Breaking All My Rules

by Trice Hickman

  Jerome would have laughed if the scene wasn’t so messed up, and now he actually felt a little sorry for Kelisha, but only a little. The fact that she’d tried to take advantage of him when he was drunk and then make it seem as if he had called her over and had sex with her quickly riled him back up again.

  “You should know by now that if I don’t want to be with someone, crazy or not, I know how to cut them loose. Erica is my heart. Plain and simple, and she ain’t goin’ nowhere.”

  Kelisha rolled her eyes and shook her head, pointing her acrylic-filled fingernail at Jerome. “That don’t change the fact that you and me had sex last night.” She breathed hard and then glared at Erica. “And I gave it to him real good.” And with that, Kelisha hopped into her car, started the engine, and sped off down the street.

  Erica stood in the rain, drenched from head to toe as the heavy drops pounded everything in their path. She looked at Jerome as he stood just a few feet away from her. “What really happened last night?” she asked.

  Jerome slowly walked up to her. “Let’s go inside.”

  Chapter 49

  Erica sat on the edge of Jerome’s small couch, shivering and numb. The startling scene that had unfolded in her living room yesterday had been bad, but now here she was, sitting in the middle of another shit storm. She felt as though she was trapped in a bad reality TV show.

  She watched as Jerome went over to the thermostat and adjusted the heat. “You need to get out of those wet clothes before you catch a cold.”

  “I’m fine. Tell me what Kelisha was doing here.”

  “Baby, you need to change out of those clothes. You’re soaked.”

  “Your baby mama just said you called her over here and you two had sex. You smell like liquor, and I’m pissed. I want to know what happened.”

  Jerome came over to the couch and sat beside her. “After everything that went down at your place yesterday, I came home and got drunk. Kelisha showed up last night, bangin’ on my door, so I let her in, ’cause I wasn’t in the mood to argue.”

  “She just showed up here for no reason?”

  Jerome shook his head. “She talked to Jamel, and he told her that I didn’t sound good, which I probably didn’t, so she came over to check on me.”

  Erica took a deep breath, looked down at her feet and then at Jerome. “Did you sleep with her? Wait, let me correct that.... Did you have sex with her?”

  “Uh, yes and no. We slept in the same bed, but nothing happened.”

  “You really expect me to believe that?”

  “Baby, it’s the truth! She helped me back to my bedroom, and I guess I passed out, because the next thing I knew, I was in the shower this morning.”

  Erica cut her eyes at him and held up both her hands. “What? How the hell did you end up in the shower with her?”

  “She wasn’t in there with me. When I came to, I remember standing in the tub with the water coming down on me. She was standing to the side, and when I realized what was happening, I asked her to leave.”

  “You expect me to believe that your ex-girlfriend tucked you into bed all nice and neat last night and then served as your personal bath butler this morning . . . all without anything happening? Really, Jerome? Really?”

  “When I walked outside, I heard you tell Kelisha that you didn’t believe her lies. So why can’t you accept what I’m telling you now?”

  “I told her that because I wasn’t going to stand there and let her shake me up. But she did, and now I don’t know what’s true and what isn’t.”

  “Baby, I know it sounds hard to believe, but nothing happened. I can’t deny I made a big mistake by letting her in, especially because of my condition last night. But I love you too much to do anything that would hurt you like that. I didn’t have sex with her.”

  Jerome went on to explain in detail all the events that had led up to Kelisha’s bald-faced lie. “Erica, I promise you that’s all that went on. I know it sounds suspicious, but believe me when I say that you’re the only woman I want. Kelisha knows that, and she’s trying to drive a wedge between us. You see how fast she left when I came out there. She wanted to get away so she wouldn’t get busted, because she knew she was lyin’.”

  Erica sat in silence, trying to wrap her brain around Jerome’s story.

  “You believe me, don’t you?”

  “I received flowers and a phone call from my ex, and you hit the roof, questioning me like I had something to hide. But this . . .” She sighed and paused. “I just don’t know what to make of it. I came over here to talk to you about your dad and my mom and all the craziness that ties us together. I wanted to get it all hashed out so we could move forward. But I wasn’t expecting to find even more drama. How do you think I felt when I saw Kelisha bouncing out of your building, disrespecting me, calling me a bitch, and saying she slept with you? Do you know how humiliated I felt?”

  Jerome eased his body close to Erica’s and took her hand in his. “I’m sorry you went through that. But don’t worry. I’m gonna get Kelisha straight about the shit she tried to pull.”

  “Is this what it’s going to always be like? Drama every other month? Dysfunction and chaos at every turn? I can’t operate like this, Jerome.”

  “No, it’s not gonna always be this way. Sometimes relationships go through bumps and tests. We’re just getting ours out of the way early. From here on down the road it’s gonna be smooth sailing.”

  Erica looked into Jerome’s eyes. She believed what he’d said about Kelisha because in her heart she knew that he loved her and that he wouldn’t do anything to hurt her. But she wasn’t completely convinced about his prediction of smooth sailing. They were from different worlds, which had collided even before they met.

  “Our past was rocky before we ever laid eyes on each other,” Erica said, almost in a whisper. “All last night I kept wondering whether what happened twenty-five years ago was a sign that we were destined to be together, or if it meant the universe is telling me that I need to stay the hell away from you.”

  Jerome rubbed his hand across the light stubble on his otherwise smooth chin. He shook his head and chuckled lightly. “While I was drinking last night, I was thinking the same thing. I said to myself, ‘I finally found a woman who I’m completely in love with, so why is there always some shit tryin’ to pull us apart?’ But that’s when I remembered what my mom always used to say. ‘Nothing worth having comes easy.’ ”

  Erica looked at Jerome’s strong hands entwined with her own. His words were what she needed to hear. “I’ve forgiven your father.”

  Jerome let out a deep breath. “Thank you for saying that. I don’t know if he’s ever forgiven himself, though. I’m so sorry about all this. But I know through it all, you and me, we’re supposed to be together.”

  Erica wondered what had happened to her always bright optimism. She’d forgiven Parnell for his past aggression because she believed in the power of redemption. So she couldn’t understand why her mind was sending her into such a state of doubt when it came to Jerome, a man who made her feel as though nothing was impossible. Yet all she could see was pitfalls.

  “Think about all the good times we’ve had over the past few months,” Jerome said as he smiled and squeezed her hand.

  Erica smiled with a gleam of love in her eyes. “We’ve had some amazing times.”

  “Even right now, with all the shit that happened yesterday and the scene that Kelisha caused this morning, we’re still together, sitting here on my couch, soaked to the bone, getting ready to go back to my bedroom and get our freak on.”

  Erica laughed as Jerome lifted her up from the couch and into his arms. They stood and kissed, their tongues embracing in heated passion. They began to remove each other’s clothes, leaving a trail of wet garments on their way to his bedroom. Jerome was about to lay Erica across the bed when she stopped him.

  “We need to change these sheets,” she said with seriousness. “Just the thought of that woman being in here, in your
bed . . .”

  Jerome paused and looked at Erica with an undeterminable expression. He opened his mouth to say something, but nothing came out. Without another word he went to the small closet in the hall and came back, holding a fresh pair of sheets.

  “Are you okay?” Erica asked with concern.

  “Yeah, I’m cool.”

  But she could see that he clearly wasn’t. His brow was scrunched, as if he was deep in thought, and his eyes darted across the room. Erica wondered if she’d offended him with her request, which she thought was well within reason given the circumstances. She watched as he stripped the mattress of its brown sheets and replaced them with green ones. He still hadn’t said a word, and now a look of worry shadowed his face.

  Damn. What kind of drama is getting ready to happen now? she thought.

  “Jerome, what’s wrong? Why are you so quiet, and why do you look so worried?”

  “I’m not worried. I’m just thinking.”

  She was standing next to his bed, wearing nothing more than an aqua-blue thong and a frustrated look on her face. The romantic mood she’d felt when they first entered the room was gone, and she could tell he felt the same way. He was standing shirtless in his wet pajama bottoms, looking as though he was in a debate with himself. The tension was starting to unsettle Erica.

  “I know something’s wrong, so whatever it is, just tell me so we can deal with it.”

  Without warning, Jerome dropped to his knees and reached for Erica’s left hand. “I never believed in love at first sight until I met you. I didn’t even think real love was possible, ’cause I’ve been through so much. But you changed all that. I love you with everything I have. You are my world,” Jerome said, looking into Erica’s big brown eyes. “I don’t want another second to go by without you knowing how much I want to make you my wife.”

  Erica was so stunned that it took a minute for her to fully dial into the moment. Jerome was proposing to her! She took a deep breath and looked back into the eyes that were staring into hers, eyes that held truth, honesty, love, and hope.

  “You want to marry me?”

  “Yes, baby.”

  Erica knelt down and hugged him tightly. “Yes! I will marry you, Jerome Kimbrough!”

  They hugged and kissed and hugged and kissed some more until they found their way to the surface of his freshly laundered bedsheets.

  “I love you so much,” Jerome said between soft kisses.

  Erica beamed and smiled as she held out her left hand. “I said yes, but as the song says, you’re gonna have to put a ring on it!” she said with a playful laugh.

  “Oh, I got so carried away, I forgot.” Jerome reached behind his nightstand, looked on the floor, pulled out a small black box, and smiled.

  All Erica could do was smile back through happy tears, which had begun to trickle from her eyes. Just a few months ago she’d awakened on a bright sunny day to nightmares and fears. And now her cold, gloomy morning was filled with rainbows and shooting stars. She felt blessed beyond measure, and her heart was filled with love that she’d only dreamed about. She smiled as Jerome slipped the beautiful diamond solitaire onto her finger, removing her from the 42.4 percent and leading her into the happily-ever-after she’d always dreamed of.

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  Prologue

  I wish I could have taken a picture of the look on Johnny’s face when I pulled out my gun and aimed it between his eyes. But then again, I don’t need a picture because that sweet memory will be etched on my brain for the rest of my life. And besides, a photograph would be evidence, and after the time and effort I put into planning this son of a bitch’s murder, the last thing I need is a picture of a dead man that can be linked back to me.

  Usually when someone shows up at a person’s doorstep in the middle of the night, a booty call is more than likely on the agenda. But because there’s no way in hell that was the case between us, Johnny knew right away that this visit wasn’t going to end well. I was actually surprised that he opened the door once he realized that it was me standing there, but then again, too much alcohol can make a person do things they normally wouldn’t. He smelled of liquor and he could barely keep his balance.

  “What’re you doing here?” he asked, slightly slurring his words.

  They say the eyes are the window to the soul, and I believe that to be true. From the moment we looked into each other’s eyes, Johnny knew that I came here tonight to kill him.

  We stared at each other for what felt like a long time, but it was only a brief minute. His eyes said he was sorry for what he’d done to me, and to a host of other people, too. But my eyes told him that I didn’t give a damn about his remorse, and after what happened a week ago today, he had to have known that he was going to have to pay for his sins. I guess that’s why he opened the door for me in the first place.

  He quickly sobered up when I pointed my gun between his eyes, and that’s when he allowed the reality of what was about to happen to sink in. He didn’t put up resistance. He didn’t fight. And he didn’t plead for his life. He did none of the things I thought he would do, and I was glad because that made my job easier. The bastard actually helped me by taking a few steps back into the kitchen, eliminating the need for me to drag his body to a place where it couldn’t easily be seen once I did what I came to do.

  I didn’t want to prolong this because I knew I had a set amount of time to get in and get out. But I also wanted to enjoy this moment, savor it, and swallow the sweet taste of revenge. However, I had to use my head, otherwise all my planning would go right down the drain, and I’d end up in jail. I couldn’t let that happen, so I lowered my gun to Johnny’s chest and pulled the trigger.

  Chapter 1

  Geneva

  If there was one thing Geneva Mayfield had learned in the five years, two months, and twenty-two days she’d been married to Johnny, it was that she knew straight away when he was telling a lie.

  A slight hesitation in his velvety smooth voice, a subtle shift in his deep brown eyes, or a placid expression framing his thick, kissable lips, were all telltale signs for Geneva that her husband wasn’t being truthful. Over the last six months, to her disappointment, he’d added another move to that growing list of signals, and that was the art of avoidance, which he was exercising tonight.

  Who does he think he’s fooling? Geneva said to herself. Her husband’s shenanigans, along with the humidity clinging to the stifling Alabama heat, had frayed the last of her nerves.

  For the last ten years, she’d braced herself each summer for the unrelenting heat that covered the small town of Amber, Alabama, practically smothering its residents. She was one of the thousands of African Americans who’d completed the reverse migration to the south—by way of Chicago—in search of a slower pace and more affordable standard of living. She loved Amber because it was the best of both worlds.

  With a population of just over 70,000 residents, Amber was small enough to provide a homey feel, but not so small that one felt stifled. And given that it was a quaint suburb situated not far from Birmingham, the largest city in the state, Amber was able to attract business professionals, entrepreneurs, and small companies, which lent to its growing affluence.

  If he thinks I’m letting this one go he’s out of his mind, she quietly seethed. Geneva knew she should’ve put an end to Johnny’s lies several months ago when he’d started feeding her spoonfuls of half-truths. But now that he was boldly pouring lies down her throat it had become too much to swallow.

  As she stood at one end of the couch staring at Johnny, who was reclined on the opposite end, pretending to be transfixed by the sports announcer on ESPN, Geneva was becoming more upset by the minute. She was disturbed and confused about a lot of things that had been happening in her marriage, and she couldn’t figure out what had brought about his gradual change. She was still as at
tentive to Johnny as she had been the day they’d married. She still put time and care into her personal appearance, making sure she looked fashionably chic on his arm. She still cooked delicious meals, kept the house meticulously clean, and made sure she supported him in everything he ventured to do in both his career and personal life.

  Geneva knew she was a good wife, and as her best friend and co-worker, Donetta Pierce had told her, most men would love to have a dutiful wife like her by their side. But for some meritless reason, Johnny acted as though he could care less about her or their marriage. And again, Geneva didn’t know what to make of the current state that she and her husband were in. But there was one thing she was sure of, and was willing to bet her life on, and it was that her husband was up to no good.

  “Johnny, did you hear a word I just said?” Geneva asked.

  “Unfortunately, yes I did.”

  She took a deep breath. “Why’re you talking to me like that?”

  “Like what?”

  “Like you have absolutely no respect, care, or concern for me. Like I’m some person on the street instead of your wife.”

  “I answered your question, didn’t I?” Johnny said with annoyance. “You’re so dramatic.”

  Geneva shook her head. She was many things, but dramatic certainly wasn’t one of them. If anything, she knew that her meek, often reserved manner could stand a tune-up, and tonight was the perfect time to start. She placed her hand at the top of her slim but curvy hips. “I can see that you have an attitude tonight, but just so you know, that’s not gonna stop me from getting to the bottom of why you haven’t you answered my question.”

  “We’ve been through this already and I don’t feel like rehashing it,” he said without so much as a glance in her direction. “Now can you please stop with the interrogation and let me watch the game highlights in peace.”