Ezekiel's Passion

by Bailey West

  I picked him up and sat down on the bed with him. He rested his head on my chest. I felt like I wanted to pull him into my chest and protect him from everything and everyone around him.

  “What’s up, man. I heard you had a little accident.”

  He nodded and started crying.

  Zora sat next to me to comfort him.

  “It’s okay baby. You have to let the doctor look at you.”

  “You can look at me mommy,” BJ responded without lifting his head from my chest.

  “Remember we talked about the different types of doctors? I told you that I’m not a kid doctor because kid doctors are special?”

  He nodded.

  “God creates special people to be kid doctors, remember?”

  “Yes,” he nodded and quickly glanced at the Doctor.

  “Doctor Goldberg is special because she knows all about kids. She can help you feel better.”

  I love watching Zora interact with BJ. She has a way of explaining things to him without dumbing it down.

  “Can the special Doctor look at you, Big Man?” I asked.

  BJ agreed to allow the doctors check him out.

  “If it makes it any easier, you can carry him, Dad,” the doctor spoke soothingly. I felt very comfortable with the title the doctor had given me.

  I stood from the bed, holding Braeden, ready to follow the Doctor. He rested his head on my shoulder as we followed the Doctor down the hall. Zora and Lucy followed behind us.

  The doctor instructed me to put BJ onto a bed on his back.

  “Dad, you will have to stand on the other side of the glass, but you will be able to see everything that’s happening.”

  “I will be right there,” I pointed to the glass. “You can do this okay Big Man?”

  BJ slowly nodded, breaking my heart with each nod. I wanted to keep him in my arms and make sure he was good, but I know that the test was necessary.

  I walked out the room and stood next to Zora and Lucy. We watched while the doctor and the nurse did their job.

  Zora whispered, “Lucy this is Ezekiel.”

  “As in the Zeke that BJ talks about nonstop?”

  Zora chuckled, “In the flesh.”

  “Zeke, Lucy is BJ’s teacher.”

  “Nice to meet you,” I smiled then turned my attention back to my little dude.

  I watched as they laid him flat on his back and brought the machine above his head to take the x-ray.

  He followed the instructions of the x-ray tech and laid perfectly still. After a few minutes, they beckoned for me to come back into the room. I moved quickly to pick him up from the bed and followed the Doctor back to the room he was in.

  “We are going to wait for the Radiologist to read the x-rays. I will be back to let you know the results.”

  “Thank you, Doctor Goldberg,” Zora responded as she left the room.

  “Doctor Chambers, my ride is here. I’m going to leave. Will you let me know what they say?” Lucy spoke to Zora.

  “Yes, I will. Thank you for everything.”

  They hugged, and Lucy left the room.

  Zora came and sat next to me on the bed while I held BJ. She held his little hand while we quietly waited for the Doctor to return with the results from the x-ray.

  Braeden fell asleep in my arms while we were waiting.

  “This has to be the scariest thing I have experienced in a long time. He’s my little baby, you know? It’s just so much sometimes. I try to be everything he needs, but I don’t always know what he needs. I don’t know if I am a good mother. I don’t know if I am raising a strong man or a momma’s boy that won’t ever want to leave my house. It’s just hard.”

  “I think you are an amazing mother. Your relationship with Braeden reminds me of my relationship with my mother.” She looked at me. “I’m serious. You have been given a son to raise, and you are doing it. He’s smart, respectful, intelligent and an all around cool kid.”

  “Zeke, that means so much.”

  “It’s the truth. I admire you, Doctor Chambers.”

  She rested her head on my shoulder while I held BJ. We sat quietly immersed in our own thoughts.

  About thirty minutes later Doctor Goldberg returned with great news. Everything looked fine. No fractures, no bleeding and no concussion. He didn’t need stitches. They used skin glue to close the gash and put a bandage on top of it. They gave Zora wound care instructions and released him from the hospital.

  “Oh, my God Zeke. We don’t have a car seat for him. He’s still too small to just strap in the seat belt.”

  “I have one in my truck.”

  “You do?”

  “Yeah, I sent Percy a text and told him to bring one. He installed it in my truck.”

  “You did?”

  I smiled and nodded. I sent Percy the text as soon as we got to the hospital. It was my step of faith believing that I would be leaving with BJ in my truck.

  I carried BJ out to the truck. Zora had to show me how to use the car seat.

  “Are you hungry, Braeden?”

  “Yes,” he murmured as I pulled out into traffic.

  “We can go and get your car then I can follow you back to your house. We can order a pizza for him to eat.”

  “Zeke, you don’t have to that. You have already done so much. We will be okay.”

  I looked at her and then asked, “What kind of pizza do you want BJ?”

  “I want cheese pizza,” BJ responded.

  “Cheese Pizza it is,” I turned from Zora and continued down the street.

  She exhaled, resting her head on the headrest and closed her eyes. I wasn’t planning on leaving BJ until he had a full stomach and was resting comfortably in his bed.

  We arrived at her car. I walked around to open her door and help her out of the truck.

  “Zeke you don’t…”

  “Is it that you don’t want me to come over?”

  “No, no not at all I just don’t want to inconvenience you. You’ve already spent your whole evening with us at the hospital.”

  “Did you hear me complain?”

  “No, I didn’t but…”

  “Did I look like I didn’t want to be there?”

  “No,” she responded again.

  “Then if it’s all the same to you, I would like to order my little dude a cheese pizza and make sure he gets in the bed. Is that okay?”

  “That’s fine Zeke. Thank you,” she smiled.

  I opened her car door and helped her in. I got back in the truck and followed Zora to her house.

  I followed her into her house carrying BJ.

  “Baby, let’s go and get cleaned up while Zeke orders the pizza.”

  I put him down. He held on to my leg and didn’t move to go with Zora to the back.

  “I’m not going anywhere. I will be right here when you come back.”

  He nodded, let go of my leg and followed his mother to his room. I ordered the pizza and waited for BJ and Zora.

  BJ came back down the hall wearing his superhero pajama pants and matching shirt. He had on superhero slippers also. He came and climbed on my lap. I felt so bad because I had never been around him when he wasn’t talking a mile a minute.

  The pizza arrived. BJ ate a slice while fighting to stay awake. He couldn’t take it anymore and feel asleep at the table. I picked him up and followed Zora back to his room.

  Zora pulled back his comforter, and I placed him on his bed. She covered him up and kissed him on the cheek. I kissed his other cheek and left out of his room.

  “Zeke.” I turned and saw tears running down Zora’s face. “I need you.”

  Zora

  I didn’t mean to sound so clingy, but if he hadn’t picked me up so quickly and carried me to my bedroom, I would have begged. I needed the connection to him. I needed to feel him on me and in me.

  He put me down on the bed then turned around and locked my bedroom door. He pulled his shirt over his head and toed off his shoes before walking back towards m
e. I stood and met him in the middle. He roughly grabbed the back of my neck with his calloused hand pulling me close to him while he hungrily kissed me. Our tongues swirled around each other fueling the fire that was already ignited in me. He moved from my mouth placing wet kisses down my neck. I released his hair from his bun while he kissed me.

  I worked on getting his pants off while he continued to kiss and suck my neck. I got them unbuckled and down around his ankles. I went down on my knees to help him take them off. He stepped out, and I threw them to the side. I was now facing his large erection. I licked it from the base to the head. His moan prompted me to continue. I placed as much as I could in my mouth and used my hands to cover the rest. I pleasured him until I felt him pulling back.

  “Move Z, I’m about to…”

  I pushed against him and wouldn’t stop. I watched him as I continued. He watched me until his eyes rolled into the back of his head and I felt warm liquid shoot down my throat.

  He pulled me up into a standing position and had me naked in record time.

  “Bend over.”

  I turned and rested my hands on the bed. He forcefully entered me.

  “Zeke,” I called out as I felt every inch of him inside of me. It felt different this time. Bigger, harder, better. He ferociously pumped and I threw it back at him to the rhythm he set. I felt myself about to come. I didn’t want it to happen yet. It felt so good. I wanted to switch positions, but I couldn’t stop. I didn’t want him to stop. I gave in to the feeling of euphoria that was washing over my body. As my legs were giving out, he said something incoherent and came right after I did.

  I felt him slowly pull out.

  “What the…damn, Z!”

  I turned to see what had him so alarmed.

  “I didn’t put on a condom! I’m trippin’. I’m sorry.”

  “Zeke,” I put my arms around his waist. “It’s okay. I’m on birth control, and I haven’t been with anyone else, but I was tested when I moved here. I’m okay. It’s okay.”

  He exhaled and placed my face between his massive hands.

  “I was just tested too. I’m clean. I am sorry. This has never happened to me before. I never forget.”

  He kissed me.

  “I got that good-good. I told you…”

  “Yeah, yeah. Countries have gone to war…”

  “Exactly!”

  “You sure you’re okay?” He asked with concern etched on his face.

  “Zeke, I’m fine. Just worry about getting your second wind because I’m not finished with you.”

  “I got you! Give me a few minutes.”

  Ezekiel

  Zora is quietly sleeping in my arms. I should be sleep, but I keep replaying the day’s events in my head: from BJ’s accident to my accident.

  I’ve never been as afraid as I was when Zora called and said that BJ had been hurt. I put on a brave face, but I almost lost it when I walked into that hospital room and saw my little dude all bandaged up. I’m so glad he is okay.

  When Zora wrapped those full beautiful lips around my erection, I lost my mind. I’ve had plenty of top but nothing like tonight. She almost had me calling her name like a girl! I mean I wanted to, but she sucked that out of me along with everything else. Then she swallowed…all of it and then licked her lips. All I could think was that I needed to be inside of her immediately. The feeling was overwhelming. That must be what Zora meant when she said, ‘heat of the moment.’ Now I understand.

  I forgot to put on a condom. More accurately, the thought of a condom never crossed my mind. My only thought was burying myself deep inside of her in the shortest amount of time possible. When I did, it was the absolute best thing I’d ever felt; soft, warm and snug. She is the first woman that I’ve had sex with without using a condom.

  “Why aren’t you asleep?”

  I looked down and saw her looking up at me.

  “I was thinking.”

  “About what?”

  “Waking you up.”

  She climbed on top of me in a straddle position.

  “I’m up now.”

  “So am I.”

  After that last round, I was out. Zora is insatiable!

  I held her close when I dosed off and woke up with her still in my arms.

  “Z,” I ran my finger along her cheek.

  She opened her eyes and smiled.

  “Good morning.”

  “Good morning. I need to leave before B wakes up.”

  “Do you want to leave?”

  “No, I don’t.”

  “Then stay.”

  “How will we explain my presence in your bed when BJ wakes up?”

  She looked at the clock on her nightstand.

  “He won’t be awake for another couple of hours. I’m going to stay home today and keep him with me. I’m figuring his head is still going to be a little sore.”

  “I’m going to go to my house and change clothes. I will come back and make breakfast. Would you like that?”

  “I would love that.”

  “Cool.” I pulled her back into my chest. “I’m going to get up in a little while.”

  Zora

  Zeke left to go home and change his clothes. BJ woke up about an hour after Zeke left.

  “How are you feeling, Baby?”

  “I feel better. My head hurts a little.”

  My doorbell rang. BJ walked with me to the door.

  “My Zeke!” BJ screamed as soon as I opened the door.

  He had a bag of groceries in his arms.

  “Hey, big man!” Zeke picked BJ up with his free arm and walked to the kitchen.

  I followed and watched him deposit the bag and BJ on the counter.

  “I heard you and your mom were staying in today, so I brought over breakfast. Is that cool?”

  “Yes!” BJ sang.

  He placed BJ on the ground and said, “Go and wash up then we can make breakfast for your mom.”

  BJ started to run down the hall to the bathroom.

  “Aye, BJ,” Zeke called after him.

  “Huh?” BJ stopped.

  “No running in the house, man. Running is for outside, okay?”

  “Yes, sir.”

  BJ turned and power-walked to the bathroom.

  Zeke walked over and quickly kissed me.

  “Good morning.”

  “Good morning,” I smiled.

  BJ walked back into the kitchen.

  “Alright big man. We have turkey sausage, eggs, pancakes, and hash browns. I also picked up some chocolate chips for your pancakes.”

  “Yay!” BJ cheered.

  “I think we should let your mom go and relax while the men prepare breakfast. What do you think?”

  “Yeah, go and relax Mommy. Me and Zeke is gone cook you breakfast.”

  I smiled, “Okay baby. I will be right out here if you need me.”

  I smiled at Zeke, and he winked.

  I went and sat in my living room. I thought back to when I first met Bahir. He was so attentive and sweet. It felt good being around him. He treated me like I meant something to him. He made me feel important, protected and loved. When BJ was born, he was all in with taking care of him, then something changed. I guess he lost interest in me. Maybe I became too needy. I don’t know. What I do know is that I can’t go through that heartache again. I can’t give Zeke access to my heart. I’m too afraid he will hurt me the same way Bahir did. I watched him laugh and talk with BJ while they were preparing breakfast. After last night and this morning, I know I am falling for him, and I can’t afford to fall for someone else who could walk away without warning. I know that a chick with a kid is not what Zeke is looking for. He has a life and a brand. He will get bored with this whole ready-made family thing fairly quickly, I’m sure.

  I got sad thinking about what I had to do, but it’s about self-preservation. I can’t lose what I have built. I can’t go backwards I have to move forward. Distance is the key.

  10

  I feel like a stalker rig
ht now, but I have to get to the bottom of this. I left town the day after I spent the day with Zora and BJ. BJ and I prepared breakfast. We sat around all day and watched movies, played games and we had dinner together. I thought everything was great. Zora and I put BJ down and enjoyed each other one more time before I left for my flight.

  Something happened between then and now. It’s three days later and Zora hasn’t responded to any of my text messages. All my calls have gone unanswered. I tried to Facetime her to speak to BJ, she wouldn’t pick up. I know she is around because she was at dinner with the family on Sunday.

  I’m not sure if she is upset about my slip-up with not using the condom. She said she was okay. We used one every time after that. I don’t know. I’ve been racking my brain trying to figure out what I did for her to ignore me. Usually, I wouldn’t care if a woman didn’t return my text messages or calls. With Zora, I care. I care about her. I want her in my life.

  I parked next to her car in the garage of her office building waiting for her to come out. I got off the plane and came straight here. If she doesn’t want to be bothered with me, then I am going to win her over. I need both her and Braeden in my life, so we are going to have to figure this out. I’ve never chased a woman, but I’m putting my running shoes on because she is not going to get away.

  I saw her emerge from the hidden door in the garage and start walking to her car. I got out of my car so that I could speak with her. I leaned on the side of my car and waited for her to notice me.

  “Zeke!” she jumped a little when she finally looked up and saw me.

  “What’s up Zora. You ignoring me?”

  I’ve seen movies where a dude pulls up on his girl at her job, and I always laugh. I knew that I would never be that dude, but here I am, stalking Zora.

  “No,” she nodded her head. Then she said, “…yes, yes I am.”

  She leaned against her car facing me.

  “Why Z, did I do something to you?”

  “Yes, Zeke. Yes, you did! You taught BJ how to pray. You discipline him when he is in the wrong, and he accepts it. You care for him like he is yours. You cook for me. You touch me and make me feel things like you created my body. You send me flowers. You tell me how beautiful I am. I’m falling, Zeke. Hard and fast. I’m falling for you, and I don’t want to. I don’t want to fall because I’m scared of getting hurt. I’m scared of you getting tired and walking away.”