by Tiece
“Damn,” she whispered trying desperately hard to shake him. She had fallen for Troy and having memories like that of Luke wasn’t good. She headed down the first aisle that was ahead of her. Sweet thoughts about Luke and the immensely loving way he treated her for the most part continued to intrude her thoughts. “Maybe I shouldn’t have even come here.” She said then swiftly turned around. “I can’t do this.” Even though her thoughts wanted to scroll on down an unforgettable memory lane, her heart didn’t want to chance it.
At one point it felt like the grocery store aisle was a mile long as she made her way back towards the exit doors. She couldn’t get out of the grocery store fast enough. Her heart suddenly pumped fast as the small beads of sweat formed on her forehead. Almost immediately she knew what was happening to her.
No, not now, she thought. This can’t be happening. For a moment she felt a shortness of breath like her life was about to leave her body. Her chest started to tighten up as she pressed her hand against it feeling a need for some type of relief… Some type of breath. “I need water,” she said making her way to the vendor by the registers that held the sodas and the bottle waters. She quickly opened up the door of the vendor and grabbed an Evian bottle of water. She didn’t care what brand it was or how much it cost. She just needed a drink immediately or she was going to faint. Without wasting any time, she opened the water and drank from the bottle like she was seconds away from an untimely death of dehydration. The cold intense feeling of the water made its way down her exhausted throat, almost instantly bringing her back to life. In just those first few seconds, she had almost drunk the whole bottle of water. Once she removed the bottle from her mouth, she went inside of her purse and pulled out three one dollar bills. She didn’t care who was looking or who had something to say as she cut in line and handed the cashier the three dollars while holding up the bottle of water.
“I’m paying for this. Keep the change.” She said and hurriedly made her exit. Just that quickly she’d had an anxiety attack. Something she hadn’t dealt with in months. Swallowing two good Xanax pills at the moment would’ve been just what the doctor ordered. She rushed out of the grocery store still in disbelief that having thoughts like that about Luke had brought on such emotional feelings. As her feet landed on the ground outside of the grocery store and the light wind hit her in the face, she took in a deep breath.
“Let me get the fuck from over this way,” she said just wanting to get back on her side of town, but something definitely was preventing her from leaving as her Coach bag slipped off of her shoulder and landed on the ground. “Damn,” she said seeing all of her personal items scattered about. She leaned down and started picking up her things as fast as she could. “Shit,” she said watching her twenty dollar bill blow away from the brisk breeze in the air.
“Red,” a familiar voice called out.
My God, Scarlett’s inner thoughts almost panicked at just that tone.
“Hey,” Luke said walking up as he began helping her gather her things off of the ground.
Scarlett looked up at him with a perplexed expression. “Hey,” she awkwardly spoke. Just seeing him kneeled down beside her did something to her spirits. He had his red fitted Atlanta logo cap pulled down close to his eyes and was looking fresh as hell in a pair of Khakis Ralph Lauren pants and a red and white stripe Ralph Lauren Polo shirt.
“What are you doing over this way?” He questioned as he handed her some change and lip gloss that was on the ground.
Scarlett smiled. “I was just over this way handling a lil business and decided to make a stop here to get some things.”
“Oh, I see,” Luke said as he watched Scarlett putting her things in her purse. He could tell that she was nervous in the way she was hurriedly moving. “I guess that’s it.” He said looking around and not seeing anything else in sight.
“Yeah, I guess so,” she said as they both stood up and just stared at each other for a moment.
“It’s good to see you,” Luke told her.
“It’s good to see you, too.” She responded and before she could get out another word, Luke had wrapped his arms around her. The hug was more than just a hug. It captivated her thoughts and her body melted from just the touch of his. Damn, she thought inhaling the luring smell of his Lacoste cologne.
“I mean it’s really good to see you,” Luke whispered in her ear with a smile on his face. He missed her. It had been two weeks since she had dropped the bomb on him. Even though he was still in an unpleasant place with thoughts about that on his mind, he still was overjoyed to see her.
Scarlett backed up out of the alluring embrace. Her facial expression told him that she wasn’t quite ready for this meeting. She glanced around the almost empty parking area and then back at Luke. “I didn’t think I’d see you here.” She said while clearing her throat. “Well, I don’t mean it like that. I just didn’t expect to see you.”
“Some things happen for a reason,” Luke told her. She was even more beautiful standing there as if her skin glowed along with the sun as it shined down on them. “You’re looking good as always.” He said as he admired her laid back attire. She wore an Old Navy pink and white striped Maxi dress that stopped right beneath her knees and a simple pair of Old Navy pink flip flops. That was one of the things that he liked about her. She was just a simple country girl with a laid back demeanor and it turned him on.
“Thanks,” Scarlett said. “You’re not looking to shabby yourself.”
Luke grinned at her comment. “I appreciate that. How are you?”
“I’m good.” Scarlett responded.
“I can see that, but how are you?” He asked again knowing more about her at that moment than she knew about herself.
“I’m good,” Scarlett responded again this time in a tone that let him know that she was ready to go.
“I’m not trying to pry in your business. I just wanted to know if you were really good.” He said sensing the tension in her body language like she was nervous to be around him. It could’ve come from her sporting that big as diamond on her finger, but he wasn’t going to concern himself with that.
“Yeah, I’m really good.” Scarlett said, but Luke could see through it.
“So, when is the wedding?” He questioned trying to see what he could get out of her. It just didn’t seem right that she’d be already trying to settle down with someone else after sharing something as special as what they’d had.
Scarlett took in a deep breath then let it back it out. “We’ve not set a date yet.”
“Oh,” Luke said with a gentle nod of his head. “So, are you in love with this dude? I mean, really IN LOVE with him?”
Scarlett shook her head as if to say that this wasn’t the time. “Luke, not now,” she said.
“When then?” he questioned feeling some type of way that she could just leave him like that and keep it moving with another.
“Not now,” she responded and then attempted to walk off.
Luke started walking alongside of her. “Baby please,” he said feeling like this was the only chance that he had to get through to her. “Talk to me. I just need to know where your head is.”
“It’s with Troy.” Scarlett said not even wanting to look in Luke’s face.
“Well, where is your heart?” He questioned.
“Don’t do this,” she said feeling some type of way about the way he was making her feel.
“Stop walking,” he said just as she reached the car.
“I gotta go, Luke.” She said putting her hand on the latch of the door as it instantly unlocked.
Luke disappointedly shook his head. He couldn’t get through to her for nothing and it hurt like hell. “Red, don’t do this. Don’t turn your back on what we had.”
Scarlett opened up the car door as she stood there looking at Luke like she was fighting the feeling of just letting go and giving in. “I gotta go.”
“You don’t have to do nothing that you don’t want to do.” He said gra
bbing her hand and pulling her close to him.
“Please,” she whispered.
“Did you know that I was coming to propose to you the same day that you accepted another man’s proposal?”
Scarlett’s eyes widened. “Don’t do this.” She said with a confused shake of the head.
“I’m serious. I still have the ring.” He said.
“You can’t be for real.” She said still shaking her head.
“I am for real, very for real.” He said.
Out of nowhere, Scarlett’s eyes filled with water. “Don’t tell me that now.”
“I was trying to tell you that then, but your brother wouldn’t let me in.”
Scarlett frowned. She had no idea that Luke was showing up to propose to her. “This is just too much,” she said as she gently pulled her hand away from Luke. “I can’t do this right now.”
Luke could see that she still had feelings for him, but something was holding her back. “Did you accept that nigga’s proposal in hopes of getting over me? I mean, what is it?”
“It’s nothing. I just love him.” She admitted, but what she also wanted to admit was that he still held a piece of her heart and that wasn’t so easy to let go.
“I just don’t get why you’d accept someone else’s marriage proposal so fast. I had known you much longer than him. He just came in and swept you off of your feet like overnight.” Luke shook his head with displeasure. “I just don’t get it.”
“Some things aren’t meant for you to get.” Scarlett said. “Just like the results of that test. I don’t know why the real results weren’t shown correctly the first time. It could’ve prevented a lot of things. However, for some reason, it didn’t work out that way and in the midst of it all things and feelings changed.”
“So, it’ over?” he sadly questioned not even wanting to get into those DNA test results. “Can you honestly look at me and tell me that it’s over?”
Scarlett stared into Luke’s helpless eyes. It hurt her like hell to have to say it, but she did. “It’s over.”
“This nigga don’t have anything over you, do he? Don’t let that stop you. We can get past that.” He said almost sounding as if he was begging her back.
“I gotta go, Luke.” Scarlett responded and with that she got inside of the car and quickly closed the door behind her. She didn’t want to have to stand in Luke’s face a minute longer trying to defend her actions of moving on. Not only that, but the conscience of probably carrying his child and him not knowing also ate at her insides causing her much displeasure in the way she was treating him. No matter how much she wanted to do right, fucking up always out ruled everything good in her life.
“Damn,” she whispered while starting the engine, putting the car in reverse, and then backing up. Luke was still standing there looking lost as she drove out of the grocery store parking lot. As he watched the back end of the car disappearing, he walked off.
“What the fuck is the problem? I know she still loves me.” He whispered with an almost angry shake of the head. His eyes unintentionally scanned the ground as he made his way to the entrance doors of the grocery store. Almost instantly he stopped just shy of entering the grocery store with a puzzled expression on his face. “What the hell.”
Meanwhile, Scarlett had gotten off on the 1-20 exit heading toward Atlanta; however it was just a quick means of getting her back to the South side of Augusta, Ga.
“What the fuck just happened?” she questioned herself with uneasy thoughts racing through her mind. She couldn’t believe that Luke was actually going to propose to her the same day that Troy had proposed. “Fuck.” Luke had a way of getting inside of her head. He had a way of toying with her feelings. His look… his touch… his spirit… had her caught up in an undeniable web of emotions and it wasn’t going to make it any easier if her baby was his. “Damnit,” she said turning the volume up on the radio then almost instantly shaking her head as she hummed the relatable tunes to one of her favorite songs playing by Taylor Swift.
♪♪♪ I bet you think I’ve either moved on or hate you, cause each time you reach out there’s no reply. I bet that it never, ever occurred to you that I can’t say hello to you and risk another good-bye. ♪♪♪
♪♪♪ And I just want to tell you. It takes everything in me not to call you. And I wish I could run to you and I hope you know that every time I don’t; I almost do. ♪♪♪
Scarlett shook her head in deep thought now singing the song aloud as it hit very close to home.
♪♪♪ We’ve made quite a mess, babe. It’s probably better off this way. And I confess, babe that in my dreams you’re touching my face. And asking me if I want to try again with you… And I almost do. ♪♪♪
“Damnit Taylor,” Scarlett said loving the song, I Almost Do. As she looked at her cell phone, she turned the volume down seeing that Troy was calling. For some reason he always had the best of timing.
“Hey babe,” she answered.
“Hey baby,” he spoke. “What you doing?”
“Heading back over my way,” she said. “I just wanted to stop by my house and get a few things before coming back out to yours.” Troy lived more on the outskirts of Augusta in the quiet country area of Hephzibah, Ga. Scarlett loved it at his house.
“Okay, I was just checking on you. Did you talk to Nina and Sheila?”
“Not yet, but I plan on talking to Nina when I get home and I’ll call Sheila later. I’m sure she’ll probably come over just to get out, but I don’t know about Nina just yet.”
“Okay, well either way it’ll be cool. I just don’t want to be the only one chilling with my woman. If it’s some other women around then they’d be more relaxed I’m sure. You gotta know my homey’s.” Troy said with a slight grin. He and his closest allies were in an elite society of Dope Boyz and most times when meeting up it was always about business, but this time it would be for leisure and he definitely wanted everyone to enjoy themselves.
“I got’cha.” Scarlett said. She’d already offered to just chill at home, but it was important for Troy and his business partners to know his other half so they’d know why he would be making the decision of backing out of the streets to be with her. “One of them heifers will show. No worries,” she said.
“Are you still on the grill?” She asked.
“Yep,” he said. “Unc hasn’t made it back yet with his lying ass.” They laughed. “He got the grill started for me, and then hauled ass.”
“Unc ain’t got time to be grilling. He’s too busy riding around in his new whip.”
“Troy laughed at her comment. “You’re right.” He said. It felt good to see his uncle in such a good space. He was just hoping that he’d stay there.
“Well, I’ll be out there in about an hour or two.” Scarlett said.
“Okay,” Troy responded. “Oh babe, don’t forget to stop by the store and get the chaser for the mixed drinks and the Corona’s.”
“I won’t.” Scarlett stated with a smile and with that, they ended their call. As she sat her cell phone inside of the cup holder in between the front driver and passenger seat, it rang. She looked at the caller ID as her heart sank down in her chest. “I knew he’d call.” She whispered, but went ahead and answered it in hopes of putting an end to her and Luke’s relationship.
“Luke, let’s not make this difficult.” She said just hoping that he’d get off of her line so she could get her thoughts together, but Luke didn’t respond. “Hellooooo,” she said while taking the phone from her ear and looking at it to make sure that the call was still connected. “Luke,” she said seeing that he was still on the line. “We’re not going to do this. I just want to move on.” Finally, Luke responded with the most shocking statement of them all as he said...
“So you’re pregnant?” He pondered while standing there holding the pregnant test stick in his hand that had apparently fallen out of her purse, along with the other items. Scarlett’s eyes widened as she sat in silence with her mouth par
tly open from the unexpected revelation. “Well,” he said.
Chapter 14
Later that afternoon, Scarlett was sitting out on the back patio deck of Troy’s house enjoying the nice winds that were blowing through. She’d had thoughts of Luke and what he’d said earlier. She hated that he had to find out she was pregnant by stumbling across the old pregnancy test she’d kept inside of her purse as some sort of memorabilia.
“Damn,” she whispered. She didn’t even have the balls to talk to Luke after he confronted her. The only thing she could say was that they’d talk about it later and she hung up. At that point, she sent him to voicemail three different times and ignored his text messages. Now, his number was blocked from calling hers and she was immediately deleting any text messages that he sent without attempting to open and read them.