Page 16 of Pieces of Us

Nehemiah

“ D octor Newson, you have a call on line three,” my nurse, Anna, announced over the intercom.

I peeled my eyes away from my computer from going over billing reports to the phone. Usually, I’d have Shawn from the billing department handling this, but he had been out sick for the past three weeks. I picked up the receiver and pressed line two.

“Dr. Newson speaking.”

“Hemi…It’s Diana.”

I instantly frowned.

Fuck is she calling me for?

I didn’t speak for several seconds, trying to understand why this unstable creature was contacting me.

“Hello? Are you there?”

“I am. Just trying to figure out why you’re dialing my number, D.”

“Listen, I know I’m the last person you want to talk to, but I really need you right now…Daddy…He’s not doing so well, and I had no one else to call.”

“What he has going on has nothing to do with me.”

“Nehemiah…please?”

The audible cry that came through the receiver had me clutching it tightly.

I was conflicted. Although our marriage was forced and full of shit, I did at one point, care a lot about her.

The way she played me had me wanting to hang up in her face.

I couldn’t block her from calling my office, but I for sure blocked her from my phone.

“Why should I help you, Diana?”

“I know I wasn’t the best person, Hemi, but I would think our friendship would hold some type of weight, even if the marriage part was fugazi.”

“You stopped being my friend long before the forced marriage. Let’s not forget how you played my sister.”

“BB didn’t even want—Listen. I didn’t call to argue or bring up bad history. My father is dying, and you’re the only person I know that can help him. Please, Nehemiah, he’s all I have left.”

I scoffed. “I really can’t stand you, D.

You got balls as big as King Kong to ask me for fucking favors when you just tried to ruin my life.

The only reason I’m even considering pulling up is because that’s my father’s best friend.

Otherwise, I’d tell you and him to go the fuck to hell with your ancestors.

Get off my line. I’ll be there when I get there.

” I hung up on her and shook my fucking head.

It was funny how the same person who did me wrong was the same person to turn around and need me.

I didn’t expect karma to come so soon, but I wasn’t mad about it.

Diana deserved whatever came to her. However, I knew what losing a parent felt like.

The shit was a different kind of hurt that I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemy.

In this case, Diana was that enemy. Even though I didn’t want to help her raggedy ass, I wouldn’t be the asshole I wanted to be.

Focusing back on my computer, I didn’t realize I was frowning so deep that I was making my head hurt. My mind drifted to my daughter… my daughter.

I had no clue how I was even functioning with this information on my head and heart.

I had no idea how she was going to react to me or if Morgan even told her about me.

I always felt like there was more to our love story.

I would get these weird dreams about us being married and having a family.

I saw us with three children, traveling the world, and just living our lives the way that we planned.

I would have these weird cravings and potent desires to find her.

On those days, I searched social media and around neighborhood I knew she lived in.

When I went to her father’s church, even that was vacant.

He had moved it but never updated the site on the new location. Now I saw why.

That Steve Harvey, toupee-wearing motherfucka wasn’t trying to be found. I knew asking my father was a no go because he and Victor Wilson desperately wanted me to marry Diana’s conniving ass, so he wouldn’t have helped me. This shit was crazy, and I was nervous about meeting my own seed.

The tap on my door had me yelling for whoever it was to enter. Silvia, the receptionist, poked her head inside the door.

“Sorry to bother you, Dr. Newson, but you have a Morgan Prescott here to see you.”

How ironic that I was just thinking about her pretty ass and the child she kept away from me.

“Send her back, Sil. Thank you.”

She nodded and walked away. A minute later, heaven opened up its gates and allowed God’s angel to walk through my door. The emotions I felt just looking at her had me running my palm down my face to clear the sadness I felt.

My eyes scanned her from her to toe. Not much had changed about her. She just gained a little weight, but she still had those runner thighs, blemish-free brown sugar skin, dreamy eyes, and pouty lips. I was now witnessing the adult Morgan, and she looked oh so fucking delectable.

I stood from my chair, venturing over to her before I closed the door and locked it.

She looked up at me, and instantly, our foreheads connected.

My arms went around her waist as hers came around my neck.

No words were spoken when her lips touched mine and we indulged in a passionate kiss, one that conveyed so many words that were left unspoken.

Our tongues fought for control as I backed her against the wall.

“Mmm,” she moaned.

My hands went to her plump ass and squeezed it. My dick was growing impatient, trying to burst through the seams of my scrubs.

Calm down, nigga, she’s married, but you don’t give a fuck for real.

I had to talk myself out of laying her on my love seat and fucking all the memories we shared back into her head. I released her as she wiped the corners of her lips and stared at me. I stepped back and cleared my throat.

“What brings you by?”

“Um, I came to talk to you about Megan. Your daughter. I already told her about you—”

“You did?”

She nodded. “Last night.”

My heart skipped a beat and nervousness filled my belly. “And?”

“She says she doesn’t mind meeting with you and joked about having two rich daddies.” She smiled lightly.

I scoffed and walked back over to my desk to take a seat. I hated this. I didn’t want to be upset about this, but another nigga playing daddy to my kid didn’t sit well with me. That was supposed to be my job, my role, but here I was on the outside trying to figure out how I would fit in.

“Nehemiah, I love you—”

I shook my head. “Don’t say that, Mo. You can’t possibly love me like you say you do while being married to another man.”

“It wasn’t my decision. In the beginning I was lost, confused, and didn’t want to raise my daughter alone.

So, I allowed myself to feel something for Justin.

It took me almost six years to love him.

I had to mentally block you out of my mind because the more I thought of you, the more depressed I became.

I had to make it work with him, Hemi, but I swear to you, I never loved him like I love you. ”

“So, what does any of this mean? You’re ready to leave that nigga for me?”

“After I leave here, I’m headed to see my lawyer. I’m filing for a divorce.”

“That easy, huh?”

“It is.”

“Has it always been?” I asked her.

“Been what?”

“That easy for you to move on? That easy to never tell my daughter about me and allow that lame ass nigga to put my crown on his head.”

She frowned. I could tell she was slightly offended by my questions, but I had to know if she thought any of this was okay.

“It has never been easy for me, Nehemiah. You don’t know the shit I’ve been through to make my heart beat again!”

“You let your fuck nigga of a father keep my daughter away from me for thirteen years! You went and settled down with a nigga because that wimp told you to. For thirteen years, baby? Come on with that shit. He stole time I could have had with my child, the love I could have experienced from her, and the love I could have given you both!”

“I regret that so much. You don’t understand how hard it was for me to accept that I wouldn’t see you again.

I couldn’t stay in that depressed state, or Megan wouldn’t have been here.

That’s how messed up I was.” I could see her willing her tears away.

“I just want to make things right. I just want you to understand me and allow yourself to love me like you used to.”

“I never stopped.”

“Then let’s get back to us. I feel like this is fate.”

“How is it fate when you’re still tied to that lame?”

“I just told you I’m filing for a divorce. And don’t think I didn’t peep that tan line on your finger.”

Her brow raised as she stared at me.

“I got rid of my headache. The question is…Are you really going to get rid of yours?”

“Look at us…Both of us got married. Were you even going to tell me?”

“No.”

Now, it was her turn to scoff.

“Wow.”

“I wasn’t going to tell you because you have a ring on your finger that I didn’t put there, Mo.

Why would I tell you that I was married because I was forced as well?

Only I didn’t fall in love with my wife, nor did we have children together.

It was a business deal gone wrong, and every day, I regret ever allowing my father to rope me into that bullshit. ”

“Our stories are so similar…”

“Yet so different. I didn’t give a fuck about being married.

If you had come to me during that shit show, I would have divorced her ass so quick.

A blink of her eye wouldn’t have had shit on how fast she would have been out of my life.

But you fell in love with him and gave him both of my children. ”

It was quiet for a moment as she stood in her white maxi dress. Her hair fell in layers around her shoulders, and her face glowed, yet she was sad.

“You’re right…I don’t want to bring up the negative in our situation. I just want to make things right. This Friday, she can meet with you. You can choose the time and place.”

“My house, 7:00 p.m. Does she have any food allergies? What’s her favorite thing that she likes?”

That pretty ass smile appeared on her face.

“No allergies, and she loves anything that has to do with Chris Brown.”