Be Bad For Me(48)

"Annette!" Jordan hollered from across the parking lot. "Don't go anywhere!"

How could he demand her not to go anywhere while he was occupied with  his ex-girlfriend? What? Did he think she was a fool? Well, Annette  wasn't going to be nobody's fool? Not Anthony's. Not Jordan's. Not a  damn soul. She ignored him and didn't stop. When she reached her car,  she still couldn't find her keys amongst all the clutter in her little  handbag no matter how deep she searched with her fingers. She couldn't  see any better either because the tears that she was desperately trying  to hold back were now blinding her vision.

"Fuck you!" Suddenly Annette heard the girl screaming at the top of her lungs.

"Fuck me? Fuck me?" Jordan yelled back at her even louder. "That's what  you're trying to do! Fuck up my life? Is money what you want? Is that  why you planned this so you could ruin my fuckin' life?"

"It doesn't matter now, Jordan, you'll have to take care of your responsibility one way or the other!"

What were they talking about? Why was she here? Hundreds of questions  were flying through Annette's mind as she dumped the entire contents of  her handbag out on the trunk of her car, still in search of her keys as  the tears rolled down her cheeks.

"Just send me the fucking paperwork, all right! You just need to leave,  right now. I promise you that nothing I do from here on out will be for  your benefit. I will take care of my responsibility if this is true.  But, please … don't ever come to my fucking house unannounced again."

"Jordan!" The girl's voice sounded to be pleading this time.

Annette snatched up the keys to her car and began pushing the contents  back into the little handbag and then she fumbled with the keys to get  in her car. She didn't make it and she felt the two strong, familiar  hands, around her waist stopping her.

"Annette, I'm sorry," Jordan was whispering to her in a calm tone.

"Stop … don't touch me." The keys had just made it into the lock.

Jordan snatched them away and grabbed her handbag, and then he was in  front of her so that he could see her face. "Annette, I'm not going to  let you walk away like this from me."

"Jordan, I can't … can't deal with this anymore." This time it was Annette who was pleading with Jordan.         

     



 

"Please, Annette, I can't lose you. I can't lose you over nothing." He  pressed his torso up against hers and buried his face in her neck.  "Please, I need you."

"Jordan, what's happening? I'm so confused." Annette heard the loud sound of a car speeding off behind them, tires screeching.

"Things from my past come back to haunt me."

"What does she want from you?"

"Money."

"Why does she w … " Annette started.

"Sshhhh! I don't want to talk about that bitch. I mean … " Jordan shook  his head. "Please excuse me for calling that girl a bitch."

"But, Jordan, I can't trust you if you can't talk to me. Tell me the truth." She moved back a little to look Jordan in the face.

"I know … I know. You remember when we promised not to keep secrets from each other?"

"Yeah."

"Well, I have not kept any secrets from you. I promise. I don't want to  see you crying and I don't want to see you hurt." He lifted his hands to  wipe her tear-dampened cheeks with his thumbs. Then, he kissed both  cheeks, lightly. Annette didn't push him away when he kissed her lips,  as well. She wanted his kiss to mend the hurt. Most of all, she wanted  to forget what just happened. She was tired of being confused about  love. He kissed her until her lips were swollen. "Can you keep a secret,  Annette?"

"What? What's the secret?"

"I've never felt for anyone what I feel for you. And to tell you the  truth, I just don't understand it." Jordan's eyes were sincere.

"The feelings mutual, Jordan. What we've shared over these last months  are real. I thought that I could never feel this way about a man."  Annette rested her face on Jordan's chest in embarrassment. She hadn't  told Jordan what she felt in her heart for him the moment they shared  their very first embrace on the balcony at Tango's party.

Jordan lifted her chin. "Look at me, beautiful. I love you, Annette."

The words brought joy to Annette's heart. She could never imagine that  this would be the day in her life that a man who had taken her heart  would say those words to her and mean it. "I love you, Jordan."

Jordan pulled her close to him and enveloped her into his warm body. It  felt so nice, it felt so right. But, still there was a nagging feeling  in the back of her mind. What did Tabitha really want? Was it just  money? Was it Jordan? "Jordan … " Annette tried to pull away.

"Ssssh. Don't move. Just stay right there. Just a moment." Jordan  whispered, holding her close. He finally pulled back and began talking.  "My relationship with Tabitha lasted three months. The thing was purely  sex because that is what she wanted. That is what she wanted until I  threatened to leave her if she was going to continue playing the field.  She played the part of good little girlfriend for about a month. She  didn't know that I was friends with Uno, a well-known drug dealer on the  south side. To make a long story short, I caught her driving out of the  gates to his home at the same time I was driving in. Uno revealed that  Tabitha had been sleeping with one of his runners for the past year. It  was easy to catch her in the act because Uno's runner didn't give a damn  about her one way or the other. Fuck, I knew she was sleeping around on  me already and I figured that if I put down another ultimatum that she  would be the perfect little girlfriend again. I was wrong. She left me  for him. Or should I say, she left me for what she thought was more  money. So, I moved on. My time was wasted, but I moved on anyway. No  more serious relationships up until now, up until you. Annette, Tabitha  came here today because she was three months pregnant when she broke up  with me. She thinks that I may be the father. Uno's runner had a DNA  test. The results came back a couple days ago and he's not the father.  She wants me to sign the birth certificate and meet with her lawyer  about money for the baby."

"What?" Annette shook her head, disbelieving.

"I may be the father of Tabitha's son. He was born two weeks ago."

"Oh, and was it not you that said, I always use protection," Annette spat.

"I always use protection, Annette. Don't play me for a fool. Especially  with Tabitha. I don't know what happened. The condom could have broken. I  don't know."

"I'm sorry, Jordan. I-I can't … "

Jordan reached out for her.

"No! Just don't touch me, please. I need some time to think. This is too much. Let me go, please. My keys?"         

     



 

Jordan slowly handed her the keys.

"Annette, please don't walk out on me and never come back. You know this  is out of my hands. I can't turn back time. I wish I could just for  you, but I can't."

"I hear you, Jordan. What's done is done. But, I need time off on my own. And please don't come to my house."

Annette left Jordan there in the middle of the parking lot.





Chapter 28





No one could have prepared Annette for the news that she had learned two  days ago about Jordan. Even though Jordan had not lied to her, it still  bothered her that Jordan was the father to another woman's baby. She  was glad that Jordan wanted to take care of his responsibilities, but  she just couldn't bear the fact that some of Jordan's time would be  spent with his baby's mama. Who wanted to share? She loved Jordan, but  would their relationship be the same with this one obstacle in their  way?

Annette had visited Tara after work to get her hair shampooed and styled  to keep her mind off things. Tara wasn't any help keeping her mind of  Jordan, only reminding her over and over again that Jordan did nothing  wrong. Annette already knew that and she didn't need someone to remind  her. Now as she pulled up to her apartment, she didn't expect to see  Troy outside her building on his bike surrounded by five different girls  from every corner of the complex. It looked like he was showing off.

When Annette stepped out of the car with several shopping bags, Troy immediately turned his attention her way.

"What are you doing here?" Annette asked, ignoring the questioning looks from the five girls.

"Don't act. What do you think?" he said, pulling the shopping bags from her hands.

"Is this your girlfriend or something?" One of the girls asked, smacking her bubble gum, looking Annette up and down.

"Not that it's any of your business, but no," Annette spat, heading up the stairs toward her front door.

"That's my sista," Troy said. "But don't mind her feisty attitude. What's your apartment number, though, sweetie?"

The girl pouted her lips. "212."

Annette was already halfway up the stairs when Troy came up with her.  When they were both inside, she asked again, "Once again, what are you  doing here?"