The Retired Queenpin

Introduction

I was 13 when I met Niko, I was 15 when I started to fall in love with him, and I was 15 when he disappeared. I was 17 when I met Noah, I was 18 when I got pregnant with his child then miscarried, I was 19 when we broke up. I was 19 when Niko reappeared and we started to date, 20 when I got pregnant with his children, 21 when we got engaged, 22 when we got married. Now I'm 26 on the road to a divorce. Why? Because he cheated and he's been cheating on me.

I was on the verge of killing him when I caught them in my bed together. Doing it while my children were in the house. I stood and watched them for a good five minutes then I turned on my heel and headed for my gun stash in the basement. Some would say that I wasn't in my right mind, but I was. I knew exactly what I was doing. I grabbed the diamond studded Bretta that I had retired 5 years ago into my hand and raced back up the stairs quietly. I stood in the door, cocked my gun and shot at the head board. They quickly broke apart. Niko looked at me wide eyed.

"Liyah, what are you doing home?"

"Shut up."

"He didn't want you to find out this way..."

I turned the gun on her and glared. "I said shut up!"

"Sweets, put the gun down." Niko stood up and began to walk towards me.

"Shut the fuck up!" I screamed. They both froze. "Get out. Both of you get the fuck out."

They scattered grabbing their clothes and ran out. Or so I thought. When I walked down the stairs after showering and crying some, Niko sat at the bar. He looked up when he heard my footsteps.

"I told you to leave."

"I'm sorry, L."

"I don't want your sorry ass apology."

I just couldn't grasp the concept of why men just kept screwing me over when they knew exactly who I was and what I was capable of. Aaliyah Daniels was the person people feared not screwed over. Niko knew what I went through with Noah and now he'd done it to me too.

Was I not attractive? Was I not a good wife? Was I not a great mother to his children? Including little Trevor who wasn't mine. I stared at him. He had gotten her pregnant.. he had been sleeping with her behind my back. Now I understood the late nights, the distant demeanor towards me, never being around to watch the kids when I had a photo shoot or an out of state game.

"Why?" Was all I could ask... my heart was shattered. I loved Niko with every fiber of my being and he cheated on me.

"I don't know."

I looked up at him and a lone tear ran down my cheek. I grabbed the keys to my Aston and left. The worst thing about it is that he didn't chase after me.

I drove to the only place I could, the person who I had become good friends with after we buried the Hatchet, Noah. I knocked on his door and he opened it.

"Why are you visiting so late, Liyah? Where are the rest of your clothes, it's freezing outside?"

I walked into the house and rummaged through his liquor cabinets. Hennessy. Hennessy. Hennessy.

I spotted the bottle and pulled it out of the cabinet, instead of getting a glass I drunk straight from the bottle.

Noah watch as I downed most of the bottle then snatched it from me. He knew I didn't care to drink strong liquor unless something was wrong.

"He cheated on me with her and now she's pregnant, 1 month pregnant. They've been messing around for months." A sob ripped through me and I fell to my knees. I was hurting. My heart was hurting.

"Make me feel better, Noah. Please." I sniffled. I grabbed the tie on my robe and pulled it apart. I shrugged the rest of my robe of and it puddled at my knees. I watched as Noah's eyes glazed over with Lust.

"Aaliyah, you don't know what you're asking. You're drunk and mad at your husband."

"Please. Just once."

He nodded and picked me up carrying me to his bedroom.

Noah made love to me that night and that morning I didn't regret it. I wouldn't let myself regret it.