Sugar Walls

by Brittani Williams

“Damn, man, get her in the car!”

  “I can’t believe this, man. What did they do to you?”

  I began to cry.

  I didn’t care that Rock was witnessing my tears. I was about to lose the woman I loved. We jumped in the car and drove to the hospital where the emergency room team worked on her immediately. She had been beaten and her body temperature was so low that it wouldn’t register on the thermometer. I was told to sit out in the family waiting area until they could give me more information.

  I paced the floor while I waited, and Rock had already left to meet up with my workers to handle JT and Dyna. I would take care of Mya on my own. It felt like hours had passed before the doctor came out to talk to me, and I wasn’t prepared for what he was about to tell me.

  There were a list of injuries including broken ribs and a broken arm. She had hypothermia from being left out in the snow naked. She was in a coma and not responsive, and the last thing he told me was that she was approximately two months pregnant. It would be at least another hour before I would be able to see her. I buried my face in my hands and began to cry. I should have been there to protect her, and I was in arm’s reach. Now she could die and I would never be able to forgive myself if she did.

  As soon as I was able to see her I rushed to the room. I could barely recognize her with all of the bumps and bruises. I walked over to the side of the bed and held her hand. I told her how sorry I was and how much I loved her. I would stay by her side and I hoped that she could feel my presence.

  Chapter 17

  Sugar: Beginning of Life

  I opened my eyes unsure of where I was, but I soon realized that I was in a hospital. I noticed Marlo over in a chair asleep. I wasn’t in any pain, but I didn’t know why I was there. I began to call Marlo’s name, which was in a low tone as I struggled to raise my voice. Soon he woke up and looked around the room.

  “It’s me, baby,” I spoke as loud as I could.

  “Baby, you’re awake!” he said, running over to the bed.

  “What happened to me?”

  “Let’s not talk about that right now. You’re OK now, that’s all that matters,” he said, kissing my forehead. “Let me get the doctor OK?” He went to the door and called for a doctor.

  I lay in the bed crying. I couldn’t remember what happened to me that landed me here in the hospital.

  A few doctors and nurses ran into the room and began looking me over and asking me a list of random questions like my name, what year it was, and if I knew where I was. I was still unsure of what happened to me, but I knew it must have been bad because I obviously had been out of it for a while. It was hard to me to talk because I didn’t have a lot of energy. I was drained. I felt stiff and it was hard for me to move around. After everyone left the room, I began to question Marlo again.

  “Baby, what happened? Why am I here?”

  “Somebody tried to take you away from me, baby.”

  “Who?” I asked, as I continued to cry.

  “I don’t want to upset you by telling you that. Let’s wait until you get a little better.”

  “I need to know, Marlo. How long was I asleep?”

  “Three weeks!”

  “Three weeks? What the hell happened?”

  “I found you outside in the snow, and you had been beaten really bad.”

  “Do you know who did it to me?” I asked, confused.

  “I do but I don’t want to tell you now. How about some good news?”

  “What good could have possibly came out of this?”

  “You’re pregnant, baby!” he smiled.

  “Pregnant? Are you serious? How far along? How do you know that?”

  “Almost three months now. The doctors told me. That’s good, right?”

  “That is good, baby. I can’t believe that,” I said, rubbing my hands over my stomach.

  “Well, it’s true.”

  “So how’s the club, is everything OK?”

  “The club is fine. They’re holding it down for you. Tina has been great helping Tracey learn the ropes of running the club. I can’t wait to call them so they can set up your welcome home party. They’ve been waiting to hear from me.”

  “I’m glad to hear that.”

  Marlo and I talked for hours before I drifted off to sleep. I woke up a few times as flashbacks of being beaten popped in my head. I could hear a familiar voice over and over again, but I couldn’t put my finger on who it was. Marlo still hadn’t told me who attacked me, but I knew that with the flashbacks I would soon figure it out.

  I stayed in the hospital for another week before I was released. The ride home was a long one, and I though I was happy to get out of the hospital, I was really nervous since I still didn’t know exactly what happened to me. I hated the fact that I was going home blind to what happened. I was quiet the entire ride home; I couldn’t think of anything that I wanted to say to Marlo since he was still being so secretive about what happened. Once we pulled up into the driveway Marlo turned off the car and looked at me as if he had some bad news to spill.

  “What’s wrong?” I asked.

  “I’m just glad that you’re coming home. I didn’t think that you were going to make it. Before we go in, I just wanted to tell you that my little man is here. He’s going to be staying with us.”

  “Why? Where is Mya?”

  “I am going to get custody of him so that I can guarantee that he’s well taken care of.”

  “But I don’t understand. Where is she? And who’s watching the baby? She’s not going to fight you on that?”

  “She can’t fight me, and my mom is watching the baby,” he replied.

  “Why not?”

  “Because she’s in jail.”

  “Jail? For what?” I asked, stunned.

  “We’ll talk about it later, but let’s go in and get you settled for now.”

  “Why do you keep doing that, Marlo? I’m not made of glass, I won’t break! I need you to stop beating around the bush and be honest with me. What the hell is going on?” I yelled in frustration. I wanted to know the truth. I was tired of being shielded like a child.

  “I’m sorry if I’m trying too hard to take care of you, but I almost lost you and I just don’t want to upset you.”

  “I need the truth, that’s all I’m asking for.”

  “JT, Dyna, and Mya were all a part of what happened to you.”

  “What?” I asked, confused.

  “Mya went to Dyna to come up with a strategy to get revenge on you. Dyna hooked her up with JT and that’s when they started messing around. That was around the time that he approached you telling you that I was still dealing with Mya. JT got her pregnant to then blame it on me and when we broke up, she was happy and I was in a relationship with her until I found out about the baby. Once I left, she was furious. She threatened to never let me see my son, and once I got back with you, the phone calls and stuff started.”

  “Yeah, I remember that,” I said.

  “Once you went missing, that nigga JT called me asking for $500,000 in cash to get you back. I had to drop the money off to Dyna, and once it was counted, JT called me and told me I could find you out in the park. I searched for you for hours, and when I found you, you were tied up, naked, and unconscious.”

  “What? I can’t believe that. Tell me that’s not true,” I cried. “Marlo, tell me that’s not true!” I screamed.

  “I’m sorry, baby, that’s why I didn’t want to tell you.”

  “Why would they do that to me?”

  “Dyna gave me a bullshit explanation for all of it.”

  “And what was that?”

  “She said you stole me from Mya, you gave her your ass to kiss, and you embarrassed JT.”

  “They did this to me for that?”

  “That’s what she said.”

  “Well I hope all of them rot in jail!”

  “Well, Mya will, but the other two will rot in hell!”

  “What do you mean by that?”

  �
��They aren’t with us anymore. I made sure of that.”

  “You killed them?”

  “No, not with my own hands,” he replied.

  “What did you do, Marlo? I can’t have you in jail too!” I cried.

  “It will never come back to me, baby. I promise.”

  “I knew that Mya hated me, but I would have never thought she would do this to me.”

  “I know it’s a lot to grasp, but you’ll be OK. They are out of our lives for good.”

  “Give me a minute to get myself together. I’ll be in the house in a few minutes.”

  “I don’t want to leave you out here alone.”

  “It’s OK. I’ll be fine.”

  “Don’t be too long.”

  “I won’t,” I replied.

  I sat in the car crying hysterically for a few minutes. I was beyond hurt by what Marlo had just told me. I never hurt anyone that much to warrant being kidnapped and left for dead. How could my own sister be involved in something so sinister? I could remember growing up and Mya wanting to be exactly like me. She would follow me everywhere and would emulate my every move. It wasn’t until the teenage years that we began to grow apart. After our fall out I missed her because we had begun to mend the relationship. I never wanted to take her man away. It was never in my plans, but the conniving ways of Dyna only made it inevitable to stay away. I did regret many of the decisions I made in my life, but being with Marlo wasn’t one of them. After I cried as much as I could, I wiped my face and got out of the car. Marlo was standing in the door waiting for me.

  “Are you OK?” he asked, reaching his arms out.

  “Yeah, I’m OK,” I said before hugging him.

  For the next few weeks I stayed in most of the time, but I knew that I had to get out sooner or later. I was used to being out and about, and that house thing was going to grow old quick. Though I knew the people who hurt me were out of the picture I still was a little afraid to go out in the street. In my heart I felt that it was still something lurking, but I didn’t know exactly what it was. Staying in was keeping me in a down mood, and getting a breath of fresh air may have been just what I needed. Babysitting my nephew most of the time constantly reminded me of my sister, and I decided to go visit her at the prison. I needed to see her face to face and find out why she hurt me the way that she did. Marlo was totally against it, but I explained that it was the only way for me to move on.

  On visiting day the following week I drove up to the correctional facility where she was being held until she went to trial. I was nervous as they led me to the visitors waiting area. I was surprised that she accepted my visit, but I was glad that she did. My stomach was in knots as she came to the table where I was sitting. I didn’t know where to begin as she sat down in front of me with a blank stare. Her hair was pulled back into two braids and she looked much thinner than she had the last time I’d seen her. Each time I tried to make eye contact, she would look away avoiding my stare. I assumed that she may have been embarrassed for me to see her in that state.

  “So, I’m sure you’re surprised to see me here?” I spoke in a low tone.

  Silence . . .

  “Why did you accept my visit if you didn’t want to talk to me?” I asked.

  “I don’t know what to say,” she replied.

  “You could start by telling me why you did what you did to me.”

  “I don’t know, I guess I let my anger get the best of me.”

  “So what was it supposed to solve by having me killed, and what was the point of asking for the money?”

  “I didn’t want the money, but we had to pay JT to kidnap you. He wanted more money than we wanted to give him, so the ransom was the only way for him to get it. I didn’t even know that he asked for money until Dyna told me.”

  “You expect me to believe that?”

  She changed her tone. “It’s the truth!”

  “So is that supposed to make everything better because you didn’t want the money? You wanted him to kill me, Mya!”

  “He was only supposed to scare you, that’s all. Dyna and him changed the plan without telling me anything. They didn’t do anything that I asked, they did what they wanted to.”

  “Well since they’re both dead now I guess I’ll never hear their side of the story.”

  “Dead?” she asked, confused.

  “Oh you didn’t know? Well I hate to break the news to you, but they were taken care of. Too bad you felt guilty and confessed, huh? You might have been able to enjoy a little bit of the money you stole from my man!”

  Silence . . .

  “I just had to come here because I need to move on. I’m going to take good care of your son. I just want you to know that. He’s my blood and he did nothing wrong, so don’t ever think I would mistreat him because of you. Besides, he’s about to have a little brother or sister soon and—”

  “What?” she asked.

  “Yeah, I’m pregnant.” I rubbed it in because I felt that she needed to experience some of the pain that I felt.

  “Isn’t it bad enough that you stole him away from me? You’re going to get pregnant by him and I’m the one that’s fucked up? Now, I don’t feel sorry for what happened to you. I wish they would have found you a few minutes later and your ass would have froze to death,” she spat with evil eyes.

  “I knew you had it in you, the little sorry act wasn’t you. This is the real Mya—hateful and deceitful.”

  “Fuck you, Sugar!” she said, rising from her seat.

  “Don’t screw up and get yourself more time in here! Then you’ll have more time to dream about me and Marlo living it up!”

  “I hate you!” she screamed before jumping over the table, attempting to grab me. The guards ran over and handcuffed her before she got a chance to assault me. She continued to yell obscenities as they removed her from the visiting area. One of the remaining guards showed me out of the room after asking me if I was OK.

  I was OK, and I felt like a little weight had been lifted off of my shoulders. I had gotten a chance to see Mya for who she really was, and no amount of make-up could cover those dark spots. On the drive home I thought about my future and the new life that I was bringing into this world. I rubbed my stomach and smiled. I dialed Marlo on his cell to let him know that I was OK.

  “Hello?”

  “Hey, baby, where are you?”

  “In the barbershop getting a shape up. How did everything go?”

  “Let’s just say it turned out the way that I expected.”

  “Well, how do you feel?”

  “I feel great. Where’s little man at?”

  “At my mom’s, why?”

  “I need you to meet me at home when you’re done. I need you to come hold me and make love to me.”

  “Are you OK?”

  “I’m fine, I just need my man to come home and take care of me. What’s wrong with that?”

  “Nothing at all. I’ll be there.”

  “Good, I’ll be waiting.”

  Once I made it home I went up to the master bedroom and drew a bath in the Jacuzzi with lavender. I took off each piece of clothing and pulled my hair up into a ponytail before getting into the water. About five minutes after I was in the Jacuzzi relaxed, I heard Marlo calling my name.

  “I’m in here, baby,” I yelled.

  He entered the bathroom and smiled as I stood up out of the Jacuzzi displaying my naked body that was dripping wet. I motioned with my hands for him to come closer and he obeyed. I began to kiss him in the most passionate way. I had never been this excited about seeing him before. I wanted to make love to him for hours and show him how much I loved him. I helped him undress and as he stood in front of me I kissed and sucked every inch of his muscular chest. I instructed him to sit on the edge of the tub so that I could take his length into my mouth. He moaned as I wrapped my lips around his pole and flickered my tongue as I cupped his jewels with my free hand. He rubbed his hands on my back as I moved him in and out of my mouth.

&
nbsp; When it was too much for him to handle, he moved me to the same position to return the favor. With my legs wide open he began to lick my clit in slow strokes, forcing me to explode. He pushed the thickness of his tongue inside my tunnel, he continued to massage my clit with his fingers. Once he stuck his fingers inside of me and returned to my clit with his tongue, I exploded again and he smiled when he noticed the trance that his tongue and finger action had put me in.

  I had never had sex underwater before, and I had never imagined how intense it would be until he was deep inside of me with the Jacuzzi jets pounding against my back. I screamed his name over and over again as he hit my G-spot, causing one orgasm after another. I licked his ear and whispered how much I loved him as he slowed down the strokes and dug deeper inside of me. When he exploded he screamed that he loved me too, and I smiled inside and out. My man loved me!

  Chapter 18

  Never Loved Any More . . .

  The next few months went better than I could have ever expected. Winter was rolling around, and I hoped that the cold weather would only give me and Marlo more time to snuggle up. We were awaiting Mya’s trial, and I wanted to get it over and done with. At this point I was a week away from my due date, and I was about ready to explode. My huge belly and swollen feet were far different than how I’d imagined my pregnancy would be. Marlo made it his business to let me know how beautiful I was even at 200 pounds. I had recently decided to put the club up for sale because I wanted to leave that part of my life behind with the list of other things I wanted to get past as well. I had to go down and show the property almost every day to prospective buyers. No one had offered to pay my asking price yet in the two months the for-sale sign had been posted.

  Almost every day since my seventh month of pregnancy I went to the spa daily for massages and facials. It was so relaxing and necessary to get me through the long months of pregnancy. I could barely drive, so Marlo world drop me off at the Center City Spa and return to pick me up when I was done. It was Friday and I had dragged myself out of bed, exhausted from running around the day before. Marlo had just pulled off when I began to get shooting pains in my abdomen. I sat down on the bench in the waiting area as I waited for the pain to subside. The receptionist came over and asked if I was OK after noticing my obvious state of pain.