Second House from the Corner by Sadeqa Johnson

Author:Sadeqa Johnson
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
ISBN: 9781466885813
Publisher: St. Martin's Press

TWENTY-ONE

The Head-on Collision

“Where did you park?” he says with a growl. I point in the general direction, and he takes off, pulling me along with him.

“Will you let me go? I can walk just fine.”

But my plea falls to the asphalt like a heavy raindrop and then evaporates into the concrete. Preston ices me on the walk, and I can barely keep up in those damn shoes. He thrusts open my door and then barks his command.

“Drive straight home. I’ll follow you.”

Once my key turns in the ignition I realize my mistake. In my nervousness for the event, I forgot to take the damn phone off the hook. But what could Martin have said to Preston to make him this angry? I feel a pang in my stomach. Oh, God, no.

* * *

My husband pulls behind me in the driveway, and as I get out of the car he walks up on me, pins me between the side of the house and my open car door. He’s unrecognizable. I’ve never seen him this upset.

“What, Preston? What?”

“You fucked him, Felicia.”

“What are you talking about?” Fear singes me.

“You told me I was your first.”

“I never said that.” My eyes are big.

“What?” He stares at me like he could chew my face off.

“Preston.”

He moves away from me. “I can’t believe you.” His eyes mimic disbelief, then he walks away.

I take off the damn heels. I follow him, feeling as if I have stumbled into a honeybee hive and the stings greet me from all directions.

Sam gets a tight smile as we pass each other on the steps and I hurry inside. Preston has already made it to the basement. I tug off my pantyhose and make it down the steps, clutching the banister to keep me steady.

“Preston, let me explain.”

He doesn’t stop making a bed on the sofa.

I rush toward him, my hands go for his chest, but he grabs my fingers in midair.

“Felicia, right now I feel capable of knocking you the fuck out. So for your own safety, I advise you to go upstairs and leave me the hell alone.” The chill in his voice is palpable, the pressure from his hand rough. I know that betrayal can unravel a man. I learned early on from watching my parents that men are capable of doing terrible things to women when they feel deceived. When the bubble of trust and honesty bursts, nothing is off-limits. And even though Preston has never hinted at putting a hand on me before, I turn and go.

In our bedroom I crumble like flaked-off pieces of a stale cookie. My face is wet and I hug my knees to my chest. This can’t be happening. Not after all the hard work I’ve put into our lives. A small sound escapes from the girls’ room, and I’m up. Liv hasn’t awakened in the middle of the night for a feeding in months, but I’m relieved to go to her. In the glider, I give her my breast and I beg her to grant me some peace.

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