“Jyme,” I called out to him, but he didn’t answer me.
“Are you still with me?” I cried out through the pain.
Still, he said nothing. I squeezed his finger tight, and he released my hands. His fingers were back at my waist, and he dug his fingers into me. The tears started then. I held onto the wall for support. Jyme pulled at my hair so hard that I knew my extensions wouldn’t hold up much longer.
“Do you want me to stop? Just tell me to stop, Cricket.”
“No, don’t. Jyme, please…I love you.”
“Yeah, that’s what the fuck I thought. You don’t want me to stop.”
And then he slammed into me.
“Jyme!”
“Do you want me to stop?”
“Stop asking me that!” I yelled back at him. “No, I don’t want you to fuckin’ stop. I can take it. I need you.”
He stopped, and the pain worsened. I cried and cried. He yanked my hair even harder and started right back up. Babe was really wailing now, and I could hear someone running down the stairs. I heard the bedroom door swing open and hit the wall. Someone ran over to Babe and tried to soothe her. I could hear Babe even clearer now, but she was okay. Jyme slowed and stopped. I looked back at him, and he was looking toward the shower curtain. He looked as though he was about to bolt.
“No, don’t stop,” I whispered. He turned back around, and I slammed back down on him. I heard Michael’s little feet running then.
“Cricket?” Chyna called out to me in a worried tone. “Cricket, what the fuck!” Cinnamon yelled from the bedroom.
“I’m okay,” I shouted. “Get the baby.”
The baby was screaming at the top of her little lungs, and I was crying hysterically now.
“Cricket, this won’t help!” Chyna yelled back at me.
“Yes, it will!” I screamed through a long stroke, and then Jyme pounded inside of me.
“We’re going outside. You guys need to work this shit out,” Cinnamon yelled over the shower and slammed the bedroom door.
“Jyme, please!”
“Please what, Cricket?” he asked, pounding into me harder than ever.
“I’m sorry. I’m sorry for everything. Jyme, I’m sorry.”
“Sorry for what?”
“Everything!”
“Are you sorry for being a lying whore?” he slammed into me even harder. I felt and heard something rip. My legs started going numb, and I felt like I was about to pass out.
“Jyme,”
“What?”
“Forgive me, and love me again.”
He didn’t respond; he just kept pounding inside me. This wasn’t working, and I was so sure it would. He wasn’t even listening to me; he didn’t even care. I loved this man to the core, and he didn’t give a fuck.
“Tell me we can work this out?” I whined.
I looked down, and the water at the bottom of the tub was pink. I was feeling light-headed. I’d stopped screaming now. There wasn’t any use anymore. I just cried and gasped for air.
“Tell me you can love me again; tell me we can be a family.”
“You’re fuckin’ crazy.”
“What?”
“Cricket, I could never love you again.”
“Jyme.”
“You’re a whore, always have been and always will be.”
He slid out of me then yanked the condom off. I felt his hot semen hit my back and trail down my leg. I dropped to my knees and rolled to my side.
“Every time I look at you, all I see is you sucking Troy’s dick, and you swallowing his fuckin’ load. Troy, out of all the fuckin’ people in the world. You let him fuckin’ cum in your mouth. I’ll never kiss that fuckin’ mouth again.”
“Jyme, he made me do it.”
“I saw you. You liked it. You love sucking dick, no matter who’s it is.”
“No, that’s not true. I only want to suck yours; only you, Baby!”
“Look at you…how could you ever be someone’s mother?”
“You hate me?” I whispered.
‘Don’t ask me that shit. You won’t like the answer,” he snapped.
I looked up at him, and he looked down at me in disgust. I was in so much pain I knew I couldn’t move just yet. He yanked the shower curtain open and stepped out.
I lay there for a few minutes, and then I heard the front door slam.
“Cricket,” Cinnamon yelled.
I couldn’t speak yet. I just cried and cried.
“Cricket, you’re bleeding really bad; honey.”
I couldn’t speak yet so I just sobbed.
“Why did you…?”
I cut her off.
“I wanted him to, I thought…I thought he would…”
Cinnamons eyes filled with tears then.
“I know what you thought, honey; but this isn’t the way.”
“This is the only way I know. I don’t know any other way.”
I slowly stood and screamed from the pain. I stood under the water for a few more minutes, trying to get all the blood off of me. Cinnamon got two wash clothes and wrapped them up with gauze. We stuffed as much as I could stand between my butt cheeks to stop the bleeding. I put on a t-shirt with baggy sweats. It took me forever to get up the stairs to Cinnamon’s room, but I had to.
I stayed in bed for two whole days straight. I didn’t eat or drink anything because I knew I wouldn’t be able to use the bathroom afterwards. I hadn’t seen the baby in two whole days, and I was missing her so much. I tried my best to stay as drugged up as possible. A few times when I would wake from a drug-induced nap, Michael would be in the bed with me, holding my hand. No one stayed down stairs with Jyme for any length of time. Poor little Michael was terrified of him; Chyna kept telling him that Jyme didn’t hurt little kids, but he didn’t believe her. I told him repeatedly that Jyme didn’t hurt me. I told him I was just sick, but he didn’t believe me either.
Jyme and the baby went for a walk at lunchtime that third day after the shower scene. I had Cinnamon pack us an emergency escape bag; I just had a weird feeling about Jyme now. He wasn’t himself at all, and I knew I did this to him. I had done the things I had to do for him, but he couldn’t see that now. I had to work for Troy, and this was the job he made me do. Jyme didn’t realize that if it wasn’t for him wanting that stupid casino, we wouldn’t even be in this shit.
I was trying to sit up. I was going to try to go and pee, but I knew I would need someone’s help. I heard little Michael screaming, “NO,” and then his little feet were running up the stairs. He bolted into the room and ran to the bed standing in front of me. Jyme walked in the room, and then Michael took a step toward him. “Don’t hurt my Aunt Cricket anymore,” he yelled. Chyna was standing behind Jyme peeking into the room.
Jyme looked at Michael and then at me.
“Can I talk to you for a minute?”
“Sure,” I told him hoarsely.
I still hadn’t gotten my full voice back yet, but I was almost there. I pulled Michael to me and told him if he went back downstairs with Chyna that I would let him pick anything he wanted at the store. He pondered on that for a while and then whispered, “ok.” He gave Jyme a dirty look and went back downstairs with Chyna.
“I’m going back to the reservation. I can protect myself better around family, and it’s safer there. I’ve already rented a car, and it will be delivered tomorrow morning. I will leave right after that.”
I knew exactly what he was going to say next; I sat there and waited for it. I had to make sure my face was set right because this was about to be Oscar worthy.
“I’m taking the baby with me.”
I didn’t react at all, and he looked a bit shocked himself.
“Cricket, did you hear me?”
“Yes, I heard you, and I can’t argue with you on that.”
“Cricket, you can come see her anytime you want. I promise I’ll keep her safe.”
“I know you will.”
I looked out the wind
ow; the day was almost gone now.
“Cricket, about the other day,” he paused.
I held my hand up to him. “I wanted you to. I realize now that our time has passed, and I know you’ve moved on. I understand that.”
He looked at me as if I was crazy. He was about to say something, but he stopped himself.
“Could you send Cinnamon up please?” I asked him.
He stood up. I was still looking out the window. He stared at me for a minute or two and then went back downstairs. I heard little feet running up before Jyme got all the way down. Michael burst in and looked me over twice, and then he ran back downstairs.
“He didn’t hurt her this time.”
Cinnamon came right upstairs, and she gave me a once over too.
“We have to leave as soon as he gets in the shower. I need help getting downstairs.”
When I made it down, Jyme was feeding the baby. Cinnamon sat two pillows down on the couch and helped me sit down gently. I was in so much fuckin’ pain, but I hid it well. I had to grin and bear it because I couldn’t take any more pain medicine if we were leaving soon. Cinnamon slowly, but surely, collected all the items we would need from the house. Anyone looking at her would think she was just straightening up. Chyna knew something was up, but we hadn’t had a chance to fill her in yet.
All of sudden, Jyme handed me the baby. “I’m going to go take a shower,” he told me with a small smile. I looked down at her, and she looked exactly same. I smelled her, and she smelled like babies were supposed to smell. Jyme had never given her directly to me before, and everyone watched us. I guess he thought since he was taking her from me, the least he could do was let her spend some time with me alone. He went into the bedroom, shutting the door behind him, and we all listened for the water in the shower.
I whispered to Chyna, “We gotta go. Now!”
She nodded, and looked at Michael with her pointy finger pressed against her lips. He nodded and grinned wide; he loved secrets. Chyna went upstairs and came back down with the bags. Then I heard the water from the shower come on.
“Get the extra phone and three thousand in cash and leave it for him on the table,” I told Cinnamon.
“Chyna, come get the baby.”
She took her and went straight to the truck with Michael on her heels. Cinnamon helped me to the truck. There was a pillow on the seat. I dreaded the climb in, but we had to leave and we had to leave now. I got in and laid over the seat, I wasn’t able to sit up straight yet.
“Go!” I yelled at Cinnamon.
She started the truck and slammed it into reverse. She put it in drive and floored the gas. I sat up slowly and put my seatbelt on.
“Where’s the phone?” I asked. Chyna handed me the other non-traceable phone. I held it in my hand because I knew he would call. We had just made it to the main road when the phone rang. I let it ring three times and then answered.
“Jyme.”
“Cricket, bring me the baby,” he said in broken sobs.
“I can’t do that.”
“Bring me my baby back!”
“Jyme, you’re not thinking straight. You rented a car in your name and gave them the address. Troy and Trey will be at that house by in the morning. I suggest you take the money, call a cab, and get the hell out of there.”
“Cricket, do you know what you’ve just done?” he asked in a dull voice.
I sat there in silence waiting for him to enlighten me.
“I’m going to kill you the next time I see you.”
I hung the phone up and wrapped my arms around myself. I started rocking and crying with my face toward the passenger window. Chyna put her hands on my shoulders, and that made me cry worst. She unbuckled her seat belt and wrapped her arms around my seat and me, and I cried and cried.
About an hour later, we made it to Knoxville. I decided Georgia would be our best bet right now, so we headed that way. I told them we could stop and stretch our legs in a few hours. I never once told any of them where we were going. By the time we had gotten an hour away from Knoxville, Jyme had called over a dozen times; but I couldn’t hear any more of his threats, so I stopped answering.
“Do you think I should take her back to Aunt Nan?” I whispered to Cinnamon while everyone was sleeping.
“‘No, Cricket! She’s yours, and you have sacrificed so much for her. Don’t you listen to Jyme. Don’t you do it! You’re a great mother to that baby. I will help you, and so will Chyna. Yes, we’re a little dysfunctional, but we know how to stick together.” The phone rang, and it wasn’t a number I recognized, so I answered it.
“Hello?” I said into the phone.
“I’m not sure what you did, but they have a lead on you,” Aunt Nan said.
“I know. It was Jyme, but we’re already gone,” I told her. “How did you know?”
“They’ve been sitting out on the main road for two days, and about thirty minutes ago, they all hauled ass out of here like something was on fire.”
“Ok.”
“Do you have a plan?”
“Yes.”
“Get rid of him. He’s going to get you caught,” she warned me.
“Already done.”
“Good girl. The streets aren’t for everybody.”
“I know.”
“All is well?”
“Yes, ma’am; all is well.”
“Good.” And then she was gone.
I hung the phone up and told Cinnamon we were going to be alright and that I was keeping the baby with me for now. I pulled the phone out and sent a text to the other phone.
“They know where you are. GET OUT!”
Chapter 9
Atlanta
We made it to Atlanta a little after 3:00 a.m. Everyone was sleeping, and I had nothing but my thoughts keeping me company now. The pain helped me stay awake; I had to keep going and the pain was my motivation. I had to protect my family, and I’d do it by any means necessary. I pulled into a Marriot and got us two connecting rooms. Chyna took both of the kids in and got them into bed; Cinnamon and I unpacked the truck. I checked the phone; Jyme hadn’t text me back. I started to get worried and prayed he got out in time.
The next day, I decided Chyna and I needed a new identity. Well, we needed our old identity. We had to come up with a whopper of a story. We told the Social Security Department we had been living on a compound and that we had finally escaped. We told them we wanted everything kept private because we wanted to start a new life. It actually worked. We both got a license and social security cards. We had to make up an address to give them. Chyna went ahead, and changed Michael’s last name to match ours. Then we went and got a P.O. Box and forwarded our fake address to the P.O. Box.
We went out to eat that night, Michael insisted on spaghetti so we went to Buco Di Beppo. We sat at The Pope table. That table was normally reserved for a big party, but Michael liked the Pope’s head and he insisted. I paid a little extra for the table, but everyone was pleased for the extra room.
The baby started getting a little fussy, and I clammed up. Jyme had always comforted and held her when she got like that, so it felt weird without him being there. Chyna and Cinnamon watched me while she fussed and kicked in her car seat. I realized I was the only parent she had now and I needed to step it up. I unhooked her from her car seat and picked her up. She stopped fussing at once. I pulled her to my chest and smiled at her. She had a chunk of my long extensions balled up in her little fist. It reminded me of her and Jyme together, and I felt sad. I didn’t intend to keep her from him long. But he wasn’t thinking straight right now, and I could never put her in any kind of danger. I looked down at her and told her she was such a pretty baby.
We were a dysfunctional bunch, but we were together and I could honestly call us a family. The next morning I left the hotel early before anyone woke. I went to a few of the towns I’d searched online for the lowest rates in the vicinity. There was Alpharetta, which was twenty miles from Atlanta. Cumming was just thirty-three m
iles from Atlanta, and then there was Buford, which was thirty-eight miles from Atlanta. I checked out all of the rental houses with two-car garages that caught my eye. I wanted something that was semi-secluded and with a fenced-in yard for the kids. I looked at three properties in Alpharetta, four in Cumming, and one in Buford.
The one in Buford was perfect. It was a four-bedroom and four-bath house with a closed-in backyard that already included a trampoline, swing set, and sand box. The owner said he could have the entire outside and inside furniture moved out in the next week or so, but I told him we had just moved to town and would love to rent the furniture from him. He was delighted, and I signed a six-month lease on the property.
The phone hadn’t rung since I sent the text; so when I got back to the hotel, I sat in the parking lot and dialed the only number that was stored in the phone. It rang six times, and then a generic message said to leave a message after the beep. I hung the phone up and sent a text.
“Please let me know that you’re okay.”
I pressed send. I pulled out the address book in my purse and found the number I wanted to dial. The phone rang twice.
“This is D’Artagnan.”
“Hi.”
We sat there in silence for a minute or so.
“Are you safe?”
“Yes, I am. Thanks to you.”
“I love you.”
“I know you do.”
“Cricket, I need to see you.”
“That’s why I was calling you.”
“Where are you?”
“When can you get away for a few days?” I asked him.
“Now!”
“I will book you a flight tomorrow and email you the confirmation number.”
“I’ll be there, Cricket.”
I hung up the phone and got out of the truck. I used my keycard and walked into the room. Chyna and Cinnamon watched me carefully and then seemed to relax a little. Neither one of them said a word to me. Michael was running around and Babe was goo goo and gah gahing on the bed.
Wounded Love (G Street Chronicles Presents From Love to Loathe Series) Page 12
