Session 33

Chapter twenty seven

Cassius was really fucking with my head right now. I felt like he was trying to protect his ex-bitch. When she walked out of the club with Jonas and Silas, my tipsy buzz ran the fuck away from me. I thought Cassius had come because Naomi called him to pick me up, but his little entourage coming out behind him let me know differently.

His ass being in the club with this bitch was something we would discuss later, but Keisha’s ass was about to be handled now. Cassius was blocking my path to her, but I was determined to teach this bitch a lesson right then. I hadn’t told a soul she’d been texting me. I just ignored her, but now she was doing too much. People were standing around, laughing at me.

I reached around Cassius and snatched Keisha by her 24-inch wig, yanking her into Cassius. I sidestepped just as they went down.

I yanked again and realized Keisha had a sew-in, which made me chuckle. The Capricorn in me was amused at the thought of snatching her bald. Cassius was on the ground, Keisha was in my grip, and I was on that bitch. I made sure to connect every punch with her upper body, ribs, face, and chest so she’d feel me for days.

Keisha managed to bite me, so I kneed the bitch in her face. I was about to let her raggedy ass go before she did that. Stepping back out onto the street, I put enough room between us so I could yank her again.

The street was chaotic—lights from the club flashing, music still thumping in the background, and people shouting. Two bouncers were trying to separate me and Keisha, yelling at us to stop fighting. Two more were holding Jonas and Cassius back, preventing them from intervening. Naomi and Silas were yelling back and forth at each other, adding to the noise.

Keisha was crying and begging me to stop. I finally let her hair go.

Seconds later, I felt an unbearable pain in my head. I crumpled to the ground, the world fading around me as I lost consciousness.

When I woke up in the hospital a few hours later, the bright fluorescent lights stung my eyes. I felt like shit—I was alone, my mouth tasted sour, and the smell of the hospital room was nauseating. My head throbbed, and I winced as I tried to move.

A nurse appeared, a round older Black woman. “You’re awake. How are you feeling?” she asked, checking my vitals. “Like I got hit by a truck,” I muttered, my voice hoarse. She nodded. “You have a concussion. You were struck in the back of the head with a bottle.”

I groaned, the memory of the fight flooding back. Keisha’s friend had snuck up behind me. Coward-ass bitch.

As the nurse finished up, a doctor came in, holding a clipboard. “Ms. Johnson, you’ll be glad to know that the concussion isn’t severe, but you’ll need to take it easy for a while,” he said. “Great,” I replied sarcastically, wanting nothing more than to get out of there.

He hesitated, looking at his notes. “There was no harm done to your baby.”

Baby? The word hit me like a ton of bricks. I stared at him, my mouth opening and closing, but no sound came out. Pregnant? How? I was on birth control. There was no way I could be pregnant.

I shook my head, extending my arm. “Do the test again.”

About an hour after the doctor left, I was still, trying to process everything. How in the hell... The door creaked open, and Cassius stepped in.

He frowned. “I didn’t want you to wake up and me not be here. I just stepped out to get you some things.”

He came to stand at my side, taking my hand. I let it lay limp in his.

“Angel, I’m so sorry,” he said, his voice soft and filled with emotion. “I should’ve been there. I shouldn’t have left you at home...”

I looked at him, my heart aching. “Cassius...”

“Listen to me,” he interrupted, squeezing my hand. “I swear I wasn’t with Keisha. I didn’t fuck her. Haven’t since I met you. I was there with Jonas and Silas. Keisha showed up, and I wasn’t interacting with her, so I didn’t think it would be a problem. I would never hurt you like that.”

I wanted to believe him, and the sincerity in his eyes made it hard not to. But I didn’t want to. I kept my mouth shut.

His expression went serious when he realized I wasn’t going to say anything. “I told the police everything. I made sure they knew you were the victim. So you won’t have to worry about that.”

He paused, waiting for my reaction. I tucked my lips and said nothing.

Sighing, he leaned in closer, his eyes searching mine. “I love you, Angel. I’ve been waiting for the right moment to tell you, and I know I’ve made mistakes, but I love you. I want to take care of you, and I’m sorry.”

“I love you” were the three words I had been waiting to hear, but instead of joy, I felt a strange emptiness. I couldn’t bring myself to say it back. I just nodded, squeezing his hand.

Cassius half-smiled, ignoring the fact that I didn’t say anything. “I’ve got a bag ready for you. Clothes, toiletries, everything you need. Let’s get you out of here.”

He helped me out of the bed. As we walked to the car, he kept up a steady stream of jokes and stories, trying to make me laugh. Despite everything, he managed to bring a small smile to my face.

When we got to the car, he opened the door for me and helped me in, tucking a blanket around me. “You’re gonna be okay, Angel. I’ve got you.”

I watched him as he walked around to the driver’s side, my mind spinning with everything that had happened. I was trying to figure out when would be the right time to tell him about the pregnancy. I wasn’t sure how he would react, and I needed time to process it myself.

The drive home was quiet, Cassius holding my hand the entire time. When we pulled up to my apartment, he insisted on helping me inside, carrying my bag and making sure I was comfortable on the couch.

“Do you need anything?” he asked, his concern evident. “No, I’m okay,” I replied, leaning back against the cushions. “Just need to rest.”

I finally spoke, and I could see his shoulders visibly relax.

He nodded, sitting down next to me. “I’m not going anywhere. I’m here for you.”

As I closed my eyes, I felt his hand gently stroking my hair. Despite everything, I couldn’t deny how much I wanted to be in his presence. I decided to wait and see how things played out in the next few days or weeks before telling him about the pregnancy.

And give him a chance to show me the man I was starting to think he was. Maybe I was being naive, but this was my first love, and I wanted to believe in him.

“I got you, baby. You don’t have to worry about anything,” he said softly. I'm staying right here with you.

I nodded.

By the third day, I wanted to go home. He was overwhelming me. I started to feel suffocated. The way he watched me, as if waiting for the right moment to reveal something I wasn’t ready to hear made me uneasy.

I was talking to Naomi one night, and he kept hovering around the door. I told her about how he'd been acting.

She sucked her teeth. "He knows he fucked up, and now he's scared you're going to get rid of him."

What she said didn’t make sense until I told him he could go home, and he caught an attitude.

I didn’t want to argue with him, so I dropped the subject. Later that night, the doorbell rang. We both had been watching TV in my bedroom. He jumped up to get it. He came back with his hand behind his back, grinning.

"I have a surprise for you."

He flashed a small velvet box. My heart ceased in my chest. He opened it, it wasn’t a ring. I damn near sighed out loud in relief. I was so grateful it wasn't a ring. It was a necklace, a tiny diamond hanging from a silver chain.

He took it from the box to show me.

"What is this for, Cassius?" I touched the pendant.

He frowned. "I can't buy you something just because?"

"Thank you, it's beautiful." I said instead of telling himthe gift felt suspect as hell.I took it, trying to make myself more excited.

Cassius leaned over and kissed my forehead. “You’re more beautiful.”

I rolled my eyes as he climbed back into bed, now thinking that Naomi was probably right about him being scared.