NELLY

Apple Don't Fall Far: Chapter 12

I woke up the next morning still in Corey's bed. My eyes hurt from so much crying. My face felt as if a midget was closed inside, playing drums on my forehead. I could smell the aroma of pancakes or waffles and bacon frying.  I made my way to the bathroom, turning on the shower. I started thinking about the night before. I wondered if Porsha would've told me about that deal if she wasn't intoxicated. That's the part that hurt the most. She would've kept silent and allowed me, the woman who was suppose to be her friend, to get seriously injured or even killed. The steaming hot water ran down my body, massaging my outside, but rolling pass the hurt on the inside, without even an attempt to wash the pain away. Betrayal was a bitch.

I walked down the stairway, heading for the kitchen and realizing that Corey was not the only person downstairs. I heard two voices, both of men. Wearing only a muscle shirt and a pair of gym shorts that I found in Corey's dresser, I ran back upstairs to put on my bra from the night before and pair of Corey sweat pants. I walked back down and into the kitchen. Corey was mixing eggs, while Chris placed pancakes on 4 plates, along with bacon, eggs, and sliced strawberries.

"Hey! Natalie isn't it?" asked Chris's girlfriend, as she walked towards me giving me a hug. "I'm Lana girl. Nice to meet you."

" Nice to meet you too. Hey Chris." I said, sitting down in a chair at the kitchen island.

" Goodmorning my girl. Happy to see you here."

" So we must be some keepers if y'all two are in here fixing breakfast. I teased as I winked Lana, who was sitting beside me."

" Yeh it ain't like we cook for everybody. He just trying to getcha Natalie, then he gone leave you to do all the cooking and housework." laughed Chris, as Corey jumped at him as if he thought Chris was being a little too friendly.

" Girl you know we good. I wouldn't play you like that " Corey laughed as he sat my plate in front of me. Everything looked so damn good. The pancakes were browned to perfection, the eggs glowed of butter and cheese, the bacon cooked with a perfect crisp, and strawberries market fresh. Damn Corey was doing something to me. What man cooks like this for a girl he's only known not even a month?

We all sat around the table island, eating our breakfast over great conversations and laughter. When we all finished, Lana and I did the dishes as the men stepped outside to smoke cigars. They soon returned and Lana and Chris went into the living room to prepare the area for drinks and massages for my birthday.

" Happy early Birthday Natalie!" yelled Lana as I walked into the living room, patting the recliner bed, signaling that she was ready to work on my tense body. Corey grabbed the roller chair from the computer desk and sat beside me, looking better than that breakfast he'd just prepared.

" So is it safe for me to ask what happen last night?" he asked, leaning across the massage bed.

" Porsha was in on the drama with your sister. She got too drunk last night and spilled everything. She say Shawna wants to hurt me and somehow get me back into prison with her for good. Shawna hates me over Jake. She wants me dead. I hurt Porsha Corey. She's hurt bad."

"You killed her?" he said quickly sitting up straight.

" No, no, but I beat her ass."

" Ima pay her a visit Monday. This shit is senseless. Shawna needs to chill out."

" Corey you said you would talk to her the other day." I said smacking my lips.

" And I will. She didn't call so I couldn't talk to her." I stared at him. He looked so damn genuine, but it was hard for me to believe that he meant me any good.

" So you're gonna call me tonight?"

" Yeh I guess I will" I answered walking down the steps from Corey's front door.

"Girl you better call me. I let you cry and snot all over my pajamas." he teased as I laughed, kind of embarrassed. As I drove off from Corey's house, I thought about just how fast we were moving. I didn't mind tho. Corey was good company.

Only about 2 minutes away from Corey's house, I spotted a familiar red Dodge Charger in my rearview mirror. My heart sunk to my ass. That burning feeling raced through my chest. How did Jake know where I was? He was racing up behind me like a bat out of hell. I sped up jumping off on the first exit I came to. I had lost him. I drove home quickly, looking down at my phone and noticing 43 missed calls. All from Jake. As I walked into the house, grandma and grandpa greeted me with a look of shame and rage. Grandpa, who was stretched across the sofa, sat up and took of sip of water from his Atlanta Memorial Hospital cup. Grandma stood up and walked to the kitchen, shaking her head at me in disappointment. But I had no clue what gave them a reason to greet me in such a manner.

"Nelly. . . .sit down." said grandpa in a deep quiet voice he caught his breath through sips of water.

"Hey grandpa, I'm kinda tired. Im finna. . ."

" You finna sit your ass down!" he said, voice rising. Grandma ran back into the living room.

" Don't get too upset now. You need to calm down." said grandma.

" No she needs to hear this. Those few years in prison ain't teach her nothing. You back running wild and loose. Was prison just a game to you? You got Jake sitting outside and riding pass here all day. And what's going on with you and that Porsha girl. You better get yourself together Nelly. Or you gone find yourself by yourself."

I walked slowly to my room as grandpa continued to fuss and curse. He was right though. I wasn't fooling anybody. I had more drama in my life than anyone else I knew. . . . and grandma and grandpa were starting to get fed up with me. I know what grandpa really wanted to say. . . .  " You gone end up just like your mama". She passed when I was 8. Her boyfriend through her from a moving vehicle. Some boyfriend huh. She had always been weak for men. Especially the ones she liked. Then there's the men she screwed over like my dad. Broke his heart so bad he stopped coming around and now lives in Pennsylvania. I haven't talked to him since my 11th birthday. I don't think he can look at me because I look so much like my mom. So I guess you can say I am my mother's child. . . .and the apple don't fall too far from the tree.