33

Stephanie

I sat there with tears in my eyes telling Angel what happened last week.

1 week ago...

"Jd, I want you to be happy." I told him as tears rolled down my face.

"What do you mean by that? I am happy... I'm very happy." He grabbed my hand.

"I don't want to be the one getting in your way of being a father, because you really deserve that. So I give you permission to have children with someone else..." I looked at him. He looked genuinely confused.

"What?? Stephanie, you're the one who I'm going to have kids with... Steph where is all this coming from?"

I sighed. "Jaceyon, I have something to tell you..." I looked down and played with my hands.

"I'm all ears baby..." He kissing my cheek. "Wassup? What is it?"

Okay... Here it goes.

"I can't get pregnant." I stared at him. "W-what?" He asked.

"I can't get preg- I can't conceive..." I whispered. "Why- why didn't you tell me this earlier?" He asked softly.

"I didn't know how... I didn't want you to be angry with me. I've been noticing how you've been trying to get me pregnant. I saw how excited you were about finally finding the right person to finally start a family with and I just-" I stopped and sighed.

"So you sold me a dream?" I felt my heart ache. I looked up at him.

"No, I-" He cut me off. "You sold me a dream!" He raised his voice.

"Why you hiding all of this shit from me?! First it was your parents, then that Glenn nigga, now you telling me that you can't get pregnant?!" He yelled.

"Jaceyon pleas-" I grabbed his hand.

"NO JACEYON NOTHING!" He snatched away from me. "You hid all this shit from me! What else you hiding from me? Hmm?" He threw his arms up in the air.

"Nothing babe..." I whimpered.

"Listen don't think I'm mad about you not being able to have kids because that's not your fault and it's various things we can do to get around that. I'm mad because you kept all this shit hidden from me! You know everything about me! Literally everything! And I told you shit before we started dating because I TRUSTED you and I felt like you needed to know! So now how do you think I'm supposed to feel when you come and tell me more and more shit that you kept hidden?"

I just dropped my head. He was right. Everything he was saying was right... I shouldn't have kept those things from him for so long.

"I'm sorry..." My voice cracked.

He chuckled and stood up.

I looked up. "Jaceyon... Jaceyon." He picked up his keys off the coffee table and slammed the front door shut, walking out of it.

I put my head down into my lap and cried until I fell asleep.

***

I laid in bed after a long day of work.

I hugged Jaceyon's pillow that still had his scent in it. I listened to the terrifying silence that rang all throughout the huge house.

Its been 4 days since me and Jd had the conversation about me not being able to conceive. I haven't talked to him at all since. I lay here every night just praying he walks through that door saying 'Hey mama! I missed you.' like he did every night before we had that conversation.

I called him. He hasn't returned any of my calls. I texted him. He just leaves me on read.

He hasn't even come home... He stops by the house while I'm at work and gets clothes and whatever else he needs.

I only know that because in the morning I check his drawers and the closet. And when I get home at night, I check them again; they're never the same from the last time I checked.

I sighed.

I have to let this man be happy... I wouldn't be mad at all if he does move on. He was right: I basically did sell him a dream. I was completely wrong for hiding those things from him. Everything would've went a different route if I just told him everything in the beginning...

I got up and walked into the closet. I grabbed my pink suitcase that I had for whenever I spent the night out of the corner.

I softly cried grabbing any and everything that belonged to me out of the house and threw it in the suitcase, making sure not to forgot anything.

Once I was done, I zipped it up and grabbed my purse and my keys. I cut all the lights off upstairs. I threw my Neverfull on my shoulder and dragged my suitcase down stairs.

Once I got to the foyer, I set the alarm. I then took the key to his house off my keychain. I placed it on the half table.

I then took the pink diamond encrusted heart necklace off my neck. I stared at it in my hand.

Jaceyon surprised me with this necklace on our first date 8 months ago. He put it on my neck and I never took it off. I've been wearing it ever since. I fell in love with it and the fact that it came from him. It's going to be hard to let it go...

I placed it on the table.

I grabbed the door handle and looked back at the house that I loved so much one last time.

I opened the door and stepped outside, shutting it behind me. I walked to my car and got in.

Everything took over and I burst into tears.

Yes, me and Jaceyon were only officially dating for a couple of weeks but it felt like forever... I was the happiest I've ever been in my life during those weeks too.

"Oh my god Stephanie... I'm so sorry... I really am... I didn't know..." Angel said hugging me. I was crying and she was too. I let her go and waved her off.

She has to much on her plate and I don't need to be another problem on her list.

"Girl don't worry about me." I wiped her eyes. "Are you ready for the meet up with your dad tomorrow?" She sighed.

"I'm as ready as I'll ever be..."

"Well bitch, you know I'm gonna be there ready for him to move wrong..." I made a gun with my finger and she laughed.

"You so damn crazy Stephanie." She shook her head.

"Come on bitch. Our break been over." I grabbed her hand and we left out the break room.

Angel

The next day...

My stomach started to get queasy as me and Dave pulled up to the park. We parked and he cut the car off.

"How you feeling?" He looked over at me. I rubbed my stomach. "I don't know Dave..." I shook my head.

He grabbed my face making me look at him. "Listen, you not here alone." I scrunched my face up.

"What do you mean?" "Angel, I got niggas surrounded and hidden all around this park. Not only that, but me Star, Sunny, and Steph gone be watching y'all from a far. Now I don't know about Star and Sunny, but I KNOW Stephanie ready to shoot. Hell, she'll probably get him before I will." He pulled a gun from under his seat and placed it in his lap.

Just as he did that, the backseat doors opened. Dave jumped and put the gun up.

"Damn nigga it's just us!" Steph yelled as her Star and Sunny hopped in. "Fuck! My bad y'all... But y'all know I'm high alert! Y'all can't be hopping in here like that."

"At least you not lacking though..." Star said and we all chuckled.

"So what's the plan?" Sunny said. "The plan is Angel gonna go talk to him. Angel, you gonna have me on the phone so we can listen to every single thing he saying. If he starts talking crazy and jumps wrong, we off him and that's it. And it's people surrounded the park so when they pop out, don't get scared and panic. They with us." He said moving his hand.

"But what if somebody comes up in the park?" Steph asked. "Yeah, now that I think about it, this shit deserted as fuck." Star said looking around.

"Star and Sunny, I know y'all haven't been knowing me for that long but Steph... Babygirl I'm disappointed in you." We all laughed.

"Nigga why?!" She yelled. "You know I got this shit blocked off! You know I'm smarter than that now."

"Yeah I forgot, you a fucking genius right?" She said as she rolled her eyes. "Steph don't start with me today! Hell my nerves already bad."

"Whatever." She said as she pulled out her gun. Star and Sunny pulled out theirs. I looked back shocked.

"Girl what?! We need protection just like everybody else. We barely know that nigga. Fuck him. Our daddy didn't like him either." Star said. We all laughed and got out the car.

"Alright y'all, I parked far away so he won't think anything. So we gonna have to walk to that table down there." He pointed.

"Shit Dave..." Me, Star, Sunny, and Steph said. "Awe y'all shut the hell up!" He yelled. "It ain't even that far."

"Ashiddd..." Sunny said. We all chuckled.

As we walked, I soon complained on purpose so Dave would pick me up. He carried me bridal style.

"Wait David! What about the gy-" he cut me off. "Don't even worry about it... I already got Jd taking care of it. That nigga was mad as fuck he couldn't come." He laughed.

"Speaking of Jd.... What the fuck y'all got going on? My nigga been down man." He turned to Stephanie.

She smacked her lips. "Dave cut it out. I know he already told you, you just trying to see if I'm gonna say the same thing."

"Damn you smart!" He said sharply as we laughed. "Yeah bitch I am."

"It's okay sis. We'll talk later." He said sounding gay as fuck.

***

Dave sat me down at the table. "Alright it's 12:05 so he should be here soon. Go head and call me." I did as he said and he answered his phone.

He turned my sound down and turned my ringer off.

"Alright y'all, come on. We all gotta be together so y'all can hear too." Steph, Star, and Sunny followed him into the trees.

After 10 minuets of waiting, my watch buzzed I looked down at it.

Baby Daddy ❤️: He walking up now.

I soon heard footsteps behind me. The man who's face I haven't seen since I was 17 sat down across from me.

Fear set in all over my body but I didn't show it.

"Look at my baby girl! All grown up and successful! My little doctor!" He smiled at me. "I heard what you did for my brother. So you found out about my side of the family huh?"

I straight faced him. He touched my hand and I quickly pulled back. "Don't touch me."

"Oh so I can't touch you now? Why you acting like that baby?" He scrunched my face up.

"Why?" I asked. "Why what?"

"Why'd you do it? Why me?" He just looked at me. "ITS A MILLION OF OTHER GIRLS OUT THERE AND YOU CHOSE ME! I WAS YOUR DAUGHTER! WHY ME?!" I yelled at him.

"You were beautiful. I wanted you... I didn't care if you were my daughter. And I don't care now." I sat there looking at him. My skin crawled.

This man is really sick...

Most people say that jail is the only cure for sick people like him. That's not true. And I found that out firsthand.

I started to get up. "I don't have time for this shit." I mumbled. But before I could get up, he grabbed my hand. "Angel wait..."

I snatched my hand away from him. "I told you not to touch me."

"She's alive Angel." He mumbled. I was taken back.

"Who?"

"Caroline.... She-she's alive." I scoffed.

"I don't have time for these games. I buried my mother my freshman year of college." I stood up. He then saw my huge belly.

"You pregnant?" I looked into his eyes. The similar look of rage I used to see as a kid ran through them.

"Who got you pregnant Angel?" He whispered. "That's not any of your business."

"WHO GOT YOU PREGNANT?! WHAT YOU FAIL TO SEE IS THAT YOU'RE MINE! YOU'RE GOING TO ALWAYS BE MINE! I NUT IN YOU AND YOU ABORT THE BABY, BUT SOME RANDOM ASS NIGGA NUT IN YOU AND YOU KEEP IT?!" He stood up.

"You raped me! I was 14! My mom took me to abort that baby! I didn't even know what the fuck was going on!" I yelled back.

"Ima ask you one more time... Who's baby is that?" I scoffed and folded my arms together.

He then pulled out a gun and pointed it at my stomach. I heard triggers being pulled. A hundred niggas jumped out from every where in all black.

"WAIT! WAIT!" I pointed and yelled at them. They put their guns down.

"Oh so bitch you setting me up?" He cocked his gun and Dave's niggas put their guns back up.

"YALL PLEASE WAIT!! JUST HOLD ON!" I screamed on the verge of tears. I looked into the eyes of the man who was supposed to be my father.

My whole life I'd been running from him, afraid. Well not anymore. I won't allow him to control me any longer. The fear I felt was now gone.

"Who's is it Angel?" "It's mine." David walked up with Steph, Star, and Sunny right behind him. I ran to him.

"Don't come any closer!" He yelled and pointed his gun at us. David put all of us behind him. "Y'all wait right here." He passed his gun to me. We stopped walking as he continued to walk up to him.

I began to get scared. I don't know what the fuck was going through my fathers mind, and even though Dave's not afraid of dying and will do anything to protect me, I'm not ready to lose him... Permanently...

"DONT COME ANY CLOSER! IM WARNING YOU!" Dave didn't give a fuck. "ONE!... TWO!.. THR-" By the time he got to three, Dave snatched the gun out his hand and threw it down on the ground. He choked my dad up and threw him down on the table. Me, Steph, Sunny, and Star ran over to him.

"BITCH IF YOU WANTED TO KILL ME, YOU WOULD'VE DONE IT WHEN I FIRST WALKED OUT THEM BUSHES!" He tightened up his grip on his throat.

"TELL HER WHAT SHE NEEDS TO KNOW."

My dad clenched his teeth. "Tell her what?" Dave picked him up and slammed the back of his head on the table. "TELL HER WHAT SHE NEEDS TO KNOW!" He yelled.

"Okay okay! Your mom- she's- she's alive! She never died! She faked it after I went into prison! She came to her senses about how she treated you! It wasn't her Angel! It wasn't her fault! It was mine! She didn't want to put you through anymore misery!"

"How do you know that?!" Dave asked. Damn he was more on it with the questions more than I was.

"She visited me in prison the first year I was in! I thought she was dead to until she did that! She-she said she's sorry! She wants to talk to you Angel!" I was shocked. The whole time I thought my mom was dead...

"WHERE IS SHE?!" Dave yelled at him. "The last time I talked to her was when she visited me that one time in prison! She said she was living in Georgia! She said if I ever bumped into you, to give you her number! It's in my pocket!" Stephanie came up and dug into his pockets. She pulled out a small piece of white paper.

"I got it.." She said to Dave.

"Angel, you got anything to say?" I walked up to him.

"My whole life you physically and mentally abused me. You raped me every night from when I was 6 until I was 17. I never got to enjoy my childhood. I never had a childhood. You took that away from me. And I carried that hurt around all my life. You controlled my life even after you went to prison. But not anymore. You may not feel bad about it, and you may not have apologized but I don't hate you. I forgive you. And the only reason you're about to get what's due, is because I'm about to bring a child into the world and you coming back is to big of a risk. I'm done." I said stepping back.

Big G came over and dragged my father into the forest. The whole way there, he screamed. All of a sudden, the screams stopped and the area was quiet once again.

I balled my eyes out into Dave's chest. They all hugged me. "We're so proud of Angel... He's not around to hurt anyone anymore..." Sunny said.

"I'm not crying because I'm sad..." I said. "Why you crying then?!" Everyone yelled.

"I'm crying because it's all finally over... The fear, the paranoia, the dreams... I'm freeeee!" We all chuckled.

David kissed my cheeks and placed his hands on my belly. "Mmm lets go feed my baby." We all walked to the car.

***

"Are you sure?" Stephanie said. "Yeah. I'm sure." I nodded my head. "Allrighttt." She placed the piece of paper down on table.

We were at Chick Fil A eating at their outdoor tables.

I looked at the paper. I picked up my phone and dialed the number. I put it on speaker phone so we all could hear.

The dial tone started. My leg bounced up and down as it rung.

It rung for the 9th time. I sighed. "Well, I guess this isn-"

"Hello?" The sweet voice of a woman rung throughout the phone. I burst into tears.

That's her... That's my mother...

Steph rubbed my back. "Hellooo?" She said again. I sucked everything up.

"Umm hi! I know you may not kn-"

"Oh my god... Angel? Angel is that you?" Her voice cracked. "Yeah..."

"Oh god... That is you!" She exclaimed as she burst into tears. I giggled.

"You don't know how long I've been waiting for this call.... Angel Marie I'm so sorry. And I have so much explaining to do... I always prayed to god that he bring you back to me somehow and you'd at least hear me out... Angel I'm so sorry and I love you..." I cried harder. I looked up and saw everyone else shedding tears too...