by Tiece
“I just found out who killed Slim.” Troy quickly informed him.
“Yeah, I heard about that this morning and I have some information that I need you to listen at.”
“What do you mean?”
“I’ll be there in about an hour and half. Make sure that you are home,” Dmitri stated.
“I’ll be here,” Troy responded then ended the call. He didn’t know what Dmitri could’ve wanted, but he sure as hell wasn’t going anywhere until he found out what it was.
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Two hours later, Troy opened up his front door to find Dmitri standing there. He quickly walked in giving Troy dap.
“What’s up, partner?”
“Nothing much,” Troy spoke back. “What you got for me? It sounded urgent.”
“It is. I’ll let you listen to it yourself.”
Troy frowned as Dmitri pulled out, what seemed to be a recorder. “You were still eavesdropping on Ash, man?”
“And for good reason,” he said then pressed play on the recorder.
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“Bree, are you okay?” Ash asked as she drove down the highway talking through her Bluetooth.
“I just can’t believe that he killed himself. I’m so at a loss of words right now.” Brianne said through saddened tears.
Troy’s face showed discomfort knowing that now Ash was in on this.
“He came to visit me the day before yesterday and kept saying that he was gonna make things right. I thought he was saying that he was gonna clean up his act. He was so drunk that I suggested he get a room in a nearby hotel and sleep off that liquor.” Ash told her.
“Yeah, he’s been fucked up since he killed Slim.” Brianne confirmed.
Troy’s stomach turned into knots at just hearing the evidence against them.
“None of us wanted this to happen; none of us.” Brianne added.
“If they would’ve been in and out like they claimed they’d be then they would’ve been good.” Ash stated.
Troy cleared his throat. He was attempting to hold back his overwhelming emotions, but he was definitely angered.
“No one was supposed to get killed and now my cousin is gone.” Brianne stated as she started to cry.
“Apparently, Tommy felt like this was the only way to make things right. I don’t know what Ant is gonna do when he hears this news.” Ash stated.
“His sister was already trying to figure something out for us.” Brianne stated. “But, obviously she wasn’t moving fast enough.” She sniffed in the phone. “If only Scarlett could’ve gotten through to Troy first then Tommy could’ve still been here.”
“What do you mean?” Ash asked.
“Well, Ant had told me that she had been talking to Troy, even though she didn’t want him to know, he’d found out about it.”
Ash sat quiet for a moment. “So, she’d been dating him or something?” She asked, knowing that once upon a time she was down with him and was crazy about his sex game.
“I don’t know, but I believe so.” Brianne stated. “I guess it was all for nothing.”
“I guess so,” Ash said. “Well, I gotta go in this raggedy ass job since it doesn’t seem like we’ll ever be spending any of that money.”
“I don’t want any parts of the money, anyway. I wish I could give it all back to have my cousin back.”
“Me, too,” Ash said. “We’ll, talk later.” She and Brianne then ended their call.
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Troy pulled up to Scarlett’s house after nine o’clock that night. His heart was broken, because he cared for Scarlett more than he could imagine he would. He thought she was different, but she was just like the rest. He had to front her. There was no way that he could be with a woman as slick as she was. He looked over at his shiny 9mm over on the passenger seat. He grabbed it and stuck it in his back as he got out of the car. Once on her front porch, he rang the doorbell.
She quickly opened up the door. “Hey Boo,” she said with a smile plastered across her face. Troy didn’t say a word as he walked in past her. “I’d been calling you, because you were late. Is everything okay? Why you hadn’t been answering?”
Troy looked at her with tears in his eyes. Scarlett’s heart dropped the moment she recognized his displeasure with her.
“Was it all a lie?” He asked. Scarlett looked dumbfounded, being that she was totally caught off guard.
“Was what all a lie?” Scarlett asked as she stood there looking crazy and confused.
“Did you really care for me or was it all just to save your brother?” Instant tears fell from Scarlett’s eyes. She was hurt to know that he’d found out everything. “WAS IT ALL A LIE?!” He yelled out with anger in his deep, demanding voice.
“No,” Scarlett stated. “It wasn’t all a lie. I love you,” she admitted. “I have tried not to have these feelings for you since I’ve met you. I never wanted to hurt you. I promise that I didn’t. I wanted to tell you about what had happened, but the timing was never right.”
“I guess not,” Troy stated as the tears started falling from his eyes. “I trusted you with things I’d never shared with any other woman and to know that you only got close to me, to save your ass.” He irritably rubbed in his head. “This shit is killing me.”
“I wanted to save my brother, because he’s a good kid. He just got caught up in the wrong shit. What happened was not intentional.” Scarlett stated.
“Did you know about this from the beginning of the set up and don’t lie!” He yelled out, feeling for the gun tucked away in his back.
“I didn’t know! I promise to God, I didn’t know.” She stated as she wiped her tears. “I tried to turn you away that morning in the grocery store, but I felt bad. I felt bad as hell for you, because I didn’t know until after the fact. If I had known, two people would still be alive today. I would’ve never let them do no crazy shit like that.”
“Why didn’t you just leave me be?” He asked.
“Because, I wanted to make things right,” she sincerely stated. “I only wanted to make things right.”
“I don’t know how you could’ve possibly thought that,” Troy stated as he stood there filled with disgust for her.
“I was the one that put your money and drugs up and told them not to touch it. Tommy snuck in while I was gone and my mom wasn’t paying him any attention and took it back. He must’ve put it in the garbage that night when I was there. I had no idea until today when I saw that it was gone and then you verified it when you called me. You gotta believe me,” she cried. “Please, believe me, babe.”
“I don’t know what to believe,” Troy stated. “I could’ve had y’all killed.” He said with anger in his voice.
“I know you could’ve and that’s why I wanted to try and get through to you first, before it came to that.”
“It better had not been your brother that pulled the trigger.”
“It wasn’t. I promise you that it wasn’t.” Scarlett told him.
“It wasn’t me, man.” Anton said, stepping into the house. He’d walked up and heard the ruckus and just wanted to help his sister.
“Anton you need to leave now!” Scarlett said directing her attention to him as Troy reached for his gun.
This must be the little brother, Troy quickly thought. “So you were the one that was there?” He asked, looking Anton over.
“I was there, but I promise man that I didn’t pull the trigger. We didn’t expect none of that to happen. We were leaving your house and your cousin just appeared out of nowhere. Tommy shot his gun before he knew it.”
Troy was devastated as if hearing for the first time that his cousin had gotten shot. “And y’all just left him there to die?” He cried.
“We were scared, man. I ain’t gonna lie. We were scared.” Anton shed tears of pain for his best friend Tommy and Slim losing their lives for nothing. “I’m sorry, man. I’m so sorry.”
Troy removed his hand off of his gun and l
ooked at Scarlett with menacing eyes. “It’s over,” he told her.
“Baby, please,” Scarlett called out, trying to grab Troy’s arm as he walked past her. “Please forgive me, forgive us.” She begged with pouring tears draining from her eyes.
“I don’t know if this can ever be forgiven.” Troy said, and then exited the house. He was once again broken and didn’t know how he would ever get past it.
Chapter 17
A month and a half later, things had simmered down a bit since the deaths of Rick and Tommy. Everyone was still trying to come to terms with the things that had happened. Scarlett was still hurt over knowing that Tommy had committed suicide, as well, as losing Luke to April. Her feelings were all over the place when it came to Troy and she honestly didn’t know what to do with them, because she really did love him. She hated that Sheila basked in her glory about her and Jay’s relationship status, but she couldn’t be happy in a relationship herself if she tried.
Scarlett looked over at Sheila as Sheila updated the inventory in the system. “You seem extra happy today. What’s going on with you?” she asked.
Sheila smiled, looking away from her computer and in Scarlett’s direction. “I am super excited today. Things are going great for me,” she bragged. “I’m engaged to the love of my life.” She flashed her expensive ring in Scarlett’s face for the umpteenth time. “Jay has been everything to me since he asked me to marry him. He moved in, we have wonderful nights, and amazing mornings. I’m so glad that we don’t have to ever deal with April again. Plus, my mom got some wonderful news yesterday that definitely put a smile on my face. She and my Dad are back together and stronger than ever and my sister is getting ready to leave for college. Things couldn’t be any more perfect for me.”
Scarlett gagged inside. She wanted to throw up all over Sheila and her tight fitted, black Michael Kor’s dress. Sheila got up and walked over by the TV and grabbed the remote. “I can’t miss the Young and The Restless today.” She tugged on her tight dress as she glided back to her desk like she was the hot shit.
Scarlett unpleasantly grinned. “My life is like a soap opera.” She uttered, pulling a bag of chips out of her desk drawer then opening them up. “A very tangled web, sad ass soap opera,” she said while crunching on a couple of chips.
Sheila sadly looked over at her. “Still haven’t spoken to Luke?”
“I haven’t spoken to Luke since he’d started letting April back in. Of course, she’s his baby mama, but anytime I talk to him she’s over there or on her way over there. About a week ago, I asked him to stop calling me altogether since she had the nerve to snatch the phone out of his hand and tell me to call him back, because he was busy.”
“She did what?” Sheila asked while shaking her head.
“Yeah, she did that.” Scarlett said in between chewing on her chips. “I don’t want any parts of that crazy drama.”
“Trust me; I would feel the same way. April is a psycho and if that baby would’ve been Jay’s I would not be engaged to him right now.”
“Tell me about it,” Scarlett said as her phone alerted her of an incoming text message. She looked down at the phone sitting on her desk. “Speaking of the devil,” she said, indicating that it was Luke.
“Well, I’m headed out in the shop to see what the fella’s are having for lunch today. It’s Friday so they may just want subs.”
Scarlett nodded her head in response then read the text message that Luke had sent again.
I miss you. I’m sorry and I know it’s not been easy, but I truly miss you. Luke
She lightly tapped on the desk with her French manicured, growing nails. She contemplated if she should or shouldn’t respond back, and then decided to respond back.
I miss you, but I can’t right now with you. Red
If I promise that you’ll come first and I stop April from coming around like she does, will you take me back? Luke
Sorry, but I can’t with you. Red
She sighed, because she knew that April was a snake and no matter how hard Luke would try to show her respect or show April that she was his girl; April would always find a way to undermine them. She wasn’t about to go through nothing like that, especially knowing better ahead of time.
You continually break my heart. Luke
And this continually breaks mine. Red
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Meanwhile, on the other side of town, Luke lay on his bed with clustered thoughts. He loved Scarlett and wanted nothing more than to be with her, but he could feel where she was coming from. It hurt like hell as he sadly sighed from losing the woman that he loved.
His phone alerted him that he had an incoming text as he looked down at in his hand. He was hoping that the message was from Scarlett.
I’m outside. Come open the door. I have some cute outfits I wanna show you that I got the baby. April
Luke disappointedly shook his head, but how could he be cold towards the woman that carried his child. His father treated him with the upmost respect and had always been there for him since day one. He was his best friend and Luke knew that if he could always count on anyone; it would be his father, the stand up guy that everyone else knew as the Doctor Adonis Jones Sr. He wasn’t about to be any different to his own child.
It’s unlocked. Just come in. Luke
He disappointedly shook his head at his nagging baby mama. “This woman is gonna drive me crazy if I don’t figure out something and something fast.” He got out of bed and headed downstairs to grab something to drink. He stopped in his tracks, once he his feet touched the bottom of the stairs as he could hear his mother raising her voice down the long hallway, leading to his parent’s bedroom. His parent’s seldom argued so he jotted down the hallway and stopped at their room door.
“So, how long have you known, Adonis?” Evelyn asked with anger in her voice. Adonis Sr. stood there as he’d gotten caught up in a lie. “Oh my God,” Evelyn said with a surprised look on her face as she held up the paper in her hand. “You did this didn’t you? You changed the fucking paternity test.” She sadly shook her head. Adonis Sr. couldn’t say a word. He’d kept the real test hidden in a safe place until his wife’s cleaning spree ran across them. “Your son has been walking around here gloomy and disheartened, because of something underhanded that you did! I can’t believe you!”
Adonis Sr. walked over and stood in Evelyn’s face to look her directly in the eyes. “Damn right I did it!” He boldly stated. “I saw the video of that girl before I put it in Luke’s room. What father wouldn’t want to protect his son’s legacy and reputation?” He questioned. “I only wanted to protect him.”
“My God, you have truly disappointed me.” Evelyn stated. “You’re not protecting your son, you’re hindering him. You’re forcing him to be a father to a baby that isn’t his. How could you?!”
Luke bust in the room not able to take it anymore. “Dad,” he called out with a sad expression on his face. “I spoke with you in confidence about my feelings for Scarlett and of being the father to April’s baby and you still kept up the charade, knowing that her baby wasn’t mine. How could you do this to me?” He sadly dropped his head. “I trusted you to oversee the paternity test, knowing that they’d be in good hands. Boy, was I wrong.”
“I only wanted to protect you, son.” Adonis Sr. explained. “Any father that loves their son as much as I love mine would’ve done the same thing.” He said, knowing that in his heart he was wrong, but the damage was done. “I just wanted to protect you.”
“Protect me from what Dad?!” Luke raised his voice. “You wanted to protect me from a girl that had a horrible past and have changed for the better to connecting me with a psycho bitch that’s about as underhandedly as devious as you?” he questioned.
April stepped into the room with tears in her eyes as she sadly looked from Adonis Sr. to Luke. “So, this baby isn’t yours?” She asked, staring in Luke’s eyes.
“No, it’s not.” Evelyn gladly spoke up.
/> Adonis Sr. had a blank expression on his face as he looked toward April. “I’m sorry, baby girl. I don’t know what I could’ve been thinking. I was selfish, because I’d grown to like you like a daughter. I thought you’d be better for my son.” He looked at his wife, feeling bad as hell. “I was wrong. I was so wrong. Your baby’s father is Jason.”
Luke regretfully shook his head at his father. He was hurt by his actions as he looked over at his mom then shot past April without saying a word to her. He just wanted to get out of that suffocating room as soon as possible or he’d die. Once he’d made it up to his bedroom, he immediately reached for his cell phone to call Scarlett. He couldn’t wait to give her the good news.
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Scarlett took the phone from her ear to see that it was Luke calling. She ignored the call and kept talking to Nina.