The Business Woman

Cheer Up

It began to rain as I continued to walk away from Jack's car. Everything just began to roll downhill. He was still cruising behind me in his car, luckily a police officer hadn't passed by, they'd think he was stalking me.

"Maliyah, please get back in the car." Jack called from the car again. "I'm sorry."

I gave in and stopped walking away and walked towards the car. I got in the car closing the door behind me, before buckling myself in.

"Are you okay?" He asked.

"I just think we need some time a part." I said while looking down at my hands.

"Time a part? How much time?"

"I don't know Jack. We can just finish this conversation later, my head hurts and I'm hungry",I responded.

I didn't look at him the whole drive to my Aunt's house, instead I focused my gaze outside. In the midst of analyzing and gathering my thoughts, I came to a conclusion that I was going to leave him. I was going to leave him to build a life with his daughter and to figure out what he really wanted in a woman.

Who the hell was I kidding anyway? I haven't even experienced all what the world had to offer. I should've known better than to catch feelings for several reasons. One, he's my English teacher. Two, he should've only been a client. Three--.

My thoughts were interrupted by Jack when he announced that we were finally at my Aunt's house.

We got out of the car and I went to ring the doorbell, while Jack unbuckled Julianna from her car seat.

"Hey baby!" My aunt exclaimed before pulling me into a hug. She smelled so good as if lavender and vanilla had a baby.

"Who's child is that?" she asked pointing to Julianna who was still asleep and being held by Jack.

"So what you'd cook?" I asked changing the subject and putting a smile on my face.

"Oooh! I made peach cobbler, I know that's your favorite." She said with a smile.

"Hey." Jack said with his signature smile."This is my daughter Julianna."

"Hey Jack. It's been a minute." She gave Jack a tight hug identical to the one she'd given me. She reached down and gave Julianna an even tighter hug.

"She's so precious. Y'all come on in and eat."

We followed behind my Auntie into the dining room where I sat my stuff down before getting up and making a plate. I was about to be stress eating. Every time I stress out about something I always end up over eating and then feeling fat afterwards. I wanted it all though, ham, dressing, macaroni and cheese, cabbage.

We sat down at the table while my uncle and Jack were catching up with each other my aunt began talking to me.

"You know your mom is in town." She said before taking a sip of sweet tea.

"Oh."

"Don't be like that Maliyah, you should really go and see her. She came over here this morning, she doesn't look so good."

"Of course she doesn't that's what cocaine does." I said.

My aunt frowned.

After eating and talking with my aunt we made our way home, but not without a plate of food.

Jack went to his house and I went to mine ,where I took a well needed bubble bath.

After drying off and putting on pajamas, I decided to catch up on some homework. I'd been abandoning the assignments I had over the small Thanksgiving break. While finishing up my work, my phone dinged interrupting the last math problem that I was about to solve.

Can I come over, please-J

I ignored his text and continued with my work. There were a few knocks at the door before I heard it being opened. It was Jack in his pajamas and glasses. He always looked so attractive in those damn glasses.

"I didn't say you could come in." I said glaring at him.

"You didn't say I couldn't come in either."

There was a long pause in between us before either one of us said anything.

"I'm sorry for earlier today."Jack said apologetically.

"It's fine. I just think that I'm going to start working again or finding another job, so I can move out."

"Maliyah." Jack said firmly. "You don't need to start working again, you're too good for that anyways, and you don't even need a job. I'm okay with taking care of you."

"Well I'm not, Jack. I'm ready to move out and have my own again. I need space away from you." I complained.

"Where is all this coming from?" He barked.

"I'm moving in with my Aunt, Jack. This week. I've already made up my mind." I added

"I'm not going to fight with you, if you want to leave fine, but don't act like I don't mean anything to you like my feelings don't mean anything. Don't expect me to wait around until you finally see that I'm on your team."

By this time Jack was livid, I could see it in his eyes. His tone had changed and I could see the veins pulsing from his grip on the arm of the couch. He hadn't even taken a seat.

"I think it's for the best, you get to focus on your daughter and your job, and I get to focus on my wants and needs."

"I'm really trying to refrain from cursing you out,but you make it so damn hard Maliyah. You're so fucking stubborn and so fucking blind to the fact that I really love you and that I want you in my life." He was on the brink of tears and I could see the hurt in his eyes.

In a split second he went from apologetic to angry to hurt. I didn't mean for this to even unfold like this. I should've just packed my things without a warning to avoid all of this guilt that began to rush in.