“I promise, Jasmine.”
“Hold on.” My cell phone was ringing. “Hello?”
“Jasmine?” I recognized my mother’s agitated voice right away.
“Yeah, Momma. What’s up?”
“Have you seen your sister? I been looking everywhere for her.”
“She’s right here. What’s the matter, Momma?”
“Nothin’,” she snapped. “Just put your sister on the phone.”
“All right, Momma. You don’t have to get indignant with me.” I shoved the phone at Stephanie. “Here, Momma wants to talk to you.”
“Hey, Momma. Whatzup?” It seemed like a full five minutes Stephanie just stood and listened to Momma, who was yelling so loud I could hear bits and pieces of her tirade as I stood next to my sister. Stephanie finally interrupted. “I know I need a new cell phone, Momma. But I ain’t paid the bill on the last one I had, so you know they ain’t gonna give me a new one. Is that why you called looking for me?”
Stephanie looked agitated, but whatever Momma told her after that had her worried, ’cause she just stood there babbling things like, “What? ... Oh, shit! ... What did he say? ... Damn, Momma! ... Why didn’t you? ... Okay, I’ll be there in ten minutes.”
Stephanie clicked the phone off and handed it to me. She looked even worse than she did when I busted her.
“What happened?”
“Travis dropped the kids off at Momma’s.”
“So?”
“She said he left them there so he could go lookin’ for me. He talked to someone at my job and found out I wasn’t doin’ overtime.”
My sister was in a whole heap of trouble, and I hoped for her sake she could think fast enough to get herself out of it.
16
Travis
I stopped searching for Stephanie and headed home once it got dark. I was so heated when I walked in the house and she wasn’t there that I went straight to the living room bar and poured myself a shot of tequila. I threw it back and finished it in one gulp, then poured myself another. I’m not really a drinker, but I needed something to calm my nerves. I musta drove around Richmond for three hours trying to find Stephanie’s ass. I stopped by every friend, relative, and acquaintance I could think of. The only place I didn’t stop by was that punk Malek’s house, and that was only because Stephanie’s mother said she didn’t know his address.
I gulped down what was left of my second drink, then poured myself a third before I sat on the living room sofa. I sat there for a good five or ten minutes, staring a portrait of Stephanie hanging over the mantel. I was trying to figure out why the hell she’d lied to me, but I just couldn’t come up with a logical explanation. I mean, it wasn’t like I was unreasonable, and I had definitely been good to her. In all the years we’d been together, I hadn’t even looked at another woman. So why the hell was this happening to me? In my frustration I started to scream at the portrait.
“Why? Why the fuck would you do this to me?”
Stephanie smiled out at me from that picture as if to say,
I’ll do what ever I want. You’re in love with me, remember!
Maybe it was the alcohol or maybe it was just my pent-up anger, but I snatched that portrait from the wall and threw it to the ground It shattered into a hundred pieces and I was about to stomp on what was left of it when I heard a car pull into the driveway. A few seconds later I heard Stephanie’s voice coming form the front door.
“Travis! You home, baby? Travis!”
“I’m in the living room,” I grumbled. It took everything I had not to explode on her like I did the portrait when she walked in the room.
“Hey, baby. I didn’t ...” Her eyes took in the broken glass all over the floor. She didn’t budge, but her expression told me she was concerned. I was hoping she was scared. “What happened to my picture?”
“I broke it. What does it look like?” I slurred belligerently.
She eyed me strangely. “Travis ... are you drunk?”
“You damn right I’m drunk! And I’m gonna get drunker. Now where the hell have you been?” I shouted.
“Um ... well ... I ...” She wouldn’t make eye contact, and that just made things worse. As far as I was concerned, it just proved she was doing something she had no business doing. An image of her and Malek flashed in my mind and I just lost it. I knocked everything off the bar to get her attention.
“Look at me, goddamn it! I already know you weren’t at work. Now, where the hell were you?” My hands were shaking and I was trying my best to control my temper, but it was getting hard. I guess I was expecting her to act shocked or pretend she didn’t know what I was talking about, but she just lowered her head without a word. “Answer me, Stephanie! Where the fuck were you?”
When she didn’t answer, I kicked the coffee table in my rage, and the wood splintered with a loud crack. Stephanie screamed loud enough for the entire neighborhood to hear. But I didn’t care who was listening. I just wanted answers. And the fact that she wasn’t giving me any was pissing me off even more.
“Goddamn it, I asked you a question!” I reached for her and she stepped back out of my grasp.
“What the fuck is wrong with you? Have you lost your mind?” She was scared, real scared, and believe it or not, so was I. Scared of what I might do if I got my hands on her.
“Yeah, maybe I have lost my mind. But if I have, it’s your fault!” I reached out to grab her again. This time I wasn’t letting her get away. “I’m not gonna ask you again. Where the fuck were you?”
“Let her go, Travis! She was with me.” The voice came from behind me. I turned around and there was Jasmine, holding my son with one arm and Maleka’s hand with the other. I let Stephanie go and she ran to her sister’s side.
“She wasn’t with you. She can’t stand you. Why the hell would she lie to me about being with you?” I really hadn’t meant to say it that way. It wasn’t Jasmine I wanted to hurt, but the alcohol was talking.
Jasmine frowned in Stephanie’s direction. “She was with me ’cause no matter what you say she feels about me, she’s my sister and I needed her.”
“Ha! What do I look like, a fool? I may be drunk, but I’m not stupid. Do you really expect me to believe that shit? I don’t know what she has on you, but I don’t believe a word you’re saying.”
“Are you calling me a liar, Travis? I don’t have to lie to you.” She actually looked insulted.
“Neither does Stephanie. If she was with you, why’d she lie to me about doing overtime? She could’ve told me the truth. I wouldn’t have stopped her.”
Jasmine released Maleka’s hand, then handed the baby to Stephanie. She marched over to me and stood inches away from my face.
“You wanna know why, Travis? This is why.” She re moved her sunglasses.
“Damn! What happened to your eye?” She looked like she’d just gone ten rounds with Muhammad Ali.
“The same thing I just stopped you from doing to my sister,” she sighed as she placed the glasses back on her head. “Look at this place, Travis. I can’t believe you. I never thought I’d ever see you act this way. Is this the example you wanna set for your son?”
I felt like I was shrinking in front of her. I surveyed the damage I’d done in the room: the broken picture frame, the splintered coffee table, and the frightened look on Maleka’s face. I felt like a fool. I’d jumped to conclusions about Stephanie’s whereabouts a little too quickly. I should’ve had a little more faith. I should’ve trusted her more. And to make matters even worse, T. J. was crying and Stephanie was on the verge.
“She was really with you?” My voice was humbled and unsure, sorry I had rushed to judgment.
“Yes,” Jasmine nodded. “She’s been with me ever since I left Ryan’s.”
I lowered my head and stepped toward Stephanie. She flinched backwards, so I froze. I’d really fucked up. I had to proceed very carefully now.
“Is that true, Steph? Were you with Jasmine?” She glanced at her sister before she nodded at me.
“Oh, shit.” I covered my face as I lowered my head. “I’m sorry, baby. I’m really so sorry. You know how much I love you. I just thought ...” I took a step forward, then stopped.
I expected her to curse me out after I was so stupid, but she burst into tears and wrapped her arms around me. The baby squirmed between us as we held each other tight.
“I’m sorry, baby. I love you, too. I’m never gonna lie to you again, not even for my sister.” She looked up at me and I kissed her tears away.
I said a quick prayer to thank God for giving me back my family. I coulda sworn I heard Jasmine suck her teeth behind me, but I wasn’t gonna get into that. She was probably just jealous that she was the sister stuck with a no-good jailbird and one hell of a black eye. Oh well, maybe me and Stephanie could set a good enough example that she’d wake up and dump that guy someday soon.
17
Stephanie
It was late, almost midnight. I couldn’t fall asleep because Travis had been rubbing his thing up against my butt for the past hour. I was trying to pretend I was asleep, but I knew it was only a matter of time before he got frustrated and started shaking me to wake up. Even worse, I was afraid he might try to get my panties down far enough so that he could slip himself inside me. Not that I could blame him if he did. I’d promised him this morning that I was gonna give him some tonight. He’d been back from maneuvers in the field for over a week, and with the kids sick with colds and both of us taking night classes, we just hadn’t had the time or opportunity to be intimate. Travis had let me know this morning that he couldn’t wait any longer. The bad thing about all this was that I had an itch that needed to be scratched myself, only I hadn’t waited for Travis to take care of it.
Earlier in the day, I stopped by Nana’s house to drop off some pictures of the kids and ran into Malek. The next thing I knew we were in bed together. You’d think after all the shit that happened with Jasmine and with Travis nearly losing his mind that I’d have enough common sense to leave Malek alone. But that wasn’t the case. Every time I looked at him I’d get weak and throw common sense to the wind.
“Steph? You awake?” Travis whispered as he kissed my neck.
“I am now,” I told him groggily, pulling the covers up around my neck. My neck was my weak spot and Travis knew it. If he kissed me there and I didn’t respond, he’d get the message.
“Baby, don’t go to sleep. I want some,” he pleaded as he gently shook me.
“You want some?” I sighed loudly.
I was tempted to just turn around and go down on him, but he always took so long to come that way. It’d be just my luck he’d get frustrated and tell me he wanted to put it inside me. And I’m sorry, I know I’m wrong, but after three rounds with Malek and his big dick, I was just too damn sore.
“Travis, do you know what time it is?” I was hoping the fact it was late might change his mind. No such luck.
“Yeah, I know what time it is, but I still want some. Come on, baby, I thought I told you this morning how much I want you. It’s been a long time.” He was whining like a teenager looking for his first piece of ass. I rolled over to face him.
“I know it’s been a while, boo. But I’ll give you some tomorrow, okay? I promise. I’m tired.” I closed my eyes and tried to snuggle up next to him, hoping that would satisfy him. He backed away, sucking his teeth. I could feel an argument coming on.
“That’s what you said last night and the night before,” he griped. “How come you’re always making excuses? You ain’t gave me none since I been home.”
“Look, Travis, I’m tired. I already told you tomorrow’s our night So go to sleep, all right, baby?” This was getting bad. I was gonna have to give him some soon or he was gonna drive me crazy.
“Come on, Steph.” He was trying his best to grind up against me. “All I want is a quickie. You don’t have to do anything. I’ll do all the work.”
“Damn it, Travis! How many times I gotta tell you I’m not in the mood?” He was starting to get on my nerves. “Now, you can go to sleep, take a cold shower, jerk off, or go out there and find you a piece of ass in the street. I really don’t care. Just let me get some sleep, okay?” I rolled over, my back to him. If he didn’t get the message now, he never would.
“You’re fucking him, aren’t you?” he huffed.
“What’d you say?” I hoped I hadn’t heard him correctly.
“I said, you’re fucking him, aren’t you?” he repeated loudly. “You’re fucking Malek.” It’s a good thing I had my back to him, because the look on my face would have been all the proof he needed. I couldn’t believe he’d figured it out.
“Are you crazy? Why would I fuck with Malek when I’ve got you?” I held my breath as I waited for his response.
“I don’t know. Why’d you lie to me about doing overtime last month?” I turned back over to face him with a huge sigh.
“Are you back to that shit? Didn’t Jasmine explain that to you?”
“Yeah, but that doesn’t mean I believed her. I had a lot of time to think out there in the field.”