Checkmate: THE NEXT LEVEL (R)

Fifty

Chapter Fifty
Omniscient
Little Haiti

A black truck came to a slow halt in front of Nadia's home. When Makayla looked up and saw where she was, she immediately wanted to panic and run but that wasn't going to happen. Makayla had just arrived from the airport. Her plan was to avoid Miami all together. She didn't deserve to be here for her husbands funeral. She knew how dangerous that would be as well. By now, the word had spread about how Sam ended up being shot by LAPD.

Chris's bodyguard climbed out the back to open her door. He instructed them to make sure that she got out the car and into Nadia's home. After basically forcing Makayla on the porch, the bodyguard knocked. In no time the door pulled open. Tim stood there, just looking at his mother. "Oh you was brave enough to come here?"

"I didn't really have a choice." Makayla said, not being able to keep eye contact with her son for too long. His demeanor was so dark and cold. Pushing the door open, Tim let his mother inside. She glanced up at him again, noticing the bruises on his face. "What happened to you?"

"Nothing, she in the kitchen." Tossing his hood over his head, Tim went into the living room as Makayla made her way to Nadia. Standing at the opening, she stared at the back of Nadia's head.

"You no longer speak when entering someone's home?" Nadia questioned glancing over her shoulder.

"I- I'm sorry, hi Ma."

"You know when my son first brought you around, I thought it was the smartest thing he had ever done. Whenever he spoke about Makayla, there was always this glow in his eyes that no one else brought. He loved you with his whole life...obviously."

"I don't know what to say to you. I want to apologize but I know that it won't bring him back. But I do want you to know that I am sorry. I didn't want things to end up like this."

"If you were moving on, why not leave once you started having feelings for someone else? Cheating is so filthy."

"I was so busy trying to fill a void, I didn't realize all the pain that I was causing my family and my husband. Yes, I should've left or I should've been honest with Sam about what was going on but that's why I filed for divorce. I couldn't keep hurting him or myself. Sam was my everything, but that restaurant was all he focused on. I tried to be understanding because I knew that this was a long time dream of his, but having to deal with things changing, caused me to lean on others for what my husband once gave me." Tears poured down Makayla's face. "I hate myself so much for all of this. My children hate me, you hate me, Sam is gone and that means that I have nobody now and it's all my fault."

Exhaling, Nadia went and sat at her kitchen table. "Come sit."

Hesitantly Makayla walked and sat across from Nadia, getting a chance to look her in the eyes. The hurt and pain was very much there and it crushed Makayla even more.

"My Sammy was all I had left. The only who would call besides a few others to check up on me, made sure everything was all set for me. He used to beg me to come to Los Angeles to keep a close eye on me, he didn't want anything to happen while he was away. Who knew that I was safer here than he was there? When you first felt feelings towards this other man...why not leave Sam immediately?"

"Because I thought if Sam and I got back on track what once was a childish crush would go away. Once I felt like things were going too far, I wanted the divorce."