Give Me The Reason 2: A Love Story (7 page)

Chapter Ten

Cane pulled up to Dana’s house in a rage. He needed to know if she knew about Cam being Delaney’s biological father or not. The fact that Delaney was not his child cut him deep. Cane couldn’t remember the last time he’d shed tears, but today would prove to be a day he wouldn’t easily forget. The screeching of his tires in her driveway were sure to leave their mark for some time. He slammed the gear into park and quickly hopped out of his car. His heart was beating a mile a minute as he ran to the door.

Boom! Boom! Boom!
He banged loudly on the door. Cane knew Dana was home because her raggedy ass 1992 red Honda Prelude was parked in the driveway.

“Damn, wait a minute. I’m coming!” Dana yelled as she slowly walked to the front door. She peeped out and saw Cane standing on the other side of her door. “Now what the fuck does he want?” she said quietly to herself, as she mashed her cigarette out in the ashtray that was sitting on the end table. After blowing the smoke out of her mouth, she turned the double locks and opened the door. “Why the fuck is you banging on my goddamn door like the police?” She frowned, tightening the belt on her favorite floral robe. Dana had both of her hands propped up on her hips. She glared at Cane and stepped back to allow him to enter the house.

Cane shot her a look that said he wasn’t in the mood for any bullshit. The pungent smell of cigarette smoke and sex instantly assaulted his nose as soon as he stepped through the door. Dana had let herself go over the years. She was still an attractive woman, but the years of hard living were starting to show.

“I need to talk to you about something serious, and I want the fucking truth,” Cane said, getting straight to the point.

Dana crossed her arms over her breasts and twisted up her lips. She needed to get ready for her date and she didn’t have time for Cane’s bullshit. He was the main reason her life was so fucked up. She’d lost her best friend because of him, and she lived with regrets on a daily basis. In the past she would have done anything he asked her to do. There was a time that Cane had her so snowed that she worshipped the ground he walked on. He would always tell her that she was the one he really loved. Deep down in her heart she knew he was full of shit, but her love for him continued to cloud her judgment. In addition, he stayed fucking around in the streets. She was crushed the day she found out he was cheating on her too. It took Dana a long time to get Cane out of her system, but when she finally did it was a wrap.

“What is it, Cane? I have a date tonight, so spill it so I can get you outta my damn house,” she said with major attitude.

“Fuck your date! This shit is serious, Dana, and I need answers.” Cane plopped down on the tattered white leather sofa and scowled. He wasn’t budging until she gave him the answers he came for.

“Hold up, don’t walk up in here demanding anything from me! You don’t run a damn thing around this mafucka anymore!” Dana said, waving her hands wildly in the air. He had some nerve coming up in her house talking shit. She grabbed her cigarettes off the table and lit one before sitting down on the sofa across from Cane.

Cane frowned when she blew the smoke out of her mouth and nose at the same time. He despised the smell of cigarette smoke and he never cared for women who smoked. “Now what is that has you all up tight?” she asked crossing her legs and leaning back into the sofa.

“Did you have any idea that Delaney was Cam’s daughter and not mine?” he asked getting right to the point. During the time of Ava’s pregnancy, she and Dana weren’t talking too much because she and Cane were fucking around on the regular.

“Well, I had a suspicion, but no I didn’t know for a fact. Macy’s nosey ass insinuated it a few times, but she said she couldn’t be certain,” she replied nonchalantly. Dana didn’t feel as if she owed Cane an explanation. He made his bed and now he had to lie in it. Plus, Macy was always running her damn mouth trying to start some drama. Even Dana was stunned to know that Delaney wasn’t Cane’s kid.

“And you didn’t feel like you should have come to me with this information!” he yelled. Cane stood up and paced the floor. He wanted to knock that smug ass expression off of Dana’s face. He felt like a damn fool. He wondered who else knew.

“You can lower your damn voice in my house. I know you’re upset and hurt, but shit what did you expect Ava to do? You were so busy with your nose up my ass, and plenty of other women’s asses, to notice that she was falling in love with your brother. Don’t act like you didn’t know how much time those two were spending together. Even a blind man could see that shit coming a mile away,” she said standing up. It was time that somebody gave it straight to Cane’s ass with no chaser. He needed to face the reality of his actions and take some of the responsibility.

“So you’re saying that I deserved to be lied to about a child I believed was mine this whole time? Huh Dana?” Cane was furious and appalled that everyone seemed to think he was such a bad person who deserved to be deceived like this.

“No, Cane, that’s not what I’m saying. But it’s time for you to grow up and realize that you just can’t keep going around treating people any way you want to without any repercussions. What we did was wrong and I will never forgive myself for what I’ve done to Ava. But what I regret even more than that is not telling Natasha that you are her father.” Dana pointed her finger at Cane, breaking down into tears. When Dana discovered she was pregnant, it was shortly after Ava found out that she was pregnant with Delaney. Cane begged Dana not to tell anyone, but one day out of the blue, Ava popped up over at her house and confronted her about being pregnant by Cane. Unable to keep the pact she made with Cane, Dana admitted to Ava that the baby she was carrying was Cane’s baby.

“Open this damn door, Dana!” Ava yelled and banged on the door at the same time. Macy’s messy ass had just left her house after telling Ava that Dana was pregnant, and word on the street was that the baby was Cane’s. Ava marched out of the door and went straight to Dana’s house so she could get the truth directly from the horse’s mouth.

Dana swung the door open with a scowl on her face, “What do you want, Ava? Damn, you know I have to work tonight.”

Ava walked right in without waiting for an invitation. Cane must have just left because she could still smell remnants of his cologne in the air.

“I never thought you of all people, my so called best friend, would be fucking my man, but now I hear you are pregnant by him!” Ava yelled. Tears were threatening to fall from her eyes, but she chucked that shit up because she refused to cry in front of Dana’s trifling ass.

Dana was taken aback. She knew she shouldn’t have said anything to Macy’s big mouth ass. The expression on Dana’s face said it all. Ava plopped down on the sofa, feeling like she was going to pass out at any moment.

“Ava, look I’m really sorry, I never meant for any of this to happen. If I could go back in time and change things, trust me I would. Please believe me,” Dana whined. She felt terrible about betraying her best friend, but her desire for Cane had proven to be stronger than her loyalty to Ava.

“Fuck all that, Dana! How could you? You ain’t shit! You’ve always been jealous of me and I knew from day one that you were hot in the ass for Cane, but he chose me. He wasn’t checking for you at all and you just had to put yo funky ass in the mix didn’t you?” Ava screamed.

At this point she was beyond hysterical. The tears that she tried to prevent from falling were now cascading down her face. Hurt was an understatement to describe the emotions that were running through her body. Ava’s entire body trembled from hurt, anger and rage. Dana too was crying. She cried for the pain she caused her best friend, she cried because she knew that Cane was not going to leave Ava no matter what, and she would be a single mother to a bastard child, but most of all she cried because she was the product of the exact same thing that her own mother had done to her best friend.

“I’m sorry, Ava! I don’t know what else to say,” Dana said, crumbling to the floor in a heaping mess. Ava stood over her with her hands propped on her hips. She didn’t feel one ounce of pity for Dana. Even though Ava knew the baby she was carrying inside of her wasn’t Cane’s baby, she refused to let him go and raise his baby with Dana. If it wasn’t for Dana and Cane running around behind her back she would have never gotten involved with Cameron in the first place.

“Yeah you’re a sorry bitch alright! Cane is marrying me in a couple of weeks and we are raising our baby together. He will never leave me for you and I will never accept your baby! I hate you, Dana! Stay the fuck away from me!” Ava yelled before spinning around, walking out and slamming the door behind her.

“We did what was best for everyone involved. You knew I was engaged to marry Ava and you also knew from day one how much I loved her. I never told you that I would leave Ava. I provided financially for Natasha and I made sure the girls were raised together, even though they didn’t know they were sisters. Well cousins now, since I’m not Delaney’s biological father.” Cane spoke calmly, interrupting Dana from her flashback of the past. Guilt consumed Cane for all of the pain his deceitful ways had affected so many lives. Delaney was his precious baby and the best thing that had ever happened to him. But now even that had been snatched away from him. Natasha on the other hand, was deprived of even knowing who her real father was, all because of his selfish ways.

Cane knew karma was a bitch, but damn she proved to be the baddest bitch he’d ever met in his life. Ava tolerated Natasha’s presence, but she never warmed up to her and it was obvious that she resented the child from the day she was born. At the time, Cane understood Ava’s indifference towards Natasha, but as the years went on he assumed she would warm up to her and accept her as family. Delaney and Natasha were thick as thieves from the beginning, but even their closeness didn’t warm Ava’s heart towards the innocent child. He knew one day Pandora’s box would open and he’d be forced to deal with his demons. The one thing he never saw coming, though, was Ava and Cam’s betrayal.

“No, Cane, you did what was best for you and I let my guilt cause me to go along with you! But not anymore, Natasha deserves to know the truth! All this time I’ve been lying to her and telling her that her father ran out on us and all the while he’s been living around the goddamn corner!” she cried. Dana was fed up. She was tired of being labeled the whore of Babylon.

“This isn’t the time, Dana. There is already too much going on without stirring up some mo’ shit. I’m trying to process the fact that a daughter that I loved since the day she was born isn’t even my daughter. Don’t you think I feel guilty enough about not being there for both Delaney and Natasha? That is the main reason I stayed running the streets, I couldn’t stand the fact that I had a daughter across town that I had to keep as a secret,” Cane said, running both of his hands over his face. 

“Cane, I could care less about your feelings. I have always put your feelings and needs above my own and that of my daughter’s,” Dana stated. It was time to purge herself of the lies and deceit she’d been carrying around all this time.

“Just give it some time, please! Delaney is just coming out of this coma and she has enough to deal with. I’m sure Cam and Ava are going to tell her that Cam is her biological father, and to deal with the knowledge of Natasha being my daughter on top of all of that is just too much right now. Please, Dana, I am begging you to just give me a little more time and then we can sit down together and tell the girls,” he pleaded.

Dana always had a soft spot for Cane, and this time was no different. “Ok, Cane, I will give you time, but not too much. Natasha deserves the truth and so does Delaney. I just hope this doesn’t put a strain on their friendship.” Dana adored Delaney, and she was happy that even though the girls didn’t know they were sisters, that they had the opportunity to bond and grow up together. She was still in shock to find out that the girls were not sisters, but cousins instead. Dana could feel a headache coming on from all of the drama that had just come through her door.

Cane nodded his head and patted his hand over the left side of his chest. “Thank you, Dana! Oh and I apologize for busting up in your spot all angry the way I did this evening. I was just so angry, hurt, and confused.”

“Yeah, well don’t do that shit again. And get ya ass on up outta here so I can get ready for my date,” Dana joked. She and Cane always had a playfulness about their relationship unlike any other relationship she’d been in. If only she would have stepped to Cane before Ava noticed him, maybe things would have been different. As quickly as the thought crossed her mind, she checked herself for such an idiotic thought. Cane was a whore, and there wasn’t a woman in the entire world that could tame him.

“Yeah, ok. Imma go, but I should hang around and check this nigga out.” He chuckled. Cane gave Dana a quick hug before walking out of the door. Tomorrow was a new day, but right now his only desire was to get in between some young thangs sweet thighs to drown out his misery. “Yo Keisha, whad up? This Cane. Can I swing by?” he spoke into his cell phone, while backing out of Dana’s driveway.

“Yeah, you can come through,” she sweetly replied. That was all Cane needed to hear to put a smile on his face. Once he smoked that green and released his frustration out on her pussy, he would feel a whole helluva lot better.

Chapter Eleven

It had been exactly one week since Delaney awakened from the coma and she was still in the hospital. Hopefully she’d be going home sometime in the coming week. All of the tests came back good. There wasn’t any damage to her brain and she actually felt fine. Dr. Beard had taken excellent care of her and she was thankful for him. Her mother seemed different and so did her uncle, but she wasn’t quite sure what was going on with them. Delaney still hadn’t seen her father, but she wasn’t surprised either. Her mother told her that he’d been by the hospital a few times, but that was all she said. Her memory was still a little foggy, but Dr. Beard told her to take it easy and not to stress herself too much, that in time it would all come back to her.

One thing she couldn’t, and didn’t, forget was how Ashanti had shown up at Tyson’s doorstep claiming to be pregnant with his baby, the day before their mini vacation. Delaney refused to see Tyson. She just wasn’t ready to face him. Natasha told her that Tyson’s name was the first thing out of her mouth when she was coming to, but she still refused to see him. Tears rolled down her face whenever she thought about the night of the accident. She still loved Tyson dearly, but she couldn’t forgive him.

Knock, knock.

“Come in,” Delaney said, quickly wiping the tears from her eyes. Her mother and Cam had gone home to take showers and change clothes. Natasha said she had a doctor’s appointment, so she wasn’t sure who else would be stopping by to see her. A few of her co-workers had already been by a few hours earlier.

“Hello, Delaney, my shift is about to start and I wanted to stop by to see how you were doing before I get started.”

Delaney thought she was dreaming or had fallen back into a coma. Her eyes had to be playing tricks on her.

“Chris! Christopher Clark?” She squinted. Surprise and confusion registered on her face when he smiled. Chris’ smile was one that could not easily be forgotten.

“Well, it’s more like Dr. Clark these days,” he joked, attempting to lighten the mood. He assumed Natasha hadn’t told Delaney that he treated her in Dr. Beard’s absence. When he came in to work on the night that she woke from the coma, she was still pretty much in and out. Chris hadn’t seen her since that night.

Shock, surprise, and confusion were written all over her face. Delaney hadn’t seen Chris since the day she walked out of his mother’s house, the day he broke her heart. He hadn’t changed a bit, still as handsome as ever standing before her in a pair of khaki slacks and a white doctor’s coat.

“I don’t understand. How did you know I was here? Why are you here?” She stumbled over her words. This was all too much for her to deal with. The drama with Tyson, and now Chris walking in her room, was just becoming too emotional for her to handle.

Chris walked over to the hospital bed and pulled up a chair to sit down in. He had been waiting for this moment for so long, to finally have the chance to talk to Delaney and explain his actions on that day so long ago. Chris was surprised at the amount of nervous energy he was experiencing. After all this time, he was stoked that he was finally getting the opportunity to explain his actions on that dreadful day. Unfortunately, it was a day that he couldn’t forget.

“I moved back to town about six months ago, and I’ve only been working here for a few weeks. The night you were coming out of your coma, I was on call for Dr. Beard. Imagine my shock and surprise when I found out that you were my patient.” He chuckled.

Delaney failed to see the humor. Her first instinct was to ask him to leave, but she decided she would hear whatever it was that he had to say. What happened between them was so long ago, plus they were both teenagers. She was now a grown woman. What was the point of holding a grudge against him?

“Yeah, I can imagine.” She smiled weakly, running her hands through her hair. Thank God, Natasha came by earlier and put her hair up in a cute bun on top of her head.

“Listen, I have been waiting for the chance to talk to you. I tried contacting you a few times after everything went down, but you refused to talk to me. Please believe me when I say that I never meant to hurt you. I was young and dumb and I made a big mistake that day. Yvonne approached me after we had that argument, and I knew she would do the things you weren’t ready to do. Delaney, I loved you then and I still do now. I’ve never stopped loving you,” he said, looking directly into her eyes.

Delaney felt like she’d been holding her breath since he walked in the room. So many emotions were running through her veins. Chris was her first love, the first male that she’d given her heart to, but he’d broken it as well. After their break up, she found it hard to trust men and hadn’t been in another relationship until Tyson came along.

“Chris, that was all so long ago. I’m fine, really I am,” she lied. Truthfully, Delaney still harbored some hurt and anger towards Chris. He of all people knew about her trust issues, yet he disappointed her even more than her own father. They’d spent countless hours talking about her parent’s relationship and the effect it had on her. He promised to protect her heart, yet he was the one who stomped all over it, and that was something that she’d yet to get over.

Chris could see right through the façade Delaney was putting on. Even if she wanted to be passive about the whole thing, what mattered most was that he had gotten the chance to explain himself. Over the years he’d dated a few women, but none of them came close to Delaney. She had the most loving, kind, and genuine spirit. No other woman fulfilled him or made him feel complete the way she had. “Yes, you are definitely fine! I can see that!” he joked.

“Still a charmer, I see.” She smiled. It was good seeing Chris after all of these years. Surprisingly, she no longer felt hatred nor anger towards him. Delaney could feel her guard lowering slightly the more they talked. Chris had a way of making her smile without reason, and apparently that hadn’t changed; because she found herself smiling for no apparent reason.

“Hey, you know me! I know a fine woman when I see one. But all jokes aside, you are just as beautiful now as you were back in high school. Hell, elementary school too!” He laughed.

The sincerity in his eyes warmed her heart and made her smile brightly.

“Thanks, Chris, even though I know I look a hot mess right now. But again, thanks.” She beamed.

Chris looked into her eyes and his heart melted. Her smile had always brightened his day.

“Well I better get going. It was nice seeing you and thanks for finally listening to me, big head,” he jokingly said. He reached for her hand and she placed hers inside of his. “Don’t be a stranger. I would really like to take you to lunch when you get out of here so that we can catch up. If that’s ok with you?”

Delaney wasn’t so sure that was a good idea. She still had unresolved issues to deal with concerning Tyson, and she just didn’t want to complicate things. Chris noticed the look on her face. Not wanting to pressure her or mess up any chance he may possibly have at getting back with her, he decided to let it go.

“I’ll tell you what, just give me a call when you’re better, if you want to,” he said, handing her one of his business cards. With that he smiled and walked out of the room.

Delaney looked at Chris’ business card and a slow smile formed on her face. She placed the card on the table beside her bed and laid back in deep thought. She was just thankful to be alive. She made a promise to herself to live her life without fear going forward. It was time to face her demons and slay them all.

An eerie feeling fell over Delaney, as if she were being watched. She glanced up to see Tyson standing in front of her.

“What are you doing here? I specifically told everyone that you are not allowed in my hospital room.” She was more startled than anything, because she hadn’t heard him come in.

“Baby, I had to see you. I had to see for myself that you are truly ok.” He smiled lovingly. Seeing her sitting up talking and back to her old self was truly a blessing. If Delaney wouldn’t have pulled through, Tyson didn’t know what he would have done with himself. She was the love of his life and one day in the near future he hoped to make her his wife.

Delaney suppressed the urge to take him into her arms and forget everything that happened prior to the accident. Just seeing his handsome face melted her heart. The compassion in his weary eyes showed just how worried he’d been, as well as how much he loved her. Whether he loved her or not wasn’t the problem. The problem was that he failed to tell her about Ashanti. The even bigger problem was that he had a baby on the way, and that was a hard pill for her to swallow.

“Well as you can see I am just fine, so please leave. I’m not ready to deal with this right now. Don’t you have a pregnant girlfriend to tend to?” she spat. Memories of that night flooded her mind causing her to become even more upset. Hot tears filled her eyes and she struggled to keep them from falling. Weakness wasn’t something that Delaney was used to dealing with. She’d always been strong natured, but love had a way of making the strongest person feel weak and fragile.

“Actually, she had the baby a week ago. A son.” Tyson smiled brightly.

The news that Ashanti had given birth to Tyson’s baby crushed Delaney’s spirit even more. There was no way that she could be with him after this.
How could he have kept this information from me? Better yet, how had I fallen in love with such a deceitful man?
Delaney lowered her head to conceal the disappointment that she was sure showed on her face. Instead of letting Tyson see how hurt she was, Delaney put her game face on to mask her true feelings.

“Just get out, Tyson. I don’t even know why you’re here. I’m sure your little family needs you right now.” Delaney angrily turned around in the bed so that her back was facing Tyson. She couldn’t stand to look into his eyes another second.

“Laney, I didn’t know she was pregnant, and to be honest with you I don’t even know if the baby is even mine,” he admitted. Tyson wanted to explain everything to her, but right now wasn’t a good time. Delaney was still too upset and he was going to need her full attention. Tyson knew how stubborn she could be, but the love she still felt for him was evident in her eyes. He was confident that in time everything would work out. All he had to do was remain patient and understanding of her feelings.

“Please leave,” she sniffled, refusing to turn around to face him.

“I love you so much, and I know it is going to take some time, but when you’re ready I would like to explain everything to you in detail. And for the record, Ashanti is
not
my girlfriend now or while you and I were together. You are the only woman for me, and I won’t stop until I have you back in my arms.”

Tyson leaned over and kissed Delaney on the forehead before turning to leave out of the hospital room. He would allow her some time, but not too much time. Tyson also needed to get Ashanti out of his house. Later that day he had a meeting with a realtor to find Ashanti a house for rent that would be suitable for she and the baby. There was no way that he could explain to Delaney why Ashanti was living in his house.

Delaney lay in the bed on her side and cried her eyes out. She loved Tyson, but yet again her heart had been broken by someone she loved and trusted. It was better to just walk away and move on in a situation like this. Tyson was now a father and Delaney wasn’t sure she even wanted to deal with a man with children or all of the baby mama drama that she was sure to come. She heard him when he said he wasn’t sure if he was the father or not, but Delaney learned a long time ago not to trust the word of anyone.