Releasing Rhythm

by WEST, T. J.

  What did he just say? Crossing my arms, I ask in a snooty tone, “Excuse me?”

  “Listen to me!” I jump from his shout. Then with such terror and fear in his eyes, he grabs me by the shoulders, scaring me. “My dad is after you, Fireball. He sent me a picture of you, threatening your life in exchange for money. Now pack a fucking bag so I can take you to Sandy’s.”

  I’m in sudden shock. His dad, the drug user-dealer-maker, child abuser– omg. “He what?” I gasp. “He’s been following me and knows where I live?”

  Cupping my face in his hands, Jason says, “Yes. Now do what I say, and don’t question me.”

  Without another word, I hurry to my bedroom and begin packing. The whole time I’m gathering my things, I feel as if this is some kind of nightmare and any minute I’m going to wake up, go about my day and forget that my life was spinning out of control. Holy shit but it’s not. This is real, and I’m deathly afraid. I haven’t prayed since I was a little girl. Wonder if God will even listen to me after all these years. But if He is listening now….please, please keep me and Jason safe.

  Once I’m packed and changed into a pair of jeans, t-shirt, sweater, and my Converse, I walk back out to the living room where I find Jason leaning up against the wall, with his legs and arms crossed, head down. His eyes are closed and he looks deep in thought. Oh, how I would love to know what he’s thinking.

  Clearing my throat, I say, “Okay, I’m ready.”

  Immediately, Jason takes my bag. “Let’s go.” Then goes for the door.

  Taking hold of his arm, I stop him. “Jason, I’m really scared.” My voice is shaky and I’m on the verge of crying.

  “Yeah, I know,” he replies without so much as a glance at me. Can’t he see and hear how fucking scared I am?

  “Jason, stop!” I cry. “I. Am. Terrified.” Enunciating each word in a loud whisper.

  Closing his eyes for a split second, and then exhaling, Jason puts down my bag then takes me into his arms, rubbing my back. I clutch onto him for dear life. “I’m sorry, baby,” he says with remorse and concern. “I’m sorry. You’ll be safe at Sandy and Quinn’s. Promise.”

  “I want to stay with you.” My body is out of control, shaking but Jason continues to soothe me.

  “No.” He kisses my temple then places his hands back on my shoulders, distancing our connection. “You’re better off at your friends’ house.”

  “I thought you moved into that new apartment with the security and all?”

  He nods. “I did, but Quinn will keep an eye on you.”

  “Why can’t you keep an eye on me?” A single tear slides down my cheek.

  “Quinn would fucking kill me if you stay with me. He hates me. So the answer is no,” he replies with a hint of sadness and regret in his voice, wiping away the tear from my face.

  “So…if it weren’t for Quinn, you’d want me to stay with you?”

  His face suddenly hardens. “We can’t do this right now. Let’s go.” Once again, he picks up my bag and heads for the door.

  “Please tell me,” I argue.

  His shoulders drop. Turning back around, he says, “Yes. Alright? I want you both to be safe behind my own closed doors. But it ain’t gonna happen.”

  Both? What does he mean by that? “Both?”

  “You and the baby,” he replies, like I was supposed to know what he was talking about before.

  The baby. Closing my eyes, another tear falls. “There’s…there’s no baby,” I whisper. “I got my period this morning.” Even though the period came, I already knew I wasn’t pregnant. I took a pregnancy test after Jason had left the night we made love. I just never bothered to call and tell him, thinking it wasn’t worth it. He walked out on me. “I’ve been under a lot of stress, I guess. Or maybe it’s from getting older. I don’t know.” I shrug. “Anyway…you’re in the clear. No babies to worry about.” This may be good news for him but…I really wanted to have his baby. I wanted to feel his baby kicking inside me, telling me he loves me, and that he can’t wait to meet me. A boy. I wanted Jason’s son.

  The energy around us suddenly shifts. His body is so close to me yet he seems a million miles away. “Fireball…,” he says but then stops. His voice was thick with an unknown emotion. I can’t describe it.

  “Yes?” I ask patiently waiting on what he’s going to say next.

  Staring into my eyes, I can’t tell if he’s happy or sad about the outcome. He’s so hard to figure out. The intense stare goes on for almost a full twenty seconds before he clears his throat and tells me, “Let’s go.”

  As if I was holding my breath, I let out a big gust of air. Well, there goes that. No reason to keep up with him. He’s done with me.

  Feeling like a complete moron, I slowly follow Jason to the front door. However, the second he opens it someone tall, beefy in the arms and middle, with short gray hair, and goatee stands before us, holding a gun. He’s an older version of Jason. “Well, well, well. Where the fuck are you two heading off to?” This can’t be Jason’s dad! Oh fuck!

  Suddenly, I move behind Jason’s back, shaking like a wild leaf. Don’t faint, don’t faint, I tell myself. “The hell you think you’re doin’ with that?” Jason asks, clearly pissed off about the gun. He sounds cold and really scary. This is the side of Jason I’ve never seen or heard before.

  Hiding my face behind his neck, I feel the big burly of a man shove Jason. “Back inside. The both of you,” he growls.

  Jason takes my hand but keeps me behind him as we walk further into my living room. “Jason?” I squeak in his ear, terrified beyond anything I’ve ever felt before.

  “It’s okay, baby,” he replies softly and calmly over his shoulder. How can he be so calm about this! The lunatic with the gun wants to kill us!

  Peeking over Jason’s shoulder, I see his dad aiming the gun at Jason’s gut. “Ain’t that sweet,” he mocks us. “But nothin’s okay. Not until I get my money.” He walks closer toward us, raising the gun a little higher, pointing it at our heads. I grip onto Jason’s waist and squeeze his hand tighter. “You gonna get it for me, or is your little hot bitch gonna get my dick shoved up her ass instead?” My heart. Oh, my God…it’s going to explode out of my chest. This can’t be happening! “Your choice. Son.” He smirks in the vilest, most disgusting, and horrifying way.

  I feel Jason twitch with anger. “Don’t you lay a fucking hand on her,” he warns the nasty old coot.

  In a deep, scary chuckle his dad says, “No hands. Just my thick dick.” He grabs his crotch, making me want to throw up.

  Like a bat out of hell, Jason tears away from me, and goes flying after his dad, swinging a fist at his face. “Jason!” I scream. He pushes him down on the floor then punches him over and over again until he’s a bloody mess. Why am I just standing here? I need get help but my body won’t allow me to move. Since his dad’s bigger, he’s able to push Jason off, hitting him in the face with his gun, and knocking him down. I scream again, witnessing the love of my life getting hurt. More than anything, I want to run to him to see if he’s okay but his dad’s back is now facing me, blocking me from doing so.

  “You’re gonna regret you ever did that,” he shouts at Jason, pointing the gun at him.

  Slowly, Jason gets up from the floor with wobbly legs. I hope he’s okay. By now, I’m uncontrollably crying and so very scared for our lives. With arms wide open, Jason shouts, “Come at me, old man. Come on, shoot me. Go ahead, I dare ya!”

  Is he fucking crazy! “No!” I scream as a stream of tears cascade down my heated cheeks. “Please, Jason, please,” I beg him over and over again. Just then, someone I’ve never seen before, creeps inside my apartment like some sneaky cat. Jason’s dad’s back is facing the door so he’s not aware what’s behind him. The mystery man is massively tall, wearing a black ball cap hovering over his eyes, a tight black zipped up leather jacket, accentuating his colossal arms, black jeans, and boots. Behind his back, he’s got his hand gripped onto a gun from inside the wais
tband of his jeans. Then slowly, he holds up a finger to his mouth to let me know I should stay quiet. I comply, holding my breath.

  Still unaware of the man in black, Jason’s dad threatens him again. “You better listen to her or your sorry ass will be six feet under.”

  In a flash, mystery man seizes the gun from his waistband, pointing it at the back of Jason’s dad’s head. “Not if I can stop you, you won’t,” he says in a voice very much in control. It’s almost eerie how in control he is. Actually, his whole persona is calm, collected, and in control, like he’s done this a million times. Who the hell is this hot man saving our lives?

  Jason’s dad jerks with surprise. “Who–”

  Hot mystery man, hero in black cuts him off; his voice is like melted butter. “Don’t turn the fuck around, and drop the gun.” He further presses the gun into his head. Jason’s dad immediately drops the gun and the sound of it hitting the floor makes me jump. “Hands behind your head, slowly, or I’ll break your fucking neck.” Once Jason’s dad obeys, the man effortlessly forces him down onto the floor by pushing him on the back with his knee. I’m still a trembling mess, watching this man force the old coot’s arms behind his back. I don’t react right away when Jason comes to my side, wrapping me into his arms. Holding onto him again for dear life, I watch as the man takes out a thing of handcuffs from his waistband then locks them around Jason’s dad’s wrists. Holding him down with his booted foot, the man then coolly says, “Stay the fuck down, and don’t say a word.” Stuffing the gun back inside the back of his jean’s waistband.

  With the hat still hovering over his eyes like a black sheet, I’m not able to see who he is. “You two okay?” he asks.

  Unable to say anything because I must be in a state of shock, I remain shaking, clutching onto the collar of Jason’s jacket.

  “We’re fine,” Jason answers. “Who are you?”

  With his booted foot still remaining on Jason’s dad’s back, the man says, “Rico. June and Quinn got in touch.” Rico. Could this be Rick, June’s brother? Holy shit! June mentioned he was a PI but I don’t believe she knows the true extent of what her brother actually does for a living. Private investigators don’t go around like cool, and smooth hotties, holding guns, and saving lives. This is some crazy shit.

  “Thanks, bro,” Jason tells him, still holding me, soothing me.

  Without a smile or any sort of emotion plated on his face, he replies, “No thanks needed. It’s what I do.” Then like some kind of ghost, he disappears as fast as he appeared. Soon after, a couple officers come through my apartment, grabbing Jason’s dad, hauling him away.

  Tucking my face into Jason’s neck, he continues to rub my back up and down. While I may not be in the mood to discuss this horrific nightmare, a detective comes over, asking us to make a statement. While I’m giving my statement, I feel as if I’m in some sort of a trance. Even though Jason and I are both safe, I’m still in shock and suddenly very cold. My body won’t stop shaking.

  I don’t know what happened. One minute I’m in Jason’s arms, speaking with an officer, the next minute my head begins to spin and everything goes dark…I can’t remember one single thing. Stirring awake, I find myself in bed. When I open my eyes, I squint from the bright light coming through my window. What the hell? The sun is shining, telling me I’ve been out for a long time. But for how long and where’s Jason?

  I hear voices whispering around me. “What happened?” I ask confused and tired.

  Someone’s cold hand touches my forehead. “We were told you had fainted. You’ve been asleep for a few hours now.” My mother. Her warm, caring voice almost makes me want to break down and cry. Wait. I fainted?

  Clearly feeling disoriented, I ask, “I what?” My vision becomes a bit more clearer. Other than my mother, surrounding me are June, Faith, and Sandy. Holy shit. Something must be wrong with Jason! Why else would they all be here.

  “We were all so worried about you,” June says with a pained look in her eyes.

  But I completely ignore her, immediately trying to get out of bed. “Where’s Jason?” I ask, panicked.

  I feel the bed dip then a warm arm around my shoulders, comforting me. “Lie back down, sweetie, Jason’s fine.” Sandy tells me.

  I don’t want to fucking lie down! I want to know where Jason is, God damn it. “Where is he?” I shout to everyone in the room.

  Sandy rubs my arm. “Shh…he’s here. Calm down.”

  “I’ll go get him,” June says.

  Thank God, he’s here and okay.

  JUST GOT BACK TO PETA’S place from the hospital after getting stitches on the side of my head, from the blow my dad gave me with his gun. The fucker. I wasn’t afraid of the old man. I knew he didn’t have it in him to shoot me. When I was younger, he did the exact same thing to me a few times, trying to make me bow down to him. I was scared as fuck back then, but it’s like cryin’ wolf. You do it so many times, no one’s gonna believe you. Yet, I hadn’t a clue what he had planned for Peta. He’d never stalked anyone before that I know of. She was all that mattered to me. I needed to keep him as far away as possible from her. If it weren’t for that Rico dude, who knew what could have happened. Won’t even think about it. However, if Rico hadn’t shown up, I would have kill my dad in cold blood if he tried to touch her. Going to jail didn’t scare me. Losing Peta did.

  While giving the cops our statements, Peta fainted in my arms. I knew she was still freaked; her arms were shaking and she felt cold. A paramedic checked her out and said she was fine. All she needed was a good night’s rest so I carried her into her room and put her to bed. The EMT also checked my bleeding head, patched it up but advised me to go to the hospital for some stitches.

  Once the chaos of everything was finally over, I went back to see how Peta was doing. She was sleeping soundly and I could finally take a breather. While I went outside for a smoke, Quinn and Sandy showed up. Quinn didn’t say one word to me or even looked at me. I was still on his bad side and I don’t blame him. Being with Peta, I put her in harm’s way. I know it ain’t my fault my dad’s a fucking lunatic, but it still doesn’t make me feel any better.

  Still bleeding from the cut on the side of my head, I had to get to the hospital. Being worried and all, Lucky and the guys, along with their women came over after I phoned them to tell them the news. There was no way I could’ve stopped them from hauling ass over here. After everything that’s happened in the last few months, I’ve come to realize they’re not going anywhere. They’re my brothers and we’re a family. It just took me longer to get that embedded in my head. Lucky took me to the ER to be checked out. A few stitches and I was good to go but once we walked outside the hospital, the paparazzi were all over us. Surprisingly, I gave the vultures a few words just to make them happy. They ate it up like eating a woman’s pussy. I must’ve been in a good mood to give them a piece of my personal life. Though, I’d rather have them get it straight from the source than have it be made into a Lifetime Channel movie of lies.

  Everyone is pretty much gone by the time we get back to Peta’s apartment. On the way over, we learn Peta’s mom had arrived, and is in the room with her along with June, Sandy, and Faith. Knowing Peta is okay and still sleeping, I sit down on the couch next to Lucky and close my eyes for a little while until a shout from the bedroom alerts me.

  Practically leaping up from the couch to go see what’s going on, Junes comes out of the bedroom. “She’s asking for you,” she tells me. I don’t waste a single second. Not even being introduced to Peta’s mom yet, she walks by me with a warm smile, touching my arm in some motherly type touch, and leaves the bedroom. The others follow her out.

  Quietly walking in, I close the door behind me and slowly make my way over to her. “Hey, Fireball.”

  The second she sees and hears me, she gasps, “Jason,” and begins crying, holding out her arms for me.

  Dipping a knee onto the bed, I palm the sides of her face with my hands, kissing her forehead. “I’m here, ba
by,” I murmur against her warm skin.

  Her arms tightly wrap around my middle and her face rests against my chest. “You’re okay,” she says in a thick voice, almost as if she was surprised I was okay.

  “Course I’m okay.” I comb my fingers through her long, tousled hair, planting myself down on the bed.

  She pulls back, intently looking at my head then places a small kiss next to the bandage, shooting electricity down my spine. “But you were hurt.” Her brows are pinched together with concern.

  Shrugging, I take both of her hands into my own. “Not too bad. Got some stitches, but nothin’ I can’t handle. I’m good.” I promise her.

  “Are you sure?”

  Too fucking sweet. “Hell yeah, I’m sure.” I lightly chuckle.

  “I was so scared; I thought he was going to shoot you.” Her eyes fill up again with tears. Damn, I hate seeing her cry.

  “That son of a bitch wouldn’t have used that gun, baby,” I begin to tell her as I wipe away a single tear sliding down her pink cheek. “His hands were shakin’ so bad he couldn’t pull the trigger. I know this because he’s done it to me before.” Her eyes grow wide with surprise. Yeah… growing up, not only did he use the gun on me just so I would score some dope for him and my mom, every so often, the old man gave me a good whipping for no reason at all. Although the verbal abuse brainwashed me into thinking I couldn’t ever be loved or love another human being, it was the least of my problems. “He just wanted to try to scare us. That’s why I punched the asshole because he’s a fucking pussy. He’s a drug user and was lookin’ for another way to score.”

  Peta shakes her head, her eyes full of sadness. I may not be too good at identifying a lot of emotions in other people, but I’ve begun to identify everything with Peta.. “Horrible. Just so horrible,” she whispers.

  “More than anything, I hated how he threatened you. I wasn’t gonna let him touch you, you gotta know that.”

  “I do. I was just more scared for you.”