What I Learned In L.A. (Sequel to What I learned at Hope Springs)

pursuit of Happiness

Brittany

I gripped the phone tightly as I listened to my mother try to explain why she was still with Ricky. I don't even know how the curtain got here honestly. "He's different now, you know. We're in therapy, he's changing." She said like she was proud of him. I on the other hand couldn't believe what she was telling me. "He raped me Mama." I whispered in the phone.

Chris and me were sitting in the parking lot on the curb, just in case I needed to speak with my therapist after this phone call. I played my head on his shoulder, as I felt that familiar itch return. "Calm down." Chris said noticing it too. I sighed, "i'm so damaged mama and you will never understand that. Why would you take this man back after everything he did to me I don't understand that. I don't fucking understand!" I yelled. "I love him!" She yelled through the phone.

Fuck her love she's supposed to love me. His love for her was non existent. He didn't love her, all he did was hurt her, and me. Fuck his love. "Mama, I can't keep doing this with you. I need you to be a mother." I said trying to calm myself down, but it really was no use. Chris wrapped his arms around me holding me tightly. "I just wanna be happy, can't I be happy for once?" She asked like I was the one who ruined it all for her. All I ever wanted to do was make my mama proud, happy love me unconditionally. "You're right mama, and so do I." I whispered. "I love you, I hope you find all the happiness you're looking for." I hung up in her face.

"She's a joke." I said to Chris. "You did good, It's okay." He said hugging me, "you did good." I cried into his chest as we sat on the curb.

Micheal

I was finishing up paperwork when I caught a glance of the clock. It's 2 already. I picked up my phone checking for messages but I had none. Brittany was supposed to call me once she got out of therapy. That was a hour ago. I was trying to do my best with questioning her, and giving her space. I didn't want to call her but I wanna make sure she's okay.

Her phone rung a few times before she answered I put it on speaker and sat it on the table, while finishing up the rest of the paperwork. "Hey baby." I said. I heard her sniffle, "hey Mikey." "Babe, what's wrong are you crying?" "please come home." She said. I sighed, "Did you take your medicine." "Yes!" She yelled. Her psychiatrist put her on Prozac for depression, I didn't know if it was because she just got it or what but she was always moody.

"I'm finishing up." I said. "I just want you here okay." She said sniffling. "Okay baby, I'll be there. Where's Chris?" "Home." "Okay, I'm coming." I grabbed the rest of my papers stuffing them into my bag. I hated when Chris wasn't there, I know she still gets urges, it was just bad all the time. I rushed out of the building heading home.

Once I got there, Brittany was on the couch just starting at nothing. I went over to the couch sitting next her. I wrapped her up in my arms and she just cried into my chest. "Did you have a bad session baby?" I asked. She shook her head yes. I pulled her away from my chest quickly scanning her arms and legs for cuts and clothing for blood spots.

"Talk to me, what's up?" "She made me call my mother. She told me to talk and wherever the conversation leads just continue it." I wiped her tears from her cheeks. "So what happened?" "She wants to be happy, and she loves him." She said. "Mama said that?" I asked. "Yea I can't deal with her Micheal, none of this is helping me. I don't wanna go back." She whined. "Baby, you've been doing amazing not missing any sessions so far, just finish it out." I told her.

I knew how hard it was for her to be going there. She was telling her life story to a total stranger. She had to relive every bad memory,and assault, and I know she dreaded that. "Babe, you need this relief,you can't be carrying this weight on you like that, you're gonna make yourself sick." I warned her, as she continued to cry into my chest.

Jasmine

Chris got home and I was making something  for me to eat. His face was flushed and his cheeks were red as hell. "Hey babe." I said hugging him. He kissed me and rubbed my belly. "Hey baby." "You okay, why you so red?" "Just pissed off." He sighed pulling out a bar chair to sit down. "How was therapy?" I asked. This was my question every day of the week now.

"I had a good session, Britt on the other hand didn't." "Why, what happened?" "Her stupid ass therapist made her call her mama. And Mama was just being trifling. She told Britt that she wanted to be happy and that she loved that fuck nigga. I swea to god I'll kill that nigga!" He yelled. I watched as his eyes started to water. I hugged his neck tightly. "Baby calm down please." "I can't! what kind of mom is she! That man tortured her for all those years, that's fucked up."

I rubbed his back. I didn't understand why he was so attached to Brittany's issues. They were her issues, not his. Chris had more important things to concern himself with. I sighed, "babe listen...look at me." I said lifting his face towards me. "You gotta disconnect yourself from that. You can not let her issues stress you out. You been doing so well. I don't want you back tracking." I said. He gave me the side eye of course. "She's my best friend, we only understand each other." "Babe we about to get married and have a child, you think I don't understand you?" He just looked at me. "I understood you from jump Chris, just please do this for me. Focus on your family okay, maybe you and Brittany should you know spend some time apart. Maybe give y'all self a break to focus."

I grabbed both of his hands and kissed them, "think about it bae." I said. I walked back over to the stove where the chicken I was cooking was. I flipped it in the pan so the other side could brown. "I'm gonna go take a nap." Chris said, coming over and kissing my cheek. "I'll wake you when dinner is ready." "yea." he said walking upstairs.

Micheal

"Yo." I whispered after rolling over and answering my phone. Brittany was finally sleeping next to me and I didn't want to wake her up. I sat up in bed once I heard Chris' voice. I pulled the phone away from my ear and saw that it was 3 in the morning. "You okay bruh?" I asked cause he sounded upset. "Calm down, come over here, come talk to me." He was going on about how Jasmine wants him to stop hanging with Brittany, and how he didn't want that to happen. I just needed him to calm down, cause this wasn't cool. I don't know what Jasmine was thinking she out of all people should know the situation at hand. I would never ask Brittany to do that. Her and Chris are joined at the hips. I don't know when it happened, but it did, and now that's something that can't be changed.

I kissed Brittany on the forehead and went downstairs. I grabbed a bottle of water and some blunts and went to the living room. I went in the den where I kept my weed stash and grabbed two dime bags. I went back to the living room and bust the blunts down. I stuffed the blunts with the broken down dro that smelled like peaches or something fruity. I sat up waiting for Chris. Once he walked into the living room and plopped down on the couch I passed the blunt to him.

He was red faced and crying. I swear this was one emotional ass nigga and after he confessed to being bipolar he wasn't afraid to cry in front of any of us. "You just gotta calm down bro." I told him. He continued to puff on the blunt. "I'm trying, I.don't want to hurt Brittany." "Look, she'll be okay Chris, It's not like you're dying or anything, y'all just giving each other space. I mean its not necessarily a bad thing." I explained. He gave me the same look I'm sure Brittany would have given me if she were sitting here.

"Who am I supposed to talk to now?" He asked. "You got me and you Jasmine man, don't worry about it. Both of you guys will be fine." I reassured him, deep down I just knew that wasn't the case.

*****
Here you go BrittanyReese4 lol hope you're happy!! You need to be leaving comments mamn!!

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