by Zi'ere
25
Laini
“Laini, this is Mekhi. Zoey and I have been in an accident and she is hurt really bad. I’ve been trying to reach you all night, please call my cell when you get this message. She has been admitted to Cedars Hospital.” The voice mail seemed to echo throughout the room even after Mekhi had ended the call.
My baby had been in an accident and she is hurt really bad. My mind flashed back to the day we got the call advising us of our parent’s accident. Zoey was all I had left in the world. Surely God wouldn’t give me another burden to carry. My knees buckled under me. If I had a tear left in my body I wanted to cry. I wanted to release all of my emotions so that I could be prepared for any and everything that was waiting for me at the hospital. It hurt my heart even more when it hit me that I was so caught up in my own affairs I had not even bothered to give my sister the whole truth about what was going on with me. I was so worried about my feelings for a man. I had pushed the one person I loved more than my own life away from me. I was ashamed and disgusted with myself.
A scream that started from the depth of my abdomen escaped my vocal cords. I slid down the side of the wall and wailed uncontrollably. There was no way I could live my life without Zoey in it. She was my heart and soul.
“I’m so sorry Zoey! I’m so sorry, I wish I could have been there for you. I’m sorry I pushed you aside. God, please don’t take my baby away from me. Please, you know that I am not strong enough to live without Zoey.” My words came out in screams at the top of my lungs.
I heard the knob on my bedroom door click over and over. Liam couldn’t get in because it was locked. I didn’t have the strength to make it to the door. I was still busy praying God would spare my sister’s life. All of a sudden the door was kicked in. Wood chips went flying in the air and landed onto the carpeted floor. Liam rushed to my side.
“Zoey’s been in an accident Liam. Why would this happen to us? I need to get to the hospital now.” Once again Liam wrapped his strong arms around me as I wet another shirt of his with my tears. In that moment I started to relax, I could feel my heart go pitter-patter mode as he held me in a protective manner. I melted in his arms. It felt so right, so safe.
“Calm down Laini. Take a couple deep breaths.” Liam talked in a soothing tone while listening to the messages that continued on to play over the speaker.
One message after another, Mekhi sounded broken up on each message.
“You have to get dressed so we can get to the hospital.” He pulled my face out of his chest. I refused to look him in the eyes. I was completely paralyzed in that spot.
Liam placed my back up against the wall and made the move to stand. I watched him walk into my closet. When he returned he had a white light, airy sweat suit, and matching tennis shoes. He lifted my body from the floor and carried me over to my bed, sitting me down carefully. He pulled off the slippers on my feet. His next move was bold and full of respect. He pulled the belt from around my waist giving him access to seeing me in only my bra and panty set. Although Liam had seen me in a bikini before, I was concerned with how much of my goodies he would see today. There was no turning back the hands of time on all of the steps we were taking together at a time I needed love the most. Liam took the time to gingerly get me dressed with only minimal assistance from me.
He went to pick up my purse from the chaise sitting in the corner. Keys in hand, my purse on his arm, Liam picked me up again and exited my bedroom. Once we made it down the stairs, Liam put me into the passenger seat in the BMW. I sat in the seat and patiently waited as he made sure the house was locked and the alarm had been set. In a matter of minutes we were en route to the hospital and into the world of the unknown. My heart felt so heavy. My head was pounding and I was exhausted. I considered myself to be a good candidate for a nervous breakdown. I closed my eyes and began to meditate on Zoey’s condition. The accident had happened last night according to Mekhi. It was much later in the day by now, things could have taken a turn for the best or worst.
26
Mekhi
I was looked over by the medical professionals in the emergency room and ended up receiving a clean bill of health. I had a few scrapes, minor bruising, and I was sure my body would be sore for the next few days. Sitting beside Zoey’s hospital bed, I had been trying to reach Laini all night. It pissed me off to think of what could be going on with her. I really needed to speed things up. The doctors gave me confirmation that Zoey had a seizure as a result of the accident. She had been knocked unconscious and was now in a coma. Her condition was described as critical. Even though I wanted her completely erased off the earth, I would have to settle with her being unable to communicate or move for a while. I decided not to wait another day. I would be the one to comfort Laini and make all my dreams come true. First things first, I still needed to get in contact with Laini.
I pulled my cell phone out again and prompted it to speed dial her. After two rings a male answered the phone.
“Laini Jefferies phone.”
“Who is this and why do you have Laini’s phone?” I could feel the anger building up in my body. It was obvious the reason she couldn’t be available for me or Zoey was because she was off somewhere having loose panties. I swear if I didn’t need her so much, I would forget about her.
“It is of no importance to you who I am. What is the matter of business you wish to discuss with Laini?”
This guy had a serious attitude problem that was starting to irritate me.
“Look dude, I don’t have time to go back and forth with you! Tell her this is Mekhi, I have been trying to reach her all night. Just put Laini on the phone I am not about to take the time to explain such a delicate situation with you!” I could no longer hold my tongue.
“Laini is on the way to the hospital right now.”
“I’m not going to ask again for you to put her on the phone!” Whoever this dude was he had some big kahunas about himself.
Instead in entertaining me with any further conversation, he disconnected the call. I was so angry I threw my phone at the wall and watched it break into three pieces when it hit the floor. Babysitting Zoey in this hospital room had allowed some random guy to jump in the role of trustee in Laini’s life. I looked down at my clothing. There were blood stains, dirt, dust, and grime all over me. I was hoping my appearance would get some kind of sympathetic reaction from Laini and I could capitalize on it while one on one with her. That wasn’t going to happen now so I needed to come up with another plan. I wasn’t sure how close she was to arriving at the hospital but I would definitely have a plan in place by the time she got here.
I walked over to the small nightstand beside Zoey’s bed. I pulled out the phone book from the top drawer and made a call on the hospital’s land line.
“Chandler Sun Press Register information desk how can I help you?”
“Yes, can you connect me to your Social Elite department?” I began to wonder why I didn’t have the number to the local newspaper by heart. I had certainly tipped them off enough to ensure they published all of Laini’s indiscretions.
“Hold just one moment please.”
I listened to the calming flute music as I waited for someone to answer the line.
“Social Elite, what can I do for you?” The level of professionalism had dropped considerably.
“I’m calling to report that Zoey Jefferies has been involved of a traffic accident and is now in a coma. Laini has just found out about it and is en route to Cedars Hospital right now.”
The rude man on the line didn’t ask any further questions or make any statements to me. There was no way he could say anything because he had hung up on me. I smiled thinking to myself of the media frenzy that would meet Laini at the hospital’s entrance. Whoever this guy was that was so comfortable with her that he answered her phone would be exposed and torn apart in the tabloids. I was sure he would be like all the others in the past, unable to handle his personal life being so public. I could have this guy gon
e in forty-eight hours. I returned everything to its rightful place and claimed my seat once again at Zoey’s side. I was ready for the next scene.
27
Laini
I watched and listened as Liam set Mekhi straight. I was no more interested in talking to him at that point than if I wanted to land on the moon. It didn’t help his position with me that he was in good condition to constantly call my phone but my sister had not been able to place one call. If I found out he was negligible in any way there was going to be hell for him to pay, there was no getting around that. From the way I was feeling emotionally about Que and Tory, then my guilt for being so selfish to avoid my sister on purpose; I was a ticking time bomb. I looked to my left to see Liam seriously focusing on the road. Suddenly he grabbed my hand and brought it to his lips. He kissed my hand softly.
“You don’t need to worry this time. I’m going to be by your side holding you up for as long as you need me. You can trust me but not only that; I will always continue to show you I am trustworthy. For a woman in your position, actions mean so much more than words.”
For the first time I noticed that his voice was soothing to my soul. Just a few hours ago I had sworn off the male species yet here was another one of God’s creatures making me feel some kinda way.
“I don’t need you to say anything. I know just as well as you do that you are caught up in a tornado right now. Embrace peace and tap into your faith that you and Zoey will be fine. I do not believe God would take Zoey from you the same way your parents were ripped for your lives. There have to be some great things to come of this situation. Meditate on finding out what that is. Don’t think of anything negative.”
His words touched my heart. I had Que to turn to for over two years but he was never present, his words were never so heartfelt, and he had never been hands on the way Liam had been for just two days. I thanked my parents silently for selecting this protector for me years ago.
Getting closer to the hospital entrance there was no mistaking the media had been tipped off about Zoey’s accident. A black cloud washed over me again. There was no way I could stomach having pictures taken again today nor was I prepared to answer any questions about my sister. I wouldn’t be much help anyway because I didn’t know anything about the who, where, what, when, and why’s. I was thankful Liam had decided to drive the car with the dark tint.
“Don’t worry sweetheart, I’m not going to let you get bombarded by those sharks.” Still holding my hand, he gave me a light squeeze.
Liam circled around the hospital and pulled up to a rear entrance that was used for shipping and receiving. He picked up his cell phone and scrolled through the contacts. Soon thereafter a woman answered the line.
“Buon giorno, Abrielle!”
“Mi chiamo Liam.”
I looked at him in total shock. I never would have guessed in a million moons that Liam spoke Italian.
“Ciao Liam!”
“Avere Laini Jefferies con me e ha bisogno di entrare a vedere la sorella.”
“Si.”
“Vieni alla zona di spedizione.”
“Si”
“Saro’ li in cinque minuti.”
“Ok, grazie” He looked at me when the call was disconnected.
“She will be down here to open the door in five minutes.” He gave me a reassuring smile.
“I know.”
“Wow, I learn something new about you every day.” For the first time in a while I wanted to return his smile in return, but it didn’t really seem fitting for the occasion.
“Do you have your makeup bag with you? Just in case someone has a connect on the inside like me, you don’t want to be caught without a filter on pics in the blogs.”
His words were so true. I remembered the awful look I had in the morning paper after the Que and Tory incident.
“Yes, I have a bag inside my purse.” I pulled down the visor to look at myself in the small mirror.
I was horrified by the sight I saw yet the way he talked I just needed to put on some lip gloss. For the next few minutes Liam brushed out my hair while I made my face look fresh yet it still held the look of worry. True to her word Abrielle, a registered nurse allowed us access to the hospital. Liam hit the alarm on the ignition key as Abrielle embraced me. She whispered words of encouragement into my ear. I wasn’t sure of her involvement with Liam but she had a sweet spirit, as all nurses should be. She told us that Zoey was still in ICU. I thought my heart would stop beating. Abrielle walked the halls briskly and I struggled to keep up even though Liam was pulling me by the hand. What I really wanted to do was crawl into the fetal position and wilt away from a broken heart. When she stopped in front of an oversized closed door I began to feel nauseous. Liam opened the door and pushed me into the room first.
28
Emani
I had just ended my nightly conversation with my husband, Darrell when breaking news flashed across the bottom of the television screen. In bold black letters Laini Jefferies name were the first words that started the ticker tape that advised the world she was caught in the middle of a catfish lesbian love triangle. The next sentence stated that the woman that Laini had described to the media as her boyfriend shocked her husband when she kissed Laini and professed her love. I sprinted to my office and powered up my personal computer. On the tabloid site TMZ, Laini had been made the star of the night. Pictures showing a woman embracing Laini, the kiss the two shared, and the disgusted look on the Laini’s face were plentiful. I counted fifteen pictures in all.
My jaw dropped and no matter how many times I tried to understand the information I was reading, I still could not close my mouth.
“A lesbian affair, Laini?’ I spoke out loud when I regained my composure. “We are in the fashion industry, more than half of the people we worked with had various sexual preferences! Why would she let something so common come out like this? I made it to the sixteenth picture and there was Quese. I couldn’t read his facial expression at all.
“What’s wrong Emani?” Darrell had almost given me a heart attack by sneaking up on me when I wasn’t paying attention.
I ignored his question. I was trying with all my might to ponder if I had ever gotten a lesbian vibe from Laini. She’d always talked about Quese as being a dominant man. I had never heard her refer to Que as having any feminine ways. She had always referred to him as an alpha male. We were all spiritual people, not too overly religious and there was no need to hide her sexual preference ever. We were in the fashion industry for Pete’s sake. Before I picked up the phone I knew in my heart that Laini would not want to talk to me. I was on the top of her shit list about what I had said. And this chaos hitting the blogs, she was not going to be happy about all that she had endured. She never even told anyone that Quese was coming into town tonight. I could use this entire situation to smooth over the friction I had caused.
I went back into my bedroom and stepped into my walk in closet. I grabbed some sweats and a t-shirt. Then I grabbed my Gucci tote bag and opened the top drawer of my nightstand and grabbed the prescription bottle that held my monthly supply of Xanax. It didn’t matter which one of us took a pill, they were going to be needed by one of us if not all. I shook my head while the memory of Zoey at lunch earlier in the day came to mind. My little sister was going to have steam coming out of her ears when she got the tea. Laini may not want to answer my calls tonight but I still had a key to her home. I needed to show her honest actions to fix the terrible uh-oh I had caused.
“Baby, something important has come up with Laini. I have to go to her house to talk to her and devise a plan on what our response is going to be to the press in the morning.” I tried to keep my feelings in check as I spoke.
If there was one thing that Darrell Haywood didn’t play games about- it was me, our kids, his sister, parents, and brothers. And, in that order.
“Babe, do you want me to drive you? You look upset.” He walked up to me and put his toned arms around me.
I
inhaled his scent and I began to harbor bad feelings for Laini producing this situation that would make me miss being snuggled up with my man tonight.
“As much as I hate to leave you, this is a pow-wow that has to go down between the four twins. I will text you to let you know I made it safely and I will send another one when I am on my way home.”
“Ok. Please be careful and call me if you need me. I will be here, all alone in this big bed, lonely. All alone, just me and my thoughts” With every word he spoke he planted small neat kisses all around my neck.
The shear passion we shared with each other came to the surface. I wanted my husband to be in between my naked legs not giving me good bye kisses.
“I promise I won’t be long so keep that idea going so you can be ready when I get back. No matter what time it is, you need to be ready for Mama.”
I gave my husband a heated French kiss with lots of tongue and playfully biting his lip.
“Damn you Laini!” Just as quick as the kiss was over I started another one.
As long as I had waited to find a man that treasured the ground I walked on and gave me beautiful babies, nothing could come before my family. Laini’s affairs would have to wait until a time that was more feasible for my family. I stood on my tip toes and wrapped my right leg around my husband as he grabbed two handfuls of my hair giving him access to the back of my neck. His kisses were intoxicating and by the time he inserted his tongue in my ear my panties were wet. Darrell wiggled out of the hold I had on him. He took the time to slowly undress me and place kisses on every spot that had been covered by clothing. Roughly grabbing my breasts and pulling the nipples with his teeth was how we got the twins started. I smiled as I watched him feast on my flesh. Picking me up and walking me to the bed was a task he had mastered when we were dating.
29
Emani
The chauffeured Lincoln town car slowed down to a neat stop beside the curb of the tallest business in downtown Chandler, Arizona. The sun had started to peak from behind the buildings as it continued its path to shine on the world. Joe, my normal personal driver hustled to the curb side door and opened it. The cold air hit me in the face as I scooted out of the seat and into a standing position with Joe holding my hand. I was just about to close the door shut when I remembered my sister had rode with me that morning.
