Brown Sugar • Allen Iverson

trials & tribulations

About three weeks after the road trip, MJ agreed to stay with her father. She wanted space from Allen after they had another big fight.

It got intense fast and she felt unsafe since she's with child. He raised his hands at her and said hurtful things to her.

It was becoming a cycle of fighting over petty situations.

"You gonna be okay while I'm out?" Meckenzy Jane nodded at her father and smiled after sitting the magazine down.

"Yeah, daddy. I'll be fine. I'm just gonna make a few phone calls and tidy up a bit." She placed her hands on her lower back and exhaled slowly.

"Your back is still hurting, huh? Go lie down, MJ. Don't worry about it." She nodded and got off of the couch to go to bed.

She contemplated calling Allen. They haven't spoken to each other in a while and she had a doctor's appointment to attend the next day.

After a couple of minutes of going back and forth with her thoughts, she decided to call him.

Her heart pounded as she waited for him to pick up.

"Hello?" MJ's face contorted as soon as she heard the unfamiliar voice on the other end.

"Hi. Is Allen there?"

"Who is this?"

"I'm MJ. Who are you?"

"I'm Victoria, his girlfriend. Can I help you?"

"I just want to know if Allen is there. I need to talk to him."

"He's not in right now. He actually just left. Do you want to leave a message?" Deep down, she wanted to be rude but she knew that wasn't in her.

Victoria's sweet voice made her brush that thought off.

"Just tell him that MJ called. It's about t-the team and Coach Cheeks." She hung up and sat her phone on the nightstand before crying into her pillow.

She couldn't believe he moved on to someone different that quick.

For her to be 20 and pregnant with the child of a professional athlete, she knew it would be rough for her.

Her dad was right. Messing around with the players would end up with someone getting hurt.

•

"Meckenzy, wake up." She groaned and swatted the hand off of her face.

"I'm serious. Get up. We need to talk about our child." She slowly opened her eyes and glared at Allen before sitting up.

"You got some nerve showing up here. I seriously hate you right now. You can't even face me like a real man." He furrowed his eyebrows and reached for her hands, only to have her pull them back.

"What's the matter with you, girl?"

"Why don't you ask your girlfriend?" His face immediately fell once he realized he got caught.

The apologies started and she was fed up.

She wanted nothing to do with him.

"Just get out! You can't even lie right now! All I ever wanted was to be with you. Just to wake up to your face everyday. To have your last name and to have more of your kids." He looked away and cleared his throat before dabbing her tears away.

"I'm sorry. I'm really sorry. I don't love her. She's just a thing that went too far. I only want you. I don't know why she calls herself my girl. We aren't seeing each other anymore."

"Then why is she at your house? And why did she answer your phone!?" He stayed silent and she nodded with a sarcastic laugh.

"Get out of here! Go, Allen!" She pushed him away with all of her strength, making him hit the floor.

"We don't need you! You make me sick! I love you! Why can't you just love me back!?" She stood up and shook her head before walking over to the door.

"I have a doctor's appointment tomorrow. If you want to see your baby, show up. If not, I really don't care. When the baby is born, we're simply co-parenting. There's nothing between us anymore." She wiped her tears away and looked down as he walked out.

Heartbroken wasn't the word to describe how she felt at that moment.

She knew she had to move on and prepare for another storm to face.

That storm was her father.

-

This story is coming to an end soon, sadly. The next chapter is gonna be big.