Black Love Short Stories

Free Yourself

Hope y'all enjoy this one :)
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     Leilani closed her eyes as she felt Rashad's lips kiss her forehead. She put her hand to his chest and looked up at him with her hazel green eyes.
     "Ima be back." He spoke before pulling up his sagging pants, grabbing his keys and exiting the door.
     Biting her lip to fight back tears, Leilani wondered how she got into this predicament.
     Wiping her face, she sobbed. Rashad was supposed to be the one, she thought. Why is he doing this?
     Truth be told, Leilani knew where Rashad was going. He was going to see Rochelle- the other woman. She had known about her for several months now. Yet, she still stayed.
     Wiping her tears away Leilani got up and looked at herself in the mirror.
     Standing at 5'5, Leilani was beautiful. Her hazel green eyes, light skin, and her naturally curly hair always made people stop and stare. Her curves were out of this world- and all natural. She was a good person. But she just didn't have a good man.
     "Jesus, why me?" Leilani asked as she felt fresh tears run down her face. "Why me?"
     Not wanting Rashad to come back and see her cry, Leilani quickly wiped her tears and walked into the bathroom.
     She hoped that the steaming shower she was going to take would ease some of the pain she was feeling.
     As soon as the water hit her body, Leilani released all the hurt she'd felt for the past few months. All the late night entrances and leavings. All the times she'd cooked only to be stood up. And all the times she'd hear him call out her name during their love making.
     As she cried, Leilani suddenly felt the urge to pray- something she hadn't done in a long time.
     "Lord, it's me Leilani Preston." She began. "Now, I know you haven't heard from me in a minute. But I really need you. Of course you know about Rashad and I. And I'll admit- I ain't always right. But Lord, I don't wanna stay this way, or be made into this type of woman. So please...please...please God help
me. Please." Leilani cried.
      She didn't know if her prayer would be heard, but what she did know is that she was waiting for a change.

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     Several weeks had passed since Leilani poured her heart out in prayer- and nothing much had changed. But, she still was praying that something would.
     She walked into her grandmothers home, smiling once she smelled the infamous aroma of her apple pie.
     "Lani sit down, I'll get you a slice. And say hey to Taj." Her grandmother spoke without turning her body from the stove. Confused as to who this 'Taj' was, Leilani looked around and saw who her grandmother was talking about.
     Sitting down at her grandmother's kitchen table was a fine man. Leilani guessed he was tall compared to how his legs at awkwardly from the table. His brown skin was glowing and his face held a smile. His hair held waves, which made him look even more handsome than he was.
     Clearing her throat, Leilani removed her shades and stuck her hand out towards him. "Hi, I'm Leilani." She smiled.
     He smiled and shook her hand. "I'm Taj." He told her.
     Leilani smiled and sat down across from the stranger. She knew her grandmother would take the head of the table.
     Leilani wasn't scared to talk to anyone, so she struck up a conversation. And after a few minutes she was impressed with the man who sat before her. And unknown to her, he was very infatuated with her.
     Her phone rang, signaling a call from someone. She answered it without looking at the caller ID and her smile dropped from her face once she heard his voice.
     "Aye girl, where you at?" She heard Rashad say.
     Excusing herself from the table, Leilani got up and walked into her grandmothers bathroom.
     "Rashad- I'm at my grandma's."
     "And you wasn't gone tell me?"
     "Like you don't tell me where you be at half the night?"
     "Man, Lani don't start this mess. I told you that I have some things to take care of for work."
     Leilani sighed, no longer interested in the conversation. "Look, I gotta go."
     She hung up the phone and exhaled, her mood changing instantly from sweet to sour. She hated that Rashad seemed to have power over her emotions and she hated that he always seemed to ruin her day.
     Walking back into the kitchen, she watched as her grandmother eyed her.
     "Leilani- who was that on the phone?" She asked.
     Leilani shrugged before answering. "Grams, it was no one important."
     Her grandmother huffed. "Girl, try that with someone else. I know it was the good for nothing boy. And I been told you to leave him alone."
     "Grams-"
     "Don't Grams me, Lani. I won't say anything else- and that's only because company is here."
     Leilani looked from her grandmother to Taj , whose dark chocolate eyes seemed to stare right into her soul.
     Unable to hold her gaze Leilani looked down and played with her freshly made manicure nails.
     Taj and her grandmother talked and Leilani sat quietly, listening to their conversation.
     "How are things at the firm?" Her grandmother asked as she sipped her tea.
     "Things are well. I just the case I was talking about. The jury must've saw the truth- my client was not guilty."
     Leilani arched her eyebrow as she listened to him talk about his job. She could tell that he was passionate about it.
     Taj checked is watch. "Well Mrs. Minnie, l gotta go. I have a early shift tomorrow."
     Mrs. Minnie and Taj stood up, both embracing one another in a hug.
     "Alrighty, you be good now. And remember that Mrs. Minnie loves you."
     Taj smiled. "Yes ma'am."
     "Will I see you next week?"
     "Yes ma'am. Same time every week." Taj laughed. He looked over to Leilani with a certain gleam in his eyes.
     "And it was very nice to meet you." He smiled extending his hand.
     Standing up, Leilani shook his extended hand. "Likewise."
     Taj waves goodbye to the ladies and Mrs. Minnie stood on the porch waving as she watched him leave out from the yard.
     Coming back inside, Mrs. Minnie sat down next to her granddaughter and grabbed her hand. That action caused Leilani to look up at her.
     "Now baby I'm not gonna ask for all the details. But I know you're hurting. And I know you feel stuck." Her grandmother began. Leilani couldn't control her tears that fell from her eyes and even more came when she felt her grandmothers loving arms wrap around her.
     "Grams-I, I just don't know what to do." She cried.
     "Baby, you've got to free yourself." She spoke causing Leilani to look up at her. "You've got to free yourself."