by Tina Martin
“Good morning, Wyatt.”
“How are you this morning?”
“I’m okay. I think.” I smile, then close my eyes, pull in a long breath of him. “Thanks for being there for me last night. I couldn’t have done it without you.”
“I’m just glad I could be there,” he says. “And where is your phone, by the way? I called you like a million times.”
“Sorry. I broke my phone. Intentionally.”
“Why?”
“Darnell called and told me he wasn’t coming. Said something came up and I got upset and threw my phone to the wall.”
“We’ll have to go and get one for you later, then.”
“Okay.”
“As a matter of fact, why don’t we go out for breakfast? Then we’ll swing by the cell phone store afterwards.”
“Alright. Um, did you leave some clothes here?”
“I’m sure I left something,” he says, lifting the cover and scooting to the edge of the bed. Then he stands and looks down at me. “Won’t take me long to get ready.”
“What are you trying to say?” I ask, smiling. “Won’t take me long, either.”
“If you say so, sweetheart.”
CHAPTER 25
Sitting in the restaurant at a two-seater booth, we have our breakfast in front of us and I swear we have the best waitress in the South. We silently consume our meals for a moment, then I catch Wyatt staring at me.
“Yes?”
“Nothing,” he responds.
“I’ve been thinking...I don’t think my father died of natural causes.”
Wyatt frowns. “Why do you say that?”
“Because he was too young, in my opinion, to die of natural causes. I think he died of a broken heart. He suffered for so many years and self-medicated with alcohol when he should’ve been treated for depression.”
Wyatt nods. “I tried to get him to see a doctor. He refused. I did, however, manage to talk him into going to some AA meetings.”
“I know.”
“How do you know that?” he asks.
“He sort of told me. Did you happen to see the DVD he made?”
“No. I knew he was making one for you, though. But he was very adamant about it being for your eyes only.”
I take a sip of coffee.
“So did you watch it?” he asks.
“I watched it last night before you came over.”
“And?”
“Well, I was surprised to see that he had changed. He looked really good.”
“Yeah. He was changing. His plan was to eventually work his way back into your life, but—”
“He didn’t have a chance to.”
“Right,” he says softly.
“He told me to let you know that he loves you like a son.”
I watch his sad face transform into a happy one. A small smile touches his lips.
“I know. He used to tell me that all the time.”
“Really?”
“Yeah, but it was more like a gruff, love ya son, whenever I came by to visit him.”
“That’s a big difference from when we were teenagers, huh? He used to call you white boy.”
Wyatt chuckles. “I remember that. Your father and I actually had some good laughs over it.”
“I bet.”
Wyatt chugs his glass of juice and afterwards says, “So are you ready to go get a phone?”
“Yes. Let’s get out of here.”
CHAPTER 26
We end up going to a cell phone store at Hanes Mall. I didn’t want to go to the mall because of the bad memory I have in this place, courtesy of Wyatt’s mother, but he wants to go there. Says we could hang out like old times, and we do.
First off, it takes nearly an hour just to get a phone, which Wyatt felt he had to pay for, and then we shop for a while, just shooting the breeze together.
The thing that bothers me about this time we’re spending together is, he doesn’t bring up the fact that we were at each other’s throats a week ago. That he packed his bags and left me. That he told me he would finally be putting an end to our marriage by filing divorce papers. He doesn’t say a word about it. It’s just swept under the rug and we’re both avoiding the subject. In fact, anyone looking at us would probably assume that we’re a couple in love, especially since he grabbed and held onto my hand as we walked, interlocking our fingers and swinging our arms back and forth.
When he first reached for my hand, I thought he was being reminiscent, adding to the nostalgia we both feel as we relive certain aspects of our childhood. But when he hadn’t let go, I knew it was more than that. Even still, I’m almost certain that, when he takes me back to my father’s house, he won’t stay. He’ll drop me off and leave me alone to my thoughts.
* * *
When we arrive back at my father’s house, Wyatt, like a gentleman, grabs all of my bags and follows me to the door. Of course I would go to a mall that I didn’t even want to go to and come out with five bags. Standing behind me at the door, he comments about how I forgot to leave a light on. In my defense, I didn’t expect to be out with him so late. I thought we were only going to get breakfast and a phone then come right back. The mall was his idea.
After I get the door unlocked, he brings in the bags, leaving them on the sofa in the living room.
“Thanks, Wyatt.”
“You’re welcome.”
He stands there for a moment and while he does, I unzip my jacket and toss it on a chair, catching his eyes as they rake over my entire body. Instead of trying to take off his jacket, the same jacket he draped around my shoulders last night, he just stands there, waiting to make his exit. I know he wants to leave. On the ride here, I could feel him distancing himself from me, not even wanting to talk to me. Even after we’d spent the entire day together, he didn’t have much to say in the car and then I knew he was withdrawing – not wanting to get his hopes up for fear of being shot down again.
“Well, I’m going to go.” He turns away and heads for the front door without even waiting for me to respond.
“Wyatt, where are you going?” I ask, trying to remove the desperation from my voice but I fail terribly, and I’m not ashamed that I did because I want him to stay. I need him to stay.
He turns to look at me and responds, “I’m going home.”
“Do you have to go?”
He stares at me for a long moment. I can only imagine what’s going through his mind. “I don’t have to go. I need to.” He turns his back to me and takes a few more steps to the door.
“Wyatt,” I say, walking quickly to catch up to him. I wrap my arms around his torso and rest my head against his back. “Please don’t go.”
When I feel him begin to turn around, I let go of him.
Staring at me, standing so close that our heartbeats sync, he places his hands against the sides of my face and angles my head up towards him. “Sweetheart, I can’t stay—”
“Wyatt, please,” I beg. “I can’t stand being apart from you for another minute. Please don’t leave me.”
He grimaces, looks a bit agitated finally says, “Baby, if I stay, I can’t promise that I’ll be able to keep my hands off of you.”
He doesn’t say a word more. He prefers to let his actions do the talking as he kisses me. Then we make love, and I remember all the reasons why we were so perfect together, which is probably the reason why we’re still married – we belong together.
Resting now, I glance over at him and say, “Wyatt.”
“Yes, lover.”
“Why did you start calling me, angel?”
“You don’t remember?”
I prop my head up so I can see his face. “No, I don’t.”
“Okay, well, it all goes back to the ham and cheese sandwich.”
“Really, Wyatt. That far back? Freshmans in high school...”
“Yeah. And you know what? Now that I think about it, I never told you the story of how you came to be my angel. So here goes...” he says stroking my hair. “When yo
u came outside toting your lunch tray and offered me half of your sandwich, you were standing in a ray of sunlight and it was so bright that I couldn’t see your face. That day, you became my angel. You reached out to me to be my friend when no one else would, and I never forgot that. I never will forget that, Geneva. You will always be my sweet angel.”
I smile, kiss his chest and lay my head flat against it again.
CHAPTER 27
In the morning, I see him again, my king, lying naked under the covers next to me. Strands of his dark brown hair falls over his forehead and I rake them back.
“Good morning, Wyatt.”
He smiles. It’s the happiest I’ve seen him since our reconnection a month ago. “Good morning, Geneva.”
“You look happy,” I tell him.
“I am,” he responds. “You know what would make me even happier?”
“What’s that?”
“If I could wake up every morning to your beautiful face.”
“Every morning?” I quip.
“Yes. Every...single...morning,” he says between kisses.
I smile and say, “That would be nice. Very nice.” I kiss the tip of his nose, then leave a peck on his lips. “So what are our plans for the day?”
“I don’t know. I really don’t care what we do as long as I’m with you.”
Man...he’s laying it on thick, and I love it. “Um...how about breakfast?”
“How about we cook breakfast together after we take a shower…together?”
“That sounds good.”
In the kitchen now, we’re sitting down at the table eating after we cooked a simple breakfast – eggs, bacon and toast. With every bite, I feel the heat of his eyes across the table. He’s watching me.
I glance up at him and meet his gaze.
“Yes?”
He smiles big, showing the cute dimples in his face. His beautiful, handsomely sculpted face. He hasn’t shaven and I like this rugged look on him. I loved the way his coarse hair feels against my soft skin.
“I was just thinking about us...you know...how things would’ve been had you stayed. We’d be living in our dream house with three beautiful children by now.”
I smile at the thought of it. I would love to have Wyatt’s babies.
“You remember what you told me your dream house would be?” he asks.
I shake my head. “No.”
“You said you wanted something elegant in the country. You don’t remember that?”
I laugh. “No, and I’m surprised that you do. Men usually don’t remember stuff like that?”
“Sweetheart, where you are concerned, I remember everything.”
The chime of the doorbell interrupts us.
“Are you expecting anyone?” Wyatt asks me as he stands.
“No.”
“Okay. Let me see who it is.”
I stand, too and follow him to the living room. When he opens the door, Wyatt says, “May I help you?”
“I’m here to see my lady. Who are you?” Darnell asks.
I step forward so that Darnell sees me. Before Wyatt says another word, I say, “Darnell, what are you doing here?”
“What do you mean? You knew I was coming?”
I frown. “You said you couldn’t make it, so what are you doing here now?”
“I must say,” he says, avoiding my questions. He walks over to me, then close his arms around me. “I’ve missed you, baby.”
My body stiffens at the feeling of his arms around me, so much so that I pull away and say, “Darnell, you don’t need to be here now.”
“Baby, come on, now. I’m sorry. Now can we please go somewhere and talk?”
I glance at Wyatt whose face is turning so red, he looks like he’s about to explode but somehow manages to hold it together.
“Alright. We can talk,” I say.
That seems to settle Darnell a bit, but now, he turns his attention back to Wyatt and asks, “Who are you again?”
“I’m Wyatt. I’m sure Geneva told you that she would be staying with me.”
“Oh....you’re the guy. How are you? I’m Geneva’s fiancé, Darnell.” He reaches to shake Wyatt’s hand.
Wyatt reluctantly returns the gesture then he glances over at me.
“Darnell, why don’t you wait for me in the car?” I tell him. “I have to run to the bathroom then run upstairs to grab my purse.”
“Okay. Oh, and thanks for being here and looking after my lady, Wyatt,” Darnell says.
“It’s been my pleasure,” Wyatt tosses back.
Once Darnell steps outside, Wyatt turns to me and says, “Please tell me you’re not going with him.”
“Wyatt he just wants to talk, okay. And I need to talk to him, too. I can’t ignore him.”
“But you can ignore me for ten years...”
“Wyatt...” I sigh. “Listen…I’m going to talk to him and I’ll be back, okay?”
He frowns then looks away.
“Wyatt, look at me,” I say, placing my hands on his face. I see worry mixed with frustration in his eyes. “I’ll be back.” I leave a kiss on his lips, but that does nothing to calm him. If anything it makes him even angrier.
* * *
I get in the passenger seat of Darnell’s car. He already has the car started with the heat on low, as well as the radio.
“Where can we go and talk in this city?” he asks.
“Let’s just keep it simple and go to Panera Bread. You like their food, don’t you?”
“Yeah. That’ll work.”
Since he’s driving, I navigate us to the restaurant, giving him turn-by-turn instructions on how to get there. When we arrive, he orders breakfast. I simply order a cup of tea. I’m not hungry since Wyatt and I were just eating breakfast – food that we cooked together before Darnell decided to interrupt us with his unwanted presence.
“So that Wyatt dude seems pretty cool. How do you know him?”
He’s my husband. Those words are on the tip of my tongue. I even suppress a smile just thinking about Wyatt as my husband. My man. My everything.
“Geneva?”
I glance up at Darnell and respond, “He’s an old friend from high school. He’s the one who found my father when he passed.”
“Hmm...an old friend, huh?” he asks, then bites into his sandwich.
“Yes. An old friend.” Figuring it was too early to delve deeper into all things Wyatt McDowell, I say, “Why didn’t you show up for the ceremony?”
He shrugs. “I had to work. It’s not a big deal.”
“No one works that much, Darnell.”
“So are you calling me a liar or what?”
“No. What I will say is that you seem to put everything before me. I’m not important to you.”
“You are important to me.”
“I am?”
“Yes. Of course you are.”
“Then quit your job.”
He frowns. “What?”
“You heard me. Quit your job.”
“That’s what I plan on doing once you get your hands on this money and not a moment before.”
“Is that what this is all about for you? You couldn’t even come here to be with me when I scattered my father’s ashes, but you’re looking forward to the money? Are you for real?”
“Yeah. I’m for real,” he says, wiping his mouth. “Isn’t that why you came here?”
I shake my head. “Yes, that’s why I came here, Darnell, but I discovered so much about my father...why he did the things he did. Why he mistreated me and why he was in so much pain. I know now. If I never came here, I would’ve never known.”
“And how was I supposed to know this?”
“I don’t know, Darnell. Maybe if you picked up your freakin’ phone and called me sometimes, I could’ve told you.”
“I did call you.”
“Yeah…twice…”
“Where is all this coming from,” he says, pushing his food aside. “All of a sudden, you flipping the script
on a brother.”
“I’m not doing anything you haven’t done to me.”
“Meaning what?”
“Meaning that I can’t pretend that I want to marry you anymore when you don’t love me, Darnell.”
“What?”
“You don’t love me,” I repeat.
He leans back in his seat.
I smile while tears well up in my eyes. “I know you don’t because, by now, you would’ve at least said that you did, even if you didn’t mean it. And I can’t lie to myself anymore, Darnell. I don’t love you. I’m sorry.”
I slide the ring he gave me from my finger and place it on the table in front of him. I don’t want it. Not after the weekend I shared with Wyatt. I’d been fooling myself for the last ten years, telling myself that I was over Wyatt and that I would find my prince charming elsewhere, but it was a lie. Wyatt was right. There isn’t another man on this earth who could love me more than he could.
“So just like that, it’s over?” Darnell asks.
“Yes. I’m sorry you came here. You should’ve called first.”
“Wow,” he says, shaking his head as if he can’t believe I broke up with him, thus ending our engagement. There aren’t any customers sitting in our immediate area and we’re speaking to each other at fairly normal tones, so it’s not like I embarrassed him by giving his ring back. I probably bruised his ego a bit but at least there were no witnesses. “I can’t believe that, after two years, you spring something like this on me.”
“And I can’t believe I’ve waited this long. I’ve known for some time that this didn’t feel right, Darnell, and I don’t know if it’s another woman, or if it’s really your job as you claim. All I know is, when I decide that I want to spend the rest of my life with a man, I want to spend forever with him, knowing that no matter what we go through that our love for each other will be unwavering. That he would love me for an eternity and put nothing or no one before me. You deserve the same.”
He nods and says, “Well, I guess there’s nothing left to talk about then, is there?”