New Title 1 (35 page)

Time For Another Cliffhanger

Noelle stared at her reflection in the mirror. For the first time in her life, she didn't like the person staring back at her. She ran her fingers through her hair as her thoughts seemed to speak loudly to her.

I had it all and I fucking blew it! Yo, I had a nigga that any and every bitch would want, what the fuck was I thinking?
Noelle ran her hands through her hair and shook her head belligerently.
I take that back, shit I know what I was thinking. I was thinking of Slim. I can't deny it, we had something... But was it worth losing everything over? I really fucked up this time...

Noelle's eyes diverted to her midsection where she knew a little life was now growing. She thought about how she would now have two kids, by two different men and neither of them she would be with. Her life was a mess and all she wanted to do was sleep because she was so depressed. She picked up the bottle of her mother's Ambien sleeping pills and looking down at the copper prescription bottle, she decided to temporarily solve her problems.

Julez was in the middle of whooping Mayweather's ass in “Fight Night” on his Xbox 360 when he got the phone call.

“
Mr. Payne, this is Angela Peetes from Robert Wood Johnson Hospital. I have an emergency regarding your wife and your unborn child...”

Julez instantly threw the controller down with panic in his face. After he hung up the phone, he grabbed his keys and jumped in the first car he saw, his Porsche 911, preparing to race to the New Brunswick area. Although Noelle had done him drastically wrong he still cared about her health, and he definitely cared about the health of the baby that could potentially be his.

He prayed silently that there would be good news when he arrived and did eighty on route 287 until he reached the exit.

“
So what are you going to do, Jordin?”

“
Ma, I can't believe you are even asking me this. You know what I
have
to do.”

Viola couldn't hide the disappointment in her face. She hated the whole idea of an abortion.

“
But Jordin, you wanted a baby so bad. This is your chance to be a mother, this is a blessing baby.”

Jordin shook her head with an attitude.

“
Ma this is not a blessing! This is a curse. Pregnant by a married man, come on. Yes, I am...ecstatic to find out that I can be pregnant, that it wasn't me the whole time like Slim tried to say. But I can't have this baby...not now. The only blessing is that I now have hope and know that I can be a mother in the future...when I'm ready.”

Her mother sighed and nodded, but wanted to remind Jordin that no one was ever “ready”. Before she could get another word out, the telephone rang.

“
Hello,” Viola answered in her church like voice. She paused, for a long second as the other person spoke and then she looked at Jordin with apprehension. She held out the cordless phone to Jordin who only looked on in confusion.

“
Who is it?”

Viola swallowed hard.

“
It's...it's Marta.”

“
What does she want?” Jordin asked, trying to hide the attitude in her voice. Noelle's mother hadn't fucked Slim, but she had created Noelle, so that was bad enough.

Viola didn't answer she only urged her to take the phone.

“
Just...just talk to her, sweetie.”

Jordin rolled her eyes and took the phone.

“
...Hello ...Marta?”

“
Hi Jordin, how are you?”

Did she really want the answer to that?
I'm hurt, I'm angry, I'm six weeks pregnant by your son in law.

“
I'm okay...how are you?”

This was awkward. Marta paused before blurting out.

“
Jordin, I'm... not so good. Noelle needs you Jordin.”

Marta sounded like she was crying.

Jordin sighed but remained cold.

“
Marta, not to be rude, but... I really don't care. Noelle could fall off the face of the earth and I wouldn't care less right about now.”

Jordin's words forced Marta to break down and cry even harder and Jordin felt bad. She also felt angry because Noelle was always the victim, even when she was wrong.
Noelle needs you? Please.

“
Jordin,” Marta started through sobs. “Jordin, Noelle...she tried to...to kill herself. She took a whole bottle of pills....they don't know if she gonna make it, Jordin... We’re here at Robert Wood....they don't know if the baby will live!” Jordin listened to the wails of a mother as Marta broke completely down, a mother who had been like a mother to her. It was hard to remain rigid.
Why Noelle?
Jordin asked feeling conflicted. She loved her, she was like her sister. She hated her too, but she didn't want her to die. She thought she did, but at this moment, she realized that she didn't. She hoped that she hadn't wished this on her. And the baby, the poor innocent baby.

“
I'm... on my way Marta,” Jordin told her and then she hung up. She was truly scared, even shaking, as she dropped to her knees in a prayer with tears in her eyes.

“
Dear God... please don't take her from the earth so soon. Keep her here for McKenzie lord. Look over her and protect her...”

Viola watched as her daughter humbled herself to the Lord for someone who had done her so much wrong. At that moment she couldn't have been more proud of Jordin, she knew she was truly an angel with a heart of gold. She helped her up and they both threw on their shoes and headed out the door, en route to Robert Wood Johnson Hospital.

Being that Jordin's parents lived in Cherry Hill, it took her almost an hour to reach the hospital. When she got there she spotted Marta in the hallway and she made her way hastily toward her.

“
Marta,” she called out with her mother on her tail.

Marta smiled lightly and then met Jordin halfway, opening her arms up for a hug.

“
You look good Jordin, you're getting skinny.” Marta always said that. Jordin forced a smile although she doubted how “skinny” she looked in her yoga pants and t-shirt. And she really doubted she looked “good” with her hair in a ponytail and no make up. She addressed the issue at hand.

“
How's Noelle? How's the baby?” She asked anxiously.

Marta's face dropped.

“
They're still working on Noe. But...the baby... didn't make it.”

Jordin's mouth fell open and she wondered why she found so much sadness in that. It was potentially Slim's baby, so she shouldn't feel bad. Maybe it was because it was also potentially Julez's baby, and she knew how bad he wanted a child. She shook her head in dismay.

“
I'm sorry Marta.”

Just then, Jordin spotted a familiar face coming through the double doors. Her heart quickened.

“
Oh my god, I got here as soon as I could. Is she okay, Jordin?”

Jordin looked at Kira and wondered why she was here. She didn't even like Noelle. But Jordin's palms began to sweat because she knew that wherever she was, he was.

“
I-I don't...know.”Jordin couldn't even talk she was so confused. She went and took a seat and Kira took one as well directly across from her and Viola. Marta went back over to her immediate family for their continuance in prayer. As everyone waited in silence, Jordin couldn't help but sense that Kira was staring at her for long seconds at a time. Every time she would look back at her, Kira would divert her eyes, but Jordin was almost positive that the girl was burning holes through her.

Kira was too busy studying Jordin to even care about what happened with Noelle. All she knew was that the hospital had called the office at first getting the primary contact number mixed up. She wanted to come and be there for Julez and hopefully she could catch him in another weak moment. She couldn't help but to stare at Jordin in wonderment though, and try to figure out what was so special about her that had Julez calling her name.

Viola also noticed Kira stealing long glances at her daughter and they had made uneasy eye contact a few times since it happened. Viola figured she would break the silence and the ice.

“
So, are you also a friend of Noelle's?” She asked Kira.

Kira sighed and then scratched the tip of her nose before replying.

“
Well not really...I'm more of a friend of Julez's.”

“
She's Julez's assistant, ma,” Jordin added, sounding more territorial than she had expected. Kira arched an eyebrow. Even if Julez wouldn't have called her Jordin's name, the way Jordin just reacted would have given away something anyway. Kira decided to play dirty.

“
Yeah...I came here because the hospital called the office and told me what happened. I wanted to be here for Julez, you know?” She leaned in to them and whispered lowly. “I mean, I'm not really sure how Noelle would feel about me being here because I don't know...well, I know she's aware of me and Julez... well...”

“
You and Julez what?” Jordin spat, her stomach turning at the thought. Kira waited an excruciating moment before proceeding.

“
We...well let's just say, we've gone past the friendship stage... and I don't think Noelle was happy with that lately. So I'm sure she wouldn't be happy with me being here, and I know her family probably doesn't want me here. Apart of me is scared that I may be...well, some of the reason that she did this to herself. I felt so conflicted about coming. But I'm here for Julez, you know?” Kira crossed her legs and shrugged like the lies she had just told were the god's honest truth. Jordin just looked away and down the hall, but it hurt, she couldn't lie. And she didn't think twice about Kira's story being false because in her mind, Kira had no reason to lie. Kira was not aware of her and Julez's secret rendezvous as far as Jordin knew, so to Kira, Jordin was just Noelle's ex best friend. Jordin couldn't blame anyone but herself though, she had pushed him away. She just wondered how long they had been involved and if he had been still calling her while dealing with Kira.

Before Kira could put anymore nails into the coffin, the man of the hour emerged from the nearby restroom and all eyes were on him. He looked as if he had slipped and shed a tear or two and Jordin was sure that it was for the baby that was lost. He kept his gaze down but then he suddenly looked up, and when he did, he locked eyes with Jordin.

She wanted to say so much but she couldn't talk. Her heart just skipped crazy beats. She couldn't even breathe as their eyes just stayed on each other's.

After a few more seconds, Jordin broke the stare as she blinked away building tears. Julez then dropped his head and nodded as he made his way down the hall toward Marta and family. Jordin watched him as he walked, studying how fine he was and how much she had missed him. She didn't realize until she saw him just now how much she had genuinely missed him. She had been used to seeing the man every day. She watched as Julez spoke with Noelle's family and then he began making his way back over toward her and Viola.

Julez wanted to igg Jordin, play her like she had been playing him, but he had to speak to her. He figured that the older lady who looked just like her was her mother, and he would at least introduce himself.

He walked up to them as Jordin remained seated, and he placed his hand on top of her pretty head and gave a quick stroke to her hair. This made Jordin look up at him. After a moment she finally spoke.