Careful of the Company You Keep Read Free Page B

frantically shaking her head. “Mama, they won’t believe me . . . I know they won’t,” she insisted.
    â€œWhy is that?” I asked quickly.
    â€œBecause . . . Ron isn’t the only one I’ve slept with. There’s a chance this might be someone else’s baby.”
    I couldn’t believe she was admitting what I had said all along—she was a slut. I wanted so badly to scratch her eyes out for lying. “Well, I guess that’s a chance we’ll have to take.”
    â€œI don’t want to.” Portia sat back in her chair, arms crossed and lips poked out.
    I raised my voice to ensure she knew who’s boss. “Since when do you have a choice? This is my house, and that was a grown man . . . my man you were sleeping with. I’m going to make him pay!” Damn, I should earn an Oscar for my performance.
    â€œWhy does it always have to be about you? What about me?”
    I wanted so badly to knock her upside her head. “I’m not even about to get into it with you. We’re pressing charges as soon as your daddy gets here.”
    Her face dropped. “My daddy? I’m not doing it!”
    â€œWhy is that?” Mama asked, clearly confused by what was going on. “Don’t you want to get the man who did this to you?”
    A single tear ran down Portia’s face as she tried to appear innocent. “I’m scared of what he might do to me.”
    â€œSince when? You weren’t scared before,” I replied with a rude snort. I was already sick of playing this charade.
    Portia just pursed her lips together and looked away.
    â€œBe nice, Danny,” Mama warned under her breath.
    I don’t know what I was thinking when I asked her to come over, because no matter what I said, Mama was going to side with Portia. “I think the reason she doesn’t want to press charges is she’s lying and she knows that once we start the proceedings, the court is going to find out.”
    â€œI’m not lying!” Portia insisted but didn’t bother to look up from the table.
    â€œOh really?” I said. “Hold that thought.” I quickly moved up the stairs and came back a few moments later with the journal in my hand. As soon as I stepped inside the kitchen, I tossed the book onto the table. “Now try again. Tell your grandmother why you don’t want to press charges.”
    Mama looked from Portia to me and back to Portia. “Baby, what’s she talking about?”
    Portia looked increasingly nervous. “I-I don’t know.”
    â€œShe’s lying, Mama! Ron didn’t rape her. It’s right there in that book. She had a crush on a twenty-two-year-old man and he wasn’t thinking about her hot ass so she lied to break us up.”
    Mama couldn’t hide her disappointment. “Is that true?”
    â€œNo.” She finally looked up at me.
    I could no longer hold back. I sprang from the chair, jumped across the table, and tried to grab my daughter by her neck, but Mama rose out of her seat in time to keep me back. “You better be glad you’re pregnant, because otherwise I would beat your mothafuckin’ ass!” I screamed.
    Portia jumped from her chair and was in the corner, shaking and crying like someone had died. Tears weren’t going to save her this time.
    â€œYou need to pack yo shit and go home with your grandmother. You’re not welcome back in this house. As far as I’m concerned, you’re no longer my daughter.”
    Mama gave me a light shove, then shook her head at my rude behavior. “Sweetheart. That is not the way to react to a situation like this. We can work this out, I know we can.”
    â€œMama, there is nothing to work out!”
    â€œYoung lady, don’t you take that tone with me.” Mama gave me that look that told me I wasn’t too big for her to still whup my ass. I pursed my lips and moved over near the sink.
    She