Chapter 19
"Yesterday I was somebody's baby / Now today I'm a woman on my own" Phyllis Hyman - Living All Alone
I inserted my keys into the lock but the knob didn't turn. I tried my keys again with no success. The door opened just as I was about to pull out my phone. Instead of Joe I saw Maxine.
It didn't bother me that she was at Joe's apartment. What did bother me was that it looked like she had her big feet wedged into my birthday Louboutins.
"Come in," she greeted with false charm.
Walking into the apartment, I expected to see JJ somewhere crashing his toy trucks together. I didn't see him as I went to the bathroom to empty my bladder. Even though I peed before I left my parents house an hour and a half ago it felt like I hadn't gone in days.
After washing my hands, I exited the bathroom feeling more relieved. I checked the small dining room area first. Joe usually stayed in there doing paperwork.
"Where were you," Joe asked as soon as I crossed the threshold into the room. He was typing away on his laptop with a stack of papers piled near him.
"I went to my parents house for the day."
His intense onyx eyes glared at me from across the room. "You're parents house?" I nodded. "Why didn't you tell me? We could've visited together."
I was too confused to smile. This wouldn't be a good time to ask what Maxine was doing here. His tone was calm but the look on his face made me want to run.
"I needed some time alone," I explained.
"I called you, left voicemails and texts."
"My phone was dead. I charged it a little on my drive here." Joe held his hand out gesturing for my phone. I didn't have anything to hide- or I didn't think so. I rounded the small rectangular table to give Joe my phone. He pushed the home button then searched my call history and texts.
"The funniest thing happened at work today," he stated while still perusing my cell. "I was doing my rounds at the hospitals like I do every Thursday when a nurse stopped to congratulate me." I scratched my head. Maybe he got a promotion or something. "I was confused too. She told me my girlfriend was her patient." My heart dropped my stomach. "Asked me if I was excited to have another kid."
Joe caught my wrist when I turned to run away. He stood up fast, pinning me to the nearby wall. The cold look in his eyes had me shaking. I thought hospitals had confidentially laws to follow.
"I can expl-" I stopped talking when his fist crashed into the spot next to my head. I gulped in fear. It was time to go. "Joe...I'm sorry but-"
"Shut up!" He yelled in my face. I could smell the faint scent of booze on his breath. His hands moved to my shoulders, which he gripped tightly. "I checked your file, thinking the nurse made a mistake. But she was right and you're a fucking liar." He shook me with each sentence, banging my body against the wall behind me. "After everything I did, this is how you thank me?"
I tried to raise my hands to his arms. All the shaking was making me dizzy; I knew it was a matter of time before I threw up.
"J-joe s-stop," I stuttered. "I-I'm sorry."
He stopped shaking me but still squeezed my shoulders. "Sorry?" he mocked. My whole body froze when his hands moved to my throat. "Living in my house fucking that white boy and you're sorry?" His grip tighten. My tears dripped on his wrist but he was unaffected. "Where was he when you were crying in your office? Where was your bitch ass husband when your friends left you?"
"Joseph!" I faintly heard in the background as my vision blurred.
When I first met Joe months ago I never thought he would do this. He told me he loved me. Only thing I could think of now, was how shit went bad so quickly.
I gasped for air when he finally let me go. Barely standing, I looked up at him and saw Maxine was fighting to keep him away from me. I thought she hated me.
"I am so sorry," I apologized again as I crept towards the door.
"All you black bitches are the same," he yelled. Maxine struggled to retain him. "I treated you better than he ever will. You need me, you ungrateful piece of shit. You'll crawl back but I don't need you. I been fucking Maxine all along." Maxine cheeks turned a crimson color as she pressed her hands to his chest to stop him from approaching me.
His statements hurt me to the core but I couldn't stick around. It was too dangerous. I left the dining room and picked up my purse. I could replace any clothes, shoes and jewelry I left in that apartment.
* * *
I drove around, tempted to go back to my parents house but I didn't want to see my father. He ended up apologizing because Mama made him. I could tell it wasn't genuine.
It was too humiliating to tell Sparkle or Tay about what Joe did.
I shouldn't have lied. I shouldn't have had sex with Rick.
I let go of the wheel to wipe my tears causing my car to wander over into the next lane. I was able to catch the wheel in time to move back to my side. The car next to me beeped and gave me the finger.
I knew I had to get off the road. Driving in my current mindset would cause an accident. Plus, cramps had started harassing my lower body. I got off the highway and drove to my house.
My mouth dropped open as I pulled into my driveway. A large black and yellow Century 21 "for sale" sign was posted on the lawn.
I dug in my bag searching for my phone then remembered Joe still had it. Shit. Leaving my car, I walked over and kicked the sign. The stupid block of wood didn't even move. I got my bag from out of the car and slammed the door.
Luckily this time my keys actually opened the door. I threw my stuff on the floor and closed the door with my foot. My house was completely different. All the pictures were off the wall and the only furniture left in the living room was the couch and a lamp. My coffee table, side tables other chairs- everything- was all gone. Pissed, I went to the kitchen for the house phone.
His number was burned into my memory. Without hesitation I dialed his ten digits.
"Hello?" he answered.
"You're selling the house?" I asked cutting straight to the point.
"Yeah."
"You can't do that."
"I can't afford to keep paying the mortgage for that house and my own place. You weren't even living there so why does it matter?" I rolled my eyes.
"Because it's my house too."
"My name is the only one on the deed but I'll sell it to you." My cramps intensified with each passing second of this conversation. "I tried to call to tell you I was putting the house on the market but you never answered your phone."
Now I knew why he kept calling and texting. Silly me, thought he actually want to talk to me.
"How much do you want for it?"
"It's listed for $229,000."
"You're out your mind." There was no way in hell I'd pay Rick that much money. I don't care how much he paid for this place.
"I don't have time to argue with you. Aren't you living with your boyfriend? You can find someplace else to store your shit." He hung up the phone before I could get another word out.
The urge was strong to trash the place and write fuck you on the walls in lipstick but I suppressed those immature thoughts.
I paced back and forth thinking about my next steps. First, I had to find a place. No, first I had to go back to work before I lost my job. But...work meant being around Joe.
Sighing, I ran my fingers through my curly hair. I got a bottle of water from the refrigerator and drank the whole thing. I wanted something stronger but it looked like all my alcohol was gone.
First, I'd take a nap then figure the rest out.
I went upstairs to my bedroom closet. Gratefully, my tops, bottoms and shoes remained. The small amount of clothes that I had here weren't touched. I stripped out of my gray sweatpants. There was a small circular red patch of blood. I groaned in annoyance. My period always showed up at the worst time.
I took off my ruined panties seeing more blood. After getting a new pair, I left my closet and went to the bathroom for a pad, hoping I still had some. I smiled seeing an almost full box in the cabinet under the sink. I put the fresh pad on my clean panties and exhaled...
Wait...
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