Chapter 19
The hotel room smelled like expensive cologne and bad decisions and that was exactly what Farrah had made.
She fell deep for Harlem in such a short period of time.
She sat Indian style on the bed watching Harlem bag his work up.
She spent her last few carefree days with him before heading to NIU to start her freshman year.
“I swear, I do not want to go to school. I’m going to miss you. You made this the best summer I ever had.”
“Relax, you ain’t nothing but a little drive up the highway.”
Farrah smiled, but something in her chest felt off, that and the fact that she hadn’t seen her period. She was too scared to even tell him, Harlem was still calling her “Diamond,” she was pregnant by a nigga that didn’t even know her real name.
“But…” she froze along with Harlem as he grabbed his gun from the nightstand.
Knock. Knock. Knock.
The knocks started off soft then they became hard and angry.
Farrah’s stomach dropped, “Who is that?” she whispered.
Before he could answer, a female’s voice exploded through the door.
“OPEN THIS MUTHAFUCKIN’ DOOR, HARLEM!”
Farrah’s heart slammed straight to her ass as she jumped up and got dressed. She grabbed everything that belonged to her.
“That’s Shika. Hide, now.”
“What?” Farrah murmured.
“Bathroom, closet. Balcony, it don’t matter, but move!”
Farrah didn’t argue, she slipped into the bathroom, barely making it inside, she didn’t even have time to close the door behind her as Harlem let Shika inside.
She heard the door hit the wall, that was how hard Shika pushed it open.
Shika stormed in like a hurricane; Farrah hoped like hell she didn’t come in there and pull that shower curtain back.
She prayed that the girl didn’t find her.
“WHERE THE BITCH AT?!” Shika screamed.
She started tearing the room apart immediately, she was throwing shit, knocking over lamps, checking closets and everything.
“COME THE FUCK OUT, DIAMOND! Yeah, nigga, I know!”
Farrah could hear Harlem laughing, but she didn’t find shit funny, she was actually on the verge of shitting in her pants.
She just knew she was about to get her ass beat all up and through that hotel.
She heard footsteps coming toward the bathroom, she got ready to jump and run for her life, but for some reason Shika never came in there.
Harlem had to have stopped her, and Farrah thanked God for that.
“You tweakin’, ain’t nobody in here. I’m bagging my shit up and you fucking up my count.”
“Don’t play with me, I saw the name in your phone!”
Farrah’s eyes darted toward the small window, but she was too high up to even think about it. Harlem spoke in a low voice but serious tone.
“Chill the fuck out or get the fuck out.”
“Fuck you!” she slapped him in the face, Farrah peeked out and was able to see them through the mirror.
For a second, the room went silent then he grabbed her wrists, leaned in with his voice low and dangerous. The whole scene was like some crazy shit out of a movie.
“You done?” he asked in the sexiest, deepest tone.
Shika closed her eyes for a second, he started kissing her neck the same way he was kissing Farrah’s just hours ago.
It was hard to watch because she was in love with Harlem and carrying his baby.
Farrah had no idea what she was going to do, she hadn’t told a soul, but she knew she couldn’t leave Chicago pregnant.
The two disappeared from her view but she stayed put until she heard moaning and fucking.
She crept to the door and looked out; he had Shika bent over the bed with her skirt up.
Farrah froze and watched for a second before hurrying out the door.
She instantly heard Shika yelling inside the room.
Her heart was pounding as the hallway swallowed her, she didn’t exhale until she was running down those emergency stairs.
She didn’t even look back to see if the bitch was coming, she just kept running.
Luckily, she drove her own car that day.
She hopped inside and drove straight to her mother’s house, her hands shook uncontrollably, her stomach twisted at every red light.
The city felt louder than usual and everything seemed to be moving too fast. She pulled up to Felicia’s house in record time, she parked and sat there in her thoughts for a minute. Get it together, Farrah.
Finally walking inside, the TV blasted some reality show that her mother wasn’t watching because she was sleep. Pooh was on the floor folding clothes with a gown on like she was someone’s grandmother.
“Why you look like you seen a ghost?” Pooh asked, looking up.
Farrah dropped her keys on the coffee table.
“I need to talk to you. Now.”
Pooh stood immediately. Farrah’s said enough, they marched to Pooh’s room and locked the door.
“I was at the hotel with Harlem and Shika showed up. That bitch is crazy…like real crazy! She tore the room up, screaming and hollering for ‘Diamond’ to come out.”
“Farrah, you still have that man thinking your name is Diamond?”
“I was gon’ tell him, but I’m glad I didn’t because she would’ve been looking for me.”
“You don’t look beat up, so how did you escape?”
“I hid in the bathroom, by God’s grace she didn’t come in there. Pooh, that nigga laughed in her face and she slapped the shit out him.”
“Typical Harlem and Shika, just be lucky you got away. You know you have to leave that man alone, right?”
“I know, but there’s more,” Farrah dropped her head.
Pooh folded her arms across her chest, “What?”
Farrah swallowed hard, then went inside her purse and pulled out a small white stick and set it between them on the bed. Pooh stared at the test.
“You can’t keep that baby; Shika will kill you and Harlem.”
Farrah also knew she couldn’t keep it, but deep inside, she wanted her baby. Deep inside, she wanted Harlem. Her emotions were getting the best of her because there was no way she should’ve been sitting there crying over someone else’s man. Harlem played with her mind and played her in the process.
“I feel so fuckin’ stupid.”
“And you should because I warned you. This is Harlem’s routine, he fuck with bitches until he can’t no more.
No more is when Shika finds out. You’re eighteen, you can get an abortion without a parent’s consent.
Go handle that and get ready to leave for school, fuck Harlem and that baby, no disrespect. ”
Farrah loved how raw and uncut her sister was with her, but that shit hurt her feelings. That was it, she was closing Harlem’s chapter; she grabbed her phone to delete his contact, but as soon as she picked it up, he called. She looked at Pooh and she hunched her shoulders and walked out the room.
“Hello.”
“You good, baby? My bad for earlier, that bitch is crazy.”
She let out a sigh.
“You love her?”
“Yeah, but I fuck with you, too, heavy.”
Her head was telling her not to tell him about the baby, but her heart wanted to and it wanted him to be happy.
“Harlem, I’m pregnant.”
“How much you need for an abortion?”
She screwed up her face and looked at the phone as if he could see her.
“Damn, you used to this shit, huh? I don’t need shit, I got it.”
“You mad? What, you wanna keep it?”
“Nah, I’m cool on that. And I’m cool on you.”
Tears fell from her eyes as she ended the call, Farrah didn’t need him pulling her back in with his slick talk. She had her whole life ahead of her and Harlem wasn’t a part of it.