Even When It's Wrong

by Nicole Jackson

  “How did you know that I was here?” I asked him, before glancing over at Taraj who’d opened her eyes.

  “Girl,” she yawned. “That was Taz.”

  Taz chuckled with his eyes closed. “Just gon throw me under the bus, huh?”

  I shook my head. I was in too much pain to cuss their asses out.

  “Here, man.” Omari handed me my wallet. “I figured that you might need this.”

  “Thank you,” I mumbled through tight lips, as I placed the wallet on the stand next to me.

  “You alright?” he knelt over, kissing my cheek without my permission.

  “No,” I griped. “This shit hurts.”

  “Did they give you something for the pain?” he asked softly.

  “Yeah. They gave me something in my IV, but I swear it aint working.”

  “Why didn’t you get that shot that numb you from the waist down?”

  “Cause,” I grunted, as I felt another contraction. When he noticed that I was wincing in pain, he grabbed my hand. “It has too many side-effects.”

  “That was a contraction?” he inquired, as he stroked a strand of hair out of my face,

  I nodded, while grudgingly realizing that I was relieved that he was there.

  “Is that him I hear on that machine?”

  “Yeah,” I breathed.

  He smiled. “It sounds like he’s punching your ass.”

  “I know.”

  He lowered to speak into my ear. “That’s probably because you ran away from his daddy. He don’t like that shit, either.”

  “Well, his daddy shouldn’t have done what he did,” I gritted.

  “I didn’t, and when I show you, you gon feel real stupid. Watch.”

  “Show me what?” I wanted to know.

  He shook his head. “Not right now. Focus on bringing my baby into this world. We can discuss that bullshit later…and talk about where the fuck you’ve been.”

  My heart skipped a beat, knowing that I’d texted Flame, telling him that I was in labor. Now, he claimed that he was on his way, and that was over thirty minutes ago. I needed to do something to stop him from coming up there, without Omari catching on to it. Texting him back wouldn’t even work, because Omari was right in my face, and he’d clearly see what I was doing.

  “Om…Omari, could you go get me some food?” I asked, hoping to get him to leave, at least for a few minutes.

  Kells lifted his head, while he sat in a nearby chair. “You can’t eat no food, while you in labor.”

  “Well, can you go to the house to get me some clothes, and the baby’s stuff?” I asked desperately.

  He frowned. “Girl, are you losing your damn mind? Why would I leave here, and risk missing him come out?”

  “Because,” I got out, before the door was pushed open.

  “Is the baby here?” Flame queried as he entered the room with flowers in tow.

  Omari dropped my hand, as his face contorted. “The fuck is he doing here?”

  “Shit, I came to see about her, nigga,” Flame offered, as he placed the flowers on a stand.

  Omari spun around. “You gotta have a death wish, cause you playing with me, right now, my nigga.” He tugged at his sagging jeans. “On God, I’ma fuck around and kill your bitch ass.”

  Taraj and Taz sat up, while Kells shot to his feet. “Say, homeboy.” He stepped into the space between Omari and Flame. “If you fuck with her that’s fine. But unless you put that baby up in her, it would be greatly appreciated if you let them have this moment, peacefully.”

  Flame glanced my way. “Are you good, Mya? Cause if you are I’ll excuse myself, and come back when you ready for me.”

  I gulped. “I’m alright.”

  “Cool.” He nodded. “Then I’ll be back,” he claimed, before making an exit.

  I covered my eyes with both hands, feeling the heat radiating from Omari. I knew that me being in labor was my only saving grace.

  “So, that’s where you been? You was with that nigga?” he badgered, as he dropped the flowers in the trash can.

  Refusing to look at him, I shook my head. “Not now, Omari. Please.”

  “Not now, huh? Yeah, okay. Okay. But after this shit is over, you gonna tell me something. Even if I gotta hold your ass upside down,” he seethed.

  “Then I just won’t bother dealing with you. I’m not about to go there with you,” I lamented.

  “You aint got a choice!” he barked. “You aint going no fucking where. I put that on everything.”

  “You can’t make me do nothing,” I argued.

  “Ay,” Kells stood in front of Omari. “Yall chill out, man. Before them people call the laws on your ass.”

  Omari slid his tongue across his teeth. “I got you. I got you.” He angrily grabbed a chair, and sat down.

  Soon, my contractions were intensifying, as I had my legs gapped open for the world to see. “Tell…tell them nurses to come on. He…he’s coming.”

  Omari stood up, and was back at my bedside, while Taraj paged the nurses. Within seconds, they rushed into the room, along with a doctor. The Middle Eastern doctor checked my cervix, realizing that I was fully dilated.

  “Miss English, I need you to hold your legs up, and push whenever you feel the next contraction, okay,” he instructed.

  “I…I can’t,” I got out, as I struggled to hold up my trembling legs.

  “I got it,” Omari volunteered, before walking around, grabbing my feet. He then pushed my legs back, which relieved the strain off me, as I pushed.

  “Good job, mommy. I see the baby’s head. Boy, does he have a lot of hair,” the doctor encouraged.

  “Oh, God!” I belted, as I was hit with another contraction. I pushed again.

  “Come on Miss English. You’re almost there.”

  “Ahhh!” I screeched, delivering another push, and he was out.

  “There we go,” the doctor announced, as he placed the baby on my belly for a brief second, before picking him up.

  “Whaaaa!” the baby wailed.

  “That lil’ nigga got a set of lungs on him,” Kells laughed.

  “Oh, fuck!” I blurted, as I pushed out the afterbirth.

  “Uh,” Kells covered his mouth.

  Omari shook his head. “You shouldn’t have been looking, nigga.”

  I laid back, relieved that it was over. I watched as Omari cut the umbilical cord, and then hold the baby for the first time…before me. They’d just cleaned the baby off, and he was staring at the baby unblinkingly, as he sat down with him.

  Kells peered down at the baby himself. “Why he so pale? Is this a white man’s baby?”

  Omari glared at him.

  Kells chuckled, as he playfully elbowed him. “You know I’m just fucking with you. When we was little you was light like this too.”

  “What’s up, man?” Omari cooed to the baby, as he yawned.

  “Can I hold him?” I asked with an attitude.

  He stood up, and carried the baby over to me. “Here, man.”

  I retrieved my baby, and gazed down at his face. He was huge, weighing in at eight pounds, had a head full of silky straight hair, and looked nothing like me. His little ass squirmed around, showing his gums, before crying hysterically.

  “Let me see.” Omari took him back, and the baby piped down immediately.

  Everybody in the room thought that was hilarious.

  “That baby says he tired of your ass.” Taraj sat up. “We’re about to go, Mya. I’m sleepy. I’ll come back up here, before you get discharged.”

  “Okay,” I sighed, hating that they were leaving.

  “Say, do yall mind dropping me off at home?” Kells asked.

  “Yeah,” Taz yawned, as he stood up, and took a stretch. “That’s on the way to the crib, anyway.”

  “Bet.”

  “Alright, see yall later,” Omari spoke up, as Taz grabbed his sleeping son off the couch.

  Everyone nodded, as they headed out of the door. The room then fell eeril
y silent. The baby was sitting calmly in Omari’s arms with his hand under his chin.

  “My lil’ nigga came out on his grown man shit,” Omari jested. “Look at him.”

  I nodded. “He looks like you.”

  Omari’s eyes remained casted down on the baby’s face. “I know.”

  I lifted up in the bed.

  “If it wasn’t for him, I’d fuck you up, Mya,” he claimed, never looking my way.

  “You got a lot of nerve, don’t you think?”

  “How is that?” he lifted his head.

  “You’re mad, but neglecting to realize that I wouldn’t have been around nobody else if you hadn’t cheated.”

  “Girl, shut up,” he growled. “Aint nobody cheat on your ass, but I bet you let that nigga fuck.”

  “No, I didn’t,” I quickly lied. I was taking that shit to the grave.

  “Well, what the fuck was you doing with him?” he grilled. “Of all the fucking places, you go to him?”

  “Look, everything happened so fast. I’d just caught you with my friend, and I needed to get away. I called him because he was probably the only person you wouldn’t be able to find. You had me all fucked up, and I needed to get away.”

  “Okay, so why didn’t you leave after a few days?”

  “Why do you keep acting like I needed to be considering your feelings when you was the cause of me not being at home, anyway? I stayed there because I needed to clear my head, and he welcomed me with open arms. Was it the best decision? Probably not. But I did it. So, are you gonna crucify me for it?”

  He narrowed his eyes. “But did you fuck him?”

  “I told you no, but what if I had, Omari? Then what?”

  He drug his palm across his face. “Man, Ion know why I’m asking that bullshit. Cause I probably couldn’t handle it if you had.”

  I arched a brow. “What, you’d be done?”

  He paused for a second, seemingly thinking about it. “Nah, I’d be hurt, but not done. I love you too much to ever walk away.”

  Chills shot up and down my spine. “Why do you talk like that? Forever aint guaranteed to us.”

  “Cause I know what I feel. And that shit aint never going nowhere. I just can’t see it.”

  I tucked my lips into my mouth, thinking of telling him that I felt the same way. However, before I could express anything to him, the door was pushed open. My heart dropped down to my stomach when Flame entered the room. He had the absolute worse timing.

  Noticing his presence, Omari immediately stood up, placing the baby within my arms. “The fuck is you doing back here?”

  Flame stood with an arrogant smirk on his face. “Play boy, chill out. I’m just here checking on our girl.”

  “Nigga, you playing with me, and we gon tear this bitch up, if you don’t get the fuck out. You aint welcome.”

  Flame frowned. “Last time I checked, you don’t run shit. And I aint going no muthafuckin’ where unless she says so.”

  I palmed my face. “Oh, my God.”

  “Mya, tell this nigga to get the fuck out, before I go to the car, and come back, airing this bitch out,” Omari threatened.

  “Flame,” I frustratingly huffed out. “Please, just go.”

  He touched the bridge of his nose. “Okay, I’ll give you that.” He stepped to my bed. “I won’t cause no unnecessary drama for you and lil’ man.” He lowered his head, kissing my forehead.

  “Bitch ass nigga!” Omari roared, punching the back of his head

  “Mari, no!” I yelped, but it was no use.

  Omari loaded up, throwing hammer after hammer, while yanking Flame away from my bed. Being caught off guard, Flame was struggling to keep up, so he wrapped his arms around Omari, locking him up in a bear hug.

  “Yall stop!” I screeched, as Flame body-slammed Omari onto the floor.

  Several nurses ran into the room, and once they realized that they were fighting, they quickly called security. By then, Omari had Flame in a headlock.

  “You’s a bitch ass nigga,” Omari gritted, as he punched Flame in the mouth.

  “Okay, break it up!” two Black sheriffs stormed into the room. They struggled to pry them apart, and when they succeeded, they slammed them both against the wall.

  “Put your hands behind your back,” the officer handling Omari demanded.

  “Fuck!” Omari vented, as he was placed in handcuffs.

  Flame simply shook his head, gazing at me, with his hands behind his back.

  I lowered my head in embarrassment, realizing the magnitude of drama I’d inflicting upon myself by running to Flame. I had to take all the blame, because this was purely my fault.

  Chapter 33

  Omari

  “Say, what time is it?” I asked a dude who was leaning up against the wall.

  He checked out his phone. “Twenty minutes past twelve.”

  I nodded. “Appreciate you.” Scanning the area, I was checking to see if I noticed any of the cars parked in the front of the building.

  I’d just been released from jail, after being notified that I was being bonded out. I wasn’t sure if Mya had called Kells, Melo, or had she done it herself. All I knew was that the bond had been posted, although I’d called no one while inside. I’d been locked up for half a day, and didn’t know a single number by heart.

  “Omari!” someone shouted my name, as they honked a horn.

  I glanced to my left, spotting my car with Cavalli behind the wheel. Thankfully, I’d left my phone and keys in the hospital room with Mya. I stomped over to the Benz, and was about to hop into the passenger’s seat, until I realized that Mya and the baby were in the back. Pulling the back-door open, I slid in.

  “What’s up? You good?” Cavalli questioned, peering at me through the rearview mirror.

  “Shit, I’m straight now that I’m outta that muthafucka.”

  “I know you are. I heard you was raising hell in that hospital.”

  I exhaled. “Yeah. We all gotta go there from time to time.” I gazed down at my baby who was sleeping in his car seat. “I see he sleeping and shit. What did you name him?” I asked Mya.

  She sighed. “He’s a junior. You know that.”

  I looked up at her. “How I know that?”

  “We discussed names already, remember?”

  I shrugged. “I thought maybe you forgot or something. You know, since you went off and started a whole new life, and shit.”

  Her head fell back. “Boy, please. Aint nobody thinking about that man. I hope you let that go.”

  “Is that right?” I lifted my chin, as Cavalli backed away from the jail.

  “Yeah.”

  “So, where you going? Where you resting your head at?”

  “Oh, you don’t know where you live now?”

  I cracked a smile. “You finally talking like you got some sense.”

  “Whatever.” She rolled her eyes.

  I gave her the side eye. “Girl, quit fronting. You know you love a nigga.” I leaned over my baby, kissing her lips.

  She locked eyes with me. “I do love you. I can’t deny that, but its gonna take time, before we can get back to where we were, Omari. I’m going to stick it out with you, because I realized that I don’t want to be without you. But I want you to realize that you hurt me.”

  “No.” I shook my head. “You thought that I hurt you. There’s a difference. I aint do shit, and when the truth comes out, you gon owe me pussy on demand. Ion care what’s going on. You can be bleeding.”

  “Ewe,” Cavalli gagged. “Did this nigga just say that he wants to fuck you, while you’re on your period? I’m knowing aint no pussy that damn good.”

  “Stay out my business.” I waved her off, as I trained my eyes on Mya. “I’m saying, you gon owe me.”

  She pursed her lips. “And how the hell is this so-called truth gonna come out?”

  “Hold up.” I put a finger up, halting her. “Where my phone at?”

  “Let me see,” she grumbled, while she rambled t
hrough the Gucci diaper bag I’d bought her. “Here it goes.” She handed my cell to me.

  I narrowed my eyes. “You went through it?”

  “Nope,” she popped her lips. “I was too busy getting Cavalli in an Uber. Then she got dropped off at the hospital, only to turn around and use the car to go get all the baby’s stuff from the house, before coming back to pick us up. All because Junior’s daddy wanna be fighting, while he’s fresh out of the womb.”

  “I mean, what you wanted me to do? Sit back and watch another man put his lips on you? The fuck you thought was gon happen?”

  “So, you don’t regret fighting in the hospital?”

  I shook my head. “Hell, nah. I should’ve done more, and whenever I see him, I’ma pop his ass. Put him out of his fucking misery.” I leaned over, and whispered. “And you gonna eat this dick for it too.”

  She sucked her teeth. “I keep telling you that you have no right, when you created all this drama. And why do you keep talking about sex? You do realize that I just had a baby, right?”

  “So, Ion care. Fucking with me, you’ll be right back pregnant.”

  “Uh uh, Mya, do you hear this nigga? Bitch, we running you down to the doctor to get you on birth control ASAP. He trying to keep you out of commission,” Cavalli interjected.

  Mya sucked her teeth. “Girl, aint nobody worried about him. He better hope that his ass don’t be sleeping on the couch.”

  I shook my head, as I scrolled through my cell. “I’m finna show your ass who belong on the couch. Listen to this shit,” I instructed, as I played a recorded call, using an app I’d downloaded.

  “Hey, you busy?” a female’s voice on the recorder asked.

  Mya frowned. “Who is that?”

  “Just listen,” I urged.

  “Who is this?” I asked on the recorded call.

  “This Nerie. I ran into Jayde, and she told me to call you. She just gave me your number.”

  “Oh, okay,” I replied.

  “Yeah, I figured that you wanted to talk about what went down between us. I heard that Mya left, and I am so sorry about that. I never would’ve done that had I known that she was gonna walk through the door. I mean, your dick was hard, while you was sleep, and I thought that you wanted to fuck. So, I decided to wake you up with some head.”