An Unexpected Love (Women's Fiction/BWWM Romance) (18 page)

“I’m thirsty.” Layla threw her purse and keys on the
living room table. “You want a drink or snack or anything?” she asked Cross.

“No.” He patted his stomach. “I’m still full from
dinner.”

Aliyah looked up but didn’t speak. Layla and Cross
went into the kitchen. Aliyah walked in with her feet dragging on the floor.

“I’m sorry.” She wiped tears. “I really am.”

Layla got a glass out of the cabinet and set it on the
kitchen counter. “Come here.” She held out her arms and Aliyah ran into them.

“I’m sorry, Momma.” She cried in Layla’s chest. “I
hate that this happened.”

“I know.” Layla kissed her head. “I’m sorry for
yelling at you at the hospital, okay? You’re not to blame for this. The only
person to blame is Khalil.”

“I’m gonna do all I can to help Shanti through this.”
Aliyah sniffled. “I wasn’t there to protect her, and I’ll never forgive myself
for that. Do you think she’ll be okay?”

“Shanti’s strong.” Layla wiped Aliyah’s tears with the
end of her sleeve. “It’s gonna be a challenge, but we’re gonna have to help her
through it.”

“You think she’ll ever be the same?”

“I hope so.” Layla went to the refrigerator and got
the orange juice. “It’s been a long, long night. You should be getting to bed.
You got school tomorrow.”

“How can I concentrate on school?”

“Our lives can’t stand still just because this
happened,” Layla said. “We have to be strong so Shanti will.”

“You’re right. Goodnight, Momma.” Aliyah went to the
doorway then stopped. “Goodnight, Mr. Evers.”

He smiled. “Goodnight, sweetheart.”

Cross leaned against the counter as she left the
kitchen. “Poor thing. She feels terrible.”

Layla filled her glass with orange juice. “I can’t
believe this.” She put the glass to her lips but didn’t sip. “Please, tell me
this is a bad dream, and I just need to wake up.”

“I’m so sorry, Layla. I’d be devastated if someone
hurt my son.”

“And
Patrick
.”
She sipped orange juice then set the glass down. “Can you believe he said that
to me? Going to blame me for Shanti’s rape? That man is incredible.” She combed
her fingers through her hair. “I can’t believe I married that asshole.”

“It’s late.” Cross kissed her cheek. “I’d better go.”

“Would you mind staying? I’d really like it if you
would.”

“I’ll stay if you want me to.” He kissed her hand and
laid it to his cheek. “Everything is gonna be okay, Layla.” He pulled her
close. “You are so beautiful.”

She touched a buttons on his shirt. “I feel like the
worst mother in the world.”

 
“You’re not.”
He scooped up her face in his hands. “You’re a wonderful mother.” He kissed
her. “When you were crying earlier, I couldn’t stop looking at you. You’re so
beautiful when you cry.”

She felt a wave of shyness. “What?”

“When we were at Wellington, I’d watch you in group
and you’d cry sometimes.” He tilted his head. “I kept thinking that it was a
blessing to be in that place, just to see how beautiful you looked when you
cried.”

“
Cross
.” She
laid her head on his chest. “You’re so sweet.”

He put his arms around her. “Is there anything I can
do for you?”

“Just hold me.” She slipped her arms around him.
“That’s all.”

****

“David?”

Valerie jerked up in bed when the front door slammed
the next morning. She hadn’t slept all night, just had lain in the same spot with
the phone in her hand, hoping David would call.

“David?”

He slumped to the bedroom. His clothes were wrinkled, and
his hair hadn’t been combed. He shot her a distant look. Then sat on the bed
and took off a shoe.

“Wait a minute.” Valerie got out of bed. “I know you
didn’t spend the night out, and then walk in here without even saying a word.”

He took off his other shoe.

“I’m trying to keep calm enough to tell you this.” She
blew into her hands. “While worrying sick about you, I got a call from Layla
that Shanti was in the hospital last night.”

“What?” He snapped out of whatever trance he seemed to
be in. “Is she okay?”

“She was raped.”

“Raped?” He bucked his eyes. “What…how?”

“Apparently she and Aliyah went to some party, and a
guy there assaulted Shanti.”

“Oh my God.” He covered his mouth. “Oh poor Shanti.
Who would hurt such a sweet girl like her?”

“She’s staying with Patrick.”

“We gotta go see her.” He moaned. “This is terrible.”

“Yeah, and my emotions had me climbing the walls
because of that
and
you.” Valerie
bent down to him. “You were gone all damn night, and I didn’t know what to
think. I called you a hundred times. I even called your mother.”

He stood and took off his blazer.

“I called the cops, but they wouldn’t do anything
because it was too soon to file a missing person’s report.”

He threw his blazer on the bed and started to unbutton
his shirt.

“David, talk to me.” She grabbed him. “How could you
be out all night like that and not call me? I thought something had happened to
you. I almost threw up because I was so worried.”

“That’s what it takes?” He took his shirt off. “It
takes me to disappear for you to care?”

She looked him over. “Where were you?”

“I spent the night at a motel.”

“What motel?”

“Does it matter?” He unbuckled his belt and undid his
pants.

She ran her fingers through her hair. “Were you with
another woman?”

 
“Now, how did I
know you’d ask me that?” He stepped out of his pants, grinning.

 
“What the hell
is so funny? You stay gone all night, and you think it’s no big deal?” She
crossed her arms. “You were with another woman, weren’t you?”

She sniffed him and he gently pushed her back.

“What are you doing?”

She asked, “Were you with Corrine?”

“No.”

As he went into the bathroom, she followed him.

“Don’t lie to me.” She stood at the doorway. “That’s
it, isn’t it? You were with Corrine.”

He set his toothbrush and toothpaste on the sink. “I’m
already gonna be late for work. I need to get in the shower so I can go.”

“No, you need to tell me where you were.”

“Why? You already said I was with Corrine.”

“Did you fuck her?” She hit the bathroom door. “Answer
the question! Did…you…fuck…my…sister?”

“I didn’t fuck Corrine.” He rolled his eyes. “And to
be honest, I don’t care if you don’t believe me.”

“Why are you acting like this?”

“You mean why am I not shouting back or throwing a
fit?” He scratched his head. “I’m worn out, Val. You see the wall?” He pointed
to it. “That’s the end of the line for me. I don’t have strength left to
fight.”

“David.” She pushed her hair behind her ears. “You
were the one in the wrong. You stayed out all night, so why are you making me
feel like I’m overreacting?”

“I’m not trying to make you feel like anything, Val.”
He moved back from the door. “I just wanna take my shower and go to work.”

“I’m your wife, and I deserve an explanation. You
can’t just come in here after being gone all night and not tell me what’s going
on.”

“I told you,” he spat as he closed the door.

“David?” She knocked on it. “David, what the hell’s
the matter with you?!”

All she heard in response was the shower came on.

That evening,
Patrick
escorted Aliyah into his living room and hugged her. “It’s good to see you.”

She went stiff in his arms. “Is it?”

The burst of affection threw her off, considering how
he’d been the night before.

“Of course it is.” He kissed her forehead. “I’m sorry,
honey. I shouldn’t have been so cold to you yesterday.” He stroked her
ponytail. “I had no right to make you think you were to blame for what
happened.”

“I love you too, Daddy.” She kissed his cheek. “I came
right from school to see Shanti. I had her on my mind all day.”

“She’s upstairs in the bedroom.” He took off his
reading glasses. “I’ve decided to work at home for a while. I’m not sure when
Shanti will feel like going back to school, and someone needs to be here for
her.”

“Momma wants her to come home.” Aliyah got
butterflies. “No offense, but I do too. She needs to be with us.”

“It’s not me making this decision.” He set his glasses
beside his computer.

 
“How is she?”

He looked toward the doorway and sighed. “I don’t
know. She’s not talking or eating much. All she’s been doing is lying up in
that room.”

“What if she doesn’t come out of this?” Aliyah bit her
lip. “What if she goes crazy or something? It could happen, right?”

“You’re talking about schizophrenia?”

“Maybe.” Aliyah fidgeted. “We don’t know if we’re
gonna have it. They say the signs can show up at any time.”

He put his hand on her shoulder. “You and Shanti are
not schizophrenic.”

“Come on, Daddy. You don’t know that.” She walked to
the doorway and looked down the hall at the stairwell. “Momma has episodes when
something traumatic happens. What’s more traumatic then rape?” She turned
toward Patrick. “This might send Shanti over the edge.”

“Shanti is
not
schizophrenic.”
He walked over to her. “Honey, we got enough to deal with. We don’t need to be
inventing problems.”

“I can’t help it if that’s what I think about. How can
you expect me not to wonder?”

“I know it’s hard not to.” He patted her head. “But we
need to focus on what’s going on
now
.”

“Have you heard from that detective? Did he talk to
Khalil?”

“He can’t even find him.” Patrick stroked the back of
his head. “He wasn’t at his mother’s, and she claims she doesn’t know where he
is. Gunner says he has a record for shoplifting and selling weed.”

“Any violent charges?”

“No. But that could just mean he hasn’t gotten caught.
Detective Gunner says he’s gonna speak to A.C. again for some leads.”

“He doesn’t know where Khalil is either. I just got
off the phone with him.”

Patrick grimaced. “You’re still talking to that guy
after what happened?”

 
“A.C. didn’t
have anything to do with it. He’s a nice guy, Daddy.” Aliyah swallowed. “Can I
see Shanti?”

“She might be sleeping.” Patrick led her to the
stairs. “She won’t watch television or even read.”

“She hasn’t been reading?” Aliyah trudged up the
steps. “Shanti loves to read more than anything. God, she must be worse than I
thought.”

They got to the upstairs hallway and stopped at the
third doorway.

“Shanti?” Patrick knocked. “You up, baby girl?”

“Yeah,” she said in a faint voice.

“
Liyah’s
here. Can she come
in and talk to you?”

“She’s gonna say ‘no,’ Daddy,” Aliyah said as she
opened the door and walked on in.

Shanti sat leaning against the headboard, with her
gaze directly on Aliyah.

Aliyah waved. “Hey.”

Shanti lowered herself under the sheets and turned on
her side.

“I’m gonna get dinner started,” Patrick said. “Shanti,
is there anything you want in particular? Want me to fry some catfish, make
some mac and cheese, and your momma’s
cole
slaw?
That’ll be nice, right?”
 

“Yeah, you love Momma’s
cole
slaw, Shanti,”
Liyah
said.

Patrick chuckled. “I never made it myself, but I know
the ingredients.”

Shanti didn’t mumble or even bat an eye.

“I’ll make it anyway,” Patrick said. “Maybe you’ll be
hungry later.” He turned to Aliyah. “Why don’t you stay too, honey?”
 

Shanti took a deep breath.

Aliyah watched her sister. “That’s okay. I’ll eat at
home.” Patrick nodded and left. Aliyah counted to thirty silently and then
found the nerve to speak. It had been the first time she’d been alone with
Shanti since the rape.

“Hey,” she said. “Dumb question, but are you okay?”

Shanti laid her hands under her head.

“That guy you like…” Aliyah faked a grin. “That white
boy that plays in the band? He asked about you in school today. I just said you
were sick. I didn’t want everyone in your business.” She sat on the bed.

Shanti’s gaze remained straight ahead.

“I think he sensed something was wrong because you
never miss school.” Aliyah went to touch her, but Shanti jerked away. “Sorry.
You probably don’t want anyone touching you.”

“Get
outta
my face, Aliyah.”

“Shanti—”

“Don’t make me say it again.” She kept her gaze on the
bed. “I don’t wanna talk to you. I don’t even wanna see you.”

“Please, don’t do this.” Aliyah rose. “I’m sorry,
Shanti. I can’t change what happened. What do you want me to do to show you how
bad I feel?”

“I want you to get out of my face.”

“I just don’t want you to hate me. Please, tell me you
don’t hate me.”

Shanti didn’t move.

“I know I fucked up.” Aliyah sniffled. “For the rest
of my life, I’ll have to live with that. I never should’ve left you. You’re my
little sister, and I should’ve protected you.” She fell to her knees. “You’re
my best friend. We’ve always been close, even if we didn’t always agree on
things. I love you.”

Shanti rolled over with her back facing Aliyah. Aliyah
rose. “Why won’t you talk to me?”

“You have some nerve, don’t you?” Shanti suddenly sprang
up and shouted. “I can’t believe you brought your behind in here talking about
how bad
you
feel.” She squinted. “How
do you think
I
feel? Last night was
the worst night of my life. I wouldn’t wish it on anyone—not even you, and
that’s a lot to say with how I feel about you right now.”

“Shanti…”

“Do you know how much he hurt me?” She gripped the
sheet. “Can you imagine how it feels to have a man force himself inside of you
when you’re a virgin?”

Aliyah closed her eyes. “No.”

 
“It hurt.” A
tear fell down Shanti’s cheek. “It hurt so bad. I felt like I was ripping in
two. I keep wondering what I did to deserve this. Why did it happen?”

“It wasn’t your fault.” Aliyah wiped her face.

“I know it wasn’t.” Shanti laid her head back against
the headboard. “It was
yours
. It
happened all because you
had
to be
with A.C. and go to that party. I was dumb enough to wanna look out for you,
not knowing you wouldn’t do the same for me.”

“Shanti—”

“The pain Khalil put me through last night and the
pain I’ll have to live with…” She shook her head. “…It’s nothing compared to
the pain I feel when I think of you. Khalil is just some creep who hurt me. I
didn’t expect anything from him.
You
are
my sister, and I thought you always had my back.”

“Please.” Tears fell as fast as Aliyah could wipe
them. “I wish it had been me. If I had the power to make it me, then I would.”

“You don’t.” A tear settled on Shanti’s lips. “Until
you can, then I don’t need to talk to you.”

“I can’t bear you hating me.”

“I can’t bear to see your face right now.” Shanti lay
down. “I guess we’re even.”