as she wiped her eyes.

  “I’m not condoning what Ms. Mary did, but you saw firsthand how Javier treated her. He had the woman arrested. She was probably at her breaking point long before you told her anything,” Lyric replied.

  “Yeah, you’re probably right. I’m just happy that Mr. Malone decided to move the firm. I think we all need a fresh start,” Elise sighed.

  “Yes, I agree,” Lyric replied as they walked back over to Bronx and Elise’s husband.

  “Thanks for the talk Lyric. I feel much better,” Elise smiled.

  She and her husband said their goodbyes and were on their way soon after. As soon as Lyric and Bronx walked off towards the street, they saw Jena, Sabrina, and Tremaine walking right in front of them. Just like Lyric predicted, Sabrina quit her job not long after Jena did. She heard that Jena was working as a secretary at one of the state buildings, but she didn’t know what Sabrina had been up to. Lyric saw them sitting a row ahead of them in the church but they didn’t say anything to each other. Sabrina and Tremaine had obviously worked things out because they were holding hands like they were a couple again. Lyric and Bronx crossed the street, ready to go back to his car when Jena surprised her by saying something.

  “Do you have a minute Lyric?” Jena asked, making Sabrina look at her in shock.

  “Man, I hope I don’t have to body slam one of these hoes out here,” Bronx mumbled.

  “It’s okay boo. You can go back to the car. I can handle myself,” Lyric noted.

  “I wish the fuck I would. You can handle yourself but my son can’t. You can have your own back but I got his,” Bronx replied.

  When Jena crossed the street and got closer, he walked a few feet away to give them a little privacy. Sabrina and Tremaine stopped and waited for Jena to do what she needed to do.

  “What’s up Jena?” Lyric asked as she folded her arms over her belly.

  “I uh, I just wanted to say thanks,” Jena replied as she rocked from side to side nervously.

  “Thanks for what?” Lyric asked.

  “Everything. I mean, you got me the job with the firm and I never even thanked you for that,” Jena replied.

  “Cut the bullshit Jena. I got you that job years ago when we were still friends. You didn’t thank me then and you want me to believe that you’re trying to thank me now,” Lyric said, calling her out.

  “Truthfully, I owe you an apology,” Jena replied, shocking Lyric with her words.

  “Yes, you do, but I’m really curious about something Jena,” Lyric stated.

  “What’s that?” Jena inquired.

  “I was always a good friend to you from day one. When you did me dirty with Spencer, our friendship ended but that was to be expected. I just never understood how you always seemed to be angry with me when you were the one who did me wrong,” Lyric wondered.

  “You know the old saying. You can be the moon and still be jealous of the stars. I was too busy counting your blessings instead of my own.”

  “Did I do something to make you feel that way?” Lyric inquired. That was a question that she had always wanted to ask. In her mind, she was a good friend but maybe Jena felt otherwise.

  “You didn’t do anything wrong. I wasn’t satisfied with my own life and I thought I wanted yours. You were always so happy and I guess I wanted that for myself. I thought that being with Spencer was an opportunity for me to experience that. I would have never thought in a million years that he would be the one to change my life in the worst way imaginable,” Jena said as her eyes became misty.

  Jena was devastated when her daughter died as a result of the accident that she and Sabrina were in. She was even more heartbroken when she learned that Spencer and his girlfriend were behind it all. She never imagined him hating her enough to want her dead, but he obviously did. He had the nerve to write her a letter from prison apologizing for what he did. Sorry wasn’t going to bring her baby back and she really didn’t want to hear it. She was hoping that everyone involved pleaded guilty because she didn’t know if she had the strength to relive it all in court. Spencer and his girlfriend were facing some serious time and Jena hoped they got the max.

  “As wrong as you were, you didn’t deserve that and neither did your baby. And just so you know, a smile doesn’t always mean that a person is happy. Some people are just better at hiding their pain,” Lyric replied.

  “It took me a while but I’m finally trying to put things into perspective and get my life back on track. I’ve enrolled in night school to get my degree. I’m trying to focus on me for once,” Jena noted.

  “That’s good Jena and I wish you all the best. And I forgive you. That’s something that I’ve always had trouble with, but I’m working on it. I have to stop letting yesterday take up too much of today. Life is too short to hold grudges. I don’t want to be that person anymore,” Lyric said.

  “Thanks Lyric. Good luck with the baby and congrats. Your ring is beautiful,” Jena replied as she walked away and crossed the street again.

  Jena felt like another chapter in her life had closed and she felt good about how she and Lyric parted ways. She knew that they would never be friends again and she was okay with that. They both said what they’d been wanting to say and they were able to move on.

  “Come on Iyanla. Out here fixing people’s lives and shit,” Bronx joked when she walked back over to him.

  “Shut up,” Lyric laughed.

  “What was she thanking you for?” he asked.

  “You should know since you were eavesdropping,” Lyric replied.

  “I was trying to but y’all were talking too low. I only heard the last part of the conversation,” he admitted.

  “We just said some things that we’ve both been wanting to say.” Lyric shrugged without elaborating.

  She and Bronx walked to his truck and took a few side streets to make sure they didn’t get caught up in any traffic. When Lyric turned on the radio, one of her favorite Mint Condition songs was on so she turned it up. When Bronx reached over and turned it off, she was ready to snap.

  “I hate them bad luck ass niggas,” he frowned angrily.

  “How are they bad luck?” Lyric was curious to know.

  “Every time we went to go see them niggas, something bad happened afterwards. Them niggas is the devil and I don’t need that kind of negativity in my life,” he replied.

  The first time they went to go see Mint Condition, Zina was there and her and Lyric fought. The second time they went to their concert, he went to jail and didn’t think he would ever see the light of day again. Lyric left him both times and her favorite group became his number one enemy. He was actually starting to like their music but he was over it now.

  “You can’t be serious!” Lyric yelled as she fell out laughing.

  The serious look on his face let her know that Bronx believed every word that came out of his own mouth. She already had to deal with two superstitious parents. She didn’t want her man to be into all that foolishness too.

  “I’m dead ass serious but forget all that. Wha
t’s up with the houses that Melody sent us to look at?” he asked.

  “Trash,” Lyric replied.

  “All of them?” he inquired skeptically.

  “Every last one of them was trash,” Lyric replied adamantly.

  “I can’t see Mel sending you something that you wouldn’t like. She knows your taste better than anybody,” Bronx noted.

  “The houses were beautiful. I just put them in my trash pile because they weren’t what I was looking for,” Lyric noted.

  “I want a hot tub and a play room,” Bronx said.

  “You told me about the hot tub, but a play room? You don’t even play games like that. Do you mean like a man cave for when you have company or something?” Lyric quizzed with a confused frown.

  “No, I mean a play room for us. I want a stripper pole and some shit that I can tie you up with. You know, like that movie Fifty Shades of Grey that you had me watching.” Bronx smiled.

  “More like fifty shades of no fucking way. I would be a damn fool to let you tie me up. The stripper pole might not be a bad idea though,” Lyric replied with a wink.

  “Hell yeah!” Bronx yelled excitedly.

  He and Lyric had been looking at houses but he wasn’t as picky as she was. She wanted the perfect house and she wasn’t settling for anything less. Lyric wanted a big wedding too since it was her first. Bronx was down for whatever as long as she was happy. They were in the process of setting a date for that, as well as waiting on the arrival of their son. In the meantime, he had one more thing that needed to be handled before he could relax and be happy.

  Chapter 48

  “Aye bruh, you sure you told them that I was coming? I been sitting out here for almost thirty minutes,” Deuce said as he talked to Bam on the phone. He had his gun sitting on his lap as he paid close attention to his surroundings. Bam was still locked up but he was doing Deuce a favor.

  “Yeah man. They don’t ever be on time for shit. Trust me, they’re coming. They don’t turn down no money. And good looking on the money that you sent me too,” Bam replied.

  “I told you that I had you when I got out,” Deuce said.