Let Me Just Say This

by B. Swangin Webster

  “No, I was in an accident a little while ago, and my stomach had been bothering me ever since, and my husband likes it a little rough, that’s all.”

  “Oh, is that what you normally tell people. That the bruises are from rough sex? What about the bruises we found on your back, what is that from? Please let someone help you.”

  “I would like to get some rest now,” she said as she turned over.

  Matthew left her room and noticed that this woman was hovering over Kevin like a moth to a flame. Kevin seemed to know this woman intimately, and was not trying to hide the fact.

  Matthew spoke with Lynette before leaving the hospital. Kayla came into the hospital with Donnell on her heels. Donnell went to speak with his grandparents. Kayla walked up to her dad.

  “How could you? You did it again? Didn’t you? I knew you would end up hurting her! She tried killing herself because of you, and here you are with this woman all over you. Are you happy? You took my dad from my mom?”

  “Kayla that is enough!” Kevin screamed, causing everyone to look in their direction.

  “No, you hit her all the time. You think we don’t hear you? We do!”

  “That’s enough young lady,” Kevin said while grabbing her arm.

  “What are you going to do, hit me too? Go ahead, but I will call the cops on your sorry ass!”

  Kevin was nearing the end of his rope with her. Rebecca tried coaxing him away, but he pulled away from her.

  “She’s angry, let her be,” Rebecca said.

  “Better listen to your little girlfriend. Before she has to bail you out of jail.”

  “Stop acting like a spoiled little brat!”

  “I will, as soon as you stop being a wife beater.”

  Before she could say another word, Kevin had slapped her. Donnell came running up to his father and slammed him against the hospital wall.

  “Don’t you ever touch her!” Donnell screamed.

  “Well lookahere. If it isn’t my punk ass son, trying to stick up for his little sister. I thought it would be the other way around, being that you’re such a pussy,” Kevin sneered.

  Donnell started swinging and Kevin sidestepped him. “Don’t get your bitch ass hurt up in here,” Kevin said. Donnell connected with a punch to his face and blood poured from Kevin’s nose. “You little…”

  Lynette rounded the corner just as Rebecca was struggling to pull them apart. Donnell’s shirt was torn and he had a busted lip. Kevin was holding his shirt to his bleeding nose.

  “Don’t you ever put your fucking hands on my sister again!”

  “I’m your father nigga…”

  “Oh, I wish you weren’t. I also wish my father didn’t beat my mom, but that isn’t true either, is it? Put your hands on my sister or my mom again, and I will put a bullet in you.”

  Donnell said and stormed away. Lynette walked over and comforted Kayla.

  “You should be ashamed of yourself,” She said to Kevin.

  “Who the fuck are you lady? You need to mind your own damn business,” Kevin said.

  “C’mon sweetie. Let’s go see your mom,” she said, leading Kayla down the hall.

  When they arrived in Cheryl’s room, Kayla ran to her bed and started crying. “I hate him! I hate him!” It truly broke Cheryl’s heart. Lynette sat down and pulled Kayla down in the chair.

  Matthew stood and said he needed to leave and get some fresh air. “I will be back later,” he said and kissed Cheryl on the forehead. He walked to the elevators, got in and his anger overtook him. He punched the wall. When the doors opened, he saw Kevin standing there. Matthew exited and brushed past Kevin.

  “Punk ass…” Before Kevin finished, Matthew had him pinned against the wall. “Partna, don’t fucking press your luck. Don’t take me for being overly generous. I will get rid of your punk ass and think nothing of it.”

  Matthew walked off before Kevin could respond.

  Chapter 42

  The cold air shocked Matthew. Had it been this cold earlier? He hopped into his car and headed towards the gym. He needed to work off some of this anger.

  Kevin walked back into Cheryl’s room to see Kayla talking with her mother. Kevin figured she must be telling Cheryl her version of what had just happened.

  “Mom, why don’t you just leave? You can’t love him. You never smile, you never laugh like you used to. You are always sitting in your room and crying. Then you let him hit you all the time. You don’t ever call the police, nothing. You tell me and Donnell not to let people hurt us, but you let dad do it every day. Why don’t you take your own advice?”

  Cheryl was surprised at what Kayla was saying, “Kayla, your dad is not a bad man. He has a temper and sometimes I push him too far, that’s all. You should not have talked to him that way, it wasn’t right. You need to apologize to him. Donnell also needs to apologize, that was very disrespectful.”

  “What about him. He disrespects you by beating you.”

  “Sweetie, don’t get upset with our problems. You are only a teenager and one day you will understand the choices that grownups make when they think they are doing something right but it turns out all wrong.”

  “No I won’t. I will never understand why you let him beat you up.” Kayla got up and stormed from the room.

  Kevin stood in the doorway, not believing what he had just heard. She could have told Kayla a million different things, instead she had defended him. Why did she make him so angry? Cheryl could have been his soul mate, but she had become so needy. Was he actually like his father? Why was Cheryl able to push his buttons? Kevin walked in cautiously.

  “I’m not here to argue. I just want you to grant me the divorce and I will be on my way. I have called the lawyer and have taken care of everything. Donnell and I just had it out, but he is still my child and I will take care of him, no matter what. I will pay for their school a year in advance, so you won’t have to worry about that. If you want the truck, you can have it. I’m tired of the fighting.”

  “Are you saying all of this because you think I am going to have you thrown in jail?”

  “Look, I’m doing this because I want to be happy. Ain’t shit got to do with you making any threat.”

  “I’m not pressing charges. I just want you to get some help.”

  “I don’t need anything but my divorce,” Kevin said angrily.

  “You are pathetic,” she mumbled.

  “Look, I didn’t come in here for a fucking argument. See that is why you always got your ass beat. You don’t know when to keep your fucking mouth shut.”

  “All I said…”

  “Shut up!” he yelled a little too loud, causing the nurse to come running.

  “I’m ok,” Cheryl assured her.

  Kevin continued, “Just do what I ask you to do. Just grant the divorce and you and your little boyfriend can ride off in the sunset.”

  “Like I said before, Matthew is just my friend. No matter what you think. You are the only one who brought someone else in this marriage. Whoever she is, I hope she doesn’t make you mad like I always seemed to do. You just might end up in jail.”

  Kevin stormed out of the room.

  Cheryl’s head was spinning. What in the hell just happened? She was finally going to be free of him, free from the hell, and free to live her life as she pleased. What could she do? All she knew was being Mrs. Goldman, a wife and mother. How was she going to manage?

  Chapter 43

  Matthew worked out for almost two hours. Sparring was such a great release for him. Every blow was for her. Every punch was meant to take the pain away.

  “Damn, what has got you so worked up?” his sparring partner asked.

  “Nothing, just stressed.”

  “Over some chic?”

  Matthew stopped long enough to give him a long hard stare. “No.” He stopped sparring again and after a long pause said, “Ever been in a situation where you know what you need to do, but you don’t know how to do it?”

  “Yep, plenty o
f times.”

  “And?”

  “And, your gut tells you what to do. The answer will become clear.”

  “Thanks.”

  “For?”

  “For listening and taking a beating,” Matthew said, giving his partner a quick shot to the gut. “I owe you lunch.”

  “Naw nigga, you owe me breakfast, dinner and a couple of snacks.”

  Matthew headed towards the sauna. The heat and the steam would relax the rest of his tension away. He walked in and let the steam take over. Before long he was thinking of Cheryl.

  She sat next to him. Her smooth dark skin glistened with beads of perspiration.

  She rested her head back on the wall. His fingers gliding over her skin. His touch made her skin tingle. She was the most beautiful creature he knew. He stood before her, letting his towel drop from his waist. He knelt, wanting to taste her essence. His tongue licked her ankles slowly inching up behind her knee.

  She loved this, and she moaned her pleasure. He kissed and licked the inside of her thighs, blowing small puffs where his tongue once was. He continued his journey to her secret garden. He tasted her sweetness and was turned on even more. He licked her, sucked her and caressed her. His tongue dove deep into her juicy abyss. His fingers played her button like a violin.

  She came once, and then she came again. The more he tasted, the more he wanted. She moved away from his mouth but he wrapped his muscular arms around her thighs and pulled her back. He dove inside her again. Her moans filled the sauna. His manhood was solid. God he couldn’t get enough of her. He needed to fill her.

  He came up to her and kissed her hungrily. He kissed her ears, her neck, her shoulders, her breasts. He wanted her so badly. Let me in, baby, he whispered in her ear, “Let me in.”

  The knocking jolted him back into reality. Shit. It was only a dream. Hell, don’t tell his penis that. He was willing, ready and able. Matthew walked slowly and opened the door. Two older women were waiting. They must have taken notice of the bulge under his towel.

  “Oh, you can stay,” one of them said with a wink. “We won’t hurt you.”

  The other chimed in, “Unless you want us to.” They shared a laugh.

  “This is for one person and one person only,” he said with a wink and smile.

  “Lucky girl.’

  “No, lucky me,” He said and headed toward the shower. He needed one badly, a nice cold one.

  Cheryl woke in a panic.

  “Someone really loves you,” a voice said. “There were at least four dozen delivered.”

  She felt panicked and tried climbing out of bed.

  “Whoa and where do you think you are going?”

  “I have to get out of here.”

  “Sweetie, you need to rest.”

  “I can’t. I need to get out of here.” The nurse called for assistance.

  “Please Mrs. Goldman, you need to calm down.”

  Cheryl was like a wild animal. The nurses were still struggling with her when Matthew arrived.

  “What’s wrong with her?” he asked coming to her bedside.

  “Sir, we are not sure. She woke up like this.” Cheryl looked at him pleadingly.

  “They won’t let me go. I can’t stay here.”

  “It’s only for one night. Then in the morning, I will come and get you and take you home.”

  “No, I won’t stay here!” she was becoming hysterical. Dr. Thornton arrived.

  “Don’t you like Conchita? The food and the service can’t be that bad, or is it her breath; you know she eats tons of garlic,” he said jokingly.

  “Can I just go home?”

  “Tomorrow morning.”

  “No, now,” she demanded.

  “First thing in the morning you can be the first one out the doors. But for now, we just need to keep you for observation. Now, just lay back, take a deep breath and let Conchita keep you company. Her breath isn’t that bad is it?”

  Cheryl laid back and looked at the ceiling. She heard him ask to speak with Matthew.

  “She will be fine. She just had a panic attack, which is not uncommon given what she has been through. She could start having nightmares as well. I don’t think she should have any more visitors.”

  “Was her husband here?”

  “I can’t tell you that, but as her friend, ask her to calm down, and rest. And that I will let her leave in the morning.”

  Matthew walked in and she tried to stop crying.

  “It’s ok. Go on and cry. I am here for you. Always remember that.”

  “No, you aren’t,” she whined.

  “What do mean?”

  “You said you would always be there for me. You weren’t. You weren’t there, when he dragged me to the window and…..he raped me. Oh Matthew, he raped me.”

  Matthew was cemented to the floor.

  “I’m sorry,” is all he could mutter. He climbed on the bed with her and gathered her in his arms. He spoke in a whisper, “I can’t lose you. My mother fell in love with the wrong man and paid the price for it. I will not let you do the same. I will protect you with everything that I have. You are safe, safe in my arms and I will wrap my love and protection around you.” He said as he smoothed down her hair and waited for her to fall asleep.

  Chapter 44

  Two years later the divorce was final. Thanks to Matthew, Cheryl learned that she is an important person. Matthew began teaching her how to box. The kids are in an adjustment period. Kayla stopped speaking to her father shortly after the miscarriage but now she is not talking to Cheryl either. Donnell moved in with his friends until he graduated and went off to college. Cheryl learned that Rebecca Hardy was the other woman after all the years of wondering. She was right under her nose the entire time.

  She stopped by his office late one night to drop off some the folders with the contract that she found in her box with her important papers. She started to leave them on the desk out front, but heard voices, so decided to walk towards the back. There they were, him with his ass all up in the air and her legs wrapped around him like the snake that she was. Cheryl couldn’t move. She had become a mute at that very moment.

  “Whose is it Rebecca?” he asked as Cheryl looked on.

  “Umm, didn’t mean to interrupt you. Good Lord, I guess he didn’t want to waste the money on a hotel, huh?” Cheryl said, “here are the papers I told you I would drop off.”

  “Now that you did, you can leave.” He said as he yanked up his pants and tried to push his hard penis into his pants.

  Cheryl looked past him and to the woman rising from the desk. “You should be ashamed of yourself. Business manager and home wrecker. You are very talented.”

  “You can leave now,” he said.

  Cheryl continued talking to Rebecca, “Was there ever a time that you thought, umm, this is wrong. He is a married man, or are you just a tramp who couldn’t find her own man?”

  Rebecca was dressed and putting on her shoes.

  “How dare you,” she said while she was fixing her clothes.

  “How dare me, you are the one with her legs stuck up in the air and wrapped around another woman’s husband, who is also her boss.”

  Rebecca spoke fast, “You have a nerve, what the two of us do is none of your business.”

  “Well, we weren’t even separated when he started this little affair, now were we honey? No wonder you didn’t want to tell me who it was. Did you know that after being with you, he would come home and have sex with me too? Of course you didn’t. You must think I am totally stupid. All the nights, you needed me. That nasty ass perfume lingered on you like a cheap suit. It was the first thing I smelled when you walked into the house. Oh, how about when he traveled, he always brought along a box of condoms. Oh, didn’t think I knew that either. We didn’t use them, so let me guess who they were for. Then one day I called you a bitch. My God, he flipped. Did you know he raped me and caused me to have a miscarriage? You got what you wanted, my husband. But don’t get too secure, you’re r
eplaceable, isn’t that right honey?”

  “Get the hell out of here!” he growled at her.

  “Gladly. You two deserve each other.” she turned and started to walk away.

  “By the way, you aren’t that good. She is faking it.”

  Rebecca tried moving past Kevin. Kevin rushed towards her before she could walk through the door, “Don’t you ever come here unannounced again? Do you understand me? You have no right to talk to her that way.”

  “I have every damn right. She ruined my marriage.”

  “No sweetheart, our marriage was ruined before she came into the picture.”

  “Fuck you Kevin!” she said as Kevin pushed her out of his office.

  Chapter 45

  Cheryl reached her car and fell to pieces. Her cell phone began to ring.

  “Babe, where are you. I have been at your place for almost an hour,” Matthew said.

  “I-I…can we do this some other night?”

  “What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing, I’m just…..” Cheryl started crying uncontrollably. “It was his secretary all along. He has been screwing her under my nose all this time.”

  “Babe, where are you? Come home and we can talk….” Matthew said into the receiver.

  Cheryl hung up the phone. She drove until she came to the first liquor store she could find. She needed something to calm her nerves. She drank half of the Bacardi before getting home. She could feel the buzz take over.

  She staggered into the house and flung herself onto the sofa. Matthew came over to check on her.

  “Babe, it’s ok,” he said while kneeling in front of her.

  Cheryl looked up as she felt his hand on her leg. The alcohol was really altering her decision-making process. She reached up and pulled his head close to hers then kissed him passionately. She pushed her tongue into his mouth, kissed his ears, and his neck. His hands wrapped around her waist. She needed to put Kevin out of her mind.