Chapter Two

Harley Banks sat on the edge of the covered toilet seat as her mother paced in the hallway bathroom that Harley’s brothers and overnight guests shared. Mommie wanted to go into Harley’s bathroom, but Harley refused. She didn’t want her mother snooping through her things. Not until Harley was certain Mommie was onboard with her plan.

This Sunday morning, very girl stuff was going on. A pregnancy test sat on the edge of the toilet tank. That plastic stick was the object of Mommie and Harley’s tension. A minute had passed since she’d peed on the stick,

Time crept by.

Mommie threaded her fingers through her hair, folded and unfolded her arms, pressed her lips together, and continued…pacing. In her long, white cardigan and matching top and lounge pants, she was more beautiful than Harley would ever be, with her tendrils of silky hair escaping her clip and framing her delicate face.

Harley gritted her teeth. Mommie’s agitation increased her own. Fanning herself, Mommie shrugged out of the cardigan and hung it on the door hook.

The bathroom was spacious, though it couldn’t touch the size of the one in her parents’ room. It had a rustic feel with a wooden ceiling and brown and white floor tiles.

Since yesterday, when Mommie found Harley in the bathroom suffering the same nausea that had plagued her for days, they’d barely spoken. Mommie was in a snit over Harley’s feelings toward a non-existent baby sister. All because Mommie was having a mid-life crisis.

The very idea of her mother having another baby disgusted Harley on so many levels. It also crushed her. To think Mommie didn’t care enough about her and decided she wanted another daughter.

That meant her and Daddy had sex!

Ew.

Pausing, Mommie leaned over her and glanced at the pee stick behind her.

“Another minute, Harley.”

Clamping her teeth together, she glared at Mommie and sniffed. The relief in her mother’s voice and dawning on her face revealed the truth.

Harley wrapped her arms around her waist. Pinning Nardo’s baby on CJ was desperation. Trapping him by fooling him into believing he’d taken Harley’s virginity was another thing.

Tears rushed to her eyes, and she sniffled.

Mommie’s gorgeous green-brown eyes flew to Harley’s, and she took a step toward her. Jumping to her feet, Harley scooted away from her mother’s touch.

“This is not fair!”

Mommie blinked. “This is a blessing,” she said tightly. “You’re fifteen years old. Nowhere ready to be a mom. I was almost twenty-two when I had you and married to your dad, and it was still hard on me.”

“Babies are a blessing as long as you aren’t old like you. Then, they are just a disgrace.”

“A baby wouldn’t have been a blessing in your case.”

Harley bristled. “It would’ve been the easiest way to get CJ to love me again!”

“If you’re meant to be together, then you will be, and no one or nothing will stop that,” Mommie said flatly, showing zero sympathy for Harley’s heartache.

Bursting into tears, she stomped to the toilet and swiped the stupid pee stick to the floor. “Shut up!” she yelled. “You sound stupid!”

Mommie drew herself up. Thankfully, Daddy was tall, so Harley’s height already equaled her mother’s.

“You’re overreacting, Harley,” she said evenly. “I suggest you tone it down now or suffer the consequences.”

“Ha!” Harley scoffed, blinded by rage and self-pity. “Don’t be a hypocrite. You’re up in your feelings so you want to retaliate. Before I knew Daddy was on my side about your stupid baby, you didn’t care what I said to him. Why should it be any different for you?”

“Obviously, I was wrong. Wrong to defend you and wrong to overlook your disrespect toward your father.”

Tears rolling down her cheeks, Harley plopped on the covered toilet. After she talked to CJ on Uncle Christopher’s birthday, she thought things would get back to normal. She’d bombarded CJ with texts and calls. He answered only one call and kept his text messages to a stingy one time a day. She’d invited him over several times and even asked if they could hang out together over at his house. If he answered at all, he always politely declined.

According to Jaleena, CJ hadn’t taken her out to dinner yet, and Harley was frantic to stop that date. Something she couldn’t do if CJ ignored her. With Molly gone and Harley deciding to ignore CJ’s disrespect because of that brainless twerp, she’d thought she could pull him back under her influence.

But he was more elusive than ever.

Harley drew in a painful breath. “I’m going to get CJ back by amending your suggestion, Mommie.”

“I beg your pardon?”

“With CJ.”

“I know.” Mommie glared at her. “We were desperate. I didn’t want you connected to that little asshole for the rest of your life.”

“Obviously, I won’t be.” She nodded to the pregnancy test with results that ruined her life. “I’m not pregnant. That means I have to go to the alternative option.”

“No.”

She couldn’t have heard correctly. “If I don’t do something, I’m going to lose CJ.” She swiped at another escaping tear. “He barely talks to me anymore.”

“You can’t seduce him, then pretend you’re pregnant.”

“If I wanted to, I could! You can’t tell me what to do. I’m a woman now,” she whispered, low and furious. “Only pathetic idiots trap a guy with a non-existent baby.”

“Bailey?” Daddy called, his footfalls clipping down the hallway. A moment later, the knob shook, but he couldn’t get in because it was locked. “You and Harley okay, pretty girl? You went to her room an hour ago when I headed to the music room with Lou and Kaleb.”

Harley waited with bated breath, wondering what her father had overheard.

Mommie cracked open the door and stuck her head out. “We’re doing girl stuff, babe. We’re fine.”

Harley’s ears perked, but her parents spoke in low tones, broken only by Mommie’s laughter. If Mommie found something humorous, Daddy was clueless about what was going on.

Mommie glanced over her shoulder at Harley. Her flushed cheeks and bright eyes disgusted Harley. Her parents had been flirting with each other.

Clearing her throat, Mommie turned to Daddy again, although she didn’t open the door any wider. The pregnancy test was still out in the open.

“I’ll try to come to the club, Lucas. If not, I’ll see you later when you get home.”

“I’m not sure how long I’m going to be, baby,” Daddy said. “With Jo surgery tomorrow, I want to see how Prez and Meggie girl doing.”

“If I don’t make it, send them my love.”

“The boys want to come with me.”

“Okay, babe.”

“Roxanne and Grant told me to tell you they’ll be here soon. They want to talk about a meal for tomorrow. We not too sure if Meggie and Prez staying overnight at the hospital or if CJ, Reb, and the other kids going to be with them.”

“I’m sending our children to school.”

“I think Prez put the word out that it won’t be a long surgery and it isn’t a life or death thing, so he told us to do what we thought was best.”

“I think it’s best if Harley, Lou, and Kaleb are at school.”

Once Daddy’s footfalls faded down the stairs, Mommie backed out of the door and closed it, then turned to Harley. She picked up the pee stick and shoved it in the torn box. After emptying the contents of the cup in the toilet and flushing it, she shoved the cup in the box, too.

Good riddance!

It wasn’t supposed to end like this. Harley could’ve at least been pregnant long enough to sway CJ to give her the ring he’d bought her. Even if she lost the baby. Or aborted it. But no! Nothing worked in her favor.

Mommie placed the box into the plastic store bag, tied it closed, and discarded it in the trash can before washing and drying her hands.

She straightened the damp towel, where it hung on the rack next to the sink with the two blue doors separated by three drawers in the middle. “I’m going to talk to Meggie.”

Suspicion rose in Harley, drawing her attention away from her mother’s slender hands and pale pink nail polish. Her simple wedding band and diamond engagement ring represented everything Harley wanted with CJ.

“For?”

“I smell her interference in CJ’s behavior.” She wagged a finger at Harley. “No schemes, young lady, especially under these circumstances. CJ doesn’t deserve your lies.”

Harley’s mouth dropped open. “You put the idea in my head.”

“Not to fake your pregnancy! What is wrong with you?”

“I don’t intend to fake a pregnancy,” Harley fumed. Her mother hadn’t been listening! “I intend to make him think he took my virginity. CJ’s a good guy. He’ll get back with me out of guilt.”

“Relationships borne out of guilt are doomed.”

“I doubt that—”

“Contrary to what you believe, you aren’t a grown woman. You don’t have the world figured out.”

“As opposed to who? You?” She filled the word with the derision she felt. “You lucked out when my father decided he wanted you. You never had to fight for him to love you like I am with CJ. All you had to worry about was school. Daddy spoiled you.”

The hurt on her mother’s face buoyed Harley and stiffened her shoulders. She thrust out her breasts. Saying it with her chest. “You do this my way or I’m not listening. You’re nothing but a dumb, whiny bitch.”

Until Harley cussed her mother, she couldn’t ever remember Bailey Eliza Andrews Banks raising a disciplinary hand. Harley and her brothers were punished, but even Daddy preferred time-outs and lectures to spankings. If a spanking was involved, Daddy used a belt on her brothers. Five licks to a jean-clad buttocks and it was done. Kaleb barely cried and Lou just rolled his eyes. Mommie, however, had never, ever slapped Harley across the face.

The sound of her hand hitting Harley’s cheek broke the silence. Crying out, Harley grabbed her stinging cheek, her ears ringing.

Not that it mattered to her mother.

Mommie never, ever glared at Harley and snarled, “Shut the fuck up this instant or you’re grounded for life.”

As her shock receded, fury settled in Harley, and she shoved her mother, then swung. If Mommie hadn’t turned, Harley would’ve punched her jaw instead of her shoulder.

“Pathetic bitch!” Harley cried and lashed out again, throwing a wild punch.

Mommie dodged Harley’s fist. “Fucking bitch!” She returned Harley’s lick with a blow to the jaw.

Enraged, Harley screamed, but before she reacted Mommie grabbed a handful of Harley’s hair and twisted, dragging her toward the hallway.

She could barely balance herself to kick Mommie’s thigh and send her sprawling to the floor. Harley darted forward. Not quick enough, though. Mommie grabbed Harley’s ankle and dragged her to the ground. Harley would’ve punched Mommie, but she struck first and walloped her jaw, then pinned her arms above her head.

“I will fucking drag you from one end of this fucking house to the next, Harley Vivian Banks.”

“Fuck you,” Harley screamed, wild. “I fucking hate you. I hope all your stupid babies die.”

“Shut up now before I fuck you up.”

Harley bucked against her mother. “I’ll have you charged with child abuse, cunt, so fucking fast your head will spin. You can kiss your career goodbye!”

Mommie punched Harley. In the mouth!

The taste of blood filled her senses. In retaliation, Harley screamed at the top of her lungs, then spat in her mother’s face.

Anger darkened Mommie’s face. “Nasty little heifer.”

“Die, bitch!” Harley yelled, vaguely aware of hurried footsteps. She prepared to spit in her mother’s face again, but Mommie’s fingers at her neck stopped her.

“Bailey!” Lolly screamed, halting Harley’s imminent death at her mother’s hand. “Stop! Stop!”

“Fuck her!”

Someone gasped. For a moment, Mommie’s hands left Harley’s throat.

“I’ve had enough of Harley, Momma!” Mommie snarled, landing hard on Harley’s mid-section and strangling her again. “She spat on me! Called me names. Punched me!” Tears thickened her voice. “I’m fucking this bitch up.”

“Grant!” Lolly yelled, frantic and panting thanks to her quest to save Harley’s life. “Grant!” She was still struggling to pull Mommie away from Harley. “Grant! Lord Jesus, the boy promised he’d be right behind me.”

“No!” Mommie cried as Lolly succeeded and jerked Mommie away with such force she crashed to the floor, too.

“What the—?” Grant began, filling the doorway as Harley scrambled away, holding her neck and drawing in great drafts of air.

Lolly lost control of Mommie again, and she lunged for Harley.

“Get Bailey, Grant,” Lolly puffed out.

Quickly complying, he held fast to Mommie, even as she struggled in his arms.

Refusing to help her grandmother get to her feet, Harley stood and smirked at her furious mother.

“Now, what?” she asked in triumph, although her throat hurt. “Give it up, dummy. You can’t win against me. Molly couldn’t win. Jaleena won’t win. I’m sick to death of old people’s advice. I’m living my life my way.”

Mommie, Lolly, and Grant stared at her, and their combined shock tickled Harley. They were all mean and evil, determined to ignore how important CJ was to her. Instead of helping her get him by any means possible, they abused her.

Tears brimming in her eyes and nostrils flaring, she glared at her mother. “You tried to kill me. I will never forgive you!”

“Good! I don’t give a fuck, so we’re even.”

Mommie’s callousness crushed her. “Fuck you, bitch.”

“Enough, Harley!” Lolly ordered. “Go to your room and calm down. Then you and me are talking.”

Harley tossed her braids. “You think?”

Suddenly, Mommie was teary-eyed and sniffling.

Harley rolled her eyes at the drama queen.

“Take that bitch away, Momma,” Mommie said around a little sob.

“Fuck you!” Harley spat. “And fuck your momma, too.”

Harley saw Lolly’s fist a moment before everything faded to black.