Getting It Right (BOOK THREE)

Chapter 9

By the time Jeremiah has finished talking, Aubrey's mouth is hanging open and tears prick the back of her eyes. "You can't do this to me." She says with a crackly voice.

"I can and I will, unless you want me to tell Keenan the truth." He shrugs his shoulders casually.

"No!" Aubrey gets to her feet and blinks back the tears.

"Good," He takes a glance at Neveah. "I'm giving you two days to do it before I intervene." Reaching into his pocket he pulls out a small slip of paper. "Here's my number, give me a call."

Aubrey takes the paper and clenches it in her hand, staring at the floor to avoid eye contact. The floor boards creak and she peeks up to see Jeremiah heading for the door. Aubrey follows behind him, ready to slam it shut and lock it as soon as he steps through it. He turns to face her with an icy smile and gleaming eyes. "See you soon Aubrey."

She only stares at him, refusing to give him the satisfaction of a response. With a wink, he walks out the door and down the steps. Aubrey slams the door shut and locks it, then peeks through the curtains to watch him leave. He walks through the neighborhood like he owns the place before disappearing around the corner.

The phone rings in her hand and she jumps and drops it on the floor, completely forgetting she was even holding it. The back pops off and the battery slides across the floor. The sudden noise startles Nevy and she starts to cry. Aubrey sighs and puts the phone back together before taking Nevy out her seat and walking into the kitchen to make her a bottle. Her nerves are on end and she wants to cry but she fights the tears welling up in her eyes. Just when things were going good, they take a turn for the worst.

A lump forms in her throat knowing that she's going to have to face Keenan soon. She doesn't know what she's going to say to him but she knows he's not going to like it regardless. Someone's going to get hurt, Jeremiah will make sure of it.

"All of us? In a beach house? In Santa Monica? For four weeks?" Shaun breaks up the sentence piece by piece once Ty has informed him on their summer plans. "I'm down for it. It's not like I have any other plans. And our tickets will be paid for? No way I'm turning this opportunity down."

"That's what we said." Ty replies, glancing in a store window at a shirt. They're strolling through the mall just window shopping for now. "Uncle Renny really came through."

"Man I want an uncle Renny." Shaun comments.

"Me too," Corey adds in. "Remember when he brought y'all those court side seats to watch the Bulls basketball game for your twelfth birthday? I was so salty that day."

"Me too, even though the Bulls are booty." Shaun replies. "Court side seats mean you got money." He rubs his thumb and fingers together. "So we staying in the house with your uncle's fine wife?"

Malcolm scrunches up his face, "Yo she's 44."

"44 never looked so good." Shaun replies. "Gabriel Union is 42 and I'd still---"

"What the hell is wrong with you?"

The boys stop in their tracks when Carson appears in front of them. Her sharp blue eyes shoot daggers into Shaun and he looks at her confused. "What are you talking about?"

Carson huffs and crosses her arms with a jutted hip. "Could y'all give us some privacy for a minute?" She asks looking between the twins and Corey.

"Yeah, sure." Corey gives Shaun's shoulder a squeeze before walking a few feet away from them with the twins by his side. Shaun looks back at Carson who's glaring at him. "What's going on?"

"Oh I don't know, you tell me." Carson snaps. "Why did Khalil show up at my house with a bloody nose talking about I'm pressing charges against him?"

"But I thought you were planning to."

"No Shaun! I went to the hospital to make sure I didn't catch any std or...any of his DNA." She hisses. "I was crying and jumpy because I was scared. That's it."

"So you're not pressing charges?"

"No."

"But he---"

"No he didnt." Her teeth are clenched tightly as she speaks. "I just lead him on, it was my fault. Alright?"

Shaun shakes his head, "Carson I don't think--"

"It doesn't matter what you think. It's my decision." She tells him. Shaun stares at her in disbelief and she continues. "Thanks to you, people have been asking me how I'm coping with the rape. Janine is looking for Khalil to basically kill him and I look like a rape case in everyone's eyes."

"Why do I feel like you're blaming me?"

"Because I am!" She exclaims.

"I'm not the one who raped you." Shaun says softly.

"Stop saying that." Carson grumbles.

"Why because you don't want to admit the truth?"

"No because it didnt happen." She responds.

Shaun scrunches up his face. "I help you out and this is how you repay me, Carson? Really?"

"I didnt ask for your help."

"Well excuse the hell out of me for doing something nice."

"When are you ever nice?" Carson asks flipping her hair over her shoulder. "You probably only helped me because you expected something from me. Well what do you want? Sex? Head? What!?"

"I don't want anything from you. I saw someone in need and I stepped in." Shaun retorts, offended that she thinks so lowly of him.

"I didnt ask for or need your help."

"Then why did you take it? You're usually so stubborn."

"I did it to get you to leave me the hell alone!" She shouts, causing people to look at them curiously. Her face is flushed a soft pink as she stares at him with frustration in her eyes.

Shaun wants to yell back but he bites his tongue, knowing this isn't the place to cause such a big scene. Instead, he chuckles dryly and looks her up and down. "Wow, my boys were right. There's no use trying to help a bitch."

Carson flinches from the word and her eyes crinkle around the edges. "Do me a favor and don't help me next time."

"There won't be a next time. There's no way in hell I'm helping your selfish ass again." Shaun gives her a dirty look then walks past her, knocking into her shoulder as he goes to stand with his friends. Carson huffs and stalks away with her arms folded tightly over her chest and her hair flying out behind her. People move out her way as she storms straight ahead with a pissed off expression on her face. Shaun glances at her over his shoulder wondering how his good intentions could take such a bad turn. He thought he was doing a good thing by helping, but instead it all blew up in his face.

"What just happened?" Malcolm asks.

Shaun stares at Carson's retreating back with a scowl on his face. "Next time I try to be Captain Save A Hoe, please stop me." He says rubbing his head. "You were right Ty, there's no helping thots."

"We really need this beach house vacation." Ty comments as they continue through the mall.

Shaun shoves his hands in his pockets and looks at the ground. "Tell me about it."

**Short chappie updating later. I appreciate comments and votes 😌