Authors: Alice Dee
She grabbed her purse and the two left the apartment. He had something on his mind but due to the circumstances, he knew it was best to bottle it up for now.
53... Hospital
Shane dropped off Hope in front of the emergency room entrance and drove off to find a blank parking spot. She breezed through the glass doors and into the yellow lobby where she saw Mercedes and Glenna sitting in chairs. The girls took turns telling the fragmented story. What Hope got was that someone had a confrontation with Shamayla and Justin, it ended with something happening to them.
“No one’s given you any information?” Hope asked.
“No, not yet.”
Shane walked through the doors and saw Hope across the room.
“Hey,” Mercedes said, putting her hand on Hope’s arm when she saw Shane coming toward them. “That other white boy’s here.”
“What’re you talking about?”
“The MMA guy you were messing with. He’s here,” Mercedes whispered.
Hope scanned the room but didn’t see him anywhere.
“Hey, how is she?” Shane asked.
“We don’t know anything yet.”
“Justin’s here too,” Hope said to Shane.
“What happened?”
Mercedes shrugged.
”From what I know, I’m thinking someone followed her from work, maybe her ex. I think he followed them to that fighter’s place and shit went down.”
“Do they have the person?” Shane asked.
“I don’t know, I don’t think so,” Mercedes replied.
Shane looked up and saw Dominic. They all saw each other at once and it was all around uncomfortable. Shane kept his arm around Hope’s shoulder as Dominic had no choice but to approach.
“What up?” Shane said, smacking his hand into Dominic’s.
Hope didn’t look Dominic in the face. She kept her eyes down on her feet.
“Justin’s going to be okay; he just got roughed up.”
“And Shamayla?” Mercedes asked.
“Not good, dude. She was tasered in the head, fell, I heard back there she had a concussion,” Dominic shrugged. “I don’t think they’re gonna let anyone see her tonight, you should probably come back tomorrow.”
“What happened?” Hope asked, bringing everyone’s attention to her.
Dominic swallowed and explained that when he walked back outside, two strange men were attacking Shamayla and Justin. The only logical explanation to everyone was that Zefar was behind it. Everyone figured it had to be Zefar-except for Dominic. He didn’t know how, but Tristan was tied to this. She knew something and he was anxious to find out what.
Everyone headed for the exit. Shane slowed down and took Hope’s hand. Dominic disappeared into the darkness. Settling back in Shane’s car, Shane noticed Hope go through her phone. She paused and then slipped it in back in her purse. Her eyes started roaming outside the car.
“What’s wrong, your friend?”
“I just hope she’s ok.”
“I hope so too.” But he could tell this wasn’t fully the reason she was acting funny. She didn’t look worried; she looked somber, lost in her own world.
“What?”
“Nothing,” she softly replied.
“What else is on your mind?”
She shook her head.
“Can I ask something?”
She nodded.
“Dominic’s been trying to get a hold of you huh?”
She looked down at her knees.
“Were you going through my phone?”
“Nah, it aint even like that. When you went to your door it kept ringing. I mean, like, a lot. So I glanced-“
“You glanced?”
“I glanced,” he went on, “at your phone and saw his name. Look, I’m not telling you what to do or who you can talk to or whatever. But if you and him are still…whatever…I’m out.”
“No, me and him, no.”
“I would rather be the only guy in your life you know, but it’s cool, we’re not serious. You can live your life but please, don’t string me along.”
“I’m not seeing him,” she insisted.
“Do you still like him?”
She rolled her eyes and stared out the window.
“If you’re thinking about getting back with him, just let me know, yeah?”
She felt like an idiot, like Shane could see through her. It was like her head was transparent and he could see all of her thoughts and he wasn’t afraid to call her out on them. Shane wasn’t the kind of guy you played head games with. He’d said it himself. But even if he hadn’t she could tell he was a decent, good guy to his core. Stringing him along would be wrong. She knew by now he didn’t want her for one thing, he wanted her for everything she had to offer. What she had to offer was a mystery to her.
He stopped at her apartments and stared out of the windshield. She could invite him back in; they could both forget about the interruption and hit ‘resume’. But now Dominic was on her mind again, and to be with Shane would be kind of deceptive…and slutty. She glanced at him, wondering if he thought that of her already. Maybe sex was all he wanted. Maybe he couldn’t get it anywhere else and would do anything to get it.
Hope cracked the door open. No. Shane was a walking blast of fun in the sun. He was hilarious and was always smiling and everyone caught his sunlight like magic. He was a patient, good looking guy with everything going for him. Whether he knew it or not, he could bag and tag almost anyone and Hope knew that soon, he would wake up. It was tough as bong glass but she didn’t invite him back in. She told him he was right, she needed time, again.
She didn’t need any more time trying to make a choice between the two. Shane figured she’d had plenty of time to think. If she can’t make a choice now, when would she? It pained him to think about letting her go but he felt he had no choice. He could feel the tension between Hope and Dominic. He could see it in her eyes that she really liked him. Shane didn’t know why considering the type of guy Dominic was perceived as by most. Well, it was her choice and she had made it a long time ago.
“It’s been real confusing knowing you,” Shane said, his tone and expression hard and cold as arctic ice.
She got out of the car and was about to lean into the window to say something but Shane didn’t want to stick around. She backed away from the car quickly, a breeze sweeping her. His tomato red tail lights vanished amongst other cars on the street. It hurt her to see him leave like that, to see him leave at all. She went inside her apartment and slammed the door closed, hands over her face. She backed against the door and slid down, crying over bent knees.
She hated this. She hated how she felt about Dominic. She was sure he had used her. He had a girlfriend he ended going back to. He dropped her clean and here she was, deep in the dregs over him. She hated how she felt for Shane. She hated disappointing him and confusing him. If only Dominic wasn’t in the picture, things would be perfect like one.
54... The Return of Zefar
Shamayla needed several staples and stitches to seal her scalp together. The doctor told her how lucky she was the fall wasn’t fatal. She didn’t want to admit to anyone that she was ninety-nine percent sure she’d lost her sense of taste. She reminded herself it could have been a lot worse. What if it’d been her vision that was slammed senseless from her head?
Dominic went to the hospital at nine. Shamayla was sitting up in bed, flipping through channels on TV. He tapped on her door. She was real surprised to see him but happy.
“Come in.”
Dominic left a bouquet of flowers at her feet and walked around side of her bed. Her hair was flipped over to one side. She showed him the baseball like stitching on her shaved scalp.
“You look good with half your head shaved.”
She smiled bashfully at him.
“Thank you for the flowers.”
“When you getting out of here?”
“In a couple hours.”
Dominic was staring in her face but she could tell his mind was somewhere else.
“Has Hope been by?” he casually asked.
“Not yet. She’ll be here though.” She tilted her head. “Why aren’t you two together?”
Dominic didn’t know what to say. He stared at her stupidly for seconds.
As she was about to ask him what happened between them two, the door swung open.
It was Hope, wearing a snug white cotton dress, dark glasses masking half her face. She saw Dominic sitting beside Shamayla and then time seemed to slow down.
“I just wanted to see how you’re doing,” he said, standing up. “I’ll get out of your hair,” he said, wondering if he shouldn’t have said that. He kissed Shamayla’s freshly shaved head. She waved to him and watched him head to the door.
“Hey,” he said to Hope, who glanced at him at then looked at the ground.
“Hi,” she replied.
He didn’t stop. He moved passed her and walked out.
“Hey,” Hope said, walking over to Shamayla. She pushed her dark glasses to the top of her head. Her jaw nearly fell when she saw how Shamayla’s scalp was clamped together.
“How do you feel?”
“Surprisingly okay,” Shamayla said with a nod. “Does it look bad?”
Hope looked at the nasty stitching in Shamayla’s scalp, thick like leather.
“It’ll heal up and hair grows fast.” She sat with Shamayla and asked the inevitable questions. Shamayla believed it was a mugging gone awry or, making perfect sense, Zefar.
“He came by an hour ago. We’ve been talking.”
“You and Zefar?” Hope lowered her brows. “He was allowed in here?”
“He’s my husband, so yes.”
“What’s going on Shamayla? Of course he did this. Have the police questioned him? You were knocked unconscious; you could’ve died!”
Shamayla was quiet for a moment. Hope felt bad for going off on her considering Shamayla was in battered shape.
“Going back is what I have to do right now. Until I figure something out, let’s just put a stop to this war. I’m tired of running Hope.”
“You can stay with me.” Hope knew Shamayla was staying with random people. She’d offered Shamayla to stay with her over and over but Shamayla couldn’t stay in one place too long. It was as if she was restless, didn’t know where to plant herself. Hope started to think Shamayla was lost without Zefar.
“You’re going back?”
“You know, he threatened Dominic’s life. Justin could’ve died last night. He doesn’t deserve this. Until I figure things out, I need to go back.”
Hope shook her head.
“What about Justin?”
Shamayla’s eyes teared up.
“Well I have to let him go now don’t I?”
“What’re you doing, Shamayla?”
“It’s not right to be getting innocent people involved. Last night was serious and I’m going to stop this.”
Things were only getting worse for Hope. Now her only true friend was going to leave her. She’d be back on her own.
“You’re going back to Zefar and you’re leaving me.”
“Sit,” Shamayla said patting the bed.
Hope swept her dress under her and sat down. Shamayla put her hand on Hope’s.
“I trust you like a sister. No one has ever been there for me like you have.” Shamayla paused and inhaled.
“Remember I told you I met some people from west Vegas, people that could help me out with Zefar?”
Hope nodded, her serious eyes on Shamayla’s.
“We talked about it. They can make it look like an armed robbery, a carjacking, whatever.”
“Do you hear yourself?”
“To divorce him would be stupid. I’ll be left with nothing. No, I’m going back to him. The fact that he could have had me killed…”
Hope shook her head.
“Shamayla we’re talking about a life here.”
“He tried to have me hurt last night. Look at me, look what happened!” Shamayla shook her head. “No, I need to do this.”
The door opened and a nurse walked in.
“Knock-knock Mrs. Kahn…”
“It’s far from over,” Shamayla whispered to Hope. “Just believe in me.”
“Love you,” Hope hugged her only friend in the world and kissed her head in the exact spot Dominic kissed it. As Hope was leaving the hospital, she saw Justin sitting outside on a bench with his head in his hands. Dominic was talking to him.
“I fuckin’ loved her,” she heard Justin say. She turned over her shoulder and saw Dominic looking back at her.
55... Choked up
Tristan was furious. She was avoiding Dominic and out of excuses. She didn’t want to be at home because she knew Dominic would be there waiting for her. She and Charla hung out at Charla’s cousin’s house, pool side roasting their skin in the dry sun. Charla lay by the pool sweeping her hand through the glistening water while Tristan shouted at someone over the phone.
“You couldn’t come up with anything? A mugging, a carjacking gone wrong… what the hell was that? You couldn’t even get the right girl!”
Tristan covered her right eye with her hand, silent on the verge of frustrated tears.
“She’s Mexican, not frikken Arabian, you morons!”
Charla sat up and watched Tristan stress. Charla was looking at Tristan but inside her head was a different picture. She waited for Tristan who, fed up, hung up the phone, tears dripping off her cheeks. Her hair was down and her roots were out an inch or so.
“It’s over Tristan, it happened.”
“You don’t understand. I have to come clean now. What else am I going to tell him?”
“Tell him the guy was someone you recognized, like a friend.”
“No, that won’t work. Dominic will pry… he’ll want to know who the guy is and he’ll go as far as going after him.”
“He already knows you know something.”
“What do I do?”
“Forget about Dominic right now. The real focus is Hope. She’s the reason all this started.”
“Fuck Hope! I need to figure out a way to get out of this!”
“I know what will make you feel better and help clear your head?”
Tristan crossed her arms and frowned.
“What?”
“Let’s get this bitch once and for all. And screw Dominic’s questions. Were you always so whipped you have to explain anything to him?
“I’m not whipped.”
“Then worry about Dominic when the time comes. Make it up as you go along.”
Tristan nodded.