Читать книгу Finally, You And Me - Lisa Harrison Jackson - Страница 11

Early the next morning, Alexa was shaken awake by a very distraught Maya. She knew that something was wrong judging by the anxiety in Maya’s tone and the urgency in her actions. Alexa immediately sprang up into a seated position, her eyes wide with wonder and her heart hammering in her chest.

“Wh-what’s wrong, Maya?” she asked, clutching the front of her gown in terror.

Maya sank into a nearby chair and covered her eyes with her hands. “It’s Bry’s mother. She had a diabetic episode last night and they had to rush her to the hospital.”

“Oh, my Lord,” Alexa moaned. “Is she okay?”

Maya shrugged. “We haven’t heard anything as of yet and Bryant and I need to go to the hospital. I don’t know if I can handle this right now.”

“Is there anything I can do?” Alexa asked.

“Do you mind watching the girls?” Maya asked as she began to remove the scarf from her head, allowing the silky curls to fall in disarray around her face.

“Of course I don’t mind!” Alexa replied. “I just pray that Bryant’s mom is okay. How is he holding up?”

“To be expected. He’s upset because he knew how excited his mother was about the wedding. We believe that in the excitement of it all, she may have forgotten to take her insulin.”

Alexa paused. She understood how easy it was to forget important details when your mind is focused on other things. Just the other day, she’d left her purse at home while on her way to work. Since the wedding announcement, she frequently found herself so nervous awaiting her confrontation with Darius that she’d forget the simplest task.

“By the way,” Maya began as if reading her mind. She rose from the side of the bed. “Darius is supposed to swing by to work on Bryant’s computer in his office. Bryant tried calling him when he found out about his mother, but he couldn’t reach him. He must have already left his hotel room.”

Alexa’s first instinct was to protest, but given the delicate situation her friends were facing, she refrained from doing so. Instead she tried her best to assure her that everything would be okay.

“Don’t worry about a thing, Maya. I’ve been looking for an opportunity to spend some time with my goddaughters.”

Maya turned around before exiting the room. “Thank you, Alex, for being here. I’m so grateful you came early, you just don’t know.”

Had it been any other day, Alexa would have remained in the bed until noon, but godmother duty called. When Maya closed the door, she got out of bed and opened the dresser drawer in search of something to wear.

The first thing that she laid her eyes on was a snug black sweater and a pair of fitted boot-cut jeans. Although casual, the outfit complemented her size ten figure. However, she had second thoughts when she remembered Darius. She didn’t want him to entertain the idea that she was dressing to impress him. So, she quickly laid the outfit to the side and selected a loose-fitting pair of sweats and an oversized long-sleeved T-shirt. Ordinarily Alexa wouldn’t be caught dead in her sweats; however, they came in handy today. She hoped that choosing the sweat suit over something more visually appealing sent a strong message of indifference to Darius.

Before stepping into the bathroom, she stopped to turn on the CD player. She fingered through the CDs in the holder, before selecting Cassandra Wilson’s latest.

Once the composition started to play, she gathered her things and went into the bathroom and turned on the shower. As the water warmed up, she bobbed over to the sink and began brushing her teeth.

Moments later she emerged from her quarters feeling fresh and ready for the day. To her surprise the Renault family was seated at the breakfast table before 8:00 a.m.

Bryant, who was pouring himself a second cup of coffee, glanced up as she entered. “Thanks, Al, for staying with the girls.”

“No problem. I just pray that your mom is okay.”

Bryant didn’t respond and Alexa could see the concern in his eyes. “Are you ready, Maya?”

“Mommy, where are you going?” Brielle asked.

“We told you, boo,” Maya answered patiently. “Daddy and I have to see Granny because she is sick.”

“Is Granny gonna be okay?” Monaye asked, her little face contorted as if she would cry. She was definitely the emotional one.

Bryant and Maya exchanged worried glances.

“We hope so,” Bryant finally answered.

Maya quickly added, “You can do your part by praying for her in the meantime.”

“I will,” Monaye quickly replied.

“I’ll pray, too, Mommy,” Brielle said, not wanting to be left out.

“I pray, Mommy, okay?” Sasha added.

Maya smiled at her precious children with loving eyes. She leaned down and pressed her lips to each of their foreheads. The tender exchange was like a Kodak moment.

“Call me as soon as you hear something,” Alexa called out.

“We will,” Maya promised, releasing her hold on the girls. Alexa could see the lines of worry furrowing her brow. She walked to the door behind Bryant, and Alexa followed.

“Thanks again, girl,” Maya said turning back to her friend for a hug before departing.

Alexa squeezed her tightly. “Don’t worry. Everything will be okay.”

Maya solemnly nodded and left to join Bryant in the warming vehicle.

Alexa watched them from the doorway. As they began backing out of the driveway, she closed her eyes and said a quick prayer. When she opened her eyes a black SUV pulled up the drive and stopped alongside the truck.

Alexa’s stomach fluttered when the window rolled down and she spied Darius poking his head out to talk to Bryant. In a flash, she closed the door and scurried over to the front bay window. She peeped through the drapes to see the two talking. After a few moments, Bryant continued to back the truck down the drive. Alexa waited for Darius to do the same, but was surprised when he pulled in and parked.

She exhaled, her breath creating a fog on the window. Why is he staying? she asked herself. It would be awkward having him around without Maya and Bryant around to be buffers between them to alleviate possible tension. Darius had a way of stealing her control, which really unnerved her.

She watched him fiddling around inside the truck for a few minutes before opening the door and stepping out. So as not to be seen, Alexa hurried off to the kitchen where the girls had just finished eating their breakfast. The three of them wandered into the adjoining great room where they were watching cartoons.

In an attempt to look busy, Alexa began to clear the table when the door opened.

“Good morning.” He greeted her in a voice as smooth as a caress.

Alexa looked up right into his smoldering eyes. How could he look so sexy at this hour of the morning? she wondered, digging his style. The reversed leather Kangol cap on his head and the belted, black leather jacket looked good on him.

“Good morning,” she responded, turning her back to him to place the dishes she was holding inside the dishwasher.

“Uncle Darry!” Monaye and Brielle screamed in unison. They scrambled up from their places on the floor and charged him like miniature linebackers on a quarterback.

“Hey, little bits!” he returned, scooping them both up in his arms. “How are my girls?”

“Guess what?” Monaye asked, completely ignoring his question. “Our granny is sick.”

“I know,” he sadly replied. “Your dad just told me.”

“Mommy said we should pray so she can get better.”

“That’s a good idea,” Darius replied.

“Okay, let’s pray,” Monaye suggested as she had seen her mother do on countless occasions. She motioned for Darius to place her back on the floor, and he obliged.

Alexa, who had heard everything as she watched from her side of the room, found her goddaughter’s approach touching.

Just as they did at the dinner table, Monaye locked Darius’s hand in one of hers and Brielle’s in the other.

Darius glanced up at Alexa with pleading eyes as if begging for a way out. Alexa, in turn, pretended as if she hadn’t noticed, believing that she was exempt from the circle. However, that was not the case as Monaye called her over to join them.

“Are you sure?” Alexa asked, stunned by the child’s astuteness.

Monaye nodded. “Mommy said that if more than two people pray in Jesus’ name, God will answer our prayers.”

This time it was Alexa who looked to Darius for a way out. But just as she had treated him moments before, he returned the favor by ignoring her pleas. To stress his point, he released Monaye’s hand and extended his hand therefore creating a space for her.

Seeing no other way of getting out of it, Alexa joined them. The point at which she entered required her to hold Darius’s hand. It was the first time they had touched in nine years. His hand was more massive than she remembered, yet amazingly soft.

For a few seconds they stood there looking at one another to see who would take the initiative. Alexa thought Darius would and vice versa. Again, they were surprised when Monaye stepped forward with a sweet, short prayer for her grandmother. When she was done, Brielle followed suit. Alexa was impressed and made a mental note to praise her friends for the great job they had done in developing their children’s spirituality.

Upon the completion of Brielle’s contribution, Alexa prayed for complete healing and energy for the upcoming celebration. When she was done, all eyes fell on Darius. Alexa didn’t know if it was his nerves or the warm jacket he wore that produced the beads of sweat on his brow, but he surprised Alexa with a short yet eloquent prayer.

When they were done, Alexa instructed the girls to play in the family room while she finished cleaning up the kitchen. Darius slipped out of his coat and tossed it on the ottoman before getting down on his knees to initiate play with the girls.

Alex moved back and forth from the table to the dishwasher, occasionally stealing glances at the foursome roughhousing in the next room. The girls screamed with delight each time Darius held one of them high above his head and pretended to drop them, only to cradle them against his solid chest. At one point, she paused to watch them tumbling into a pile on the floor in fits of laughter.

As Alexa observed their play, memories of their playful days back in college came to mind. Darius loved to wrestle with her. He claimed that the tough image she tried to portray energized him and he liked showing her who the “champ” really was. Any signs of boldness or bravery challenged Darius and he would lift her high above his head before tossing her on the sofa. If she talked back, he would pin her down beneath his weight until she admitted that he was “the king.”

She recalled one occasion when they were spread out on the living room floor after watching WWF.

Darius was on top of Alexa and had one of her arms and one of her legs pinned down. “You give?” he panted, searching her face for signs of surrender.

“No!” Alexa screamed, squirming to set herself free.

He responded by raining kisses over her face and neck. As he worked his way down and inside her button-down shirt, she screamed out that she gave up. Upon hearing that, Darius’s grip loosened and his kisses softened. Minutes later, they would be wrapped in each other’s arms.

With Darius nearby, in the other room, Alexa grew uneasy as thoughts of them being intimate entered her mind. She always believed that what they shared was unique. Making love to Darius was like exquisite art, beautiful music comforting scents, and freedom of expression all rolled into one. It bothered her to know that Darius would always possess a part of her that she could never, ever share with anyone else.

“Whatever you’re thinking about must be good,” a voice said from behind, causing her to jump with surprise. Alexa turned around to find Darius leaning against the door frame with his arms crossed before his chest.

“Excuse me?” she asked, her face warm with embarrassment.

“I would like to be in your head right now,” he replied.

Heat radiated from her collar. Little did he know that he was already in her head. “I was just thinking about something,” she uttered.

“You were smiling so wide, I thought you won the lottery,” he continued.

“If that was the case believe me I would be doing more than just smiling,” she retorted, turning back to the cupboard to retrieve the box of dishwasher detergent. Pouring some into the dispenser, she set the timer and turned it on. All the while, Alexa knew Darius was watching her and knowing this made her uncomfortable.

From where Darius stood, he had a good view of her backside and he couldn’t help but smile with appreciation. Her efforts to thwart his attention had failed as he found her as appealing in the nondescript clothing as he would in a sassy red dress. He was curious to know what had her paralyzed in thought just moments ago. Whatever it was, she turned down the glow like a halogen lamp. He mistook her quiet musing as an invitation for company and thought it would be a good time to ask her out to dinner as friends. However, the idea quickly escaped him when she closed up like a clam.

“Well, I played long enough,” he announced. “I guess I better get to work.”

“Good idea,” Alexa quickly agreed. Then as to not sound too harsh, she added, “I have to get the girls dressed anyway.”

At the mention of their well-being, the girls groaned in protest.

“Come on, girls, you know you have to get ready for the day.” Alexa ushered them towards the stairs.

Darius watched as they trudged past with sad expressions. He waited until they disappeared upstairs before heading for Bryant’s office.

The work that needed to be done to Bryant’s computer took longer than Darius anticipated. It was after 4:00 when he emerged from the office tired and famished.

His stomach growled as he made his way from the back of the house into the main living quarters. The house was as quiet as an empty church. Thinking Alexa had left with the children, he headed towards the kitchen in search of something to devour. As he rounded the corner leading into the kitchen he came to a screeching halt, surprised to find her seated at the table; his mouth was agape with awe.

Alexa appeared to be deep in thought as she gazed out of the window, grasping a mug of hot tea. Darius almost didn’t want to disturb her. She looked so peaceful and radiant, with the natural light warming her nut-brown complexion. He fought the urge to approach her and stroke her ebony tresses, but he knew he could not do that. The act would have been too intimate and much too forward considering the circumstances.

“Alex.” He said her name softly. So softly that he thought only he could hear, but she had.

She turned around, her honey-brown eyes aglow.

“The house is so quiet. I thought you all were gone.”

“The girls are taking their nap.” She whispered as if speaking aloud would wake them way upstairs.

The mention of the girls brought a smile to his lips. “Those girls are something else, especially that Monaye. She is Maya all over again.”

Alexa smiled and nodded in agreement. Her response encouraged him to enter the kitchen.

“Are you hungry?” she pointed over to the stove. “I just made some potato soup.”

His brow lifted. Potato soup was his favorite. “I am starving!” he said and went over to the kitchen cabinet to grab a bowl.

“Have you heard from Maya and Bryant?” he asked, taking a seat.

Alexa nodded. “They are on their way home. Ms. Lily is stable and will be fine in time for the wedding.”

Darius exhaled in relief. “That’s good news.” He knew how close his cousin was to his mother as he had the same type of relationship with his own mother.

Alexa gazed down at the mug between her clasped hands.

Darius felt her slipping away and tried to drum up something to say in order to retain the pace of the conversation.

“Since you’re back, are you going to take some time to reacquaint yourself to the city? Maybe see some old friends?” He hoped to keep her talking in an effort to bring forth ease and hopefully fade away the tension.

“I didn’t plan on it,” she replied. “As you know, we moved here when I was ten years old and my folks left the area while I was away in college. The only tie I really have here now is Bry and Maya.”

“Well, let me know if you change your mind. I could go for a night out on the town. It seems as if every time I come here it’s all about business.”

Alexa shook her head. “I don’t think that would be a good idea.”

“And why not?” He spooned up some of the soup and blew on it to cool it off before eating. When he put the contents in his mouth, his eyes closed with pleasure. Alexa had made it just the way he liked it with chunks of potato, leeks and chives.

“Because we are not exactly friends,” she retorted, recalling his words from that telephone call she made.

“That is precisely the reason why we should do it.”

“What would that prove?”

“That we are two mature adults who can set aside our differences and at least be civil towards one another,” he offered.

“While that would be ideal, we both know that too much has been said for me to pretend like things are okay.”

“If my memory serves me correctly, I can recall that the exchange of words may not have been said at all if certain actions by a certain party were not made.”

Alexa’s eyes widened at his words before narrowing into angry slits. She couldn’t believe that he had the gall to go there. “And you say set aside our differences. How can we if you make comments like that?”

“Well, it’s the truth, Alex,” he charged. “Your actions led to my words, plain and simple. I just call it as I see it.” He pushed aside the half-eaten bowl of soup, totally losing his appetite. The muscles in his jaws tightened in anger. He wasn’t prepared for this and was upset at himself for allowing her to witness his agitation.

“Who are you to sit up here and condemn me!” she exclaimed. His accusation may have been true, but she was not in the mood to hear it.

“The truth hurts doesn’t it?”

Alexa was not prepared for a confrontation, nor did she desire one. She couldn’t even respond to his question, allowing several minutes to pass in silence.

Darius couldn’t take it anymore and announced that he was leaving.

“That’s probably for the best,” she hastily agreed.

He rose from his chair and marched into the next room in search of his coat and hat.

Alexa went straight to the closet where she had hung it shortly after he deposited it in the family room. She removed it from the hanger and handed it over.

“You know, you still should take me up on my offer,” he said in a thick voice.

“Whatever.” She couldn’t believe that he still wanted to go out after just picking a fight.

“What’s wrong?” he asked, leaning in closer. “Are you afraid that your feelings for me haven’t disappeared after all?”

Her eyes widened, and her mouth gaped open in disbelief. “I can’t believe how full of yourself you are.”

“And so are you,” he returned. “The years may have come between us but you are the same Alexa.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

He stepped closer to her. “You know exactly what it means. I know you, Alexa, especially when it comes to me—you are easy. You were easy then and you’re easy—”

“Stop while you’re ahead!” she warned, her eyes ablaze with fury. “I don’t know who you think you are coming in here trying to put me down. I could say a lot about that situation, but I won’t because I don’t want to stoop to your level of game playing. I’m not into playing games. If that is what you’re all about these days, Darius, then you can leave me alone.”

With a smug look on his face, Darius shook his head and departed without another word.

Alexa was fuming when she later repeated her altercation with Darius to Maya over dinner that evening. The two had the house alone. The girls were spending the remaining part of the week with Maya’s mother while Bryant went to spend time with his own mother.

“I don’t know who he thinks he is trying to make me look like some bad person,” Alexa huffed as she took a sip of her wine.

“That doesn’t sound like Darius,” Maya replied.

Alexa threw her a surprised look. No, she was not sticking up for him.

“Well, it was him. He is such an ass. I swear I don’t know what I saw in him to begin with!”

Maya knew, but she refrained from replying.

“He called me easy, Maya. Can you believe that?”

Maya grunted in response.

“So you’re playing silent now,” Alexa voiced, noticing Maya’s silence. “Normally you would be on this story like a cat on a mouse!”

“I’ve just learned to keep my peace at certain times,” Maya replied, clamping her teeth down on a piece of spicy garlic chicken.

“Yeah, right,” Alexa scoffed. “I don’t care, I am not going to play his childish games of cat and mouse. I’m just going to avoid him until I leave.”

She knew what she was proposing would be hard. Just thinking about him made her stomach feel like butterflies were doing somersaults. Over the last few days, her emotions were as unreliable as a weatherman—stormy one minute, sunny the next.

“Then you’ll ruin things,” Maya whined.

“No, I won’t. I just won’t deal with Darius.”

“There will be instances where the four of us will have to come together like when we take pictures. I don’t want you having an attitude and ruin my wedding day.” Maya huffed as she dropped her fork on her plate and slumped back against her seat.

Alexa rolled her eyes at Maya’s display, frustrated that her friend did not understand her dilemma. “I’m not trying to ruin your wedding, Maya. I’m just pissed off at Darius for his comment. He was wrong for what he said.”

“What you did was wrong, too,” Maya shot back. She immediately covered her mouth as if regretting her comment.

Alexa was equally surprised by her outburst. “What do you mean by that crack?”

“I’m just saying that I think he was just as justified as you for his actions,” Maya carefully replied.

Alexa’s curious eyes widened in disbelief. “So you think I’m easy, too?”

“No, no,” Maya interjected, waving her hands. “I’m not saying that. What I am saying is that you hurt him. Regardless of how long ago that occurred, Darius was hurt. He’s probably still hurting. People don’t realize how first loves leave lasting impressions on a person.”

“I loved him, too, Maya. You sound like I reacted totally without emotion and that was not the case,” Alexa cried out, jumping to her own defense. “I was hurt, too.”

“But you were the one who left. The man asked you to marry him. You slept with him, packed up your things and left. How would you have felt if the tables were turned?”

“But I told you how necessary it was for me to establish my career before getting involved in a serious relationship.”

“I believe that was your mother’s suggestion,” Maya corrected her.

Alexa’s frown softened. “That’s not fair, Maya.”

“And you think it’s fair to Darius?” Maya asked. “I understand what your mother had gone through, Alexa, but that was her experience. She had no right telling you not to fall in love until a certain age. Love comes when it’s ready. We can’t conjure it up when we think the time is right. Darius loved you. It tore him up when you left. I should know because I was there.

“I’m not saying that you were wrong for not wanting to get serious at a young age, but I think you could have gone about things differently. Bryant and I have been through the fire and the flood and we have managed to stand strong. He’s been supportive of my career, and I support him wanting his own business. If you truly love someone, it’s about give and take. Maybe your father didn’t know much about that, so don’t use that as an excuse with me because I know things can work out especially if it was meant to be.”

With that she slid back from the table and placed her soiled dish in the sink. Alexa remained seated, confused by it all.

Darius was reminded of Alexa’s cognac-colored eyes as he sipped Grand Marnier from the snifter. Regardless of the number of times he replayed the scene in his mind, he couldn’t understand why he had behaved the way he did. All he knew was that seeing Alexa again made him realize how much he had missed her.

She looked the same except more mature. Her eyes still possessed that tranquil, yet smoldering gaze laced with wonder and mystique.

The whole scene, which was blown out of proportion, occurred so fast that the next thing he knew he was leaving. As he climbed up into his truck, he resolved that the years had failed to diminish his feelings for her, and the Alexa he knew possessed the same feelings for him as well.

His love for her was enough to make him happy. When Alexa announced that she was offered a job in Denver, he was sure she’d turn it down especially if he asked her to marry him. When he told his parents of his plans, his mother had asked him to take his time, and his father had left it alone altogether. But Darius was in love, and he wanted to share that with the world.

When he had awakened that morning to an empty bedside, panic hit. Jumping from the bed, he prayed that Alexa was in the shower or maybe preparing their breakfast, but the house was as quiet as ever. In bewilderment, he sank down on the sofa and wondered what could possibly cause her to leave him. The only thing he could think of was his proposal. But, in his mind, he thought that would be the one thing that would draw her nearer, not push her away.

Suddenly, nothing mattered anymore. Not school, not his job, nothing. He probed everyone, Maya, Bryant, even her school counselor about her whereabouts, but no one knew anything. He even went as far as to contact the company Marks-St. Claire, but the receptionist told him in a nasally voice that it was against company policy to reveal personnel information. Empty-handed and heartbroken, he returned to Cleveland.

It was a slow process, but Darius managed to accept what had happened and after a year, stopped devising ways to get Alexa back into his life. He eventually completed his graduate program and accepted a computer analyst position with a reputable software development company. After he deemed himself ready, he began dating again. The women were not hard to come by, and his nights were not often spent alone. Even so, no woman came close to capturing his heart, body and soul like Alexa.

Darius laughed to himself as he raised the snifter to his lips once more. The bartender approached and placed another glass before him.

“Compliments of the cutie in the red, potna,” the bartender announced, nodding towards the door. Darius glanced over his shoulder to the woman sitting all alone. She smiled and raised her glass exposing her cleavage spilling from the black lace camisole. His eyes bucked at her feminine endowment, and she giggled as if she knew he was checking her out.

“Some women need to be arrested for making a man want to sin,” the bartender muttered before walking away.

Darius held up the glass with an unsteady hand and nodded a gesture of thanks. She apparently thought that was a cue for her to come over and she did not hesitate to sashay to his side.

With each step, more leg was exposed in the butt-hugging short skirt. She was throwing so many of her feminine assets around that he could barely concentrate on her face.

“You looked like you could use another,” she announced upon approach.

“Don’t mind if I do,” he replied. If somebody wanted to provide him with the means to distract him from his thoughts then so be it.

“My name’s Cherise.” She held out her hand as she took a seat on the available bar stool.

“Darius,” he said, shaking her hand.

“What brings you here, Mr. Darius?”

He wasn’t sure if he liked the way she sultrily sang his name or the suggestive glances she threw his way.

“Just needed a place to think,” he replied.

“Hmm, you’re thinking on an awfully expensive drink,” she cooed, referring to the sip of cognac remaining in his glass. She motioned for the bartender to send over another.

“Only the best for me,” he replied with a light chuckle.

“Is that so?”

He nodded. “What about you?”

She giggled, more like purred. “I like the best, too, baby, believe me. A couple drinks always relax me.” She raked her long, bloodred nails through her mane and shook it wildly until it fell across her face and down her breast. “I love to let my hair down, and kick my heels up. You know how much fun it is having your heels up, don’t you?”

Darius nodded until he realized what she was hinting around to. “Oh, well, I watch football to relax. Yeah, buddy. There’s nothing like a good football game, throwing that pigskin around.” If he wasn’t so occupied with thinking about Alexa, he would have flirted back, but all he could see were those sexy eyes flashing before his eyes.

“Skin, huh? I like the sound of that.” Cherise laughed. Her hand slid under the table and rested on his knee.

Darius pulled back. He had had too many drinks. This woman wanted to be taken advantage of tonight and he was in the mood to take advantage of someone. But Cherise wasn’t who he was after. The only one he could think about was Alexa.

Cherise rambled on with innuendoes, but Darius did not hear as his thoughts were on Alexa. He felt bad for their earlier encounter and suddenly felt the urge to make things right again. He pulled his wallet from his jacket pocket and removed a twenty-dollar bill.

“Hey, baby, where ya going?” Cherise asked, snagging his jacket and pulling him back.

“I gotta go,” he replied, placing the bill on the bar. He stood. “Thank you for the drink, Ms. Cherise. I apologize for having to dip out on you, but I have business to attend to.”

“Would you like me to join you?” she asked with a look of desperation in her eyes. Curiosity made him wonder about the contents beneath the skimpy clothes, but the idea of enduring Cherise’s company did not appeal to him.

“Thanks, but no thanks.” Before she could utter another word, he departed.

Darius sat outside Bryant and Maya’s home peering up to the window where Alexa slept. He wasn’t sure if she was home, but his drunken state had lowered his inhibitions causing him to act first and think later. He was aware of his actions and justified them by his curiosity. Had he been sober and in his right mind, he was sure he would be somewhere else rather than lurking outside of his friends’ home.

He opened the door of his truck and staggered across the street and up the drive. Digging into his pockets, he retrieved a handful of change, along with his keys and some Tic Tacs. He took a quarter from the small pile of change and threw it at the window. It hit the stucco frame just beneath the window. He cursed lightly as he caught the glint of the coin spiraling into the brush below.

Digging into his pocket once more, he pulled out a nickel and with his best aim hit the window right on target. He waited for a few minutes but got no response. Searching once more, he tossed up another coin, which made its mark again. He decided that if Alexa didn’t answer this time he would call it quits. When on light came on, he resolved that he was not meant to be there and turned to leave when he heard someone whisper his name in the darkness.

“Darry?”

He turned around to find Alexa standing at a side door dressed in an emerald-green satin robe. “Alexa,” he sighed. Man, was she a sight for sore eyes.

Darius’s immediate reaction was to take her in his arms, but he didn’t want to repeat their earlier encounter by crossing the line.

“Can I come in?”

Alexa paused for a moment then beckoned him inside. “What are you doing out at this time of night?”

“I came to see you,” he replied, stumbling past her.

“Are you drunk?” she asked, catching a whiff of alcohol as he passed by. She turned on the light above the stove.

His eyes widened at the sight of her standing there in the thin wrapper, her feminine curves bringing tempting images to mind.

“I had a little to drink,” he replied as he flopped down on one of the kitchen bar stools.

She crossed her arms before her chest. “Darius, why are you drinking and driving? And more importantly why are you here at this hour?”

He exhaled loudly. “Because I want to apologize to you. I don’t know why I said what I said. No, I know why I said it, but I shouldn’t have, and I’m sorry.”

His attempt at an apology was a little loud and jumbled, so rather than have him waking the whole house and risk having to explain his being there, she ushered him up the stairs to her room for privacy.

The first thing Alexa did when she closed the bedroom door was excuse herself to go to the bathroom. She did not want to give Darius any ideas by lounging around in her robe. She pulled out a pair of boxer shorts and a T-shirt and slipped them on.

As she exited the bathroom, she immediately spotted Darius’s coat and shoes on the floor beside the bed. He, on the other hand, was stretched out on her bed with his hands behind his head staring up at the ceiling. The hem of his fitted T-shirt was raised just enough to expose the downy hairs on his packed abs. Alexa gasped as she remembering the treasure hidden just beyond the band of his jeans.

Darius raised up, catching her by surprise. “Alexa.”

She took a seat on the bulky chair away from the bed. “Yes.”

“I’m really sorry about today,” he started again. Alexa knew it was his alcohol-induced state that caused him to continuously apologize because the Darius she knew was more reserved with his feelings.

“You were wrong for calling me easy. You, more than anybody, know that there is nothing easy about me.”

“I know,” he replied, sitting up.

Alexa’s heart began to beat fast. “Then why did you say something so stupid?”

He paused. “Because I wanted to hurt you. I wanted to see you hurt like I did. I’ve forgiven you, but I know I can’t forget it. You hurt me when you walked out on us.”

“What?” she exclaimed, unsure if she was prepared for what was to come.

“When you left me like you did,” he repeated. He proceeded to go on with a faraway look in his eyes. “Young brother was in love. I would have done anything you asked me to, but you were totally oblivious to my feelings.”

Alexa searched for words to say that would ease his pain, but she couldn’t come up with an excuse that would be fitting.

“You were my world, girl,” he whispered. “How could you end things like you did?”

The topic of conversation was too much and Alexa did not feel like discussing the past. The way she handled the situation was wrong and she realized it, but she wasn’t prepared to discuss it. Not at the moment, anyhow. The last thing she wanted to talk about was what she did wrong because that had been haunting her from day one.

“Look, Darius, it is apparent that you are intoxicated,” she announced, standing. “You are in no condition to discuss serious subject matter.”

Darius shook his head. His movement was so exaggerated that he looked as if he might give himself whiplash. “I may be a little faded, but I’m not incoherent.”

She shrugged. “Okay, how about I don’t want to talk about it.”

Darius looked at her strangely. “Alexa. Don’t you think I deserve to know?”

Rather than respond, she turned away from him, focusing her attention on the dresser before her. The next few days would be hard on both of them. For Alexa, trying to maintain a civil posture would be easy under other circumstances, but if every time she peered over her shoulder to find Darius watching her every move, she would likely falter.

Darius groaned and fell back on the bed.

The sound escaping from his throat caught her attention and she turned to find him stretched out on her bed. “What’s wrong?”

He moaned with a shake of his head. “My head is killing me. Can you get me an aspirin and some water?”

“Sure,” she quickly replied, heading to the bathroom. She located a bottle of Tylenol in the medicine cabinet. She turned on the faucet and filled a Dixie cup with water. When she returned to the bedroom, she found Darius fast asleep. Rather than wake him, she placed the cup and pain reliever on the nightstand.

Although she wanted to leave the room, she couldn’t help remaining in her place watching him sleep. Even in slumber, Darius was a fine piece of art. His sculpted arms and washboard stomach revealed that fitness was one of his priorities. The rise and fall of his chest with each breath, followed by the familiar growl-like snore added to his powerfulness. The slight furrow of his brow caused her to wonder what he was thinking.

It was funny how she couldn’t recall him frowning in his sleep in their younger days. She remembered how much she used to love watching him sleep. He seemed so masculine. His snoring always made her feel secure. Alexa missed that, and the old sinking feeling dwelled in her stomach.

Shaking away the longing like rain off of an umbrella, Alexa made herself walk away. She returned, moments later, only to lay a quilt on top of him before snuggling under one herself on the chair.

As soon as she propped her head against the cushioned padding, she fell fast asleep.

In the middle of the night, Darius awakened to find Alexa curled up on the chair in what looked like an uncomfortable position. He glanced at the alarm clock. It was a few minutes after 2:00 in the morning. He decided he could sleep the alcohol off for another two hours and be gone before the other inhabitants woke up.

Watching Alexa snoring peacefully made Darius determined not to sleep alone. He slipped out of bed and gently picked her up from the chair and carried her over to the bed where he laid her down. After covering her with the comforter, he lay down beside her, on top of the covers, pulling her into his arms. His heart beat like an African drum. He had imagined, actually dreamt about this moment many times. Having Alexa in his arms again felt so right. Like it was where she belonged.