Page 4 of Certified Pressure 4
He loaded my bags into the trunk, and we pulled off down the long driveway. I watched the mansion disappear behind me, the lights growing smaller and smaller until they were gone.
The ride to the jet felt like the longest drive of my life. My mind kept replaying the moment Pressure hit the ground, still in his white tux, the same one he was supposed to marry me in. I could still see the blood spreading across it under those hospital lights. I could feel my chest heaving as tears filled my eyes again.
“What have I done?” I whispered to myself.
The driver glanced in the mirror but didn’t say a word, and I was glad he didn’t.
When we arrived at the airstrip, I wiped my face and put my shades back on. I grabbed my bags and walked toward the jet, trying to keep my pace calm even though my legs felt weak. The flight crew spotted me right away. Their familiar smiles greeted me like everything was normal.
“Good evening, Mrs. Mensah,” one of the attendants said kindly.
My throat tightened. For a second, I couldn’t even respond. I just nodded and swallowed hard. “Evening,” I whispered. “I need to get to Halo Key.”
“Of course,” the attendant said with a smile. “We’ll have you there soon.”
I walked inside, and dropped into one of the seats, my body still trembling. I asked for champagne, hoping the bubbles would calm me down, but it didn’t. It only made my stomach feel heavier.
As the engines roared and the jet began to move, I looked out the window at the dark skyline of Trill-Land. The lights looked beautiful from up here, but all I could see was Pressure... The man I still loved. The man I shot.
Tears filled my eyes again, and I whispered to myself, “I’m sorry, Pressure. I ain’t mean it. I swear I ain’t mean it.”
The jet lifted off, climbing higher into the clouds, and carrying me farther from the beautiful life I tried to build here. I leaned back in my seat, gripping the armrest, and feeling the weight of what I’d done settling into my spirit.
No amount of money, jewelry, or distance could change what happened tonight. I shot the only man I ever truly loved, and now there was no turning back…
The House of Eternity
As I stood over Pressure’s body, it felt like my soul was sliding out of me. I could hear the sound of crying that came from somewhere behind me, but it all sounded far away, like the world had slowed down and left me behind. The man who used to walk in a room and make everybody fall quiet without saying a word was now lying cold in front of me.
His casket was gold with a clear glass top that looked too perfect, and too royal for something so cruel. The inside was lined with soft cream velvet, and stitched with gold thread that shimmered under the dimmed lights. White roses had been placed inside around his body, and they looked so beautiful it made my chest ache even more.
This wasn’t how Pressure was supposed to look. He wasn’t supposed to be still. He wasn’t supposed to be quiet. That wasn’t him at all.
He had on a black suit that was custom-made for him. The fabric hugged his broad shoulders and chest, and his gold jewelry glowed against his dark skin. His hair was wavy and perfect like he had just left the barber chair. His beard was fresh and trimmed to shape, and his lips were soft and full, like they always were when he smirked before saying something slick. If I stared long enough, I could almost see his chest rise.
But it never did…
I couldn’t breathe looking at him. I was holding Prestyn close… our son, the little life we made together. He was wrapped in a cream blanket trimmed in gold, the same shade as the casket, and his tiny face was pressed against my chest. His little hand twitched every few seconds, and I couldn’t stop crying thinking how much he looked like Pressure already. His nose, his skin, even the small crease between his eyebrows. He was his daddy all over again.
I could smell the flowers, I could hear people sobbing, and I could feel Abeni standing beside me. She looked like she had aged years overnight. Her long black gown flowed to the floor, and the gold jewelry around her neck and wrists shined every time she moved. Her eyes were red and tired, and for the first time since I met her, she looked lost. Kojo stood beside her with his arm around her shoulder, and his head slightly bowed. The two of them looked broken, standing over the body of their only child. I could feel their pain without even looking directly at them.
Zurie was right beside me, holding the edge of my dress. Her little voice came out light and shaky. “Why is Pressure asleep in a box?”
Just hearing her ask me that, made me freeze.
I turned my head and looked down at her. Her eyes were filled with confusion and tears. She had always been his little girl. He spoiled her, carried her on his shoulders, and taught her little things. He was her superhero.
“He’s just resting, baby,” I whispered, even though it almost broke me to say it.
Her bottom lip trembled, and she pressed her face against my leg. I bent down and kissed the top of her head, trying to hold myself together while every piece of me was falling apart.
Renza was across the aisle with his hands over his face, his shoulders shaking. Blaqson stood beside him, looking down, his chest rising heavy like he was holding in screams. I could see the guilt, the pain and disbelief all over them. Pressure was like their brother, and they couldn’t protect him from what happened.
Kay’Lo was standing beside Toni with dark shades covering his eyes. His jaw was tight, and his hand was gripping hers so hard she kept rubbing his back like she was trying to keep him calm. She whispered something to him, but he didn’t move. His whole body was tense, like if he spoke or moved too fast, he’d break down right there.
Everywhere I looked, people were hurting. Some had their heads bowed, others were hugging, some were praying under their breath. You could feel how much love there was for Pressure in that room, but it didn’t feel like enough to fill the space he left behind.
I looked down at him again and my tears fell onto the glass. I started whispering to him like he could still hear me. “You were supposed to stay. You told me you weren’t going nowhere.” My voice cracked, and I pressed my hand against the casket. “You promised me.”
