Chapter 18
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Averi’s leg bounced anxiously as she waited to be called to the back.
Each and every time she went to the bathroom, there was no blood.
Her breasts were extremely sore, and she was tired all the time, but that was it.
She didn’t have a lot of pregnancy symptoms, but she assumed she was still pregnant because her body hadn’t expelled anything.
It had been almost three weeks since she was shot.
“Averi Bryant.”
She stood and gave the waiting nurse a small smile.
She didn’t watch the news, but her mother told her about the wedding massacre that left ten people dead.
Averi googled the news article and saw that one of the deceased was the woman that Blak was supposed to marry.
If she was dead, they weren’t married. If her baby survived, she’d be having his child.
Averi was conflicted about reaching out to him, however.
She was truly confused about whether she should let the situation go, or make Blak aware that she was still pregnant.
Averi got her vitals taken, gave a urine sample, and answered a few questions.
In the room as she sat on the exam table waiting for the doctor, she wished Blak was there with her.
She could blame him for a lot of things like getting her pregnant on purpose, but she couldn’t blame him for her being shot.
She hated that Naomi died because of her father’s bullshit, and she wished he could have gotten his karma a different way.
His arrest was all over the news as well. A ghetto soap opera for sure.
The doctor entered the room with a smile on her face. Averi loved seeing black doctors period, but black women doctors were even better. It was her second time seeing the older woman, and Averi fell in love with her bedside manner.
“Well hello, pretty lady. How have we been feeling?”
“Anxious,” Averi admitted. “I’m not sure if you saw it in my chart, but I was shot a few weeks ago.
I lost quite a bit of blood, and the doctor at the ER said I could miscarry due to all the trauma my body went through.
I haven’t been bleeding or cramping or anything, so I guess the baby is okay. I don’t really know.”
Doctor Williams gave an understanding nod. “I see. Well let’s get a look on the screen.”
Swallowing down a lump, Averi lay back and told herself that if the doctor gave her bad news, she’d take it in stride.
Her entire pregnancy pretty much had been chaotic.
If it wasn’t the right time for her to bring a child into the world, she’d try not to let it get her down.
As Dr. Williams inserted the device into Averi’s vagina, she held her breath.
The silence lasted longer than she was able to deprive herself of oxygen.
Just as she exhaled, a whooshing sound filled the room that made her erupt into tears.
Her baby still had a heartbeat. She had been doing a lot of resting, taking supplements, and eating healthier than she ever had.
Averi prayed that if her child had survived the worst of what happened to her then she would remain pregnant.
When she left the doctor’s office, Averi was all smiles.
The moment she thought about reaching out to Blak, the smile was wiped off her face.
Why the hell was she nervous to contact the man that purposely got her pregnant?
Averi decided against calling him. She was going to his house to see if he was there.
Her heart drummed in her chest the entire way.
Averi had no clue if she was expecting to see something that would piss her off or if she was simply nervous about seeing him.
Whatever the case was, she hated the way her nervous system was going berserk.
Blak had eaten her ass from front to back.
He’d confessed that he was in love with her.
His fiancée was dead, and the man that shot her was back in jail because he had a firearm on him at the wedding.
The judge forfeited his bond, and he had to remain in jail until his court date. What could go wrong?
The unfamiliar gray car in Blak’s driveway didn’t deter her from getting out of the car.
It was kind of early, but she was there at this time of day, so maybe he did have company.
Or maybe someone spent the night…Averi rang the doorbell and waited patiently for him to open the door.
When he did, she could tell that she had disturbed his sleep.
He was squinting as if the sun’s rays hurt his eyes, and her nose scrunched at the aroma of alcohol wafting off his body.
“I’m sorry I popped up without calling first. If this is a bad time I can come back later, or you can come to my house.”
Blak wiped sleep from his eyes as he tried to collect his thoughts.
He’d been crashing out all because he missed her and felt it was best that he steered clear of her.
Even though he woke up still drunk from the night before, he knew enough to know that when he realized she was at his door, his heart skipped a beat, and he felt like a bitch.
He didn’t like the hold she had over him.
No one person should be able to ruin his day or make his day simply by her absence or her presence. It was insane.
He wanted to hug her and say fuck her all at the same time. Before he could articulate his thoughts, his guest made her way into the living room. “You coming back to bed?” she asked as she tried to peek around his body and see who he was talking to.
Mad that a woman whose name he couldn’t even remember had outed him in front of Averi, Blak kissed his teeth. “You not even going back to bed,” he tossed over his shoulder. “It’s time to go.”
“Nigga, fuck you,” she spat.
“Talk that talk while you walk that walk.”
A light, angry chuckle pushed from Averi’s throat. “Damn have they even buried your fiancée yet? You move on faster than Mexican music. I’ll talk to you later.”
“You know I didn’t give a fuck about her.”
“Apparently, you don’t give a fuck about anybody.”
“How the hell you of all people gon’ say something like that to me? I was ready to shoot it out with goons in the hospital for you, but I left with them, so I could make it back to you. And when I came back, you were gone.”
“Do you blame me?!” she shouted. “I got shot behind your shit. I could have died.”
“I get that. And that’s why maybe it’s best that we leave things like they are.” The moment the words left his mouth, it felt as if he’d been shot in the chest. The discomfort was physical. He regretted it. The way disappointment laced her orbs had him ready to take it all back.
“That’s probably the realest thing you ever said to me.” Averi’s tone was low and filled with hurt. “Have a good day, Justin.”
She turned and walked away and as bad as he wanted to, he didn’t stop her.
Lately, Blak felt as if he’d been losing his mind.
If that was what love did to a person, he didn’t want it.
The moment he was able to get Averi out of his system, he’d never have to worry about love ever again.
Niggas could have that shit. As he was closing the door, shorty from the night before brushed past him to make her exit.
Blak stared after her as she stalked toward her car.
“The fuck is her name?” he was stumped. Even after she drove off, he was still standing there with fog brain. “You gotta get your shit together,” he muttered to himself. Shit was getting out of hand.
“I mean no disrespect, but you are gorgeous. Simply stunning,” a handsome man smiled at Symphony as she sipped champagne on the beach.
“Thank you so much.” Her smile was genuine. She was at peace. As much as she could be.
It was her third day in Dubai, and her mental was already in a much better state.
It was her second day utilizing a beach club, and she had a tan already.
It was barely noon, and she was tipsy and ready for a nap.
Symphony had begun her day by eating a light breakfast and taking a stroll on the beach.
By nine am the sun was blazing. Now that she’d gotten her daily dose of sun, she was ready to take it in and venture back out after the sun had set.
She wasn’t sure what it was about black women, but the men in Dubai were loving her.
Symphony had lost track of how many men had complimented her.
She wasn’t in Dubai looking for a man, but compliments never hurt anyone. Her phone was on DND. Symphony hadn’t even checked her missed calls and text messages. Nothing going on back at home concerned her. Selfish mode had been activated. She did want to check on Mason and Capricorn though.
Back at the hotel, Symphony took a shower and before she could dry off, her phone rang. She knew the call only came through because whoever it was had called her twice back-to-back. Inhaling a deep breath, she peered at the phone and saw that it was Mason’s school calling.
“Nope,” she turned away from the phone and grabbed a towel. Someone else was going to have to deal with it. There was nothing she could do from another country anyway.
After moisturizing her skin, Symphony decided to listen to the voicemail that the principal left.
“Hi, Dr. Simmons. I’m sorry to bother you, but I called your mother, and I didn’t get an answer.
Mason was seen by a teacher walking off campus after lunch.
When he was asked to come back by the school security guard, he cursed him out.
Unfortunately, this was Mason’s last strike, and he will have to go to alternative school.
I will need an adult to come out and sign the transfer papers, but he can’t come back to this campus. ”
All Symphony could do was shake her head.
She decided against calling to check on Mason because Symphony simply didn’t have the energy.
Remembering the advice she gave Block about Mario, Symphony knew that she’d never give up on Mason, but she needed a break before everyone else and their drama caused her to have a mental breakdown.
After grabbing a snack from the minibar, Symphony sat Indian style on the bed and called Capricorn. “Hey friend. You having fun in Dubai?”
“I am. I’m so relaxed. This is the first time I’ve made a call since I’ve been here. I haven’t been reading text messages, checking emails, or even looking at social media. And it feels great. Not even Mason’s bad ass and his antics can ruin my day.”
“Oh Lord. What has he done now?”
“The principal can’t get in touch with my mom, so he called me. Mason walked off campus and cursed out the security guard. Now, he has to go to alternative school.”
“Wow. I hate that for him. Mason has always been so smart. This situation with Monique really did a number on him.”
“Yeah it did, and I feel for him but pretty soon, he’s going to have to let that excuse go.
I tried sending him to therapy, and he refused to talk to the woman.
I spend time with him. I buy him things and let him know that he can talk to me about anything.
I give him hugs, and tell him I love him.
He has his own room at my house. If there’s truly nothing I can do, then what am I supposed to do? ” Symphony was truly lost.
“You’re on vacation, and you chose to go on vacation for a reason. I know you love Mason, and you have tried your best to help him. Enjoy your vacation and let someone else worry about it for a few more days.”
“How is your situation coming along?”
“I told Terry I want a divorce, and he said cool.”
Symphony drew back. “He did not say cool. I know that’s not what he said.”
“He didn’t use that word, but he said okay. I’m not crazy. His heart isn’t in it anymore. Nigga didn’t even ask why. He doesn’t care anymore, and that’s okay.”
Symphony couldn’t believe that her friend was taking the impending divorce so well.
She couldn’t help but wonder if it was all a front.
Maybe she really didn’t care. It could have been possible that Capricorn and Terry had fallen out of love with one another.
She wasn’t quite sure how that worked, but Symphony wasn’t about to try and figure it out.
“Well, if you’re really going to go through with it, I’m throwing you a divorce party. A time will be had.”
“I love it, friend. I’m filing the paperwork tomorrow. Go ahead and get to planning.”
“Question,” Symphony abruptly changed the subject. “Would you talk to a guy that recreationally did drugs that you knew he could become addicted to and if he did become addicted, things would be bad?”
“What kind of drugs are we talking?”
Symphony ran down the situation with Block. The pills that fell out of his pocket, the situation with Blak and Monique. Everything that transpired after the game.
“That’s a tough one. In college, I dated guys that popped ecstasy pills damn near every weekend for a whole semester, and they didn’t get addicted.
Everyone is different, but I can totally get why you don’t want to take that chance.
Seeing how pills have affected Monique has to be a lot.
I don’t blame you for distancing yourself.
I know you really liked him though. I’m sorry friend. ”
“Yeah, I did.” There was no need to front.
She really did like Block. Symphony felt that she’d excused enough.
She couldn’t ignore the fact that he popped pills the way she gave him a pass for selling drugs.
“I did have fun though. The dick I got from him should hold me over for the next year or more until I meet the next disappointment.”
“So, you’d never have sex with him again? Take feelings out of it. What if you just had sex with him every now and then? Nothing serious and no strings attached.”
“I won’t say it’s impossible, but I don’t think that would be a good idea just yet. Nasir has the kind of dick that will activate a bitch’s heart strings.”
That comment got a laugh out of Capricorn. “Been there done that. I’m going to tell you the same thing I told you about Mason. Worry about anything stressful later. You are on vacation in beautiful Dubai. Go shopping. Treat yourself. Sleep in. Eat whatever you want. You deserve it.”
“Yes, I really do. In fact, shopping is on the agenda for tomorrow, and there are a few stores I’m going to run up a check in.”
“That’s what I’m talking about!”
When Symphony got off the phone, she walked over to the mini bar and opened a miniature bottle of tequila. The drink would do her right before her nap. After chasing the alcohol with some juice, Symphony turned her phone off and got underneath her covers.