Hoodwinked Read online

  “Have you seen a little girl?!” I called out, facing the lights and cameras as little to no one looked up from their screen. Just continued to record, almost like in a daze.

  “Ma’am, you need to come with us,” an officer out of nowhere said, trying to grab my arm but I snatched it back. My brothers were being hauled off into the back of a car, Homer was getting talked down like he was the fucking victim. His girlfriend sat heaving to herself like a lunatic. Traumatized at the fact that her man had an outside child.

  “VIOLET?!” I screamed again. Climbing on top of a bench as the phones began to follow my every move. “VIOOOLET?! WHERE IS MY CHILD?!”

  “Ma’am, get down. We need you to come with us----!”

  “MY CHILD IS MISSING!”

  “I never saw a kid,” someone could be heard saying from the crowd. Like everything was happening at once, my surroundings began to spin as I screamed for my daughter. Looking at every passing child, person, woman, girl, pet. Every inch of this ground before getting down. Panic level through the roof.

  “If you come with us, we can file a report and----.”

  I ignored anything and everything that had nothing to do with Violet, and took off. Screaming her name.

  “She was wearing a black jacket,” I could hear Homer describe her. My brothers were dragged away in a cop car as I pushed past the crowd. Shifting through the bodies of nosey teens, and adults.

  “World staaaaar! Baby Mama on the run!” Someone yelled.

  “That’s not funny Jay! She lost her damn baby, and you sitting here making jokes!”

  “VIOLET!?” I hollered, going down the first row of stores and restaurants as the crowd slowly walked through. Taking their time. I was bumping shoulder to shoulder with everyone trying to move them out the way. Eyeing feet, and listening for her voice. Looking back any time I heard a baby’s laughter, only to cause more distress.

  “VIOLET!?”

  “VIOOOOLET?!” I heard Homer shout as I looked back in blinding tears.

  “She’s going to fucking run from you!” I yelled. “All you’re gonna do is scare her off!”

  Even I, knew my words stung, and hit home but he masked it with his own attitude.

  “Wouldn’t happen had I known about her or had you not lost a whole damn child!”

  “VIOLET!?” I screamed, moving forward. Checking cuts, and corners of Atlantic Station until I reached the same Publix I came out of.

  Nothing.

  “Someone grabbed her,” I gasped, kneeling over in tears. “Somebody grabbed my child----.”

  “VIOLET!?” Homer shouted.

  “We got a possible missing child. African American female, age two wearing a black jacket,” a nearby security cop said into his walkie talkie.

  “VIOOOOLET?!” I hollered, voice cracking before turning back around to search again. She couldn’t have gone far.

  It was too crowded on this side. My daughter liked space. She liked quiet spaces, especially when she was upset about something. All I could think in my head was how I failed her as a mother. If somebody grabbed her, would she know what to do? Does she know not to run up to strangers? Course she does! I’ve taught her as much as her mind could handle. My mother and father taught her everything. Her uncles, we all made sure she had basic common sense but she was too young. Too young.

  The looming buildings ahead showed the darker side of Atlantic Station. The sides hardly anyone ever went in to shop. High rise buildings, and apartments with the interstate and bridge just on the other side. Showing the nightlife of Atlanta. I kept moving, calling out her name until I spotted a shadow-like figure hunched over. Thick elderly curved back walking in the middle of the street holding a child. A baby girl on her hip with a small bounce. Like she was trying to calm her down.

  Never been more ready to attack, and kill someone in my life. My hands were trembling, mouth drying up by the second as the woman walked into the light of a lamp post and sat down on the bench. It was hardly anyone left in the walkway of the two buildings, but I could hear her faintly.

  “We’ll just wait for your mommy here------.”

  “VIOOOLET?!” I screamed, running. Didn’t bother waiting for the woman to turn around, I snatched my daughter from her arms. Only to glare at the older black woman, the same woman from the bathroom! Glossy eyes wide, brown wrinkled skin stretched as she attempted to explain herself.

  “I just found her out here by herself. We were going to sit right here, and wait on you----.”

  “Who are you? Are you following me?! Huh? Who are you?!” I demanded.

  “PIA?!” Homer screamed. Just the sound of his voice caused me to grip my daughter tight against my chest, holding the back of her head down to my shoulders and make a run for it.

  I had a million and one reasons why I shouldn’t be running from this man who wanted to see his daughter, but this wasn’t the way. My brothers were arrested, and nobody here had my back the way I needed.

  “SO YOU WON’T LET ME SEE MY CHILD?!” He cried as I rushed down the first flight of stairs that led to the parking garage. Trying to shush a crying, and terrified Violet. “YOU WON’T LET ME SEE HER?! STUPID BITCH! I’M GONNA SEE HER ONE WAY OR ANOTHER! I’M THAT TYPE OF CRAZY PIA! WATCH!”

  “It’s okay, it's okay Violet,” I hushed, rubbing her back as I ran straight for my car. My poor child was crying so bad, she was heaving hard against my shoulder. Tiny brown hands gripping my hair, clinging not to let go as I tried to put her in the back seat. Trembling hands struggling to strap her down in the car seat before closing the door shut. I looked back, seeing Homer was coming down the steps, two at a time to the parking garage when I nearly flung my body inside my car and locked it.

  I couldn’t hear myself think with Violet’s loud cries as he came up on the window, fist pounding on the windshield. Dark looming body darkening the car like a shadow as he stared at me with wet red eyes.

  “TELL HER WHO THE FUCK I AM!” He screamed, banging on the window. “TELL HER!”

  I grabbed my phone, hands shaking bad, I had to pick the phone up from my lap after dropping it one too many times trying to call his cousin Delilah.

  “Hello?” She answered dryly.

  “TELL HER WHO I AM!” Homer screamed, hand pounding on my window.

  “Pia, what’s going on?” She asked quickly. “I can hardly hear with Violet crying, and----.”

  “I’M YOUR DADDY!” Homer could be heard saying as I looked back, seeing he was on Violet’s back window trying to get her attention. I grabbed the nearest thing to me, and flung it at her back window.

  “Get away from her! Get away from my car you psycho!” I screamed. “You’re making it worse for yourself!”

  “Pia?! Tell me what’s going on?!” Delilah yelled.

  “He won’t leave!” I cried. “He won’t-----AHHHH!” I shrieked, watching him punch at my back window. Violet was screaming so bad, her breathing was starting to become labored. “Please go away! Just leaaaave!”

  Homer gripped his head with both hands, tears streaming down his face as he stared through my window before running up on mine with a solid punch as I cried out.

  “Pia, listen to me. Start the car----!”

  “I can’t breathe!” I wheeze. “I can’t----!”

  “Start the car, and drive home!”

  “I can’t go home! I can’t face Dre right now! I don’t know what to tell him tomorrow! What am I suppose----!”

  “Pia just drive! You need to get out of there! Don’t expose Violet to that!”

  Homer started to back away when people started to make their way down towards their car. He kept his eyes solely on me as I grabbed the keys with jerky fingers, and started the car.

  “We not done Pia!” He yelled, voice carrying in the garage. “We’re far from done! Just getting started! You stuck with me for the rest of yo life bitch! Let her know who I am or I will!”

  “Just keep driving Pia. Ignore whatever he’s saying, and keep driving!” />
  “I’m bringing Violet over. You’re the one that got me in this mess!”

  “If you come this way, I can’t----.”

  “You can’t what Delilah?! Ever since I met you, this has been a lie I had to carry because of you! You are just as responsible as I am! If I’m going to take the blame, so will you!”

  She was silent for a second before sucking her teeth.

  “FUCK!” She abruptly spat. Not wanting me to stay at her house, but she was as responsible as I when it came to this. “Hurry up and get over here. We’re already two years deep in this bullshit. What’s another night of drama gonna do?” She flipped sarcastically. “Just hurry up and get here. It’s time everyone finds out anyway. FUCK!”

  Hours before… Make it make sense...

  Nasia Stewart

  “Life is different Jasmine,” I spoke in mid chew of my pasta salad. My best friend since... since forever it feels like. “Life is different when you grow up with money versus being around people that have money. I always tell you this.”

  “And I always tell you, everything isn’t always about money,” she spoke softly, sipping through her straw as I stared. Slight envy coming across my face before masking it. We were in the middle of a crowded food court in a Midtown shared work space building. Late lunch was the mood of the early afternoon as I watched writers, techies, businessmen and women rush about trying to get in line for their meal while others scrambled to find a place to sit with their laptop.

  “Only you would say that since you grew up privileged. Big house, car of your dreams at 16, travel...I don’t even have my passport yet,” I laughed.

  “But you have a good man who loves you,” she noted as I glanced at the engagement ring on her finger. “And if he’s been acting weird for a few days like you said he has, that usually means he’s about to propose. You’re going to become Mrs. Skye,” she said as I ducked my head with a wide grin. “Homer is going to propose, I can feel it. It’s been what? Two years? Almost three years? You said you were ready for it.”

  “I am,” nodding my head as poked at my pasta. “It’s about time too, despite his family.”

  “I wouldn’t worry about the family. My mother doesn’t like Percy,” she said before snorting. “My dad loves him of course. Always tells me, Jasmine? I don’t want you ending up with no street...n-word like me,” she mocked as I laughed out loud. Watching her blow her face up with her cheeks. “Those men only have love for the streets, and themselves unless they meet a woman who can change their outlook. Till this day, ya mama’s family still gives her a hard time for being with someone like me. I don’t want that for you. Don’t be that woman to think they can change them Jasmine. Course, I wouldn’t be put in a position to change a man, but he loves what Percy, and I could be together. This black power couple from powerful families. My mother? She fakes it around Percy because she’s best friends with his mother. My feelings don’t matter either way.”

  “And your brother?”

  “Doesn’t care one way or another. He’s off being some wanna-be big time rap superstar while I’m still stuck until it's time to say my vows.”

  “Doesn’t Percy have a brother who’s married? Have you spoken to---.”

  “I’m not familiar with his siblings. I might have seen his older sister once, but Percy rarely speaks about them. She’s just as weird as the rest of the family. Their mother only speaks about Percy, never her other children.”

  “Because he’s the baby, probably her favorite,” nodding as she rolled her eyes.

  “It shows how spoiled he is. Listen to how he talks to people. He’s used to getting his way all the time.”

  I studied Jasmine carefully, knowing she wasn’t happy in her relationship, and hasn’t been for some time. Gorgeous as she is, taking her mother’s dark island complexion. Forever looking sunkissed. Her hair was slicked down in a bun she always kept at the back of her neck with simple gold earrings. If anybody didn’t know any better, people would assume she was Indian the way her jet black hair shined in the light. Thick brows that shaped her face, and round innocent eyes giving her that baby girl look. Jasmine was quiet, and shy. Keeps to herself, and raised to speak when spoken to. Most kids that grew up with money like her in Atlanta had a certain class about themselves. While I was the complete opposite. Short petite light skin girl with a curvy frame, and a firecracker for a mouth. I said what I want, and meant what I say. Didn’t come from a wealthy family, but being around them my whole life changed my view on things I wanted for myself.

  “At least we’ll be married around the same time. Sure your wedding will be beyond a dream,” I stated, with my eyes moving past her, past the tables and directly at her fiancé. Percy Hugo Milton. Stepping off the elevator coolly. You knew when he walked in, he was going to command attention in the room.

  “Speaking of relationships, there goes your man,” I noted towards Jasmine as she looked back. Watching her fiancé stand in line in his long sleeve black sweater hanging perfectly on his chest. Gold rimmed glasses framing his face, giving him that nerdy look until he looked around. Brown eyes scowling like he knew he was better than every peasant in the room. Thin beard that grazed his jawline, and chin with the dark brown hair showing just enough length to see a curl pattern. He grabbed his lunch, and walked directly over to our table with a polite kiss on the cheek to his soon to be wife.

  “I didn’t know you would be here Jasmine, I would have made arrangements,” he stated, refusing to acknowledge me.

  “I came here to have lunch with Nasia. Getting her ready for her proposal.”

  “Oh?” Percy let out, looking at me for the first time as I smiled.

  “We don’t know if Homer is going to propose or not. Stop trying to gas me up,” I said as she laughed. Percy just stared before pushing his glasses up.

  “Well then, I’ll leave you to it, ladies,” he nodded. Leaning in for one last cheek kiss to Jasmine before he walked off to sit at a table by himself like the fine antisocial nerd that he is.

  “Go sit with your man,” I nudged as Jasmine rolled her eyes.

  “I would rather go home, and watch paint dry. Either he’s going to talk about computers, and gaming...Get on his phone and talk to whatever online friends he has, or we’ll sit in silence. It’s the same thing over, and over Nasia. I’m just,” she sighed. “I’m just ready for the wedding to be over with. Soon as I get pregnant, have a kid, that will be my focus.”

  “Remind me why y'all don’t just break up or call it off?”

  “My dad will be devastated. I don’t want to disappoint him, and I’m told it gets better with marriage,” she shrugged nonchalantly. “It’s what I’ve always grew up hearing about. Marry to keep money within the family. Never step outside of your class or you will be looked down on. Percy has always been the one I was expected to marry.”

  “Do y'all even have sex?” I whispered as she looked dully at me.

  “Twice, when we first met. Possibly once if you don’t count a random finger job,” rolling her eyes as she gathered her things. I started to laugh, imagining a serious Percy attempting to finger someone.

  “He looks like a freak though. Like he’d been into all types of nasty things.”

  “I doubt it,” she gagged.

  “Then, how do you expect to have kids then Jas?”

  “Lay on my back, close my eyes and wait for it to be over. Mental rape. Body accepting the physical act, but mentally you don’t want it. How else does one do it when she’s not happy with her chosen mate? That’s why I always tell you, it's more to life than money. Money is the only reason Percy, and I are together, and it definitely doesn’t make you happy. At least you have a man like Homer who can be your best friend, your lover. Only managed to meet him a few times, but I have a great feeling about him.”

  “Yeah,” I laughed with a shrug. “He’s my everything, and more.”

  “Exactly. If only I could have a hint of that,” she laughed while getting up. “I have my appoi
ntment to make anyway.” Not a single hair was out of place, outfit was easily dripped in Chanel like it was as casual as Forever 21. She leaned in for a air kiss on the cheek as she always did with the promise of calling me later on tonight before walking off. I glanced at Percy from across the food court, seeing his jaw was full of food, watching his fiancé walk out the building before his eyes darted towards me through his glasses. Face strict with that determined stare.

  I smiled.

  ...

  “Wait, wait,” I whispered quickly, hand gripping the large oak desk to steady myself. Percy parted my thighs and gripped my booty to lift up towards him. Dress was hiked up, panties shoved to the side while he undid his pants until I heard that buckle clink. Dropping to the floor around his feet.

  “Ohhh my God, nigga you are such a nerd,” I laughed softly, pulling at some anime cartoon printed on his boxer briefs before tracing the outline of the stretched material. Swelling in size.

  “Lay back for me,” he demanded, pushing my chest back down on the desk as I stared at the ceiling before looking sideways at the large glass windows. High in the air, only thing able to see us were the birds flying by until I gasped at the feel of his intrusion. I clasped my hand over my mouth to keep from calling out his name when he jerked my hips back onto him. Aggressively pulling my body off the edge of the desk with his strokes. My boyfriend Homer was a romantic, emotional loving man. Sex with him was traditional intimate love making at it's finest. The, kiss you in between strokes, whisper in your ear, and all the things our relationship called for. Sex with Percy was the opposite. Aggressive, rich, demanding, and selfish. One guilty stroke after another until my head went back. Legs clinging around his waist to claim him, wishing just for a moment, it was me he was marrying. Me marrying into his family, into his fortune before my body shook, and rocked against his. Releasing all betrayal, denial, dreams, and lies onto him the way he did into the condom for well over a year now.