Authors: Brenda Hampton
Jaylin's World (4 page)
“What you crying for?” I asked.
She cracked a tiny smile and threw one of her arms around my neck. “I thought I had died and gone to heaven, Daddy,” she said, choked up.
Her words pierced my heart. I swallowed the lump in my throat, trying to hold back my emotions. “No, baby. You didn't die, and you won't die. I'm here, and I'm always going to be here for you.”
Mackenzie was so emotional, and she wouldn't let me go. She kept kissing my cheeks, and I was kissing hers too. I did my best to calm her, and I reached for the tissues to dab her watery eyes.
“There,” I said as she started to calm down. We smiled at each other, and I sat back in the chair next to the bed. I kept her hand in mine, squeezing it.
“Are you in any pain?” I asked.
“A little.”
“What hurts?”
She pointed to her side. “It hurts a little, but not as much as it did when the accident happened.”
“So it's getting better?”
She nodded.
“Good. And according to your nurse, Ann, she said you should be feeling a whole lot better real soon.”
“Well enough to go home? I want to go home with you, Daddy.”
Just hearing her say that pleased my heart, but I knew it wouldn't be easy. “We'll see about that, okay? I'll talk to the doctors today and see what's up.”
Mackenzie was quiet. She turned her head and looked out the window.
“Where's your dog, Barbie? I know you miss her, don't you?”
Mackenzie turned to me. “I miss her a lot. A few months ago, Bruce made Mommie and me get rid of her. He said she was a bad dog, and she kept messing up the house. She was my best friend, and I cried for three whole weeks.”
Now, hearing that really pissed me off. I'd bought that dog for Mackenzie, and how dare Scorpio let this motherfucker tell her what to do. She knew how attached Mackenzie was to Barbie, so I didn't understand why Scorpio would even allow it.
“Where's Bruce at now? Have you seen him?”
Mackenzie shrugged a little. “No, I haven't seen him since I've been in the hospital. Mommie's been here every single day, but I think she's with my little brother right now. Did you meet my little brother yet? He's handsome, just like you are, Daddy.”
“No, I haven't seen him yet, and my concern is for you. I wanted to make sure you were okay, and I feel so much better being here with you.”
The door opened, and when I turned, it was the nurse Ann coming back into the room. She stood at the end of Mackenzie's bed, tickling Mackenzie's toes.
“Oh my,” she said to Mackenzie. “Somebody has a big ole smile today. I wonder why? Is it because your daddy is here?”
Mackenzie smiled, holding the biggest grin ever. Ann kept teasing Mackenzie, and she told Mackenzie that a late-night snack was coming soon. Before leaving the room, Ann asked if I would step out in the hall for a minute.
“Sure,” I said, following her into the hallway. She stood with her arms folded and had a look of concern on her face.
“I'm glad you're here, Mr. Rogers, but I really need for you to do me a favor.”
“Of course. Anything.”
“Please get Scorpio out of this hospital. The children will be just fine, and I, along with the staff here, are taking very good care of them. I'm noticing her going into a depressive state, and I'm severely worried about her. She has not left this hospital for one second. If she could go somewhere, get something to eat and rest, I would feel so much better.”
“No problem,” I said. “If you don't mind, I'm going to sit with Mackenzie for about another hour or two, and then we'll go. Thank you so much for everything, and I appreciate your kindness.”
“Anytime.”
I moved toward the door, but Ann reached for my arm. “I forgot to tell you that the doctors may be releasing Mackenzie soon. I know she's anxious to get home, and Scorpio talked to the doctors as well. As for your son, it may be a while before he's able to go home. Possibly another week.”
“For the record, he's not my son. Mackenzie is my daughter, but Bruce is not my son.”
Ann's eyes widened. “For real?” She chuckled. “I'm sorry. I thought he looked just like you. You know how they say, âWe all look alike,' but please forgive me for being incorrect.”
“No problem,” I said, returning to Mackenzie's room.
I sat with Mackenzie for the next few hours, and Scorpio had come in at least three or four times. She looked worn, and I felt so bad for her. I suggested that she leave the hospital and go home to get some rest.
“No,” she said, gazing out the window. “I'm fine right here.”
“Have you eaten anything today?”
“A little.”
“A little what?”
“Some ... some chips, I think.”
I stood up and walked over to her by the window. I rubbed my hands up and down her arms. “Listen, you won't be any good to your kids if you don't get some rest and take care of yourself. Go home and I'll stay here with Mackenzie. You can come back in the morning, but not until you've had something to eat and have gotten some rest.”
“No,” she said again. “I don't want to go home. There's nothing there for me, and I'm not going home to an empty house, which has too many bad memories.”
I could already tell that some drama was going on with her and Bruce. I didn't want to throw that “I told you so” bullshit up in her face right now, but I had a feeling that Scorpio's marriage would fail. “I'm going to get a room at the Four Seasons. Let's go get something to eat. After you get a nap, you can come back in the morning. Ann said the kids will be fine, and you know she's got them all taken care of.”
Scorpio hesitated; then she looked up at me. “Can I stay in the room with you? I don't want to be alone, Jaylin, just ... just not right now.”
I couldn't believe the feelings I still had for this woman. I knew that staying the night with Scorpio wasn't a good thing, but I couldn't help but agree to it. “Let's go,” I said. “Go say good night to your son, and I'll say good night to Mackenzie.”
Mackenzie had already shut it down for the night, so I kissed her cheek and whispered that I'd see her tomorrow. I left the room and waited by the elevators for Scorpio. Moments later, she came out of the room and we left the hospital together. We went through the drive-through at McDonald's, and all Scorpio ate was a Double Cheeseburger. When we got to the Four Seasons, I got the Presidential Suite and we made our way to the room. It came with one king-sized bed, a couch, two chairs and a table. My thoughts were all over the place, and I couldn't help but think about the last time Scorpio and I were together. It was a night to remember, and sex between us was off the chain. While in the car, she said she hadn't showered in days; so it was no surprise when she went into the bathroom to handle her business. I sat on the bed, massaging my forehead and thinking about my wife and kids at home. I hadn't called Nokea since I'd left Miami, and I knew she was wondering where I was. She'd called my cell phone twice, so I dialed out to call her.
“It's about time,” she said in a playful tone.
“I apologize, baby. I got so wrapped up with seeing the property, and as of yet, I still haven't seen it. My friend Curtis couldn't find the keys to let me inside and we have to wait until tomorrow. I'm at his house right now, and I'm about to shut it down for the night.”
“What time are you coming back tomorrow?”
“It depends on what time I can get inside to see the property. It's a thirty-two-thousand-square-foot building, and from the outside, it looks as if it may have some potential. He got some other property he wants to show me too. If Shane and I can get some designers to fix it up, it may very well be worth it.”
“I thought Shane was going with you. He came to the house, but I think he's still at Tiffanie's house. They had dinner tonight. Hopefully, they're patching things up.”
“Maybe so, but, uh, I told him I was coming to Chicago by myself. Curtis be acting kind of funny, and he don't like dealing with a lot of people.”
“I know how that is. Get some rest and I'll see you tomorrow.”
“You too, baby. Tell the kids I'll see them soon.”
We ended our call, and I sat back on the bed, feeling like crap. Everything with Nokea and me was going so smoothly. I didn't like lying to her at all. To clear my conscience, as soon as I got back home, I was going to tell her about Mackenzie. Especially since she was definitely going to be a huge part of my life again.
Still sitting back on the bed, I removed my shirt and turned on the plasma TV. I could hear the shower running, and I started letting my imagination run wild. I knew exactly what Scorpio looked liked in the shower, and the thought of her lathered naked body was fresh in my mind. Yeah, I wanted to get up and join her, but I knew I couldn't go there. As a matter of fact, I wouldn't go there. The way I felt after betraying Nokea the last time Scorpio and I had sex was enough. I couldn't even look Nokea in her eyes, and it took me months to recover from what I'd done. Lying to Nokea was one thing, but sticking my dick where it didn't belong was another.
I heard the shower turn off, and as I was flipping through the channels, Scorpio came out of the bathroom. A towel was wrapped around her curvaceous body, and she had another towel on her head, shaking her wet hair dry.
“I needed that so bad,” she said, “you just don't know.... I feel like a million dollars right now.”
I glanced at her, but shifted my eyes back to the TV. “You'll feel like a million more dollars after you get some rest.”
She removed the towel from her head and laid it on a chair. With the other towel still covering her, she got into the bed next to me.
“Can you scoot down and hold me?” she asked.
I scooted down, allowing Scorpio to get close and rest her head on my bare chest. Things were pretty quiet for a while, until she lifted her head to look up at me.
“You smell so good. Are you comfortable?” she asked.
“I'm okay. Just get some rest.”
She laid her head back on my chest and crossed her leg over mine. I was glad that my jeans were still on, and that was a good thing.
“Are you mad at me?” she blurted out.
“Why do you think that?”
“I don't know. You've been real quiet, and I figured Mackenzie must have told you about the accident.”
“No, she didn't get into any details. Was she supposed to?”
“I guess not. But Bruce and I were arguing right before the accident happened. It was all my fault, Jaylin, and I caused him to take his eyes off the road.”
Yes, I was irritated. “What's going on with you and Bruce? Mackenzie told me he made her get rid of Barbie, and I can't believe you agreed to it. You know how much that dog meant to her, and to me.”
“I know, but for some reason, Barbie got really, really mean. She didn't like Bruce, and now I understand why. I got rid of her to keep down confusion. She started peeing all over the house, and I can't tell you how many times I stepped in dog poop. She bit Bruce and tried to bite me too. Mackenzie was very upset, and I promised her that I would get her another dog. Bruce and I have been having problems for months, and he's seeing Mercedes again. I stopped having sex with him and everything. We were arguing all of the time. When I asked him for a divorce, he slapped the living daylights out of me. We got into a huge fight, and the police were called to our house that night. At this point, I just want out of my marriage, Jaylin. All I care about is my babies, and he can do whatever.”
“I'm sorry to hear that it didn't work out. And you're right.... At the end of the day, the kids are what truly matter.”
Scorpio stretched her arm around my waist, holding me tight. She spoke softly. “Do you ever think about me? About that night we shared together? I know how much you love Nokea, but is there an ounce of love in your body still left for me?”
I cleared my throat, for her questions deserved an honest answer. “Yes, I've thought about you a lot, and I still think about you. All of the time, I wonder what you're doing, how things are coming along, and I often think about what if you and I were still together. I told you before that I still had love for you, but this thing between us is too, too complicated. Complicated because I am with my soul mate, and I intend to be with her for the rest of my life. I love Nokea too much, Scorpio, to settle for anything less.”
“Trust me, you would be just as happy with me, as you are with her. I would love you so much more, and that is the sole reason why I can't get ahead with any other man in my life. I'm not going to talk about this anymore, but I wanted you to know how much you mean to me and my family too.”
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