The Girl Next Door

~35~

Sorry that I've neglected this book. 😔 School started and I've been busy ever since. Vote and comment for me if you're still here.

"People are saying that you've been playing my heart like a grand piano..."

 

Onika Maraj 

After-surgery 

11:17 p.m.

I wake to voices talking softly. But in my head, it's like they are talking at the top of their lungs. 

"Shh..." I shush, my eyes closing again. 

The voices stop amd I can feel myself drifting off into sleep again. Sleep is welcoming. I can forget everything when my eyes are closed. Even though this sleep has no dreams, I still watch as the black spots expand across the darkness. 

"Nika, baby. You up?" A voice asks softly. 

I chuckle. That's funny. That voice sounds just like my mom's.

"Onika, baby. It's your mother..." the voice says again. 

I groan loudly and open my eyes. As soon as the open about halfway, I feel as if I'm being choked to death by a pair of arms. 

"Oh, baby," my mother says as I'm losing my life,"I'm happy you're okay. I-I should've never left you..." 

"I... breath..." I choke out. 

"Oh! Sorry," she apologizes as she pulls away. 

I take on a deep breath, weakly smiling at my worrying mother. I don't want her to worry about me. I want her to know that everything's gonna be okay. 

"M-..." I start, suddenly feeling nervous. A heavy feeling sets in the pit of my stomach as I continue,"you know what happened?" 

She nods, rubbing her foreams as if she suddenly got cold,"yes. I do. And I'm not mad at you baby. If anything, I want to go kill that Robert kid... he had no reason to do something like that. I plan on suing the hell out of him and his oh so wealthy family of he doesn't go to jail." 

I smile again, shaking my head. This is not how I expected her to react.

"Are you sure you want to keep this baby though?" My mother asks. 

I shrug,"I-I really don't know. But I can't abort it. But then I'll have to get a job an-"

"Nonsense," my mother interrupts,"I will give you money. Three thousand dollars every two weeks after the baby is born. No child of mine will have to struggle like I did. No child." 

I think back to what she told me so long ago. She really did have to struggle. In Trinidad, she worked two jobs where they paid only enough for Roman and I to get food for that day. Four dollars an hour as a waitress. She worked four or more hours and we barely got to see her because she had to work another job that paid almost the same. When we came to America, she got a much better job. We were still dirt poor and we stayed in a homeless shelter for a month or two until she slowly started to rise up in her business. We came a long way from Trinidad and Tobago. And I can understand of she doesn't want us to struggle but that's too much she's trying to give me. 

Shaking my head, I speak,"that's too much. I-"

"You listen and you listen good. If I give you money, you know damn well better than to not take it. Especially of its for my grandchildren. Even if it turns out that you're not pregnant. I will still give you money. You will not struggle, got it?"