by H. H. Fowler
“Whose phone are you using?”
“I’m calling from a pay phone…” Hunter paused to collect her thoughts. It was never her preference to share uncomfortable news. “Listen, Kevin, there’s something important I need to tell you about Drake.”
“My brother?” Kevin sighed deeply into the phone. “What is it this time, because I’m not in the presence of mind to handle any more bad news right now?”
“Well, it could have been,” Hunter said.
“What do you mean?”
“There’s been a fire at El Shaddai Ministries,” she replied quickly, in an effort to get to the ‘good’ part. “But everyone was able to get out alive. Some were hurt with first and second degree burns, including Drake, however –”
Another one of Kevin’s deep sighs came through the phone, interrupting Hunter. It seemed as if his little brother was going from one trial to the next without a moment of relief. And that was not sitting well with Kevin at all. “How bad is it?” he inquired.
“Let me put it this way,” Hunter replied. “The doctor said it could have been worse. Drake had been trying to shield Sasha from the flames when his pants caught on fire. He lost some skin on his legs and on his lower back, but he is expected to make a full recovery in about two months.”
Kevin breathed a sigh of relief. “How did the fire start anyway?”
“Someone threw gasoline-soaked bombs through the windows.”
“With everyone inside the building?”
“Unfortunately…”
“And where were you when all of this was happening?”
“Running along with the crowd,” Hunter said, “wishing I could assist Sasha and Drake. But if I’d tried to turn back to help them, I would have literally been stampeded to death.”
“What idiot would do something stupid like that?” Kevin spat. “I could have lost you and everyone else I love in one shot…Do you need me to catch a flight to Devin’s Cay, because I will drop everything right now to see for myself if you guys are really okay?”
Hunter was tempted to say yes, but it would be selfish of her to pull Kevin from his work simply because she was longing to see his handsome face. The fact that he had included her in his list of loved ones, was enough and it renewed Hunter’s hope that maybe this long distance relationship between them could blossom into something both lasting and beautiful.
“No need to come to Devin’s Cay,” she assured. “It appears as if everyone will recover from this incident. God has yet again proven His power over evil. And if He keeps this up, I’ll make Him the boss over my life, much sooner than I anticipated.”
Kevin grew quiet for a minute. Lately, Hunter had been going on about God and religion a lot and he wasn’t sure how he really felt about that. The next thing he knew, she would be talking about celibacy, and ‘saving’ herself for marriage – concepts Kevin had yet to understand. What was so wrong with two unmarried people – who were in love with each other – wanting to enjoy the pleasure of sex? To Kevin, without sex in a relationship, it was simply a close friendship between a male and female.
“Kevin,” Hunter prompted. “I have to go…I’m calling from a pay phone, which is quickly racking up in cost. I will buy a new phone and fill you in on Drake’s progress. And please, don’t wait a week to call me. I might start thinking you found someone else.”
Hunter closed her eyes in anticipation of Kevin’s response, after deciding to throw that line in at the last minute.
“I’m sorry,” Kevin said softly. “I should have called much sooner. I was so extremely busy with work, interviewing these transitional consultants that I didn’t realize how quickly the days were passing. It’s not a good excuse, but it’s the best I’ve got. I promise that I will do better.”
“You know what they say about promises…”
“That they’re made to be broken. That’s garbage. The difference is: I want this connection between us to work…” A brief silence ensued before Kevin destroyed it with an unrelated question. “Are you still working on my surprise?”
Hunter laughed, despite feeling a bit uneasy over Kevin’s reason for not contacting her. “That’s for me to know and for you to be patient. You have an entire month to prepare yourself, if that is of any consolation to you.”
“Geez, an entire month? Please, Hunter, please,” Kevin begged, “tell me what it is, because I really don’t like surprises.”
“But I love ‘em and soon enough you will too. Trust me on that, my handsome beau.”
“Wow, girl. Now you’re spoiling me with these off-the-chain compliments. I know for sure that you’re buttering me up for something. I can’t believe you’re making me wait an entire month…” He sighed. “You had better pray my curiosity doesn’t kill me before then…”
Hunter hung up the phone in stitches. That man was skilled at making her feel so happy and carefree. So much so that Hunter suddenly wondered if their connection was too good to be true.
ONE MONTH LATER
Chapter Eleven
Xavier High School – 2:40 p.m.
“Coach Johnson!”
Levi straightened up from tying the laces of his tennis shoes, turning his attention to the sixteen-year-old point guard on the school’s basketball team: Myles Deveron. Though Levi tried not to show any favoritism between the boys he was helping to coach, Levi was especially fond of this kid for the aptitude he displayed both on and off the court. A point guard required speed, flexibility, ball handling and an effective jump shot – traits Levi appreciated in Myles, who showed Levi that he both understood and accepted his coach’s game plan.
And even though Myles was shorter than his teammates, he was the better dribbler, and was able to create separation, spacing off the dribble. This gave him enough room to skillfully work the court, helping to lead the team to many in-house victories. In twenty minutes, Levi would be walking the team to the beach to exercise in the sand. The boys’ physical stamina was equally as important as their basketball abilities, because if they got exhausted easily, it could be the reason behind the loss of a game. So Levi was hyped up about putting the boys to work, especially after taking off a full month to get his life back on track.
Levi greeted Myles with a handshake and a smile. “What’s up, man?”
“Everything’s cool, coach.” Myles gripped Levi’s hand firmly. “The guys want to know if we are still playing in the championships next month.”
“I don’t see why not. Why are you asking?”
Myles shrugged. “No big deal. The last few practices have been canceled and we thought that you were losing interest in us.”
“Oh man, I had no idea you guys were feeling that way,” Levi said solemnly. “I sent messages letting you guys know that I would be taking a short break. However, you are the point guard, who understands where I’m trying to take this team. So I expected you to keep up with the practices.”
“But it’s been a month since you’ve been gone. And besides, it’s not the same without you.”
Levi did not feel good abandoning the boys, but if he hadn’t, he would have been of no use to them. Ever since Sasha had gotten married to Drake almost nine months ago, his life had taken a downward spiral to virtually nonexistence. How could he exist without Sasha? That was his daily mantra, which tormented him first thing in the morning and last thing in the night. Conversely, over the past month, those deep, emotional pangs were beginning to mellow to a listless state, where Levi felt as if he’d finally regained some control of his wayward mind.
Certainly, his future didn’t seem so bleak anymore. But Levi couldn’t tell if it was because he was texting Yasmine every night or the fact that he hadn’t seen Sasha for that period of time he’d been off from the school. Maybe it was both. Whatever the reason, he was content to let fate do as it wished. However, that trend of thought was shattered when Levi’s gaze casually moved from Myles and locked on Sasha, exiting the school with the school’s principal in tow. The two stopped halfway dow
n the steps, appearing to be involved a heated argument. The principal’s hands were flailing so close to Sasha’s face that it looked as if Sasha was about to be slapped to the pavement.
“Excuse me, Myles, I will be right back.”
“But what about practice?” Myles tried. The way Levi took off in the middle of their conversation, it looked as if Levi was going to rescue a damsel in distress. Myles sensed that Levi wasn’t about to return anytime soon. “What should I tell the team? Coach Johnson!”
Levi was oblivious to Myles’ cries. By the time he made it to the women, Mrs. O’Grady (the principal) was belting out her closing words to Sasha.
“You went against my authority and I will not stand for it! I should suspend you for the next three days until I decide what to do with you. Be forewarned: Let that be the last time you ever cross me again!”
Mrs. O’Grady whipped her pleated skirt in front of her and marched back up the steps through the double glass doors of the school. Sasha sat on the pavement and placed her hands over her face to hide her tears. Levi eased down next to Sasha and gingerly placed an arm around her – an automatic reaction he should have thought twice about doing. Being this close to Sasha or even within the vicinity spelt all kinds of trouble. But to Levi, it was a natural expression of his affection and he meant nothing by it, except to let Sasha know that he was there to comfort her against Mrs. O’Grady’s debilitating remarks.
“Everything that I do is a problem for that woman,” Sasha complained. “I miss one day of work and she throws a fit. If I create innovative ways for my students to learn, I’m going against school policies. I can’t even play music in my classroom without it getting back to Mrs. O’Grady that I’m encouraging immorality. Mrs. O’Grady is fully aware of my Christian standards and she knows I would never do anything to jeopardize those kids or my job for that matter. What in the world is wrong with her?”
Levi gave Sasha’s shoulder a gentle squeeze. “You ought to know that woman is jealous of you,” he said. “But I wouldn’t worry about her. She’s on her way out of this school and you will end up becoming the next principal. Mark my words.”
Sasha lifted her head, and stared at Levi as if recognizing him for the first time. His supportive grip around her shoulders, combined with the way his jersey shorts rode up on his hairy, mahogany thighs gave her an instant jolt of attraction. So frightened was she of it that she shrugged out of Levi’s embrace and jumped to her feet. She thought those feelings had long disappeared out of her system.
“What are you doing,” she spat at a stunned Levi, “being next to me like that?”
Levi spread his hands, standing to his feet as well. “I was only trying to comfort you, Sasha. Would you have preferred me to turn a blind eye to what just happened here between you and Mrs. O’Grady?”
“Yes! I can take care of myself – I’ve been taking care of myself!”
“Well, I will remind myself of that next time,” Levi retorted. “The least you could do is say thank you, instead of biting off my head like some bloody pit bull.”
Sasha was not about to be outdone by Levi’s anger. “Don’t act as if you didn’t hear what my husband told you,” she said, unleashing the brunt of her fierce attitude. “Stay away from us! Give our relationship time to heal and stop showing up where you’re not needed.”
“In case you haven’t noticed,” Levi said in what little defense he had, “I have been avoiding you. In fact, I have avoided you all month, trying my hardest to get my life back on track. When I heard about the fire at your church and how Drake was injured and rushed to the hospital, I wanted to visit – to show my support. But I purposely stayed away because I knew my presence would have been rejected. Yet you stand there and assume that I’m still hell bent on destroying your marriage. Newsflash, Sasha: You are not that important to me anymore. My heart doesn’t fall to pieces whenever I think of you…it’s like you –”
Levi choked up when he saw the tears increasing in Sasha’s eyes. He knew his words were stabbing her, but she had driven him to this point and it was time for him to make a clean break from this miserable cycle while he had the chance. He didn’t understand why Sasha was hurt anyway when she’d made it clear she wanted nothing to do with him.
“Don’t stop now,” she goaded. “Finish what you were gonna say.”
Levi gave Sasha one of those intense looks he was known to give before he turned and walked away. If he’d stayed any longer in Sasha’s presence, he wouldn’t be able to keep the stitches of his heart in place. She looked so confused, and so fragile that he ached to pull her against his strong chest and hold her there for just a bit. Where was Drake…? Why wasn’t he there to comfort his woman? Probably licking his wounds over the damages the fire had caused at the church.
“Levi!” Sasha called out. “If I’m not important to you anymore, I take it as a sign that God has finally answered my prayers. You are now free to love whomever you wish, now that I’m out of the picture.”
Levi paused in his stride for a brief second before continuing toward the basketball court. He walked past Myles and other members of the basketball team, pondering in his mind if they’d heard any of the spat between him and Sasha. He really didn’t care anyway. He needed a minute to collect himself. Part of the process involved texting Yasmine, which was usually a brief report on the progress of his daily recovery plan. What was he recovering from? An unhealthy obsession with another man’s wife.
“After an entire month, I saw her today,” he typed. “I wish I hadn’t though, because she knows exactly what to say to get me out of sorts.”
“Who are you going on about, hon?”
“You know who. We agreed not to call her name in our conversations.”
“Well, that was your idea. But how did that make you feel, running into ‘her’?”
“Why are you asking the obvious? My equilibrium has been knocked completely out of whack. I can’t get rid of these crazy feelings for this woman – no matter what I do or how hard I try. What the heck is wrong with me?”
“Take a breath, Levi,” Yasmine instructed. “You will be fine. Remember, hon, Rome wasn’t built in a day.”
“What is that supposed to mean?”
“It means that you need time to readjust your focus. You will eventually get over Sasha – if that’s what you really want. However, you have to be patient and less critical of yourself. You’re only human.”
Levi looked across the courtyard to where the boys were taking turns doing layups. If only for them, he needed to get his act together. They didn’t deserve to be treated with such disregard, not after they’d worked so hard to be selected as one of the teams to play in the national basketball tournament.
Sasha was nowhere in sight and Levi didn’t know if he was relieved or offended that she didn’t stick around to apologize for injuring his feelings. Well, it was probably for the best that she left. She and Drake deserved each other. Levi stared back down at Yasmine’s text, and felt himself beginning to relax. Yasmine was learning how to soothe him and he was not about to take that for granted.
“Can we pick this up later? These guys are waiting for me on the basketball court.”
“Sure, I’m stuck in this apartment with nowhere to go. I’ll be here.”
“Cool…and I really appreciate your support.”
“Well now, don’t think for one minute I’m not getting anything out of the deal. I scratch your back and you scratch mine.”
“Lol…I hear you. Later, girl.”
Chapter Twelve
After ending her messaging with Levi, Yasmine fluffed her pillows, and then eased onto them with a little smirk on her face. Whether she admitted this or not, she was becoming accustomed to Levi’s daily texts, almost to the point of excitement. He had thanked her for helping him to get through his obsession with Sasha. No matter if they were discussing something as trivial as his favorite ice cream or his ranting about his crazy emotions, Yasmine’s world was changing because
of it. The thought caused Yasmine’s smirk to turn into a full grin.
Likewise, in a strange way, Levi was helping her to distance herself from the men of her past. She seldom thought of Ronnie now – only in terms of her wellbeing and when it would be safe for her to return to Devin’s Cay. After she testified in court against that monster – locking him away for at least a hundred years, he would be out of her life for good. And she had every intention of making the best of it. She would get a complete makeover and probably sign up for some law classes. It was time for her to give up those beauty pageant gigs, which had now become quite unfulfilling to her taste.
Now when she thought of Kevin, it was not as nostalgic – as in her yearning for what could have been between them, but more of her wanting closure from her past. And what a past it was. Those sex-filled memories with Kevin was all she had and letting go of them could pose a serious challenge. So intense was the history of their relationship that Kevin had promised when he turned eighteen, they would run off to Las Vegas and elope. Unfortunately, things didn’t turn out that way. Certainly, if they had, such a move would have rescued her from Ronnie’s abuse and given her a much brighter future.
That was over thirteen years ago and sometimes, certain things about Kevin were still as fresh in her mind as if they’d happened yesterday. Like hearing his appreciative laugh when she told him a joke. The way he rubbed his head when it was hard for him to express his emotions. If she and Kevin were not meant to be together, she needed to be certain of that. And if they were meant to be together – well, she needed to be certain of that too.
The only way that made sense to her was to see Kevin one last time, if only to say goodbye and sever the soulful ties they’d formed in their youth. However, Yasmine hadn’t any idea on how to find Kevin. That time she’d seen him in the Chinese restaurant was the first and last time since her arrival to Tampa. She suddenly sat up, as a passing thought piqued her interest. What were the chances of Kevin having a Facebook page? He was a private person, but still, this was the age of social networks and Yasmine would be very surprised if Kevin was not on Facebook. Why hadn’t she thought of this sooner?