by Tiece
Hopefully, he won’t even pay any attention to it since he hadn’t seen it yet, Scarlett thought.
“Are you heading to bed too?” She asked, hoping that she would leave and she could run upstairs right quick to see what was the hold up with Luke coming right back.
“Yeah, I’m gonna get on outta here. I have to spend as much time with my husband as I can, because he’s always on call. If you stay with my son long enough to marry him, then you’ll understand what I’m talking about.” She said with a smile. “Good night, darling.”
“Good night, Mrs. Jones,” Scarlett said still twiddling her fingers. The thought of someday marrying Luke would be a dream come true, but with her secrets about to be exposed, that may never happen. No sooner than Mrs. Jones could get out of her eyesight, she stood to her feet to rush to Luke, but he was already making his way back down the stairs.
She froze. Lord, I hope he ain’t seen it. Lord, I hope he ain’t seen it. She thought, twiddling her fingers. Luke walked straight over to her.
“Is there something you want to tell me?” He asked with tears in his eyes. She knew that he’d seen the video. There was no question about it.
“Yes, that’s why I wanted to talk with you.”
“Well talk then.” He angrily insisted, trying to keep his voice down, because he knew that his parents were just down the hallway and he didn’t want to be disrespectful.
“I’ve not had a good upbringing, and so I—”
The vision of Scarlett fucking and sucking two nigga’s at once had him fucked up in the head. “SO YOU WHAT?” He cut in, but didn’t allow her to speak. “So you let two niggas fuck the hell outta you on a video?” He scratched his head, thinking about how she sucked a random nigga’s dick like it was her day and night job. “You actually let these nigga’s slut you out like that?”
“Baby, le’me explain,” she said, tears already running down her face.
“I don’t know if you can explain what I just saw.” He buried his face in his hands, biting down on his bottom lip, trying not to lose it on her. “I asked you good, if there was something that you needed to tell me. I gave you the opportunity to come clean with me more than once, and you didn’t.” A tear fell from his eyes. He was undeniably hurt and she knew it. A lump clogged her throat as she tried to speak, to say something, but nothing came out.
“If you would’ve just told me, I wouldn’t have even looked at it.” He sadly shook his head. “Damn, Red! I didn’t wanna see that shit!”
She cried, “I know, and I’m sorry.” Her words were falling on deaf ears.
“I knew it had to be something, being that April sent it then messaged me to make sure that I got it, then was so relentless in telling me that she knew something about you.” He held his head down, shaking it as if he was ashamed, but not for himself, for Scarlett. “Damn man,” he wept quietly for a moment as the video replayed in his mind.
She wanted to hug him, but he pushed her back. “Please, let me try to talk to you. I know it looks bad, but I’m not that person anymore,” she tried to explain.
Luke looked up at her. His eyes were red as fire. “Damn, now it’s all making sense to me. The story about the ugly duckling turned swan, the horrible upbringing, the low self-esteem,” he said, really needing to put the pieces together. “I wouldn’t have ever thought it was that bad.”
Scarlett cried; it was nothing else she could do.
“I fucked you raw because I thought you were a woman about her business, a clean female who didn’t fuck around like that. Boy, was I wrong.” He wiped his tears, trying his best to man up, but he loved her and couldn’t just make that feeling disappear.
Scarlett just stood there and cried like a baby. This was the moment she had dreaded, and it was finally here. “What can I do to make things right?” she asked.
Luke coldly stared at her. “Nothing,” he said. “I could never be with a woman like you. I’m sorry, but you have had way too much going on in your past for someone like me. I’m gonna be a doctor one day. I don’t need a wife walking beside me with a past like that. You are a disgrace to women.” He flat out stated then grabbed her by the arm.
“What are you doing?” she asked trying to free herself from his grip.
“I’m putting you out my house, and I suggest you leave quietly before I make a scene and cause my parents to come out. I’m sure it would make them just as sick to see what I just saw.”
“Please don’t do this,” she pleaded, with a string of snot running down her nose and unending tears continuing to fall.
“You did this, not me,” Luke said, opening up his front door with her arm still in his grip. He shoved her to push her outside. “AYE,” he called out to Nina. “Take your girl home and get her outta my sight!” Then just as quickly as he shoved her out the door, he disappeared back inside the house.
“What the fuck just happened?” Nina asked, still feeling tipsy from her one too many drinks.
“Please, let’s just go.” Scarlett was embarrassed, and still crying. Darius didn’t know what to think as he stood there lost as to what was going on. Scarlett ran to the car and hurriedly got inside.
Nina looked over at Darius. “I’ll call you later. I need to see what’s going on with Red.”
“I understand. Hell, I need to see what’s going on with Cuz, but we’ll talk,” Darius said as Nina got in the car to drive off and he headed inside the house to find out what had happened from Luke.
__________
Scarlett walked inside her house heartbroken, not knowing what to do. She’d explained what she could to Nina, and just wanted to be alone. The first man who ever loved her and treated her with respect had just walked out of her life. The sad thing about it was that it was all her fault.
She entered her bedroom and just stood there looking dazed. Then, with her back against the wall, she slid down until her ass reached the floor. She’d cried so much, until there were no more tears. She looked up at the ceiling for a little guidance.
“Father God, please tell me what to do next. I’m so confused and lost right now. It’s like I’ve worked on myself in trying to be a better person, and I’ve tried so hard to let go of my past, but my past won’t let go of me. Please Father God, send me a sign.” She sat there as the ringing of her phone broke the silence in the air. She immediately answered.
“Hello,” she said, hoping it was Luke and that this was a good sign.
“Hey sexy,” Greg greeted her. She was shocked that out of all times when she asked for a sign, he’d be the one to call her.
“Hey Greg,” she responded in a low tone.
“You sound sad, baby girl. Is everything okay?” Scarlett sniffed in the phone. She was trying to hold back her tears.
“Yeah, I’m fine, babe,” she responded.
He could sense something wrong with her. “Are you sure you’re okay?”
“Yeah,” she said with a soft sniff. “So what made you call me?” she asked, knowing that Greg rarely made phone calls; only text messages from his private line.
“I had to hear your voice.” He responded then sat quietly for a moment, not knowing how to tell her the real reason why he had called.
“Question is are you okay?” Scarlett asked also sensing that something was up with him.
He cleared his throat, trying to build up the courage to let her down easy. “I’m sorry I have to make this call, but I’m gonna have to fall back.” Scarlett wasn’t the least bit surprised, since Mrs. Grand was so closely riding his ass.
“Is this because of the other night?” She hadn’t spoken to Greg since she’d seen him at the park.
“Yes,” he admitted. “Felicia has been really tripping. Good thing you weren’t in your car, because she was trying to figure out whose car was ahead of me.”
“Are you serious?” Scarlett asked, feeling really tense by this point.
“She’d even figured out that it was a rental car, from the out of town tag on it.”
“Damn,” she whispered shaking her head.
“But I kept insisting that I was only chilling at the park to clear my mind, and I just so happened to pull out behind that car. I had no clue of who was in it, but she ain’t buying it. She’s gone crazy, baby. She even admitted that she’d paid a private detective to follow me, but then called him off because she was afraid of what he might tell her.”
“Are you serious? Oh my God, if she would’ve done that.”
“I know,” Greg said. “I don’t know why she’s so paranoid. She’s never caught me doing anything, but she always rides me like she knows something.”
Scarlett felt sick to her stomach. “Wow,” was all she could muster up.
“I’m so sorry about this. You off all people should know that I don’t want to do this, but I have to protect you if nothing else. If Felicia finds out that I’m seeing you—”
“I already know how that could turn out.” She cut in.
“I’m gonna stop putting money on your debit card for now.”
“Really,” Scarlett said feeling like her world was crashing down around her.
“But, I’m gonna give you a raise. Since you handle payroll anyway, Sheila shouldn’t find out about it, but if she does then I’ll come up with something. Otherwise, if you need anything, just let me know, and I’ll make sure you get it some kind of way. I just have to stop everything that I’ve been doing and lay low for a while. I hope you understand.”
Scarlett was sad, but knew that Mrs. Grand could never find out that she’d been fucking her husband or the shit was really going to hit the fan. “I understand.”
“Well, I’ll see you tomorrow at work.” He said. “I guess for now that’ll be my only highlight of the day.”
“Not tomorrow, I have something personal going on.” she responded.
He could tell that she was a bit hurt about the situation, so he just wanted to end it now before it got too hard to walk away. “Just handle your business baby, and I’ll see you when you come in.”
“Okay,” she said then ended the call. She was hurt about Luke calling things off, and now disappointed that Greg was also doing the same thing. Tears started to fall again, but she wiped them, trying to keep her composure.
“Father God, I don’t know if your sign is testing me or not, but I gotta be honest here. I can’t handle any more of your tests right now.”
She stood to her feet because she’d heard chatter coming from Anton’s room. “I just need to feel love from somebody.” She said, walking toward his room. She was so outdone with the way things had played out in so little time, that she didn’t know what to do.
“I don’t believe that this night could get any worse,” she sighed, knocking lightly then opening Anton’s room door. Immediately she gasped for air, putting her hand over her mouth.
Anton and Tommy were sitting on his bed with an open suitcase full of money and five blocks of cocaine stacked beside them. Scarlett was speechless as she directed her attention to Tommy, who had blood splatter on his shirt and a 9mm in his lap. The look of fear immediately crept in as the spooked looked in Anton’s eyes frightened her.
“Oh my God,” she whispered. “It just has.”
Chapter 18
Scarlett sat at Nina’s kitchen table. She was speechless for a change. She’d had one of the craziest, most unimaginable forty-eight hours of her life. She thought about her past that had ruined any chance of her ever having a decent relationship with a man of Luke’s caliber. She sighed any time she thought about Luke. He was the sweetest, most humble guy she’d ever met, and thanks to her poor decisions, he walked right out of her life just as quickly as he came.
She folded her arms while sliding down in the chair just enough to rest her head back. Nina looked over at her as she put the bacon on the George Forman.
“You okay, Red?” she asked.
“Uh-huh…” Scarlett lightly murmured.
Nina continued to prepare breakfast, but she knew that Scarlett was deeply saddened about her and Luke’s break-up.
“It’s gonna be alright, Red. I know you’re sad and hurt, but if Luke really loves you then he’ll come back.” She was sure of it.
“You just don’t know the half of it. It got worse after you put me out.”
“Hell, what could be worse than you and Luke breaking up?” she nosily asked.
Scarlett closed her eyes shut. The thought of Anton and Tommy’s devious deeds had her fucked up in the head. She knew that Gwen was a poor excuse for a mother, but Anton was on the road to recovery. How could her little brother do such a crazy thing? She never thought she’d see the day when he and his crazy ass best friend would be caught up in something so messy. She heavily sighed, folding her arms… then unfolding them again.
“Red,” Nina called out while stirring the grits. “Do I have to beat it out you?”
“No,” Scarlett responded.
“Talk then,” Nina demanded.
“I don’t know where to begin.”
“It doesn’t matter what comes out first, as long as something comes out.” She lifted the top on the George Forman to check the bacon. “I just can’t take all the fidgeting, and all this crazy ass huffing and puffing you’re giving me this morning.”
“Okay, okay…” Scarlett responded. “First off, you know Luke broke things off with me first. Well, to top it off, Greg did the same thing.”
Nina frowned. “Huh? What the fuck happened with Greg?”
“Mrs. Grand happened.” Scarlett commented.
“Meaning?”
“Well, remember I told you about the night when she whipped up in the park and cut him off.”
“Yeah,” she responded.
“Ever since then, he’s been on pins and needles because she’s watching him like a hawk. She had even hired a detective to follow him.”
“Shut the FUCK UP!” Nina burst out.
“But she called it off because she was afraid of what she might find out.”
“That bitch is crazy, huh?”
“Yeah, tell me about it.” Scarlett said just as Marc, came walking into the kitchen.
“Hey Auntie,” he spoke.
“Hey Marc,” Scarlett spoke back. “Somebody got a birthday this weekend.” she teased.
Marc smiled because he was going to turn twelve years old, and he smelled his musk already.
“Yeah, and he wants an X-Box 360 and two games to go with it. Chile, that shit is too high and I know Rick broke ass ain’t chipping in to help me with nothing.”
“Well, you should get it for him. I’ll help all I can, because he does good in school and he’s a pretty good kid.” Scarlett responded.
“KID Auntie?” Marc groaned. “I’ll be closer to an adult than I would be a kid.”
Scarlett and Nina burst out laughing. “My bad, nephew,” Scarlett said. “I didn’t mean to disrespect you. I know how it is to be twelve years old.” She thought about losing her virginity at thirteen, but she had already been tampered with by one of Gwen’s drug buddies at the age of twelve. “I just want you to enjoy this period of life, because before you know it, you’ll be grown with bills of your own.”
“I keep tryna tell him.” Nina stated, gently hitting him upside his head since he’d snuck a piece of bacon. “Get outta here! That bacon is for breakfast, not for you to eat it all up right now.”
Marc playfully kissed his mother on the cheek and hurried out of the kitchen.
Scarlett shook her head and grinned. “That boy is a mess.”
“Who you telling,” Nina responded. “Coming in here interrupting us… now go on with your story. I wanna know what the hell happened.”
It didn’t take Scarlett long to think of where she left off. “Yeah well, long story short, Greg called it off after explaining to me why we couldn’t continue to see each other. I know he’s only trying to protect me, and the only thing I can do is respect it and keep it moving.” She looked at Nina sadly. “But it hurts to be dumped
twice in one night, especially by the only two men who ever truly cared for me.”
Nina felt bad for her. “Damn Red, I can only imagine.” She commented, holding a bowl containing the egg yolk she was stirring. Scarlett looked sadly at her best friend. “Damn, you need to do something with those big puppy dog eyes before you make me start crying in this bitch.”
“I’m sorry. It’s just so much shit going on.” She shook her head. “After Greg broke things off with me, the night got even crazier.”
Nina raised a concerned eyebrow. “Don’t you give me too much in one day,” she said. Scarlett didn’t know where to begin. “Tell me girl. I can’t take this suspense.”
“Well you can certainly say that I saved the worst for last.”
“What the hell?” Nina asked.
“Brace yourself,” she started. “So after Greg calls it off, all I want to do is be in some good company or I was gonna for sure lose my mind. And since I heard Ant talking in his room, I decided to take my sad ass in there for a little cheering up.
“And,” Nina anxiously commented.
“And… Tommy is sitting on the bed holding a gun with blood splattered on his shirt.”
“Shut the fuck up bitch!” Nina shouted.
“YES! You heard me, and not only that, they got a small suitcase full of money sitting on the bed beside them.” Nina took in a deep breath. She couldn’t imagine what Scarlett would say next. “Apparently, they robbed Troy last night and Tommy shot Slim.”
“Who did what now and shot who now?” She was past confused. “Are you talking Troy with the pretty boy swag, the kingpin around this neck of the woods?” she questioned.
“Yes, that’s the Troy I’m talking about.”
“I told your ass not to give me too much!” Nina exclaimed. She was shocked, to say the least.
“I know, right.”
“Well, what the hell, I mean, who shot who again?” She had so many questions but her mind was cluttered.
“From what they explained to me, it was supposed to be a sweet lick. They had a key made to Troy’s house, and were able to get in and out with the suitcase of money and five blocks.”
