Part Time Lovers.

Chapter 8

( 3 days later. )

" Good girls don't lie, Kathleen. Girls who lie get punished. Good girls don't lie, Kathleen. Girls who lie get punished. Good girls don't lie, Kathleen. Girls who lie get punished. " I mumbled over and over again.

"Jeez, it smells like something died in here. " Courtney exclaimed as she walked in my room. She saw me and stopped dead in her tracks.

" Imani, what did he do to you? " She asked, racing over and putting her arm around me.

" Good girls don't lie, Kathleen. Girls who lie get punished. " I said quietly.
Courtney gave me one look and she knew immediately.

" We have to go to the hospital. We have to go now. Where's a suitcase? You're not coming back here." She found my suitcase and started frantically throwing clothes inside.
I just sat there and watched.

" Help me. " Courtney insisted. I saw that she was struggling, but I just couldn't.

" Good girls don't lie, Kathleen. Girls who lie get punished. " I explained.

" Hey, come on honey bun. " Courtney said softly, while putting my arm around her shoulder. "We're going to get you out of here." She said while carrying me to her car.

She laid me down in the backseat of her Range and went back inside.
I cried while she was in there. I've known her for just a few years, barely 5, and here she was taking care of me. I literally hadn't had a shower in 3 days and I know I relieved myself quite a few times on my bed. It was humiliating, but Court's been my friend.

" Alright, my doctor is going to meet us at my house, alright? " Courtney stated while putting 3 suitcases in the trunk. " And I bought your birken and your chanel boy bag. Those are way too important. " She laughed while backing out.

The drive over was quiet, and I just thought about all the good times. Our wedding, the birth of our children, countless holidays, birthdays and vacations. Were did it all go wrong?

" Hey baby, are you home? " I heard Courtney say into her phone.
" Well, you know how much Haven loves your daddy daughter lunches, then you could take her to see hotel transylvania 2. I just really need complete privacy in the house for a little. " Courtney explained.

" Alright, see ya soon. I love you. Let me talk to my baby girl.
I love you Haven Anise. I love you to the moon and back. See ya later."

I envied that. Courtney could tell Christian to go somewhere without explaining why, and he trusted her enough to do it.

" Alright Lil mama, let's get you in here. " She tried to carry me, like before, but I pushed her away. I could at least walk.

The doctor, thankfully a woman, was quick and thorough. She took pictures, collected samples and listened to my story. Before she left, she gave me a tight hug.

Then I took a hot shower so I could scrub away the shame. Who's husband rapes them? Can your husband even rape you? It's mortifying. And if I told any authority figure, would they even believe me? Nathaniel was powerful. He never lost the contacts he had while he was CEO of Howard Incorporated. It would literally be the word of a respected restaurateur against a former prostitute. My odds were in the negatives.

After I showered, dried off and got dressed, Courtney came in with a turkey sandwich, a banana, granola bar and a bottle of water.

" Hey, um, you have a visitor. " She said, looking down.

" Courtney, who did you tell? " I asked. She just kept looking down until he walked in.

" I'll leave you two to it." She said, quickly walking out. The second the door shut, my stomach dropped.

" Imani. What happened? " He asked, rushing over to me.

" I can't believe she told you. Court can never keep her big mouth shut. " I yelled.

" She didn't tell me anything. Only that you were hurt and needed my help. " He yelled back.

I jumped back a little. His face had turned red and you could tell he was angry.

" I don't need your help and I don't need you. " I screamed, moving away from him.

" That's fine. Don't need my help. But what happened Friday? I called you and you didn't answer. " He stated.

He raised his hand and I flinched. I didn't care he was just running it through his hair.

" What did he do to you?" He asked quietly. I guess he noticed.

" Does he hit you? Imani, let me help you. I can protect you. " He pleaded.

I laughed. " Dante, you can't protect me at all. All of the squad cars and officers and all of your protection won't ever matter. Trust me, you can't help me. Just quit while you're ahead. " I warned him.

" Imani please. Please. " Dante begged.

" Just go Dante. Please go. " I whispered.

He sighed, you could see the frustration on his face. " Promise me that you'll call me if he hurts you again. He might start hitting your babies too." Dante pointed out.

" I promise I'll call. " I told him, giving him a hug. I didn't even really know this man, but he was still trying to help me.

" He wouldn't hit the kids. They're the only thing in the world he loves more than money, more than coke, more than anything. Amari and Annie are his entire world. "

"Tell me about your babies. " Dante asked, helping himself to a seat on the bed.

" Well, Analeigh is 10 now. Annie plays the piano, but she really wants to play soccer. She has this really big smile and she can just light up a room. And she's nice, but she can be tough. She's strong. Annie has these big, gorgeous curls that no matter how hard you try, you simply cannot tame. And she's growing to become a lovely young lady.

Amari is my baby, he's 8. He's a goalie and a midfielder. He's really good too, if I say so myself. My honey, he's so sensitive and empathetic, and that's good. Whereas Annie is nice, she's just nice and that's okay. Amari is compassionate and he feels everything. Nathaniel hates it, he thinks I baby Amari too much, and I do. I just want to protect him from the world, ya know? I don't want people trying to take advantage of him because he cares." I rambled.

I turned to see Dante smiling beside me. " You really love your babies. " Dante said.

" Yeah, they're my everything. " I agreed, taking out my phone to show him a picture.

" Oh wow. Annie looks like you, and Amari looks like your husband." He commented.

" Do you have any babies? " I asked.

" Yeah, one son, D.J. He's almost 4. He lives with his mother in California though. " Dante explained.

I reached down to give him a hug and somehow I was on top of him, making out with him, with my legs wrapped around him. And I could feel all of him.

" I don't have any condoms. " He moaned in between kisses. That sentence bought me back to my senses.

" We shouldn't be doing this. You should go. " I said quietly, readjusting my hair.

I don't know what had gotten in to me, I just needed to feel close, to be close to someone.

As soon as Dante left, I ran upstairs to Courtney's room to borrow her keys. Instead of her, I got a note she left saying that she was taking a nap, Chris had taken the kids to the beach, and her keys were on the table in case I needed to go out.

I quickly grabbed her keys and got to my destination in no time.
I gathered up what little courage I had and knocked on the door. I needed him to be home. I needed him to be inside of me.

" Let me in. " I commanded when he openedthe door. He did. He looked shocked to see me, but still looked good as hell.

" What are you doing here Imani? " He asked. That voice sent shivers down my spine.

" Fuck me Kevin. "