Come Share My Love (25 page)

     “Hi baby.”

     “Hi.”  She went to kiss him but he turned away.

     “What’s wrong?”

     “Where have you been?”

     “Shopping!” she held up the bags in her hand.

     “For three hours, Shyla.  Didn’t you tell Essence that you were going for a walk and coming straight back here?”

     “Yes and I had every intention of coming right back, so what’s with the third degree?  I went shopping and now I’m here.  I got something for you.  Well for us,” she reached in the bag to pull it out then thought better.  Even if everyone knew that they had been intimate last night they didn’t need to know everything.

Zackary didn’t want to hear that.  “How is it that you come by being with Brennan?”  Brennan stepped around and put the bags on the porch then tried answering the question himself.

     “Z.”

     “I’m not talking to you, Bren
nan,” he said disgusted.

     “Zackary, someone stole one of Venice’s tires and we needed a ride home.”

     “But she’s not with you.”

She shook her head.  “No, she’s-”

     Zackary held up his hand cutting he words.  “I don’t believe you,” he said with unreserved irritation.

     “You don’t believe me?” she stood stunned.

     “Z, don’t do this,” his brother begged.

     He slammed Brennan’s passenger side door then pointed to him.  “You shut the hell up.  I’ll deal with you later.”

     “Hold up a damn minute, Z.”  Zackary ignored him.

     “So how did it feel?”

     “Z. Don’t.”  Shyla looked to Brennan then back to Zackary.

     “How did what feel?  Why are you so angry this morning?”

     “Zackary!  Dammit.  Don’t you do this.”  Brennan already knew what was on his mind.  He’d seen it before.  But nothing could stop the coldness that was in his brother’s voice.

     “How did it feel for you having my brother between your legs?
”

     “Shit.”

     Shyla was too shocked to say a word.  Her heart felt like it had been snatched out of her chest, drop kicked, picked up, drop kicked a second time then stomped until it stopped beating.  She tried to go into the house, but he snatched her from off the porch step.

     “How in the hel
l can you call yourself a woman?  You screw me all night and you wake up screwing my brother.  It’s nasty and filthy.  I hope he at least had condoms.  I wouldn’t want you to get pregnant and have to get a paternity test to see who the father is.”

   She was crying savagely.

     “Hell.  No, Zackary.  I am not going to let you talk to her like that.  And the two of you should be ashamed of yourselves letting him speak to your cousin that way,” he said to Essence and Felton but standing in Zackary’s face.

     “You have about two seconds to get the hell out of my face and off my property,” Zackary said.

     “Or you’re going to do what bad ass, Z?”

     “Or I will lay you bitch ass out.”

     “Not on this day, little brother.  Not this day.” 

     By now Big Zack and Mama V had heard the commotion.  Big Zack ran over and jumped between his two sons. 

     “What the hell is wrong with the two of you?’

     “Ask these two.”  He looked down his nose at Shyla and turned like he was disgusted.

     “We can hear you all the way over at our place.  It’s a good thing the girls are still over Mrs. Peterson’s or they would want to know what the hell is happening, too.”

     Shyla finally got up the strength to speak and when she did she was breathing fire.

     “You d-disgusting, spineless, s-sorry ass piece of shit, you call yourself a -a-man.  Are you serious?  I didn’t do anything with your…him.  Someone stole V-Venice’s tire, she called Braxton and he called you.”  She could hardly get her words out for the hiccups and her uncontrolled breathing and it didn’t help that she was screaming.  “He didn’t get an answer so he left a damn voice mail.”

     “Shyla calm down, you’re getting yourself worked up.  You need to breath.”  Brennan grabbed at her arm but she snatched away.  Her voice was coming back to her and she wasn’t done. 

     “Somehow he,” pointing at Brennan, “and Braxton came to get us, instead of you and Braxton.  And since Venice’s car is a two-seater she went with him.  Neither Venice nor I know how to drive a stick which is what Brennan has.  You can easily verify this when you listen to your voicemails or call Braxton on his phone.

     “Mr.
Zack I will have to ask for your forgiveness because I am going to say something here that is probably too much for your ears, but I am so sick and fucking tired of having to explain myself or answer to selfish, unloving, uncaring, miserable know-it-all people. 

     “Every time I turn the hell around it is one thing or another with you.  If you weren’t so damn paranoid about your brother and me we would be able to get somewhere but you can’t and you can’t change that you have screwed up with me for the very last time.

     “I hope your pitiful ass is happy now.  I don’t ever want to have anything else to do with you in this life or any other.  I’ll be out of your home just as soon as I can pack my things.”  She went to go inside but immediately turned back.  “By the way, take these.”  She threw the condoms at him and stormed pass him saying, “I hope you choke on them.”

     Brennan stood shaking his head.  “You are such an idiot.  Why can’t you just listen to people before you make accusations?  Yo
u’re a bigger ass than I’ve ever been.”  He shook his head and chuckled.  “All this time we’ve been pissed at Gloria for what she did to you.  Is that really what happened or did your fixation actually drive her into the arms of those other men?”

     Zackary lunged for Brennan but his father and Felton were quicker.

     “I cannot believe this mess.  It was bad enough to have to deal with this when you were kids but to act like this as grown men in front of your mother and company is unacceptable.  I want you both at the house in ten minutes.  Zackary go get dressed and do not say anything else to that woman in there.  If I have to stand over you and watch you, I will.”

     Just them Braxton and Venice drove up and by the expression on everyone’s face something major had went on.

     Braxton jumped from the car and went straight to Zackary.

     “Zack, what did you do?”

     He laughed.  “What in the hell makes you think I did something?”

     “Because I know that look, and it’s not good.”

     “No I don’t imagine that it is,” he told him everything.

     Braxton sat on the porch and let it sink in before he went off.

     “Have you lost your damn mind?  What in the hell is going on with you?  I can’t believe that after last night you would even suggest that Shyla was ever with Brennan.  Everything she told you was the truth.  Gloria really did a number on you.”  It was a true statement but what was even truer was that he brought this all on himself.

     “Zackary go put on some clothes and the two of you get to the main house now
.”

     “Why do I have to go?  I wasn’t involved in this crap.”

     “Braxton am I your father?”

     “That’s what my birth certificate says.”  His father gave him a ‘don’t let me put my foot to you look.’  He swallowed the lump in his throat.  “Yes, father.”

     “Then I expect you to do what the hell I say when the hell I say it.  I don’t care that you’re an adult.  Hightail it to the house and take your twin here with you.” 

     Nothing else was said.  They jumped in Brennan’s truck and went on their way.  Venice went in to check on Shyla.  She was crying, crying hard.

     She heard Essence ask, “Shyla, please tell me that nothing happened between you and Brennan.”  She couldn’t believe that Essence, her own cousin, treating her as if everything that had happened was all her fault.  The things she heard Shyla yelling was way over the top. 

     “I hate you, I hate you all.  I never want to see you again.  You’re not my family.  If I hadn’t made that stupid promise to stay here until Monday I would leave right now.  I can get someone to take me to a hotel that’s not a problem but after this you will never see me again.  I hate you, hate you, hate you.”  She screamed and yelled then kicked her out of the room.  It was really bad.

   When Essence left the room she had tears in her eyes.  Shyla threw an early pregnancy test out in the hallway.  Essence picked it up and went to her husband and cried.

     Venice stood at the door way and watched Shyla fall to the floor in agony crying.  She was in a lot of pain and Venice didn’t know what she could do for her.  “Shyla do you need anything?”  She asked cautiously.

     She shook her head and continued crying.  It made Venice cry too.  She closed the door behind her and went to her home.

     Hours later Zackary returned home.  He went to Shyla’s room.  He could still hear her through the door crying.  How many tears could she cry?  She was really hurt.  Hurt to the core.

   He pleaded with her to let him in so that they could talk but she wouldn’t answer.  He had to know that she wouldn’t.  No amount of apologies could change what was done.  It was like voting for a president and in less than six months you realized you made the wrong choice.  Well now you have to deal with that decision you made.

   When Mama V came over she got Shyla to open the door.  She held her to her bosom and rocked her crying form like she would one of her own.  After calming her down and several minutes of talking she helped Shyla get her things together and took them to her house.  She couldn’t stay in Zackary’s place a minute longer.

   Zackary didn’t try to stop his mother when she escorted Shyla out of the house.  He knew not to interfere with whatever she was doing.  She would take good care of her.

C
hapter Sixteen

     Neither Shyla nor Zackary came to dinner that evening.  He didn’t want to make her uncomfortable and she didn’t want to be in his presence.  Mama V made them both a plate.  She had Braxton and the girls take Zackary’s to him.  They wanted to have dinner with their father but they wanted to have it with Shyla, too.  Unfortunately they couldn’t have both.  When their grandmother told them that Shyla wasn’t feeling well and needed some time for her, they mildly understood and decided that it was okay for the time being.

     “Daddy we came to have dinner and dessert with you.”

     “You did?”

     “Yes.  Shyla wasn’t feeling well, daddy.  We wanted her to come, too but Gran V said she needed time to herself.”

     “We heard her crying daddy,” his Zaria said sadly.  “Is she sad daddy?”

     He turned to Braxton but what could he say.  “She’s just overwhelmed by something’s, baby,” he kissed her little forehead.  “She’ll be fine.”

     “What does overwhelm mean, daddy?”

     “Well, it means she has a lot on her mind, a lot to deal with.”  That was the best he could do.

     “Oh.  Well, Zaria and I can help her with that.  We can play games with her that won’t overwhelm her.  If we play a lot she won’t have to think.”  Zhaniya smiled as if she had just solved all of Shyla’s problems.

     Zackary and Braxton both smiled.  His girls were beautiful and loving and all they wanted was for their new friend Shyla to feel better.

     Braxton sent the girls to wash their hands.  “Are you sure you’re okay, man?”

     “I’ll never be okay as long as Shyla hates me.”

     “I know she’s hurt but I don’t think she hates anyone.”

     “That’s not what she told Essence.”

Braxton looked around making sure no one was in hearing distance.  “Venice was home crying when I got there and she told me what she overheard Essence say to Shyla.  Had it been me I would have probably said I hated everyone too.  Venice is so upset about it all.  She blames herself for stopping Shyla this morning coming from the bakery and asking her to go with her.”

     “It’s definitely not her fault, so tell her not to think about it.”

     “That’s easy enough to say but you know how Ven is.  She’s very sensitive when it comes to things like this.”

     “I know.  I’ll talk to her tomorrow, if you don’t mind.”

     “I don’t mind, it’s her that may mind.” 

     Zackary knew that to be true
.  Shyla had been there two days and everyone had taken to her including his kids.  He’d have to work something out.

     “We’re ready for dinner daddy.”

     “Okay.  Let’s get you at the table and then we’ll have dessert.”

     When his children told him they were going to stay at their grandparents, he didn’t say no.  He knew they only wanted to spend more time with Shyla.  He wanted that also.