To The Woman He Loves 2

by Theresa Hodge

"She’s fine, thanks," Ronan answered, stepping in front of me. I could tell he was bothered by the sudden appearance of this burly man.

  The man stepped out of his car and walked toward us. Standing about six feet three, he stood toe to toe with Ronan. "That’s good to know, sir. But I wasn’t talking to you. I’d like to hear from the lady," he said. I stepped beside Ronan and the man looked at me for the okay. "Is this guy bothering you, ma'am? Is he the reason you frantically ran out into the road just a few minutes ago?" he asked.

  Ronan turned to me and inspected me. “Are you okay, Ruby?” he asked and I nodded. Then, he turned back to the stranger. "She’s fine. Of course, I'm not bothering her.”

  “Again, I asked the lady.”

  “I’m fine,” I finally said with half a smile.

  “This is my wife, sir, and, with all due respect, she doesn’t need your assistance or anything else you have to offer. You can be going now," Ronan said, getting offended by the man's protective stance and questioning.

  “Just checking on the lady, sir. I’m sure you can understand why I would make sure that a pretty lady like this, who was all flustered and running out of the building like somebody was after her, is okay.”

  "Sir, I appreciate you for checking on me but I’m fine, and yes, this is my husband," I said, stepping in between the two men to diffuse a potential confrontation. "Thanks again for making sure I’m alright and for not hitting me," I added with a full smile.

  The man smiled back at me. "I wouldn’t hit you pretty lady. You gave me quite a scare there, though. I guess I’ll be going, since this is a family matter, but it would only be right for me to turn around and check on you."

  "Thanks so much for that. The world needs more men like you. I probably would've gotten hit by someone else, if you didn't stop," I said, offering a genuine smile of appreciation.

  "Well, if you need anything...anything," the man said as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a business card. "You give me a call. My name is Darryl. I own my own little restaurant down the street. It would be nice if you could stop by and have some lunch or something one day," he said as he reached his hand out to me with a business card that read Darryl’s Chicken and Biscuits.

  "I’ll take that," Ronan said snatching the card before it touched my hand. "When my wife wants lunch from your little restaurant, I’ll be sure to bring her there. Which is highly unlikely," Ronan sneered at Darryl.

  "Aight guy.” Darryl let out an easy chuckle. “...ain't nothing wrong with a little promoting," Darryl said with a huge smile. "Plus, I had to see if the lady was okay, seeing as how she was so distraught. She looked like her world was crumblin’ at her feet. I can't imagine that you'd let such a pretty little lady that’s in your care feel that way," Darryl added, seeming to challenge Ronan with his words and demeanor.

  "Again, thanks for helping her. Do you need anything else?" Ronan asked with a raised brow.

  "Nah man, but with a sweet little thing like her walking around, all I can say is you’d betta keep your eye on her."

  "Get back in your car before I stuff you in it and hand you your ass," Ronan said, stepping closer to the man.

  "That's cute, white boy! You act just like a little boy whose mistreating his lady. You wanna get all ballsy with me, while you need to figure out why your lady is standing over there crying," Darryl said to Ronan. "Miss Lady, whenever you need a real man to talk to, my restaurant is right down the street. Darryl’s Chicken and Biscuits," he turned his attention to me. “My cooking will bring a smile to that pretty face of yours for sho.” He gave me a wink.

  Darryl was nowhere near as refined as Ronan, yet everything about him was all gentleman. He didn’t even know me, but he was attempting to be my protector. I found his actions noble and his personality a bit humorous.

  “Thank you, sir. I sure will patronize your restaurant one day soon,” I said, waving at him as he left.

  Ronan’s fists were balled into a knot. His eyes never left Darryl as Darryl walked away and got into his SUV. I used this opportunity to open my door and crank my car. As I drove away, I heard Ronan screaming my name. In the rearview, I saw him running behind my car.

  I didn’t care if he yelled until his voice went out or ran until his legs broke. Until I could make sense of what was happening to our marriage, I didn’t intend to talk to him…then or anytime soon.

  Chapter 9

  Ruby

  “Shauntay, thank you for inviting me,” I said, sighing as I looked around her cozy home that was filled with so much love…like mine used too.

  “You never have to thank me for inviting you over here, Ruby. You should already know that you are welcomed here anytime without an invitation,” replied Shauntay as my eyes filled with tears once again.

  I hadn’t been able to stop the tears since I went to Ronan’s office unannounced yesterday. The day all hell broke loose and I confronted Misty Crewe for the first time. Me and the kids spent the night in a hotel room registered under my sister’s name, so Ronan couldn’t easily track me down.

  “I know I never need to be invited,” I responded in an emotion-filled voice thickened by the tears clogged in my throat.

  “I’m really sorry that you’re going through such a difficult time with Ronan. I was sure you two could work through his affair. Although I’m mad as fuck at him right now, I wanted you both to work things out for Yasmine and Benedict’s sake,” Shauntay said before handing me a couple of Kleenexes from the box on the table before us.

  “I thought I would be able to work things out with him too. That was before Misty—” The ringing of Shauntay’s doorbell stopped me in mid-sentence. The doorbell gave me a moment’s reprieve before having to rip my already wounded heart open again.

  “Hold that thought,” she said in a gentle voice, before walking out to answer her front door.

  I could hear Serenity’s loud voice, when she entered the house. She became louder as they walked towards the living room. She was yet again talking about how she needed to get laid or she wasn’t going to be able to fit into her jeans for much longer. I rolled my eyes up towards the ceiling. I really didn’t have the patience to be bothered with Serenity today of all days.

  “Look who’s here Ruby,” Shauntay said as she walked back into the room. She was followed closely by Serenity who carried a plastic bag in her hand.

  “Hello Ruby,” Serenity extended a cordial greeting to me. I lifted my brow in surprise, noting the first thing out of her mouth wasn’t something smart.

  “Hi,” I returned her greeting in a dry tone of voice.

  “Look what Serenity brought with her,” Shauntay said with a pleasant smile on her face, and held up a bottle of wine. “I am one lucky woman. Both of my friends, whom I love dearly, are here with me today. Let me get us some wine glasses, so I can pour us some,” she said and walked towards her kitchen.

  Serenity took a seat directly across from me. I looked at her as she assessed me.

  “How are you doing, Ruby?” she asked me in a sympathetic voice.

  I couldn’t take the pity exuding from Serenity’s eyes. I covered my face in shame as my shoulders began to tremble. I burst into gut-wrenching tears. Serenity moved with keenness and sat down beside me. She pulled me into her arms. The animosity I had felt for Serenity fell to the wayside, as she comforted me.

  “Ruby!” Shauntay entered the room. The wine glasses clanked loudly as she sat the three glasses down on the table. She sat down on the sofa on the other side of me and rubbed my back in a soothing fashion. “Let it all out, sweetheart…let the pain out. Don’t dare leave it inside to fester. We are here for you,” Shauntay said.

  After about fifteen minutes, my tears seemed to be finally spent. I blew my nose on the wad of tissues in my hand. Shauntay poured us all a glass of wine as we all sat in silence for a minute longer.

  “I saw Misty Crewe when I went to talk to Ronan at his office yesterday. I was ready to lay the foundation for forgiveness of his affair before
I saw her. And, I had wanted him to forgive me for keeping my secret of my illness from him.”

  “Oh Ruby, what happened when you saw her? What did Ronan say with both of you in the same room?” Shauntay seethed her questions out.

  “At first, it was just the two of us talking. We talked for a long time. He was glad to see me after I called him and told him to meet me at his office. He begged for my forgiveness and pledged his undying love for me. I know you may think I’m stupid, but I looked at him and I didn’t see a cheater. I saw my husband, and we made love,” I said looking at Shauntay.

  “Ruby, you are not stupid for wanting your husband. I would never say that,” Shauntay assured me. I looked at Serenity and she held her hands up in a neutral gesture.

  “I was ready to forgive him for everything and put our family back together again, Shauntay. I almost fell for Ronan’s lies until his mistress showed up and described in detail how Ronan fucked her every chance he got right there in his office. She said her juices were probably still all over Ronan’s desk. I had my hands on the desk when she said it,” I said in disgust. I could feel the insides of my stomach churning at the thought.

  “No, that bitch didn’t,” ground out Serenity. “Please tell me you put an ass whooping on her that would last a lifetime,” she continued in an angry tone.

  “I’m not going to lie. I snapped and reacted before I knew it, after she revealed Ronan went up into her raw, again and again, and her description of him proclaiming how good she tasted on his lips. He had to be emotionally invested in her to go all up into her raw like that and put his mouth on her so intimately. He didn’t think about all kinds of diseases he could have exposed me to! I’ve never been so angry in my life,” I said, “so yes, I slapped the taste out of her mouth and his too. I freely gave out slaps yesterday and don’t have any regrets for doing so.”

  “That’s my girl,” said Shauntay in an equally angry voice. “I can’t believe the nerve of that bitch to walk up in there talking shit. And Ronan, his ass is as good as grated the next time I see him!”

  “Men are dogs, and some women are just scandalous in that way. I think the bitch got off easy. I would have been sitting inside somebody’s jail, if it had been me, Ruby. That homewrecker should have been leaving that office in a box. No offense to how you handled it though…I’m just saying,” Serenity put in her two cents.

  “No offense taken, Serenity. In hindsight, I could have done more to her, but what would it accomplish? I’d still be sitting here, or in jail, balling my eyes out about how messed up my life has become. Ronan is the one who wrecked our marriage,” I said before gulping down the remnants of my wine in my glass. “I can’t stand the sight of him right now. I need some space.”

  “And Ronan is going to be at home a lot. Mark called me and told me that Jacob put him on an indefinite vacation after the scene that happened in the office with you and Misty. So, you know, you can always stay here with Mark and me. That’s a given,” Shauntay offered.

  “I want so badly to get off this rollercoaster ride. But no, I don’t want to bring trouble to you and Mark’s door again. I need to be somewhere, where he won’t think to look for me. Maybe I can find a small apartment to hole up in until I get my head screwed on right.”

  “Yeah, get your head together and take his ass to the bank!” Serenity said with passion.

  A smile teased the corners of my lips as she reached her hand out to me for a hand clap. I touched my hand to hers. “I have no clue where this will end. I just need time alone to think it all through.”

  “Ruby, it’s not a good idea for you to be alone,” Shauntay said with a voice filled with concern.

  “I have no other choice,” I replied.

  “What about your kids?” asked Serenity.

  “I will take them with me,” I responded.

  “I don’t think that’s a good idea, for Benedict and Yasmine to be holed up in a hotel room or cooped up in an apartment. They need to maintain the stabilization of a home environment, something as close to what they had before. They need to be able to run outside and play in wide big open spaces, without worrying about what you and Ronan are going through,” Shauntay argued.

  “Hmmm, I have an idea,” Serenity said as her eyes lit up. “Ruby, I know you and I may have had our differences in the past. Honestly, I don’t dislike you. We just have, for some reason, rubbed each other the wrong way in the past. Maybe you see a little of yourself in me or something,” Serenity teased. “Or maybe not. That’s beside the point,” she continued with a serious tone of voice. “You can stay with me. Ronan will never think to look for you at my place. He thinks we don’t get along.”

  My eyebrows rose in surprise at Serenity’s generous offer. If I were to be honest, I didn’t hate Serenity either. Everything I had been going through made me lash out at Serenity. Her bubbly, carefree attitude had always been an easy target.

  “Hey, that’s a great idea!” agreed Shauntay. “Benedict and Yasmine can stay here with me and Mark. That way they won’t suspect anything is going on. They will have a stabilized home environment and the plus side is they love it here. They will also be glad to be around baby Joy,” she added.

  I sat between Shauntay and Serenity as they discussed the details of me having a place to stay while taking some much-needed time away from Ronan…The man who broke my heart in more ways than one.

  “What do you say, Ruby?” Serenity asked breaking into my thoughts.

  “If you two are sure me and my children won’t be an imposition on you, I accept both of your offers,” I replied looking between the two.

  “There is no imposition on my part,” said Shauntay. “You know how much Mark and I love your kids. They are our family as are you.”

  I looked over at Serenity. It seemed her offer was sincere as well, by the friendly smile she bestowed upon me and the open invitation in her eyes.

  “Am I going to need a dictionary while you’re at my house? I assume by imposition you mean are you going to be any trouble? In that case, no. I welcome your company,” said Serenity with a warm smile.

  “No, you are not going to need a dictionary,” I said on a giggle. “But are you absolutely sure you want me in the way?” I asked Serenity again.

  “I’m positive I want you there, and you won’t be in the way,” she replied. “Besides, what are friends for?” she added.

  “I’ll drink to that!” Shauntay exclaimed before pouring the rest of the wine into our glasses.

  “Thank you both,” I said to my friends.

  I didn’t know how I was going to find the strength to leave Ronan, but I knew I must, if I wanted to keep my sanity and be a strong mother for my children. My children needed me the most—healthy, whole and happy, even if it was without Ronan, the love of my life, their father, by my side.

  Chapter 10

  Ronan

  For the fifth time tonight, I could see the bottom of my liquor glass. Each time I filled my glass to the brim, not wanting to waste one drop of space in the glass on air. I allowed the heat from my favorite rum to be used as a crutch. It burned my chest and fogged my mind, causing the state of my marriage to slip into a nook of my existence. The alcohol rendered the fog thicker with every moment that passed. I fell deeper and deeper into the sanctuary of the warm contents of my glass, until finally I reached the effect I desired – numbness.

  Sure, I could have responded to Ruby leaving me again like the man of means I am: beat the pavement, threaten, demand, or hire someone to bring her back to me. I could rise like the phoenix raging inside of me and rattle Ruby’s friends’ and family’s cages until they bent to my will. If I were persistent enough, I could have Ruby back in my bed tonight, where she belongs, but that’s not what I was feeling. What I felt like doing was kicking myself in the butt with another glass of liquor. I felt like liquor was the only thing that comforted me and made me not want to end it all.

  I’d rather be basking in the sweet warmth between my precious Ru
by’s bosom. Deep within her comforting presence was where I desired to be the most. Her sweet sex still lingered on my body as I lie on the sofa. I didn’t even care to shower since yesterday. I wanted her essence to remain with me for as long as possible. Ruby had opened herself to me like an exquisite flower at bloom, the same way she did when we first fell in love.

  After my acting like a complete jerk for the past three months, she was still willing to spread her flower and offer her sweet, rare jewel to me, trusting that I would protect her heart going forward. The most wondrous feel of her precious slick heat had enveloped me as understanding of my transgressions gripped my heart and made me want to prove myself to her, once again. I vowed with each stroke that I was a man after her own heart. I tried with all my might to thrash out the lies I told her about Misty, with each stroke inside Ruby’s slippery core. If it wasn’t for Misty barging in my office and running her mouth, my most sweet Ruby would be cradled in my arms right now, instead of this bottle of rum.

  The thought of having the ball in my court, only to lose it, caused me to take another gulp of from my glass. I had taken advantage of the opportunity Ruby gave me and went in for the most gratifying slam dunk ever known to man as I replanted my love inside her sweet body, while in the confines of my office.

  When Misty barged in and unearthed our secrets, she ripped any thoughts of reconciliation with Ruby to pieces. She so eagerly laid out the sordid details of our affair for Ruby’s delicate ears to hear. When I looked into Ruby’s eyes, I saw her heart breaking. The pain in her heart ricocheted straight back to my own.

  I didn’t dare hunt her down after she drove off, looking back at me in her rear-view mirror with so much hurt in her eyes. I couldn’t stand to see that hurt again. I wanted her to come back to me when she was ready, of her own free will.

  I took another gulp from my sixth glass of rum and coughed from the fire of the liquid sliding down my chest. The burning in my chest caused my broken heart to slow down its pace. Woes slowly escaped my ability to grasp them fully.