Where I Wanna Be

Freed

Bloody wrists from pulling at the chains, a busted lip from punches thrown by Trish, no telling what else was wrong with me. I've been down here forever. I don't eat what they give me and haven't had water in days. Marquan comes down every now and then to taunt me, touch me, and kiss me. It's disgusted and I can't fight back because I don't have the energy and if I did, I would only be beating my own ass. I don't know where August is. Now is the time where having an FBI agent as a cousin is worth it, but  no one's come. 

  "You pitiful, you know that? Not one person came looking for you in three weeks, and we been putting August through it," Trish laughs at that last part as I zone in an out.

  "Trish, go on," I hear Marquan say behind me.

  "Why? You never let me have fun," she pouts.

Is this bitch for real? Sick.

He ignored her and talked into his phone. "I got something you want. I want ten million dollars or you ain't getting her; that ain't even enough but Ant would've wanted his son to be secure. Like a real father, a real man." Then he looked at me and put the phone to my ear. "Talk."

  "August?" I ask hoarsely.

  "Aaliyah? Baby, where you at? You okay?" August asks worriedly.

  "I don't know, help please!" I shout as Marquan pulls the phone away from my ear.

  "Have the money tonight at ten o' clock and come alone or she dies," and hung up.

I slouch back. He'll get me out of this. My baby will.. and black.

 Boom! I hear opening my eyes. I guess I passed out. I look up and see the SWAT team and guns. I try to scream but only air comes out. Then I see August in the doorway. My heart dropped and fled to him. He's here. He came for me. 

  "Baby, you okay? Can you hear me? Bae," August says, cupping my cheek.

I lean into him with my eyes closed because the light hurt my eyes. He's here.

  "We need a medic now," I hear a feminine voice call as my hands fall limply to my sides.

~ Three days later~

I wake up with IVs in me and that hospital smell. I open my eyes and look around to find August sitting in the chair next to my bed. I start to speak but my voice is dry.

  "Here, drink some water," August says, helping me drinking a cup.

It felt so good. I drank two more cups before speaking. 

  "How long have I been here?" I ask.

  "Three days, hold on, baby. Let me tell them you woke," August saying, pressing the button on my bed. "How you feel?"

  "I feel okay. Hungry and tired though," I say as a nurse comes in.

  "Hi Miss Berry, I'm glad to see you're awake. I'm Dr. Sanchez. How are you feeling?" she asks.

  "Okay," I say.

  "Well, from the look of things, you can go home today. Make sure you stay hydrated and take your medications every three hours. That should be it," she says turning to leave but turns back around. "Miss Berry, it says here you're pregnant. I'll have to check your meds-"

  "Wait, what?" I ask, rising up.

August places a hand on my shoulder so that I won't hurt myself. Then what the doctor said kicked in and he turned to her. "What?"

  "It says here you're two months. It's a miracle you didn't lose the baby under your circumstances. Congratulations," she says with a smile and leaves the room and closes the door.

August and I look at each other in shock. What are we going to do? It's enough going on in our lives right now. I can't have a baby with all of that. 

  "So I guess we gone be a family," August said, trying to hide the smile on his face.

  "August.. not now. I don't even want to think about it," I say, getting out of bed.

But I didn't miss how his smile dropped. I didn't want to see him sad but I have too much to think about and now is not the time.

He helped me out of bed and into some clothes. Those hospital gowns don't look good, got people's asses hanging out.

We pull up to my apartment. I never would've thought I'd miss seeing it and hate seeing it at the same time. This place holds all types of bad memories but it's mine. August helps me walk inside even though I don't need him to.

  "Aaliyah, I know you don't want to talk about it but we need to. In the hospital you acted like you don't want the baby or something," he said, sitting beside me on the couch.

I sigh. He really want to talk about this now. "Aug, I don't know what to think. I was tortured there and I just got out the hospital and find out I'm pregnant. Can you be understanding for once?"

He looks hurt at my words.

  "You know I care. I'm sorry that happened to you. I tried to find you every day so don't think I went a day without caring. Now that you here I'm not letting nobody hurt you," August says and then adds," or our baby," placing his hand on my stomach.

I yawn and August walks me to my room. He helps me into my pajamas. He starts to walk to the corner of my room where my chair is but I grab his arm.

  "Where you going?" I ask.

  "To sit in the chair," he said.

  "Cuddle with me," I say.

Normally, I'm not so forward, but I need him now. I need to forget those cold, lonely nights in that basement where I wondered would I die there. It was torture. I was tortured. Before I could get lost in those thoughts, I feel the bed dip under August's weight and his arms wrap around me. I turn to face him and inhale deeply. He smells like Irish Spring. All I remember before going to sleep is his warmth and smell and feeling safe.