All the King's Men ( An Urban Love Story )

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⚠️Trigger warning ⚠️ :

"Jaden, I need you to count backward from ten for me, okay." The nurse instructed as Jaden lay on the bed in the tiny room.

She tried to steady her breathing as she wore the oxygen mask on her face, "ten... nine... eight..." she paused as she felt her chest get very heavy.

"It's alright, keep counting sweetie," the nurse rubbed her hand in comfort.

"Seven... six," Jaden counted before losing consciousness.

What felt like a few minutes later, Jaden felt a tap on her leg and shook awake.

"Jaden, can you sit up for me." the nurse asked.

She tried to sit up and became dizzy.

"Slowly, sweetie." She warned.

Jaden tried again, slower this time. She sat up still feeling slight dizziness.

"We've put a pad on you. I need you to redress yourself then go out into that room there to the right." The woman pointed to the door, "We're gonna give you a snack with some medicine, and some follow-up paperwork to look over while you wait for your ride." The nurse helped Jaden stand from the bed and walked her out into a recovery room.

Jaden looked around at some of the other girls around her. One was crying, one was loudly arguing on the phone, another seemed to be texting as if everything was fine.

Jaden sat in shock thinking about what she'd just done. There was no taking it back now.

She'd just terminated her pregnancy.

•••

Jaden jerked out of her sleep. It was nearly noon. She had been voluntarily grounded to Desmond's penthouse for the last two weeks, barely speaking to anyone, getting very little sleep, barely eating, and losing weight.

Desmond knew she was struggling, but he didn't know how severe it was. She slowly started staying in the other room, falling asleep on the futon while studying, leaving him to come in and carry her to the bedroom to go to sleep with him.

She stood up from the futon and went into the kitchen to get some water.

Desmond entered the condo and didn't notice her in the kitchen as his mind was elsewhere as he walked inside his bedroom. 

Jaden wandered in moments later as he was undressing.

"Hey, how are..." he paused. He didn't want to ask her how she was feeling because he noticed when he asked her that, she shuts down. "How's the studying?" He asked instead.

"Good, I'm ready for finals to just be over with." She said with a tight-lipped smile.

"Good." He nodded.

His phone vibrated and he picked it up off the nightstand. He typed a text then put it back down.

He didn't notice, but Jaden cut her eyes at the gesture. She hadn't forgotten the woman who answered his phone during their break a few weeks back. Desmond being gone throughout the days mixed with her nightmares, and depression were putting a strain on their relationship and it was beginning to poison her reality of things between them.

"I'm gonna shower." He announced before walking into the bathroom.

She walked over to the window and looked outside at the gloomy day before taking a seat on the chair.

April showers, she thought to herself as she exhaled.

Desmond's phone vibrated on the nightstand and she eyed it from where she sat.

She sat conflicted, fighting with the Devil and Angel on her shoulders.

The phone vibrated again and she walked over and picked it up. She didn't know the password, but the notification displayed that there were three messages.

Jaden, you're overthinking things. It could be anybody, she tried to tell herself.

Another message came through and she instantly snapped, "Desmond!" She shouted as she walked into the bathroom.

"What's up, bae?" He replied from the shower, not sensing the hostility in her tone.

She walked closer and glared at him through the glass as he washed his body, "Who textin you back to back?" she demanded, trying to focus on the subject at hand, as he continued to wash the soap off his dark skin.

"Prolly one of the guys. Check it for me, my password is my birthday, 0-3-2-9." He told her.

Jaden stood frozen in place, shocked that he gave her his passcode so easily.

Desmond, finally noticed when she didn't say anything else, "What's wrong?"

"You want me to check your phone?" She asked confused.

"If you wanna see who's textin, yeah?" He told her, turning off the water. He stepped out of the shower and grabbed the towel that was hanging. "Talk to me baby, what's goin on?" Desmond asked as he approached her with open arms.

Once she felt his embrace, she broke down. "I don't know. I just hate the way I feel." She confessed.

He picked her up and carried her over to one of the chairs in his bedroom. "How do you feel?"

She tried to gather herself before speaking, "My emotions are all over the place. When I go to sleep, I..." her voice trailed off.

"The nightmares," Desmond said, already knowing.

She nodded her head at him as tears spilled down her face.

He hugged her and rubbed her back, "Jaden, my mother is a therapist, and I was thinking maybe —"

"I'm not crazy Desmond, we'll not like that." She cut him off. "I don't need another fuckin therapist tryna tell me I'm fucked up." She spat.

"Baby, it might help to talk to somebody. You barely sleep, you lost a close friend, and whatever your nightmares are about, you're suffering. I can protect you, but I can't save you from your own mind, Jae." Desmond said helplessly.

"I wanna go home." She told him coldly not even looking in his direction.

"Jaden, please—"

"I'll call a ride." She told him, standing up and wiping her face on the sleeves of her sweater.

Desmond stood and swiftly grabbed Jaden's arm, "So you just gon up and leave?" He asked her in a low tone.

"Let go of me." She snatched away.

He sighed, trying to collect his emotions, "Jaden, I'm just tryna get you to open up. You walk around this bitch all day not talkin to me. You're depressed, and I understand, and I just want to help." Desmond pleaded.

"You can help by leaving me the fuck alone, Desmond." Jaden walked away.

"That's what you want?"

Jaden turned around to face him, "Yes! I woulda been fine if I had ignored you at the club like any other nigga." Jaden shouted.

Hurt quickly flashed across Desmond's face, but then his expression went emotionless.

"Bet."

♟•••••♟