The Black Woman #Wattys2016

The middle.

Jason
Back at home, Alani and Blake decided it would be a good day to go swimming. Unlike them, I had work to do. They splashed around in the pool for awhile until Flynn came to take Blake on their date. Now, it was just Alani and I and she was doing anything possible to keep my attention on her.

"Lani, I'm serious, I swear if you fucking-" Bloop. Alani dropped my tablet into the pool with a devilish grin and swam her way back over to me. "Fucking hell.." I sighed and chewed on my bottom lip. "Why on earth would you do that? All of my information was on that tablet-" She cut me off and jumped out of the pool. She reached her hand out for her towel and I frowned, handing it to her. "Well?" I asked again. She wrapped the towel around her body and smiled up at me. "I just wanted your attention...that's all." She leaned up to kiss me and I placed my mouth on hers roughly. "You're lucky my shit is in the cloud or that would've been your ass, baby girl."

She grinned. "Promise?" I smacked her ass and took my phone out of my pocket. Alani still doesn't know who the killer is and I wanted to keep it that way until the last possible second. I never wanted to see my baby girl hurt or in pain and not telling her seemed to be the best way to go.

Lani put her hair up in a bun and turned around to walk back into the kitchen though the patio door. I walked behind her still checking the messages on my phone. Two from my divorce attorney, one from my mother, six from Za, and one from Blake telling me to tell Alani to "put some fucking clothes on."

"Babe, you hungry?" She asked, looking over her shoulder at me. I nodded and scrolled through Za's messages. Alani asked what I wanted to eat but I completely ignored her when I saw the final message from him. "Fuck!!" I screamed and slammed my hand down on the counter. Alani turned around quickly, her face dropped and she looked terrified. "I-I guess that means you don't want quesadillas?" I sighed and pulled her into my arms. "Lani, baby girl, there's something that you need to know, ok?" She looked up at me, still a little hesitant.

"You don't like my quesadillas?"

I smiled slightly. "No, baby, your quesadillas are amazing. It's about something else. Someone else." She slowly nodded. "Okay, what is it about?" I sighed and leaned against the counter, pulling her towards me. She stood in between my legs and ran her hands through my hair. "What is it, baby? Just tell me. You can tell me anything..that's how this relationship thing works." I chuckled. "I know."

"Then what're you waiting for?" She asked. I pulled her hands down from my hair and held them in my own hands. "I know who killed Blake and Declan's father."

She slowly nodded and looked me in the eyes. "Who killed their father, Jason?"

"Declan killed their father."

She snatched her hands back and gasped with one hand over her mouth. Tears brimmed her eyes and she shook her head no. "You're...y-you're lying to me, Jason. Don't play around like that!" I watched her. "I'm not playing around. Declan killed his father and tried to blame everybody but the one person that actually pulled the fucking trigger. Himself." Lani held her hands against the counter, securing her small baby bump. "No..no no no." I tried to touch her but she snatched away from me. "Just..let me cool off, okay?"

I nodded. She tapped her nails on the counter and started breathing hard. "Baby.." I said again, trying to get her attention. She turned to me. "I'm sorry, Lani."

"Yeah, me too." She said, one tear falling from her eye. "Me too." I pulled her into my arms as she sobbed. "Please tell me you're lying...o-or Za made a mistake?" She looked up at me. "Anybody but my baby's father." I frowned. "Za told me and Flynn confirmed it. He said Declan had a whole set up in England and everything to frame my family. I wish it wasn't true but..but it is."

Alani wrapped her arms around me tightly. "He's going to get me, isn't he? He was never going to let you have me because he was always one step ahead of us..Jason, please, please don't let him get me. Don't let him take me away again." My heart broke hearing her plead for me this way. I've always wanted to hear those words come out of her mouth but never like this. The front door opened and closed again, sending both of us into alarm. Lani looked at me and I covered her mouth with my hand. "Stay quiet and don't leave out of the kitchen, okay?" I whispered. She nodded and I let my hand down. I walked out of the kitchen and into the foyer to see Za and Khalil talking. I let out a sigh of relief. "The fuck is wrong with you, nigga?" Khalil asked and raised his eyebrow.

"I thought you were Declan's crazy ass or something walking up in here. What's up?" I asked. They both looked at each other and then back at me. "Lani here?" I nodded. "Yeah, why?"

"Declan is back."