by Vera Roberts
“But no, your focus is all over the place. Instead of sharing your stories and getting support all over the world, it’s turned into a witch hunt. Now, you don’t want a man to answer for his crimes but simply fired from his show or lose jobs. There’s no discussion on how he can get back into society or what can be done so he’ll never be in a position to abuse anyone again.
“Instead, your focus now is on a dead celebrity who’s being accused from two broke-ass men that he touched their bad parts, despite a FBI report saying otherwise. So, you’re going to get mad a at a dead man and then what? Are you going to help actual child sex abuse victims or is all your energy on a dead man? Fake Twitter-finger Outrage 101.
“I don’t hear any of you complaining about rap lyrics and how misogynistic they are towards black women, but you were all up in your feelings because ‘Baby, It’s Cold Outside’ makes you feel some type of way. When a rapper says, ‘She ain’t nothing but a trick-ass ho,’ do you think he’s talking about Becky with the Good Hair or LaKeisha with the Long Braids? Feminism is for white women. Always have been, always will be.”
“Do you realize what your mother has done for all women?” The woman snickers. “That’s rich coming from you!”
“It is rich because it was my mother who said it just recently as last week.” Soul’s voice is calm like if he’s discussing the weather. “You call yourself a feminist, but really you’re confused and dangerous. You’re mad at all those white men who voted for the abortion bill in Alabama, but you all are forgetting a white woman is the one who wrote it. White men create white supremacy and white women uphold it. I look forward to my day in court, thank you.”
I stare at the TV screen in horrifying shock. I’m sure my Twitter feed is in shambles along with my IG mentions. Holy crap. How am I supposed to stand by his side if he makes statements like that? What does that say about me?
Meanwhile, Desiree approvingly looks on and smiles. “Soul for President,” she beams, “I love his ass!”
Chapter Six
“Baby.”
I crack my eyes open to see Soul before me. He’s kneeling by our bedside and his face looks like he wanted to be anywhere but New York. I manage to turn on a light and sit up in bed. I can’t lie and say I slept easily when he didn’t come home after the press conference.
How could he have come home? The reporters and photographers didn’t leave for a long while trying to get the perfect shot of Soul entering his home. He has underground, gated parking so I imagined he went in there and took the elevator up to the home.
It’s been several hours since the charges were announced and the notorious press conference that has been on repeat. Clips of it have been shared throughout social media. Soul’s haters have been disgusted by his behavior, and his supporters ate it up.
People have tagged me on my accounts, asking me to chime in or say something about the latest charges. I ignore all of it. I have no clue what’s going on and furthermore, even if I did, I still wouldn’t say anything. What is there to say?
I don’t know if Soul is innocent. I don’t know if he’s guilty. I just...I just don’t know.
I used to be that woman that would automatically believe a man is guilty on just allegations alone. Women, I felt, don’t lie about something as serious as rape. When a woman takes a long time to come forward with allegations, she considers a lot before she does. She knows how the allegation alone will put a spotlight on her and a lot of women choose not to do that.
Soul was falsely accused of harassment before. A few other men have been falsely accused of other things and those allegations came and went. I don’t even know what’s up and down anymore.
Soul climbs into bed with me and I don’t feel weirded out he’s next to me. I’m not sure if I’m supposed to.
“I didn’t do it, Ari.” He whispers as he lies next to me.
His words sound promising and pleading at the same time. I know Soul. I think I know him. Is the man lying in bed with me capable of raping a woman? My heart says no, but my brain...my brain is questioning everything.
I’m prepared for Soul expecting sex, but he doesn’t. He falls asleep next to me. He’s still fully clothed, even down to his sneakers. He’s sleeping on top of the covers and not inside the sheets with me.
I know he’s doing that for my sake, but I wonder...if he was guilty, he wouldn’t do that at all.
Sometime during the night, I kicked off the blankets and peeled off my clothes. It was burning hot in the bedroom and I needed air.
Waking up, I walked over to the window and struggled to figure out how to open it without disturbing Soul. After a few minutes contemplating the best way to be quiet, I just had to go for it and open the window. If he was disturbed, I hoped he would go back to sleep soon.
“I never thought the sight of seeing a naked woman opening a window would be so arousing.”
I slowly turned around and see Soul, still fully dressed, and laying on his side. He’s watching me intently like someone who had been awake for a while and not someone who was between sleep.
“I was hot,” I answer, “and I couldn’t sleep.”
“I’m sorry about that.” His voice was deep and clear. There’s still a pain in his voice.
“It’s not your fault,” I reply. I walk over to Soul and climb on top of him. He holds my hips down and looks up at me. His eyes softened to a sea blue and his body seems more relaxed than earlier.
My breath hitches as I see how incredibly beautiful Soul is. He’s raw and unguarded with me with soft eyes and full lips that give the slightest pout without trying. His eyes are studying me and wonder what I’m going to do. I wonder that as well.
Sharp cheekbones lead to a strong jawline and I couldn’t help but lean over to caress his face. Soul kisses my fingertips once they reach his lips and I feel my arousal comes to a peak.
“We’re not a normal couple,” I quietly reply. “You were just accused of a horrible crime and here I am, straddling you.”
“We were never normal, to begin with.” His fingertips lightly touch my hardened nipples and my body purrs. “I don’t tend to live with women who tried to bring me down.”
“I’m sure you don’t cook for them or go down on them on your kitchen counter.” I grind against his crotch and feel his cock hardening.
“Damn straight about that.” He sighs and adjusts his position. I feel all of him against me. He deliberately did that and the soft smirk forming in the corner of his lips indicate that. He knows the secrets of my body. He knows how to get me aroused without asking. He discovered parts of me I didn’t realize were erogenous zones and memorized them.
I feel lost within him. Yet, I feel lost without him. He fits so perfectly underneath my body as if he was custom made for it. There was never a weird adjusting period between us. We made love as if we’ve always done it.
My body hums with pleasure as he flips me onto my back. He hurriedly removes his clothing before he climbs back onto the bed and nestles himself between my thick thighs. His cock is teasing my slick entrance, yet he’s in no rush to go forward yet.
He stares down at me, reading my eyes and looking into my soul. I wonder what he’s thinking. He’s probably wondering what I’m feeling. It’s confusion, lust, and love between us yet there’s an uncertainty of what will happen. We don’t know; we can only hope.
“I love you, Ari.” He tells me in a pleading voice. “I need you.”
It’s rare that Soul calls me by my government name. Not that I mind it at all, but I’m used to him calling me shorty or boo. Even with his friends, he refers to me as wifey. I know what he’s feeling is serious and beyond than just a pet name.
He needs me to stand by his side through it all. I’m wondering if I’m strong enough to withstand it.
Before I could contemplate any further, Soul gathers my legs and pushes inside of me. I gasp and moan while he hisses. “Fuck yes...”
My nails dig into his muscular arms as my body arches o
ff the bed. “Soul...”
I clutch onto him as he rammed his cock into me, over and over. He moved like a dancer, stroking me just right with a rhythm that wasn’t contrived or forced. He grabbed my ass and pushed deeper inside of me, making me scream, and nearly come.
“That’s it,” he slid in and out of me, “I want to feel you come all over this dick, baby.”
“Soul!” I screeched and my body came before I had a chance to protest. It was a violent orgasm, rocking and shaking me. My toes curled, my body lifted off the bed, and I screamed to the heavens.
I wanted to be fucked. I wanted to be made love to. I wanted all of it by Soul and only him. He pounded hard and deep inside me before he met his orgasm; growling my name and collapsing on top of me.
We locked eyes for a long moment as we stared at each other in silence. We wanted to speak but we both were too afraid to say anything. Instead of talking about what might happen and being prepared for the worst, we fell asleep.
The worst came the next morning.
Chapter Seven
The next morning finds me flipping through various news channels as Soul’s charges are still the prime topic. The focus has inevitably moved to Ocean, who made a blanket statement of support:
We are aware of the charges against my brother, Soul Ellison. We know Soul’s character and his heart. He is a good man who has done a lot for the community. We expect justice to prevail as my brother vigorously fights these allegations. No further comment.
Soul’s friends and colleagues have come in support of him as well. Many have already questioned the allegations and some are outright stating the story doesn’t sound right. Conspiracy theorists have been guessing Soul was a target because of his family. The idea isn’t far-fetched.
He’ll need all of the support because the knives have come out against Soul as well. There have been numerous calls for Roman to discontinue the collaboration with Soul. Roman released a statement saying while he supports the #metoo movement, Soul is entitled to due process.
Soul’s Manhattan flagship store has been protested non-stop since the allegations were announced. Some celebrities came out and said they wouldn’t wear his clothing anymore, while many rappers and hip-hop stars remain steadfast in their support.
The news reporters suddenly have experts about the Ellisons, about Soul’s behavior, and about if allegations can ultimately destroy a man’s reputation. The news about the allegations traveled so quickly, I’m stunned how the media is acting.
It seems the media has already determined Soul is guilty before the trial started. There are no doubts within the allegations and everything is presented as fact. They keep mentioning about the other set of allegations and naturally, my name is brought up.
It’s maddening to think the role I once played within all of this. I didn’t even give Soul the opportunity to present his side of the story before I ran that piece. Now it’s happening again. Soul has been secluded in his office meeting with various attorneys and other public figures.
Meanwhile, I pretend I’m doing okay but I’m not. I still haven’t had a chance to talk to Soul about everything. I don’t know if I’ll be able to.
Soul woke up early this morning and had been secluded in his office meeting with various members of his PR and legal teams. I haven’t seen him since we made love and I’m sure that was intention.
I’m used to being shut out of a man’s life due to my dealings with Jared so this is nothing new to me. It’s par for the course. Pretend everything is fine while I have to be the ride or die.
Why can’t I just be with a boring dude, have a boring life, and make boring babies? Something in me craves drama and I welcome that shit like it’s a old friend.
I’m getting ready to leave when Soul walks into the bedroom. He’s checking something on his phone and clearly it doesn’t matter if I’m in the room or not. I’m better off being at work if this is going to continue.
I grab my purse as I’m about to exit the bedroom when Soul’s voice stops me. “Wait.”
I turn around and face him and he puts his phone away. Gone was the relaxed Soul who blew my back out. The worried and tortured Soul has returned and my heart breaks. “You heading to work, boo?”
“I still have a job.” I answer. “I have to go to work today. They’re expecting me to work.”
“They hate me.” He replies as he sits down.
“No one knows we’re together.” I’m tempted to tell him about the article I was summoned to write on his family. “And that’s the plan.”
“Were you ever planning to tell them?” An eyebrow rises.
I shake my head. “No. It’s no one’s business.”
“Okay.” His voice is barely a whisper. He briefly looks up at the ceiling and then at the windows. “I’ll be stuck meeting with my various teams all day so I don’t know when I’ll be done.”
“Okay.” I reply. I’m not sure what he wants me to say. “I guess I’ll see you later?”
“If you have questions about the charges, now’s the time to ask them.” Soul’s voice sounds like a warning. “There’s no guarantee I’ll be able to answer them later.”
The foreshadowing in his voice makes me super uneasy. ”What’s your side of the story?”
Soul looks out the window and rubs his hands together. “Met her at a nightclub. We danced. We drank. Went back to the hotel I was in. We fucked. I told her I’ll see the next day when I was done with meetings and what-not. Went back to see her and she got mad that she waited for me the entire day. I told her she could’ve left anytime she wanted to. We got into a huge fight about and I dipped out.” He blew out a deep breath. “That was it.”
“She’s hired Megan Kaine.” I reply. Megan Kaine is the feminist lawyer no one likes, no matter what political party or views they might have. She’s a golddigging opportunist of an asshole who loves to exploit women masquerading as victims and get involved in other people’s business.
Despite my personal feelings about her, she stays employed and, worse yet, she stays on T.V. She always shows up with her Marge Simpson Chanel suit on and gaudy pearl jewelry. She’s also worth close to fifty million dollars.
That’s a lot of pain and suffering. “I don’t care.” Soul defiantly answers. “I’ll never have to speak to her if things go my way.”
I grab Soul’s hand and hold it. The simple emotion makes him at ease and he sighs again. “This spells political bullshit all over it.” He shakes his head. “Ain’t no way...” He pauses and doesn’t know if he wants to finish the thought.
“What does anyone have to gain from the false charges?” I cautiously ask. “If people wanted to go after your family, Ocean and Savior are easier targets.”
“I’m the easiest,” Soul corrects, “and the one that’s most out there. No one is going to go after JFK and his brother, Robert, when they go after the suspicious accident cousin, Ted.”
I hear the hurt and frustration in Soul’s voice, yet I can’t help but to wonder if Soul himself, played a bigger role than what he wants to admit. After all, he was the one who went to the girl’s room and had sex with her. “When did this happen?”
“A while back.”
The revelation stuns me. “How long ago is that given the fact we’ve been together for four months now?”
“The night before I saw you at the fundraiser.”
My heart shattered into pieces yet I’m trying to remain calm. Soul slept with someone else and I’m going to be paying the price for it in a different way. I was silly to think he would remain celibate during our time apart but the pain hurts different this time.
If Soul is convicted, where does that leave us? Am I really going to be traveling a long distance to see him upstate? Am I going to ensure there is always money on his books? Am I expected to hold it down while he’s doing a bid?
And then what about his career? No one is going to be buying shoes or clothing from a guy who was convicted of rape no matter how dope his pieces are
. Soul probably won’t be asked to show up to any family gatherings or public events for Savior’s and Ocean’s sakes.
Soul’s life would be effectively over.
“I see.” I respond quietly.
Soul turns to me and leans forward. “I didn’t rape her, Ari. I didn’t have rough sex. I didn’t have kinky sex. I didn’t rape her, period. We had sex and that’s that.”
“I know.” The words escape my mouth.
Soul stares at me hard for a long moment and I feel the imminent storm. “You think I raped her, don’t you?”
Defensively, I fold my arms across my chest. “I didn’t say that, Soul.”
“You didn’t have to. Your questions, your demeanor, even how you are right now.” He stands up and stretches his arms behind his head. He’s shaking his head and taking deep breaths. “You honestly believe I hurt the girl. You know me better than anybody. You know me better than my parents, my brothers, and my friends. They all believed I didn’t harm that chick but you...you’re questioning it.”
“I didn’t say any of that and stop assuming!” It’s my turn to be angry. “This is a lot for me to take in, Ellison. I just moved to a completely different city, I have a career that I love, and my famous boyfriend from a super-famous family just got hit with a rape charge. It’s a lot to process and I need to figure out what I need to do!”
“You need to support me!” He bit and then retreated.
“And then what?” I shout back. “And then what, Soul? What if the jury finds you did it? What if the evidence is overwhelming and you’re convicted? What do you expect me to do?”
“Wow, so it’s like that, huh?” He rubbed his goatee. “That girl wanted me to pay up so she would shut up. When I told her to fuck off, she went got a lawyer and made up some bogus shit against me. But you know what? It’s cool. If you have reservations, that’s your right.” He grabbed his keys. “I’ll be back later. Don’t wait up.”
“Soul, don’t do this,” I plead, “this is not what I want at all.”
