In Her Mind (Mountain High Valley Low ) (13 page)

“Are you ready to tell me what the hell is going on? You run out of the house the other day after getting caught in your own web of lies. We don’t hear from you for days and you don’t show up to work. Your father is worried sick, but I know better. He was coming over here but I told him I’d stop by instead.”

My shoulders dropped in defeat, and I put Brice down and handed him his favorite car.
“Did you tell him?” I asked, scared to hear the answer.
“No, but you are going to tell me what the hell you are up to or I will be sure to tell him tonight. What has gotten into you?” she asked with genuine concern.
“Mother, it’s Brian. I didn’t tell Daddy the truth because I didn’t want him to hate Brian. I’m trying to work things out with him. I just have one little thing standing in my way, which I’m in the process of taking care of.”
“Well, where is the little heifer that put a whipping on you?” Mother asked.
“Oh, she’s being taken care of. She’s not going to be a problem much longer. But I didn’t actually tell Daddy that Brandon hurt me. I just didn’t say that Brandon wasn’t the one, and Daddy assumed that he did it. I never corrected him.”
My mother sat closer to the edge of the couch, confusion

painted in the crow’s feet that fanned from the sides of her eyes. “Why, Shelly? That’s all I want to know. You want that
broke nobody that much? Brian can’t do anything for you. I
can’t believe you are even discussing the fact that Brandon is not
Brice’s real father so openly. I thought we all agreed to keep that
bit of information confidential. Are you trying to ruin your entire
life?”
“Mother, you just don’t understand.”
“What’s there to understand? You need to get your act
together, get your behind back to work, go home to your husband,
and live your rightful life.”
“NO! I can’t do that. Mother, you have to go. I’ve got
errands to run,” I said with my hands in the air. I started to gather
Brice so we could leave.
“Where are you taking Brice and where was he last week?
Brandon said he hadn’t seen him all week.”
“I’ll explain everything later. I’ve got to go. Tell Daddy that
I will be at work tomorrow. Please, Mother. Just let me handle
this right now. You’ll see,” I said instead of what was really on my
mind. Since when did she worry about who was taking care of
Brice? She never babysat. Lunch and golfing with the high-society
wives’ club, along with shopping and scheduled beauty treatments
don’t leave much time for snotty-nosed grandkids. From the
way she carried on, you would think Daddy owned the company
rather than worked for it. I guess that’s why he kept the investment properties—to afford his wife’s desire to be better than the
Joneses.
“Shelly, you are being foolish and wasting your time. I
can’t wait to say I told you so just to confirm that I still know best. You are playing a very stupid game that will get you absolutely nowhere. I’ve tried to help you but, obviously, my help is not welcome. I’ll still be here when you come running back wishing you had listened. As for me, I’m finished with this,” she said as she whipped the long, curly folds of her weave over her shoulder,
grabbed her bag, and left.
I was glad she was gone because I needed to drop Brice at
the day care and take care of some very important business. The
drive to the house in Long Island went very quickly since there
wasn’t much traffic once the work day started. Brandon was at
work so I didn’t have to be bothered with him. I quickly changed
cars, jumping into Brandon’s black Range Rover Sport. He often
left the SUV home and used the Camry to get back and forth to
the railroad station. Brandon worked in Manhattan and took the
railroad into the city. He didn’t like taking the luxury car to the
station and leaving it every day because there were so many breakins, and car thefts were high at some of the stations.
Just as I was about to pull out of the garage, I was struck
with a great idea and ran back into the house. Quickly, I logged
on to 1800Flowers.com and ordered a dozen long-stem roses to
be delivered to Brian and Lexie’s home this evening. I was sure
to add a sweet, loving message. They should both be home by the
time they were delivered. I jumped in the Range Rover and set off
to put a few other plans in place before meeting with my informant for lunch. The flowers would definitely be a good start.

Brian and I still weren’t on the best of terms. I had yet to answer his question about marrying him but my actions said the wedding was still on. Brian flowed with the motions but didn’t ask me anymore. I guess he thought actions spoke louder than words. I was still stuck in my state of confusion. Pride wouldn’t let me fully give in, but my love for Brian wouldn’t allow me to pull the plug on the wedding completely. We were still planning to attend our counseling appointment at the church this evening. In a way I was hoping the counseling session would help me finally decide what to follow, my mind or my heart.

The humidity caused my work clothes to stick to me so I decided to take a shower before heading over to the church. I heard Brian rummaging about while I was taking my shower.

“Hey,” was all Brian said when he entered the bathroom, relieved himself, then quietly exited.
I heard the doorbell and wondered who it could be. Lately it was always Shelly showing up unexpectedly. Curiosity made me cut my shower short and dart to the bedroom to get dressed. I expected to hear Brian talking to someone but heard nothing. After throwing on some comfortable jeans, a fitted tee, and sandals, I was ready for Pastor Wyatt and his prying questions about if we were really ready to get married. Butterflies took flight in my abdomen at the thought of responding to probing questions. Nothing prepared me for what I walked into when I entered the living room all set to go. Brian sat on the couch with one hand covering his forehead, and the most beautiful spray of long-stem roses sat handsomely on the coffee table. Immediately, I felt the tension of the day, the upcoming counseling session, and the past few weeks loosen its grip on my body.
“Oh, Brian! These are beautiful! Thank you!” I said appreciatively as I admired the arrangement.
“Don’t thank me. I didn’t buy them. I was just sitting here wondering why David would send you flowers. When was the last time you spoke to him?”
My heart and my jaw dropped at the same time. “David?! Brian, what the hell are you talking about? I can’t even remember the last time I saw David or even heard his name. Are you kidding me?”
“There’s nothing to kid about, Lex. And he said thanks on the card. What’s he thanking you for, Lex? I know we have been going through a lot, but I never imagined you would run back to David. Tell me what’s going on here?”
“Brian, I have no idea why David would send me flowers now! I haven’t seen or spoken to that man in over a year. You can’t believe that I’m still dealing with him after all this time?!” I was almost yelling because I was so upset. “How dare you accuse me of dealing with my ex when your damn ex refuses to leave us alone?”
“Lex! We are not talking about Shelly right now, and you

“So what are you saying? You think I’m lying? You don’t trust me now? You sure have some nerve,” I stabbed.
“I know you are not trying to imply that something is going on with me and Shelly.”
“Why else would she act like she still has a chance? Why would she think she has the liberty to just drop by any time she feels like it?”
Brian put his fists to his head and groaned like a wounded animal.
“You know I’m not messing around with that girl!”
“And you should know that I’m not messing around with David. I can’t believe this,” I said as I flopped down on the couch.
“So why the flowers, Lex? I don’t get it. I want to believe you, but I can’t understand why—after all this time and in the midst of all the shit we’ve been going through—David would decide to send you a dozen long-stem roses with a card that says thanks, just out of the blue,” Brian took the card that came with the flowers and tossed it across the room.
“You know what?!” I screamed. “Why don’t you ask him your damn self? I don’t have the energy for any more games.” I stomped out of the room, grabbed my cell phone, and punched the buttons to pull up David’s number.
Brian just stared at me, not sure what to expect. The phone played a song instead of ringing before David picked up.
“Hello?” he said with a little surprise in his tone.
“Hey, David, it’s Lexie. Let me ask you a question. What made you decide to send me flowers?” Brian was starring right into my mouth. I’m sure he could tell if I had any plaque on my teeth.
“I didn’t send you any flowers,” David said.
“You didn’t?” I quizzed. I’m sure the question played on my face because Brian finally turned away.
“No. How are you doing anyway?”
“David, are you sure you didn’t send me anything?” I asked, hitting the speaker button.
“No, Lexie. I didn’t send you anything,” David sang the last word. His response rang though the living room loud and clear.
“Okay. Thanks, David,” I said and ended the call. I turned to Brian and gave him the “I told you so” look.
“So where did they come from?” Brian asked with knitted brows.
“Oh, I think I have a pretty good idea,” I said and finished preparing to leave. Brian fixed his puzzled gaze on me. “Let’s go. We have to be at the church in twenty minutes.”
Although my mind was racing with possibilities, I didn’t fail to notice the black Range Rover Sport that trailed us all the way to the church.

As soon as I powered my cell phone back on, the cheerful chimes of my ring tone danced through the air. I hit talk without checking the display to see who was calling.

“SHELLY?! Where in the hell have you been all evening?! Brandon and Brice are here. We’ve been calling you for hours. If you couldn’t pick Brice up from the day care center then you should have called somebody,” Mother screamed.

My mouth hung open as I cupped the cell phone with both hands. I was so busy trailing Lexie that I completely forgot about Brice at day care. Quickly, I attempted to craft a clever lie to cover my tracks but Mother wasn’t buying it.

“Mother! Thank you so much. I’ve had a crazy day and the phone—”
“Cut the crap, Shelly! The center called me and told me they had been trying to reach you for over an hour. All the other children and teachers had left except your son, of course. I had to go pick him up. What would make up put him in a day care here in Brooklyn anyway? The director seemed so concerned, wondering if something had happened to you. But I know better. Whatever you are up to, I just hope it’s all worth it in a year. Now come get your kid!” Mother admonished.
Not sure of what to say next, I chose to say nothing at all. My mother hung up on me, apparently uninterested in my response anyway. The fact that I completely forgot about picking up Brice made me feel like an unfit mother. Suddenly the urge to hold my son in my arms overwhelmed me. Knowing that Brice was now safe and sound did give me some comfort.
When I looked up, Lexie’s car was pulling out of her usual parking spot in front of their building. No one appeared to occupy the passenger seat. I pulled out slowly to follow her, thinking about how she was succeeding at ruining my life. What was it about her that made Brian so gullible? I didn’t think she was any prettier than I was. And, my family had much more money than hers so what was the big deal?
I knew what the big deal was. She had Brian and I didn’t. The thought made salty tears trickle down my face, tickling my cheeks. Using Brice as a pawn hadn’t gotten me anywhere. I had to be more aggressive in my approach or get Lexie to leave Brian. One way or another, I would get my man back.
My tears clouded my vision, blurring my view of the stop sign at the corner. As I slid into the intersection, another SUV blew its horn obnoxiously. I couldn’t make out the obscenities the driver flung into the air along with his middle finger. I ignored him and continued my quest, tears still blurring my vision.
The more I thought about all the pain and annoyance Lexie was causing me, the angrier I became. After a while, my own driving became aggressive as I tried to inconspicuously remain on her tail. By the time Lexie made it to East Flatbush from the Prospect Park area, I was right behind her. I no longer cared if she knew that I was following her. In fact, I wanted her to know. A red light stopped her and I contemplated getting out of the car to give her a piece of my mind. Maybe having a candid discussion about how she’s been a thorn in my side would get her attention. Then maybe letting her know that I had no intention of giving up until I got what I wanted would help her decide to move on.
Just as I was about to exit my car and tap on her window, the light changed. Quickly, I closed the door and continued to follow her closely. Another narrow escape and my tears began to cloud my vision once again. Lexie would be too stubborn to give up. I needed to find a way to make her give up. She had to go, someway, somehow.
My cell phone began to ring and I could tell by the ringer that it was Brandon. He was the last person I wanted to talk to, but if I didn’t answer, he would only call back until I finally took his call. I tapped the button on my Bluetooth and remained quiet. My mind and eyes were focused on Lexie weaving through Flatbush Avenue traffic.
“Hello? Shelly! Can you hear me?” Brandon asked.
“Yes!” was all he was going to get from me. I didn’t feel like speaking so I kept my answers short. After all, he was the one who had called me. “Brandon.”
“Where are you? I’ve been trying to get you for hours. Brice is here with me at your mother’s house. You need to come over here so we can sort a few things out.”
I swore I detected a little attitude in his tone. The thought made me chuckle.
“Did I say something funny, Shelly?”
This time I release a full-fledged laugh. His tone was amusing to me. Since when did he give me attitude?
“No, Brandon. Nothing is funny. Did Brice have dinner?” I asked as if everything was normal.
“I’m glad I am able to make you laugh,” Brandon said sarcastically. “And do you think I would have Brice all this time and not give him dinner? Where are you? We were all concerned that something had happened to you. I couldn’t think of one viable reason why you wouldn’t be at the day care to pick up Brice, or at least call to let someone know you were running late. Also, why would you put him in a day care all the way out in Brooklyn and not even tell me? What’s going on with you, Shelly? This is your child we are talking about. Our child!”
“Oh, cut it with the ‘our child’ bit Brandon. You know he’s not yours. Sorry you had to go and get him. I’ll swing by and get him now.”
The next thing I heard was silence. Brandon had some nerve hanging up on me. And he almost made me lose Lexie in the process. I nearly ran a car off the road because he tried to come between Lexie’s car and mine. I had to speed up once again to keep another car from squeezing into the short space between us. I put my foot on the gas to let him know that he would be better off staying in his lane.
The light turned yellow and Lexie slowed to a stop with me right on her tail. My foot routinely went toward the brake but, in a matter of seconds, I re-thought that action. Quickly, I placed my foot back on the gas pedal and pushed down hard, slamming into the back of Lexie’s car. The force catapulted her vehicle into the oncoming traffic, causing her to broadside one car while another smashed her in the rear, making her car spin like a top in the center of the intersection. The sound of angry rubber and thunderous cracks rang through the air. Pieces of metal sprang out, landing with a clang. Someone screamed and blaring horns shouted warning signals to traffic heading that way. People began exiting their cars to take in the chaotic scene and to help the injured.
The front end of Brandon’s truck was dented and one side of the bumper kissed the ground. There really wasn’t much damage at all. Unfortunately, I couldn’t say the same for Lexie’s car and the vehicles involved in the crash with her.
A tall, light-skinned gentleman knocked on my window and mouthed, “Are you alright?” I nodded politely and continued to take in the scenery, silently hoping that Lexie wouldn’t make me out. The guy smiled, nodded his head in response, and headed toward the pile of twisted metal that littered the intersection. He raced toward Lexie’s car, meeting up with a few other good Samaritans. Together they made several attempts to open her driver-side door to no avail. After a few moments of pulling and tugging, they managed to pry it open. When they pulled Brian’s limp body from the wreckage, the air in my lungs escaped in a rush and left me gasping desperately.