Just Love Me

Chapter 19: For Sale

Chapter 19

"Yesterday I was somebody's baby / Now today I'm a woman on my own" Phyllis Hyman - Living All Alone

I inserted my keys into the lock but the knob didn't turn. I tried my keys again with no success. The door opened just as I was about to pull out my phone. Instead of Joe I saw Maxine.

It didn't bother me that she was at Joe's apartment. What did bother me was that it looked like she had her big feet wedged into my birthday Louboutins.

"Come in," she greeted with false charm.

Walking into the apartment, I expected to see JJ somewhere crashing his toy trucks together. I didn't see him as I went to the bathroom to empty my bladder. Even though I peed before I left my parents house an hour and a half ago it felt like I hadn't gone in days.

After washing my hands, I exited the bathroom feeling more relieved. I checked the small dining room area first. Joe usually stayed in there doing paperwork.

"Where were you," Joe asked as soon as I crossed the threshold into the room. He was typing away on his laptop with a stack of papers piled near him.

"I went to my parents house for the day."

His intense onyx eyes glared at me from across the room. "You're parents house?" I nodded. "Why didn't you tell me? We could've visited together."

I was too confused to smile. This wouldn't be a good time to ask what Maxine was doing here. His tone was calm but the look on his face made me want to run.

"I needed some time alone," I explained.

"I called you, left voicemails and texts."

"My phone was dead. I charged it a little on my drive here." Joe held his hand out gesturing for my phone. I didn't have anything to hide- or I didn't think so. I rounded the small rectangular table to give Joe my phone. He pushed the home button then searched my call history and texts.

"The funniest thing happened at work today," he stated while still perusing my cell. "I was doing my rounds at the hospitals like I do every Thursday when a nurse stopped to congratulate me." I scratched my head. Maybe he got a promotion or something. "I was confused too. She told me my girlfriend was her patient." My heart dropped my stomach. "Asked me if I was excited to have another kid."

Joe caught my wrist when I turned to run away. He stood up fast, pinning me to the nearby wall. The cold look in his eyes had me shaking. I thought hospitals had confidentially laws to follow.

"I can expl-" I stopped talking when his fist crashed into the spot next to my head. I gulped in fear. It was time to go. "Joe...I'm sorry but-"

"Shut up!" He yelled in my face. I could smell the faint scent of booze on his breath. His hands moved to my shoulders, which he gripped tightly. "I checked your file, thinking the nurse made a mistake. But she was right and you're a fucking liar." He shook me with each sentence, banging my body against the wall behind me. "After everything I did, this is how you thank me?"

I tried to raise my hands to his arms. All the shaking was making me dizzy; I knew it was a matter of time before I threw up.

"J-joe s-stop," I stuttered. "I-I'm sorry."

He stopped shaking me but still squeezed my shoulders. "Sorry?" he mocked. My whole body froze when his hands moved to my throat. "Living in my house fucking that white boy and you're sorry?" His grip tighten. My tears dripped on his wrist but he was unaffected. "Where was he when you were crying in your office? Where was your bitch ass husband when your friends left you?"