Chapter 14 #2
We hugged and parted ways. As soon as I made it inside Jawan’s eyes connected to mine from the couch. Without breaking eye contact he made his way over to me, into my personal space. Closing me into his arms, I finally felt safe. Linking one of his fingers under my chin, he lifted my head.
“Talk to me Tiomi, what’s wrong?”
I let out an exasperated sigh, “I just needed to see you, Baby,” I told the half-truth, “Have you called Shad and checked on Rae?”
“Don’t deflect Tiomi, Jarae is fine, you know I’ve checked on her.”
“Okay but you gotta promise me that you're not going to flip out.”
“Just tell me, Tiomi.”
“Promise me, Jawan,” I begged.
“I’m not promising you shit until I know what the fuck it is. If it involves you and my daughters then I’d have to break that promise so fuck that, start talking.”
Stepping out of his embrace, I replied, “Fine then, forget I said anything.”
I wasn’t going to tell him anything and risk potentially losing him. Before my foot touched the first step, he grabbed me from behind.
“Naw see, it don’t work like that. When my wife hit my line as frantic as you did tonight, it ain’t no being cool. Either you tell me now or I’m going to that restaurant to show my ass until they roll the tape back. Pick your poison.”
I knew he wasn't lying either. If he went up there, he would indeed show out in those people’s establishment.
“A guy threatened me tonight and it spooked me.”
His body immediately tensed up at my revelation. He let me go and took a step back which made me turn around.
“What guy?”
“I don’t know him.” His brows rose.
“You don’t know him, but he threatened you? Make it make sense, Baby.”
“It’s the guy from the mall,” I paused. “And Charlies, the one that dropped the card into my bag.”
His frown deepened before he chuckled. “What the fuck is it with you and this nigga?”
My eyebrows heightened this time, “It’s nothing with me and that nigga, what you mean?”
“Then why the fuck he always conveniently finding his way into your space when I’m not around?”
“Great question asshole. You have the card, why don’t you call him up and ask him?”
“I tossed that card, and you know it. You watched me do it, but y’all seem to be spending so much time together, I’m sure you're able to give him a ring.”
“You know what, fuck you. I came in here looking for you to console me because another man made me, your wife, uncomfortable and you can care less. Instead, you’re accusing me of having some type of affair with the man.
I’m pregnant, emotional and I was scared, but you don’t give a fuck about that right?
Okay Jawan, thank you for letting me know where you stand. ”
This time I made it all the way up the stairs and into our room.
The tears had started falling because I was experiencing so many emotions right now.
I know things did seem a little sketchy because he did always seem to pop up when I was alone or with someone else, but I would never entertain another man.
As I was preparing to get in the shower, Lae was going wild. I knew I needed to calm down because as bad as I wanted to have this baby, I didn't want to do anything but crawl into this bed and get some sleep tonight.
As I stood under the shower head and let the water run on me, I felt Jawan step in behind me. He grabbed my loofah, lathered it and began to wash my body. His touch had my body heating up, but I wasn’t in the mood to have sex tonight.
Once he was satisfied and sure that he had my body cleaned he sat me on the bench in our shower until he was done.
Grabbing my hand, he walked me out of the shower and into the room where he dried me off.
We still hadn’t said a word to each other.
Lae had gotten so big that the size of my belly had stopped me from doing a lot of things for myself, like applying lotion to the bottom half of my body, so he did it for me.
Once he was done with that, we climbed into the bed.
My back was into his chest, he was holding me tight, and I was crying softly.
“Baby. Please stop crying. You killing me right now. I’m sorry, aight?
It was fucked up of me to come at you like that.
I know you would never step out on a nigga.
” He turned me to face him and thumbed away my tears.
“You hear me, Baby. I’m so fucking sorry.
You know I hate to see you cry. I love you, okay? ”
“I love you too,” I said barely above a whisper. “Terrance Sherman. That’s the name that was on the card that he gave me.”
“I’m going to kill him, Tiomi,” he revealed, and my body stiffened.
I knew he was. The moment he threatened me I knew once I told Jawan he was going to die.
“Your family needs you, Jawan.” I put my hand on his face. “I need you.”
Nodding his head, he dropped a kiss on to my lips. “I’m not going nowhere, Tiomi.”
I didn’t want to think about it. I knew the risk he was taking every day. I hated the thought of him maybe not making it home one day. I can't think about that.