Unmasking Charlotte (a Taboo Love series) (15 page)

I turn back around, needing to finish what I started. “The rest of the details of my hospital visit are not really much of importance at this point. What you should know, is that an innocent life, which was in fact conceived from evil, was lost that night. A
n ectopic pregnancy is what they called it. Resulting not only in the loss of the fetus, but also my left fallopian tube. With massive scarring throughout my right tube, the doctor informed me that I would never be able to get pregnant. Try telling that to a young girl, who has only dreamed of getting married and starting a family.”

It is time to wrap this shit up and go home. I turned back to the board members to address them.

“I said when I first stepped up here that I am not a victim. I am a survivor. And as of about, oh, two minutes ago, I became neither. I am healed. I am no longer lost. I am whole. After today, as soon as I walk through those doors behind me, I will never speak of this again. I will never think about this again. This never happened. I will begin to live my life to the fullest. I will not live in fear. I will embrace my family, my friends, and anyone worthy of being in my life. I will trust freely. I will love openly. And I will do it all with an unburdened heart, free of the heavy weights which have been holding me back and dragging me down. Don’t get me wrong; the things that I am spouting may sound all kumbaya, but I still want this child-raping, virginity-stealing, dream crushing, cocksucking, filthy animal to rot in prison. Excuse my French and thank you for your time.”

I turn toward my father just in time for him to stand up and give me the bear hug that I need. He tells me how proud of me he is and we sit back down. My mom grabs me as soon as I get close and plants a wet one on my cheek. I couldn’t feel more loved. We sit in silence as a few more people take the lectern to have their say. I am startled for a second
when my ass vibrates, and then remember that I shoved my phone in my back pocket when we got here. I pull it out to see a text from Delilah.

LaLa: I love u!

Charlie: luv u 2

LaLa: I am so proud of u :)

Charlie: Thx :(

LaLa: no sad face. U rocked!

Charlie: lol. It is what it is

LaLa: Come on char, u are the strongest girl I know

The tears I’ve been holding back slowly start to roll down my cheeks. Dammit, I was good until this. To hear words like that from my best friend in the world mean everything to me. Bitch.

Charlie: Thx, La

LaLa: Now, about that embracing life u mentioned

Charlie:
Oh, shit. What?

I stifle a groan and roll my eyes. Where is this going?

LaLa: 2 words. Calvin King

A slow smile crawls across my face. Leave it to Delilah to know exactly what I’m thinking.

Charlie: His fine black ass is mine

LaLa: Ha! Now ur talkin! Let’s blow this popsicle stand

Charlie: Meet u outside in 5

I lean into my father and whisper in his ear that I am leaving and that Delilah will see that I get home safely. I tell him that I can’t stand to listen to one more person speak in support of his release, and I don’t want to breathe the same air as him anymore. He completely understands and gives me the permission to leave I was secretly praying for. A few hugs and kisses later from my parents, and I am out of this joint.

I step outside
and the sun is shining brightly, completely polar opposite from the dark and dreary room we just came from. My mood lightens immediately, and then a sudden panic sets in about what I just shared. What my friends just heard.

I look up at
Delilah, Nick, and Parker who are already waiting for me. Smiling. I look into their eyes and see nothing but love. Open arms. No judgment. My salvations.

Calvin

Where the hell is everybody? I’ve called Nick and Parker multiple times, and I’ve tried Charlotte and Delilah a couple of times. No one has picked up.
It’s been hours since I’ve spoken to anyone. I can’t imagine that everyone is so fucking busy at the same time that they can’t answer their damn phones. So what could have happened to them? Were they out together and got into a car accident? I hate not knowing! I finally had to quit calling because I had to get ready to go to the club, which is where I am now, stewing in my agitation.

I am in my usual spot overlooking the crowd then I see the four of them walk into the club. They are all smiling and having a good old fucking time as they head over to the bar. Nick is wearing a plain black mask. Parker…fucking Parker is wearing a goddamn Batman mask…asshole. Delilah’s mask is red and black, and Charlotte’s is silver, which does nothing to hide her incredible crystal blue eyes.

I set up a group text on my device; something that not many people in the club know is possible to do. But I’m the boss; I can do anything I want. I send my first text to my friends as I start toward them.

C-dog #413: Where the hell were the 4 of u all day?

They all look at their devices at the same time then look around at each other in confusion.

Nico #812: Where u at C-dog?

C-dog #413: Right behind u

Nick turns to look at me as I come up behind him.

Ham Bone #069: How are we in a group message?

C-dog #413: I’m the goddamn owner. I can do what I want. Now someone had better answer my first question

I glare at the four of them from behind my navy blue mask. Charlotte is looking beautiful in a modest floral print dress. I’m having a hard time taking my eyes
off her.

Charlie #228: Sorry, I had something to do & I couldn’t answer my phone

I meet her eyes, which are silently asking me not to ask any more questions. I give her a small nod and she seems to let out a breath she was holding. I frown. I can’t imagine what that was about.

C-dog #413: And the rest of u?

Nico #812: I was in court

LaLa #128: My phone died

Ham Bone #069: Audition, my man

I narrow my eyes at all of them. I can tell that Delilah is lying because she won’t look at me. And Parker is possibly lying, too, because he’s giving me one of his nervous smiles from behind that stupid Batman mask. Nick is looking me square in the eyes, so he’s telling me the truth, and Charlotte, even though she didn’t tell me exactly what she was doing, she is telling me the truth. I’m still curious as to what is going on, but at least I know they are safe.

C-dog #413: Hammy, what the fuck is up with the Batman mask?

I can no longer hide my smile, he looks freakin’ ridiculous. Parker laughs and just gives me a shrug. I shake my head. Idiot.

A commotion coming from the direction of the front entrance pulls my attention away from my friends. Someone is yelling and screeching. I can see Monica chasing after whoever it is. I finally get a clear view of the culprit to see the chick from the coffee shop and an overly tanned, The Situation-wanna-be following closely behind her. No mask or messaging device. Clearly, not on the approved list for entry.
Maybe I need to beef up security at the front door
. Oh hell no, not in my club. She’s not going to bring this childish shit here. I start toward them, knowing Nick, Parker, Delilah, and Charlotte are following me. As I come up to them, the dude, who is about a foot shorter than I am, tries getting in my face.

“What is this I hear about you fucking around on my sister?” he says to my chest.

Speaking in my club is absolutely forbidden. If I wasn’t pissed before, I am livid now. “You wanna do this? Then get the fuck outside,” I bark.

“Yeah, yeah, let’s do this outside!” he says, trying to be tough.

I send a glare at the bitch whose name I can’t fucking remember. She gives me a smug smirk as she sets her hands on her hips. Does she really think that her brother can beat me? Wow, she must be more delusional than I first thought. I was really hoping she would just forget about me, but obviously, that isn’t the case. I point in the direction of the front doors. She and her brother head that way. I follow.

I pass Monica on my way out. She starts apologizing like crazy, but I tell her that it’s okay, shit happens. I step outside with my friends at my back. I take my mask off and hand it to Nick, who is standing on my right.

“Vinny, I want you to kick his ass,” uber-bitch says.

I sneer at her. Once again, I wonder what the hell I was thinking when I slept with her. She
’s standing there on the sidewalk in shiny black latex pants and a black bra with a neon pink mesh tank top over it. Her heels look like something a hooker would wear. Actually, her whole outfit looks like something a hooker would wear. And I am not even going to delve into why her face is practically orange. She needs to lay off the fake baking. I turn to look at her brother who is in jeans, a white wife beater, and his hair looks like it has so much gel and other shit in it, that they could use his head for a battering ram.

“Look man, I don’t know what your sister’s told you, but it was a one night stand and that’s it. No other promises were made,” I say more calmly than I feel, hoping to diffuse the situation before it escalates any more than it already has.

“You’re a fucking liar, Calvin!” The crazy bitch squawks, flailing her arms around. “You said that you would call me and you never did!”

I then hear Charlotte, who is standing somewhere behind me say, “Can someone please get this bitch a fishing pole so she can reel her shit in?”

I sigh and hang my head. I bite my bottom lip to stop from laughing. Leave it to Charlotte to say something like that. Jesus Christ. Of course, Delilah, Parker, and Nick bust out laughing. Well psycho has a fucking conniption after that. She starts screaming at Charlotte, pointing her claw-like nail in her face. I can see Charlotte is about to lay her out, so I move in between them, taking crazy by her arm and pushing her away. Well that sets her brother off.

“Get your damn hands off my sister, asshole!” he shouts.

He takes a swing at me. Dumbass barely clips my chin because he can’t reach high enough. I palm his face and give him a good shove, making him stumble back and fall on his ass. His sister rounds on me, tearing her arm out of my grasp before raking her nails across my neck.

“Agh! What the fuck?” I bellow, my hand automatically coming up to check for blood. When I look at my fingers, they come away red.

“You bitch!” Charlotte and Delilah gasp in outrage at the same time.

I don’t know what kind of look I was giving those two assholes, but the guy must have realized that I was done playing around and shit was about to get real because he quickly got to his feet and grabbed his sister.

“Loretta, let’s get out of here,” he urges, as he starts to pull her down the street.

She doesn’t fight him, but I can see that she’s not ready for this to end. I just hope she realizes that she better stay away because I will not let something like this happen again without getting the police involved. I should actually get a restraining order against her regardless.

“Yeah, get the fuck out of here before I kick your ass, you fucking slut!” Charlotte screams down the street after them.

I turn to look at her. Her anger
is written all over her face and it warms my heart that she is trying to defend me. I have no doubt that she could drop Loretta if it came to that. She turns to me, a deep frown on her face. She looks at my neck.

“You should clean that up.
Who knows what the hell was under her nails,” she grimaces.

“Yeah, ew,” Delilah agrees.

I nod. “Alright, let’s get back inside,” I say, slinging my arm around Charlotte’s shoulders as we all turn to go back into the club. “Pinky, will you be my nurse?”

She chuckles and swats my stomach. “Shut up, Calvin.”

I smile. It finally seems like she’s coming around. This is good…really good.