Aaliyah
I sighed with relief as I pulled into the alley behind Fabe’s house.
It had been a long day at the hospital with Junior for his doctor’s appointments.
I was ready to get into the house and out of this cold.
It was almost March by now. Everyone was getting excited about Spring coming, but there wasn’t a sight of it in the weather.
I parked in my spot where I always did to keep Rah from seeing my car if he ever did happen to drive by.
It was a vacant garage attached to a house that was for sale.
He had gotten permission from the owner for me to park there.
But I was thankful that Fabe was right. Ever since I had moved in, Rah had never come to see his brother.
I wasn’t surprised, though. Rah was so full of himself that he never went out of his way to see how the next person was doing.
I climbed out of the car and hurriedly got Junior out of his car seat in the back.
Then I rushed out of the parking lot and up the alley towards the house.
The Chicago wind was brutal that day. It was smacking me in my face like it had beef with me.
As I hurried up the alley, I ensured that Junior’s face was covered by the blanket.
“Whoo,” I sighed again as I finally got the back door open and let myself in.
I could hear music playing, so I figured Fabe was in the living room working out. I closed the door behind myself. Now, standing in the kitchen, I got ready to kick off my shoes when I heard a chilling chuckle.
My heart stopped. Rah was there. I stood still, frozen with fear.
Then Junior started to stir and make those noises as if he was going to cry.
I ripped the blanket off him and covered his mouth.
With tears in my eyes, I rushed towards the door.
He was starting to cry, but I was holding him with one hand and muffling his cries with the other.
In order to open the door, I would have to move my hand from over his mouth.
I stood in the kitchen, barely able to breathe, praying that the song wouldn’t go off before I figured out what to do.
I could hear Rah’s voice now through their muffled conversation.
I even heard the voice of a small boy. I stood there listening for the voices to come nearer and rocking Junior to soothe him so that he would stop whining.
But I wasn’t about to take the chance. I went for it, quickly grabbing the knob and snatching the door open.
The wind met my face again, whipping into my eyes.
I closed the door as fast and quietly as I could.
Just like a child, when I needed him to be quiet, he wouldn’t, but now that the coast was clear, Junior was quiet as a church mouse.
“I can’t live like this,” I spat as I made my way back up the alley towards my car.
My heart was still beating out of my chest. I was out of the house, but I was still hyperventilating. Just the sound of Rah’s voice was fucking scary. He had only put his hands on me once, but learning all that he had done had me so scared of what he could do to me now.
Back at my car, I hurriedly put Junior back into his car seat.
Then I rushed around it and jumped into the driver’s seat.
I pulled out my phone to text Fabe and curse him out for not warning me.
But after I opened my text message inbox, I noticed that I had missed messages from him that were doing just that.
I shook my head and groaned. I was mad at myself for not being more cautious and not paying attention. As I turned on the engine and backed out of the garage, I was done.
I was leaving.
An hour later, Fabe had let me know that it was okay to come back home because Rah had finally left. So, I left the Starbucks parking lot that I had been sitting in and flew home, ready to pack my things and get out of this city.
As soon as I got into the house and slammed the door shut, locking it behind me, Fabe rushed into the living room from the kitchen.
“Babe...” He called for me with sorrow in his eyes as he rushed towards me.
After placing the baby’s car seat on the couch, I allowed him to throw his arms around me. My heart was still beating fast with fear, and Fabe’s comfort wasn’t helping any.
“I have to get out of here,” I told Fabe. “I’m sorry, but I have to. I’m going to Texas–”
“No,” Fabe insisted as he let me go and looked into my eyes. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know he was coming. He popped up on me–”
“You told me it was safe to be here!” I spat as I pushed Fabe in the chest. “You told me that he never comes out here–”
Fabe came towards me, closer, grabbing my hands softly and insisting, “He doesn’t! But apparently, he doesn’t like the fact that I’ve been dodging him. He wanted to see what was up with me–”
“And get you to find me, right?” I pressed.
Fabe’s shoulders sank as he admitted, “Yeah. He kept trying to get me to call you–”
“See?!”
“But, of course, I told him that I wasn’t doing it.”
“He probably knows I’m living here. Me and Junior’s stuff is all over the place!”
“When I saw that it was him pulling into the driveway, I ran around the living room and kitchen, hiding everything.”
I paused for a bit and looked around the living room.
There were no traces of me or Junior. But, still, I wasn’t convinced.
“I can’t stay here! It’s not safe. It’s been weeks and he is still obsessed with finding that money.
If he killed his own best friend, what do you think he is going to do to me if he knows that I stole three-hundred thousand dollars from him? !”
I imagined what would have happened if I had blindly walked into that house.
I imagined what he wouldn’t have hesitated to do to me, even in front of our kids.
Just the thought made the hairs on the back of my neck stand straight up.
I looked at my baby and knew that I had to do everything I could to protect him, even if that meant walking away from my own happiness and a good man.
But Fabe wasn’t going to allow me to leave, however.
“You’re right. I agree with everything you’re saying, except you leaving.
I want you here with me. I gotta be the one that’s protecting you, and I can’t do that with you all the way in Texas.
I already told myself that I had to move.
It’s already done.” He squeezed my hands tighter.
“I already called my movers and a rental agent. The agent’s looking for something for me ASAP, somewhere out the way, and the movers are coming in a couple days. ”
“But this is your house.”
He shrugged. “I can rent it out. We can rent another place, since we’re in a rush. But we’re not staying here, even if we have to go to a hotel. I’m gonna protect you. I’m not gonna let anything happen to y’all.”
All this time, I’d been thinking about running and leaving him behind. And here he was, moving his whole life around to keep me safe. Tears burned the corners of my eyes. “Fabe…” My voice trembled as I whispered it. “I love you.”
His lips curved upward, while his eyes stayed locked on mine. He pulled me in, wrapping me up so tight I could feel his heart against my cheek. “I love you too. Ain’t nothing in this world gonna stop me from loving you.”
The way he said it, the way he held me, made the fear in my body finally subside a little.