Forgiveness and Second Chances Read online

He just stared at her with unshed tears, visualizing everything she’d just said. He knew back then that her mother was abusive and on drugs, but Malanie always said she couldn’t leave her. She was all her mother had, because everybody else had turned their back on her. But Malanie put her own daughter first. Without even thinking, he said, “She is everything to me.”

  “You’re everything to her, too.”

  “Malanie doesn’t believe that. If she did, she wouldn’t have turned her back on me.”

  “She didn’t have a choice. He didn’t give her a choice.”

  “Who?”

  “Luis.”

  He punched the desk, then stood up, putting his hands on his head.

  “He threatened her, saying he had power to destroy you and leave your daughter without a father. She sacrificed herself for you, Jeremy.”

  “Why? Why didn’t she tell me?” He felt his nostrils flare as he spoke. Why didn’t I see it before? What a fool I was.

  “She’s been miserable without you. Her heart is broken, and it breaks my heart to see her like that. You may not believe me, but I’ve changed and it’s all because of her.”

  “I need to see her, Mrs. Johnson,” he said, holding the door open. “Thank you for coming.”

  “No, son, thank you for loving my daughter, and never giving up on her. I was so wrong about you,” she said with a smile on her face.

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  He made a stop before going to Malanie’s condo. Mrs. Johnson had given him the code and the keys. She’d also called the guards to let him into the building.

  He quietly entered her room. She was sleeping peacefully, and then he noticed the puffiness under her eyes. He walked closer to her side of the bed.

  She must have felt his presence, because she whispered without opening her eyes. “Mom, please go away. I want to be alone.”

  He bent down and kissed her forehead, then he got into the bed next to her, putting his arms around her body, and whispered, “I love you.”

  As soon as the words rolled off his lips, her eyes shot open, looking straight into his, with her red-rimmed eyes. She leaned up and jumped into his arms. “Jeremy!” Then all of a sudden she pulled away. “You have to leave. You can’t be here.” She tried pushing him away. “Please leave.”

  “He can’t hurt us anymore. He doesn’t know I’m here.” She stared at him. He could tell by the change in her expression she knew that he knew the truth.

  “My mom!”

  “She surprised me. Don’t be mad at her. She did it out of love. Why didn’t you tell me? Why go through this alone?”

  She touched his face, leaning into his embrace. “I would do anything for you and Alanie, even if it means my unhappiness.”

  “Baby….” He took a deep breath. “Thank you for putting us first, but that’s my job. I would’ve protected you. I have the Navy and the truth on my side.”

  “I was afraid. I didn’t want to leave our daughter without you.”

  He kissed her lips. “Mmm, I missed your lips.”

  “Only my lips?”

  “Baby, your eyes are swollen.” He caressed just under her lower lids.

  “Jeremy, if he finds out, he’ll send you to jail.”

  “Lanie, my DNA wasn’t a match. The military ran their own test to make sure it was done right.”

  “I never doubt you, but he threatened our family.”

  “Even if he tried it won’t work. Briana told the truth to the military police, telling them she lied.”

  “Really!”

  “Yes, baby, he doesn’t have anything over your head. He has nothing.”

  “Sorry….”

  “I was so angry and hurt when….” He couldn’t finish.

  “I didn’t mean any of the things I said at the station. I knew I had to push your buttons. I needed to hurt you.”

  “And the part that I raped you?”

  “Baby, I just said that because I needed you to be angry at me.”

  That’s when he noticed her chain and pendant. He touched it. “Where did you get this?”

  “From you. Alanie gave it to me on my birthday.”

  He chuckled. “Our daughter is something else. I bought it for your birthday, but…it doesn’t matter. Happy belated birthday.” He kissed her.

  “I’ve missed you.”

  “I’ve missed you, too.”

  He kissed her passionately, making her his again, possessing her. He stopped kissing her. “I lost you for ten years and then another two months. I can’t let you go again.” He got down on one knee and pulled a black velvet box from his pocket. “I was going to do this later, but no time like the present. Malanie Tia Johnson, will you marry me?”

  She stared at him in awe, covering her mouth, looking from the ring to his eyes.

  “I know it’s not much. I didn’t get it from any fancy jewelry store. You earn more income than me, but I want to take care of you and our daughter.”

  “Jeremy, you and that ring are more than enough. I’m not enough for you. I’m broken.”

  He cupped her chin and gazed at her. “You’re so much more than enough. I was the broken one until God gave you back to me. Malanie Tia Johnson, God created you for me. Stop stalling and answer my question.”

  “Ask me again. ”

  “Will you marry me?"

  “Yes…yes…I’ll marry you.”

  He placed the ring on her hand, kissing each finger in turn.

  “Make love to me,” she asked, lying back down.

  “With pleasure.” He stood, taking off his uniform and placing it on the chair near her window.

  She leaned up on her elbows to watch him, licking her lips. “I missed you,” she said, laughing and staring at his aroused cock, which peeked through his boxers.

  “He missed you too,” he said, taking them off. He climbed on top of her. He was about to take her T-shirt off, and then he noticed it was one of his. “My T-shirt,” he said before gently tearing it off her body, and to his surprise she was already ready for him. Her chocolate body was on display for him. He gave her a mischievous smile, and began giving her wet kisses from her belly button to her left nipple, while he rubbed her right one, making her moan.

  “Mmm, I like it when you…oh…yes…yes….”

  “When I do this?” He gently pinched her nipple, and sucked her other nipple, feeling her essence on his leg.

  “Oh God yes….”

  “Mmm.” He nibbled on her collarbone, making his way to her neck. He licked her full bottom lip. “Lanie…I love you,” he whispered against her mouth.

  Using his own, he pushed her legs wider and she grabbed his cock and began to stroke him, rubbing her pussy on him. He sucked on her lip. “Mmm, I love…you…too.”

  She moaned, lubricating his cock with her juices.

  In one swift move, he buried his cock deep into her core, and his head went back. “Damn, La-nie….” He gave her long, deep strokes with his engorged cock. “Don’t,” he gave her light kisses between his groans, “ever…Leave…me….”

  She murmured back. “I won’t….” Her hips moved in rhythm with his, making love to a silent song, one only they knew. “Oh God….Je-re-my….” She commenced to shake. Moving faster, she locked her legs behind his ass, pulling him in deeper. Her pussy began contracting around his cock, as though she were trying to take him over the edge with her, but he controlled it. Malanie crashed in ecstasy, still shaking.

  He leaned up, wiping away his sweat, gazing at her pleasure-filled face, kissing her lips. He pumped into her slowly, taking just enough out and plunging back in, holding his cries of pleasure between his teeth. “Baby…this is all…mine,” he said, looking at his cock going in and out of her pussy. “Perfect.”

  “Do that…again,” she said, eyes rolling back, as another cry left her body.

  This time he couldn’t control it. Her pussy took him to the edge and over. Spilling his seed deep into her canal, he fell weak on her body.

&nbs
p; “Amazing….”

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  Jeremy watched as Luis entered the restaurant. Malanie had mentioned she was supposed to meet him there. Following him, Jeremy stepped out of the car and headed inside.

  The hostess greeted Jeremy with a smile. “Hi, sir. How many in your party?” she asked.

  “He’s already inside.” He passed by her, searching for him. He spotted him in the rear, with his back turned. He took big steps and in no time he was right behind him, and tapped his shoulder.

  “Hi Ba—what the fuck!” Luis stood up. “What are you doing here?”

  “I’m here to warn you one more time. Keep away from Malanie,” Jeremy said, his nostrils flaring, as he tried to control his anger. This man had almost cost him the love of his life.

  “What’s it to you?”

  “She’s my fiancée.”

  “Fiancée?” He sounded surprised.

  “Yes, you heard me right. My fiancée.”

  “She has a restraining order on you.”

  Jeremy handed him a folder with files in it. Luis started reading it and his eyebrows met in anger.

  “That’s correct. If you come within hundred feet of Malanie, I will have you arrested.”

  “How did you get this, she has nothing on me.”

  Jeremy moved closer to him. “Every time you touched her, every time she called the cops and they did nothing but protect you, she has it all. Malanie has dates, pictures, and medical records, and now she has me. I witnessed you beating her. That’s how we got this. She’s no longer afraid of you.” He didn’t tell Luis that an investigation had been started on him.

  “You can’t touch me.” He gave him a grin. “I have the power to send you to jail.”

  “Do you?” Jeremy smiled. “I wasn’t a match to the DNA sample, but you already knew that. You might be able to forge a test, but you can’t forge the confession Briana gave. It was all a lie.” Luis’s smile disappeared. “So, you see you have nothing over Malanie. You had her and didn’t know how to treat her, but you see me I treat her as the queen that she is. You’ve hurt her long enough. She had no one to protect her until now.”

  “You can’t do shit. I’m untouchable.”

  “You got away with killing her baby, but you’re not going to get away with anything else,” he said, pointing in the other man’s face.

  “I loved my baby. The doctor said there was no way of knowing what caused it.”

  “Now I see. Is that what you told them? But we know it was you. Your baby died because of you!” He raised his voice.

  The patrons in the restaurant looked over at them.

  “Fuck you!” Luis swung at him.

  Jeremy stepped back. He’d promised Malanie he wouldn’t touch him if he ever saw him again, because it would only create more trouble. “Stay away from my family, or you’ll regret it.” He turned and left.

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  Jeremy hugged and kissed both Malanie and Alanie. “I love you guys.” He was about to depart on a two-month training. He’d asked Malanie to move in and she’d continued to say no. She would always say, “I have my own home.” But now that he had to leave, she was moving into their house for the time he was to be gone, in order to take care of Alanie.

  “I’m going miss you,” Malanie said, giving his lips another peck.

  He couldn’t stop thinking about what she’d done with her lips the night before.

  “Daddy, I love you too.” Alanie and Malanie waved as he walked through security at the airport.

  Later on that night Malanie got ready to go to bed. There was a gentle knock on the open door.

  “Mom, can I sleep with you tonight? I miss him, too.”

  Malanie tapped on the bed and she jumped up. They snuggled together and fell asleep.

  ***

  Weeks later

  Malanie was on her way to take Alanie to school. “Mom?” she asked, looking out the window.

  “Yes?”

  “The principal wants to see you this morning.”

  “Why are you telling me this now?” She glanced her way.

  “I forgot….”

  “What happened?”

  Alanie didn’t answer. She jumped out of the car as soon as Malanie arrived at the school and parked. “Bye, Mom. I love you,” she said, rushing off.

  Malanie took a deep breath and called her office. “Michelle, I’m going to be a little late.” She was the head of the accounting department, but that didn’t mean she took advantage of her position.

  She stepped out of the car and walked to the school’s office.

  “Good morning, how can I help you?” the bouncy, energetic secretary asked.

  “Mr. Moore is expecting me.”

  “And you are?”

  “Ms. Johnson, Alanie Wood’s mother.”

  “Oh yes….” She got up and strolled to the door. “Mr. Moore, Alanie Wood’s mother is here.”

  “Tell her to come in,” he said from behind closed doors.

  “Ma’am.” She guided her in. Mr. Moore was on his feet, waiting for her. He was a rough-looking man, with Coke-bottle glasses.

  “Good morning, Mrs. Wood.” He shook her hand. “Have a seat, please.”

  Malanie sat. “It’s Ms. Johnson.”

  “Oh, I’m sorry…” he said, fixing his glasses. “Ma’am, Alanie is one of our best students. She’s on the honor roll, but what she did yesterday can’t be tolerated. I have to suspend her.”

  “What did she do?” she asked, crossing her legs.

  “She punched a boy, and now he has a black eye. He’s parents are highly upset.”

  “What did he do? Because Alanie wouldn’t just hit someone for no reason,” she said, glaring at him.

  “It doesn’t matter, ma’am, she shouldn’t put her hands on anyone.”

  “It matters to me. Why did she do it?” she asked, getting angry.

  “Well, she claims the boy called her the n-word and pushed her.”

  Malanie started to rub her chin, trying to calm down. “So it’s okay for the boy to touch and disrespect her, but it’s not okay for her to defend herself.”

  “Ma’am, he didn’t hurt her.”

  “How do you know that? Words hurt more than you’ll know, but you’re right—she shouldn’t have touched that boy and I will talk to her about that.” She stood. “You’re not going suspend my daughter from this school unless you suspend the boy too.”

  “Ma’am?”

  “Don’t ma’am me. Did you suspend him?” He just stared at her. “I didn’t think so. Mr. Moore, it was my pleasure meeting you.” She leaned over and shook his hand. “I’ll make sure Alanie is at school bright and early tomorrow.” With that, she turned and left.

  ***

  Malanie didn’t know what to do. She sat in her car, waiting for Alanie to get out of school. It had been over a year since she’d been reunited with her daughter and in all that time, she’d never had to punish her. Jeremy had always handled the discipline and now she was going to have to be the bad guy. She understood why Alanie had touched the boy, but she also had to make her understand you couldn’t just go hitting people because they said something you didn’t like.

  Alanie ran to the car and climbed in. “Hi, Mom.”

  “Hi, Alanie. How was your day?” she asked, driving off.

  “It was all right. Yours?”

  “I had a very interesting talk with your principal this morning.” The little girl remained silent. “Alanie, you just can’t go around giving boys black eyes.”

  “But he called me that bad name and pushed me.” She crossed her hands over her chest.

  “That doesn’t give you the right to touch him.”

  “But you and dad always said not to let anyone disrespect me.”

  Oh God…. They had said that.

  “Alanie, we did, but you can’t just hurt people because you don’t like what they say.”

  “But he touched me.”

  “Yo
u could’ve gone to your teachers and if they didn’t do anything you could’ve come to me. You know I will always protect you, especially when you’re right.”

  “Okay…okay…I’m sorry.”

  “Sorry isn’t going to cut it, young lady. No TV and no iPad for a week.”

  “But….” Her face got red.

  “But nothing, Alanie. What you did was wrong.”

  They pulled into the driveway and got out. Alanie face was scrunched up. When Malanie opened the door, she ran in and slammed her bedroom door.

  “Great.”

  ***

  After dinner, Alanie cleaned up and washed the dishes, not once making conversation. The phone rang and Alanie left to her room.

  “Hello,” Malanie said a bit rattled.

  “I miss you.”

  She took a deep breath. “I miss you more, baby. It’s been such a crazy day.”

  “What’s wrong? I can hear it in your voice.”

  “First, I was summoned to the principal’s office.”

  “What happened?”

  “Your daughter gave a boy a black eye, for calling her the N-word and pushing her.”

  “He called her what? And he pushed her?” he asked, raising his voice.

  “Baby, she can’t just go and hit kids because she doesn’t like what comes out of their mouth.”

  “You’re right, but that’s a very degrading word. I already talked to her about it and explained what it meant.”

  “I understand.”

  “I’m overprotective of her.”

  “I know.”

  He started laughing. “If I was there I would’ve told her she should’ve have given him two black eyes. I guess the self-defense moves I taught you and Alanie worked.”

  She chuckled. “It’s not funny. She hates me right now. I took away TV and iPad.”

  “Was about time you became the bad guy.” He chuckled. “What else? You said first, so there’s more.”

  “I was late.”

  “So everyone late once in a while.”