An Unexpected Love (Women's Fiction/BWWM Romance) (5 page)

A Week Later

“Ah, Cross.” Layla struggled to walk with
her hand over her eyes. “Was that the last step?”

“Yeah, hold on.” Cross held her hand and
guided her outside. “Don’t peek.”

“What the…?” She groaned. “Are we in the
courtyard?”

“Yes,” he sang. “We’re going down the
sidewalk now. Turn right.”

“Ouch.” Her sneaker caught on the cracked
pavement. “I’m tired of this. I told you I wanted to stay in my room today.”

“You need to come out for air sometime,
Layla.” He pulled her along. “You haven’t left your room for days.”

“I’ve been gathering my thoughts.” She
inched one foot in front of the other. “Isn’t that what the institution is
for…to regroup?”

Cross guided her toward the left. “Yeah,
but you don’t have to be a hermit.”

 
“Where
are we going?” She held on to him. “Don’t let me bump into anything.”

He caressed her hand as he held it. “I got
ya
’.”

Is
he caressing my hand on purpose? Does he realize he’s doing it?

“Come on, damn it.” She stopped and
stomped her feet. “Why am I out here?”

“You can uncover your eyes now.”

She took her hand down. Underneath the
cluster of trees sat a blanket in the grass with a picnic basket, a container
of red juice, paper plates, and plastic cups.

She looked at him. “What is this?”

“Ta da.” He waved his hand over the
spread. “I figured if I got you out of your room, it had to be worth it.” He
smiled. “Is it?”

“A picnic?” She stared at it as if it were
a pile of gold. “You did this for me?”

“I’ve been worried about you. Dr.
Livingston told me to keep an eye on you. She says we’re good for each other,
and we can help each other make progress.”

“Cross.” She covered her mouth. “I don’t
know what to say.”

“It’s just food.”

He sat down and opened the basket.

“You don’t understand.” She sat on her
knees. “This is one of the sweetest things anyone has ever done for me. Just to
know that you cared enough about me to…” She took his hand. “Thank you.”

“You don’t have to thank me.” He took out
two sandwiches wrapped in plastic. “It’s as much for me as for you.” He handed
her a sandwich and a napkin. “I’ve been worried about you. You haven’t come out
of your room in almost a week. Is something else wrong?”

She slowly peeled the plastic off her
sandwich and sniffed it.

“I love roast beef.”

“I’m glad.” He bit into his sandwich.
“What’s been going on with you?”

She brushed a gnat off her knee. “I’m
trying not to get programmed into thinking therapy and medicine can fix all my
problems.” She chewed the soft bread and moist beef. “All I care about is my
children, and I can’t stand Aliyah hating me. I find myself staring at that
macaroni drawing, and it brings so much pain. If I can’t fix things with her,
then nothing else matters.”

“You gotta have faith that everything will
work out.” He poured a cup of juice and set it beside her. “I haven’t known you
long, but I know you’re a strong person. I could tell that the moment I met
you.”

“I’ve been thinking about my dad a lot.”
She chewed. “Something about this place brings back memories you wish you could
ignore.”

He sipped juice. “Like what?”

 
“My
dad killed himself when I was nineteen.”

Cross lowered his sandwich. “What?”

“He was old school, so he didn’t believe
in going to doctors or anything.” She curled her legs Indian-style. “When his
illness would get out of control, he drank.” She pinched a corner off her
sandwich. “That was his medicine.”

“I’m so sorry. How did he kill himself?”

“He shot himself in the head.”

Cross closed his eyes. “Jesus.”

“He never learned how to deal with his
illness.” She grabbed her drink. “You gotta understand the time he came from. I
don’t know how it is in white families, but black people don’t talk about
stuff. At least they didn’t when he was young. If you had mental illness, they
just accepted it and went on. No one tried to get people help or take them to
doctors in those days. Plus, his mother had it, so…”

Cross set his sandwich in his lap. “I bet
it was hard growing up with him.”

 
“I
loved my daddy.” She smiled. “We were very close. He was a great father and a
very nice man…until he drank. He thought the booze helped him, but it made him
worse. All hell broke loose when he drank. My momma left him four times when we
were younger. He didn’t abuse us or anything, but he just got out of control at
times.”

“You said you had sisters?”

“Two.” She nodded. “I’m the oldest. Then
there’s Val. Corrine’s the baby. Since I was the oldest, I was the one helping
Momma whenever Daddy acted a fool.” She slightly chuckled. “It was so hard
seeing him suffer, because I know how it feels to succumb to the darkness. I
just wish he hadn’t been so damn stubborn and had gotten some help.” She sipped
juice. “Maybe he’d still be alive today.”

“I’m sure he wanted to be here for you and
your sisters. You gotta believe that.”

She looked at her sandwich. “Thanks.”

“Layla!” Gertie, who managed the front
desk, waved from across the yard. “You have a visitor!”

“I have a visitor?” She put her sandwich
down, looked at Cross, then stood. “I wasn’t expecting anyone.”

Corrine walked from behind Gertie, holding
her Gucci purse by the strap.

“Lay!”

“Corrine!” Layla jumped up and down. “Girl,
I didn’t know you were coming!”

Corrine ran across the yard and hugged
Layla. “Hey, honey.”

“I’m so glad to see you.” Layla put her
arms around her. “I’ve been down lately.”

“Oh, I’m sorry.” Corrine let her go and
examined Layla’s expression as always. “Even in here, you look like you stepped
off a damn magazine cover.” She poked her arm. “I hate you.”

“Hey, you’re Corrine Oates from the nine
o’clock news.” Cross stood and brushed off his jeans. “Wow.”

“Hello,” she greeted with a smile.

Cross gawked at her. “Jeez, Layla. You
didn’t tell me Corrine Oates from the news was your sister.”

“Corrine, this is my friend, Cross Evers,”
Layla said.

He took her hand. “It’s very nice to meet
you.”

Corrine dipped her head. “It’s nice to
meet you too.”

“You’re even prettier in person.” He
looked back and forth at the sisters. “You guys were definitely blessed in the
looks department. I bet your parents beat the boys away with sticks when you
were growing up.”

Corrine giggled. “You’re a charming one,
aren’t you?”

He put his arms behind his back. “I guess
so.”

“And what’s this?” Corrine stepped on the
blanket. “A picnic?”

“Cross did it for me.” Layla beamed. “He
wanted to cheer me up.”

“I see.” Corrine raised an eyebrow. “Did
he succeed?”

Layla nudged her. “Corrine.”

“Why don’t I let you two talk for a little
bit?” Cross smiled. “I’ll be in the rec room if you need me, Layla.”

“Okay.” She stared at his perfect ass as
he walked away.

“Well, well, well.” Corrine gestured in the
direction Cross left in. “If I’d known they had hunks like that in here, I’d
have checked myself in too.”

“You’re so bad.” Layla sat down on the
blanket. “Before you start…it’s not even like that.”

“Uh-huh.” Corrine brushed down her fitted
dress and sat beside her. “Don’t tell me it’s not like that. If it’s one thing
I know, it’s when a man has the hots for a woman.”

“What are you talking about?” Layla laid
the rest of her sandwich in the basket. “We’re just friends.”

“You can say friends all you want, but
this…” Corrine gestured to the spread. “…is not a
friendly
picnic. This is a
romantic
picnic.”

“That’s ridiculous.” Layla’s face grew
hot. “He’s a very nice guy, and he’s concerned about me. That’s all.”

“He wants to
fuck
you.” Corrine tossed Cross’ sandwich back in the basket. “And
you’re divorced now, so it’s no big deal right?”

“Excuse me?”

“What?” Corrine smirked. “You can’t fuck
in here?”

“Girl, shut up.” Layla playfully hit her.
“Ain’t nobody gonna be fuckin’ anyone in here.”

Corrine snickered. “Did you tell Cross
that?”

“I told you for the last time:
we’re just friends
.”

“And you know you’ve always liked white
boys.” Corrine rocked her foot. “That’s all you dated in school. That’s why
everyone was surprised when you brought home Patrick.”

“You’re getting on my last nerve with
this.
Nothing
is going on between me
and Cross.”

“I bet he’s the only person you’ve hung
with since you got here.” Corrine put her chin in the air. “Say I’m wrong.”

“Yeah, we sit out here and talk. So what? We
also play in the rec room, and sometimes we watch TV in each other’s rooms.”

“Ooh.” Corrine waved her finger. “You can
tell yourself you’re just friends all you want. But that man wants you, and you
want him.”

Layla rolled her eyes. “And I’m the crazy
one?”

“I saw how you were looking at him when he
walked away, and I saw how he looked at you. You know you’re attracted to him.”

“Okay, maybe I am.” Layla leaned back on
her elbows. “I won’t lie and say he isn’t gorgeous. You saw him. But, I don’t
wanna be with the man if that’s what you’re thinking. No.”

“Why not?”

“
Hello
?”
She snapped her fingers in Corrine’s face. “I’m in here for a schizophrenic
breakdown. I didn’t come here for a date.”

“Layla, you of all people should know that
life is short. Did you ever think that Cross might become a special person in
your life?”

“No. For God sakes, I’ve only known him
for a month.” She sat up. “We’re just friends, Corrine. Can we drop this,
please?”

“I’m just saying, I see something between
you two. I mean, look at your face. You haven’t looked this happy in a long
time. If Cross has something to do with that…is that a bad thing?”

“I’m trying to get my life together. The
last thing I need is to jump into another relationship. Please, let’s talk
about something else.”

“Okay.” Corrine looked around the yard.
“You said you’ve been depressed lately? Been lonely?”

“No. Mom and Val came by last night, and
we hung out for a while. It was fun. Shanti came to see me twice last week. I’m
not lonely.”

“Momma and Val visited you last night?”

“Yeah.”

“Oh and they didn’t think to tell me?”
Corrine sucked her lip. “I might’ve wanted to come.”

“You know you and Val don’t get along. I’m
sure Momma didn’t feel like playing referee all night, and I sure as hell
didn’t.”

“And whose fault is it we don’t get along?”

“Yours.” Layla pointed. “Must I do a
rundown of all the shit you did to Val when we were growing up?”

“This has nothing to do with us not
getting along as kids. She’s still trying to blame me for her not having a baby.
You don’t think I pushed her on purpose do you?”

“No.”

Layla avoided eye contact.
At least I hope to hell you didn’t.

“I don’t know what to do.” Corrine sighed.
“I’ve tried to reason with her. I’ve asked Momma to talk sense into her. I even
prayed about it, and you know I don’t ever pray unless something’s really bad.”

Layla broke off a blade of grass and
twisted it around her finger. “That’s true.”

“I swear on everything that’s important to
me.” Corrine lifted her hand. “I swear on Daddy that I did not push her down
those stairs. I would never do that. God, how can she even think this?”

“Let me ask you something, and I want you
to be straight with me. Are you attracted to David?”

“Of course I am.” She laughed. “Are you
nuts? He’s a great guy. Any woman would be attracted to him, but I would never
hurt Val. I cherish David’s friendship. I wouldn’t jeopardize that. And no
matter how conniving people might think I am, I’d never sleep with my sister’s
husband.”

“I’m glad to hear that because this isn’t
like when we were kids, Corrine. Back then you did shit to Val, and it was
overlooked a lot.”

“I didn’t do anything to Val.”

“Corrine.” Layla rolled her eyes. “I was
there, remember? You were always jealous of Val, and you did some nasty things.
All I’m saying is the consequences would be much higher now. Val loves David
more than anything, and she wouldn’t ever forgive you if you got in the way of
that.” Layla stood. “And honestly, I wouldn’t either.”

“When it comes to Val’s marriage, it’s not
me she should be worried about.” Corrine stood and straightened her dress.
“It’s
herself
.”