Page 116 of Search My Soul
“Who are you, and what have you done with my brother? The Soul I grew up with would never allow someone else to have what belongs to him. When did you become a loser?” Lovely spat.
“Well damn. Tell me how you really feel. It’s not like that at all. Trust me, once I get my shit right, I’m still coming for what’s mine. I guess I’m considering the possibilities. She might not want me back if she’s happy where she is.” I shrugged, not wanting to think about a future without her in it. I couldn’t imagine her walking down the aisle in all white, into the arms of another man. There was no way we went through all of this notto end up with a happily ever after. At least that was what I kept telling myself.
“Well, what’s holding you back? Every day that you allow her to get comfortable in that relationship, you are diminishing your chances of getting her back. I’m telling you right now, I don’t think I would ever be able to accept another woman in your life if it’s not her. I would be cordial, but I only have one sister-in-law,” Patience declared.
“Same, Sis. She’s the first one you ever brought around us, and the love you shared was real.” Lovely piggy-backed off her Patience.
“I guess only time will tell.”
“Well, her birthday is coming up. This would be a great opportunity for you to do something special to show you care,” Lovely suggested.
“And what exactly are you proposing?”
“I have a few ideas, but we can all brainstorm.” I peeped the mischievous grins on my sister’s faces and knew they were about to stir up some trouble. Luckily for them, I was down to shake things up a bit. We spent the next hour plotting and planning my surprise for Juicy. It actually felt good to know my sisters were rooting for us and they had my back. Maybe there was still a chance for me to make things right after all.
“I’msorry I couldn’t make it to your party, baby. Did you like your gifts though?” Darion spoke to me on FaceTime as I got ready to head to my birthday party. He was being featured in a magazine and had to fly out to New York. The timing couldn’t have been worse, but I was happy for him. This was a huge opportunity, and I wouldn’t have wanted him to miss it.
“You don’t have to keep apologizing, baby. I promise I’m fine. Besides, it’s a tea party theme. I’m sure you wouldn’t have wanted to be surrounded by a bunch of women in dresses and gloves.” I giggled when I saw the frown on his face.
“Yeah, definitely not. You still didn’t answer my question though. Did you like your gifts?” Darion had a bunch of gifts delivered to my place, including some designer bags, dresses,and glasses. They were all really nice, and I made sure to send him a picture with a thank you message this morning.
“Yes, baby, the gifts were really nice. You didn’t need to spend that much money on me though. I would’ve been fine with a cute little dinner or a small getaway when you come back home.” My girls thought I was being ridiculous because I didn’t like Darion spending so much money on me. He took me on a trip to New York a few weeks ago and spent $30,000 in the mall. Don’t get me wrong, I’m a woman who loves nice things, but I also wasn’t a flashy person. My wardrobe was mixed with designer and TJ Maxx. I’ve never been one to discriminate as long as the clothes were cute.
“Well, it’s your world, baby, so if you want a vacation, I can make that happen for you too. Anything to see you smile.” That was one thing that he did often. I can honestly say that our relationship had been smooth sailing from the very beginning. Surprisingly, dating a professional athlete hadn’t come with the typical drama and stereotypes that I once believed. The women were aggressive, and they constantly threw themselves at him, but Darion was always respectful. He would always tell me if anything happened while he was away from me, and while I didn’t need all of that, I did appreciate that he kept the communication open.
“How was the interview?” A smile spread across his face the moment I asked.
“Man, this has been amazing! I’ve been featured in a couple of magazines, but to be on the front cover is something completely different. The photos they took were dope as hell, and I really wish you were here to see them. Who knows, maybe we can have a wedding exclusive one of these days and take couple pictures in a magazine together.” It was a joke, but a part of me wasn’t sure how I felt about that. It was one thing to be thegirlfriend of an athlete, but a wife? I wasn’t sure if I was built for something like that.
“Do you and your teammates have any plans for the night?” Again, I changed the subject to something more general.
“A couple of the fellas want to hit one of the popular clubs out here. I would much rather spend the night in my room, but since I didn’t pay for this trip, then I’m gonna make the most of it. I can’t wait to get back home to you.”
“I know. Between this and your football schedule I feel like I hardly ever see you. I’m excited to come see your games though. I know you’re gonna have an amazing season.”
“Thank you, baby. From your lips to God’s ears. The coach says that we’re making great progress so I’m hoping that means we can make it to the Super Bowl this year. I’m not in a hurry or anything, but I do want to win a ring before I retire.”
“Well, you have a long time before that happens, so I’m sure you’ll be able to reach your dreams. Anyways, Puma is outside waiting for me so I’m going to head out. I know you’ll probably be busy, and so text me later to let me know that you made it back to your room safely.”
“All right, babe I love you.” I cringed every time he said it because I couldn’t say it back. It wasn’t because I didn’t care about him because I did. I just wasn’t sure I was ready to take the next step with someone else. Yes, we were in a relationship, so eventually my feelings would develop into more. However, I wasn’t ready to rush into anything. I felt like that was where I went wrong in my last relationship. Everything with Soul happened so fast and before I knew it, I was head over heels. The good times were great, but the bad times have left scars that I wasn’t sure would ever heal. Either way, I was in no hurry to experience that again.
“Aww, thank you. I’ll talk to you later, boo.” I hung up the phone, then tossed it inside of my handbag. I gave myselfanother once over before walking out of my room. My party theme was pink tea party. All of my guests were supposed to dress in Kentucky Derby type outfits and some shade of pink. I’ve never really gotten a chance to celebrate my birthday growing up, so for some reason, I wanted to make this particular birthday special. This year had given me a run for my money, and I needed a reason to smile.
“It’s about time you brought your ass downstairs, bitch. I was two seconds from walking my ass up those stairs and dragging you back down.” Puma fussed as I got inside her car.
“Oh hush. I’m the birthday girl so I get a pass today.”
“Pass my ass. It’s too damn hot to be sitting in the car waiting for you. You look cute though, friend.” She snickered as she pulled out of the complex.
“Thank you, boo. You look amazing as well. I’m surprised my brother-in-law let you out of the house with your titties on display. You know that man is crazy about you.”
“Oh trust me, we had a full-blown argument before I could even make it to the car. He claimed I was disrespecting him and his daughter by advertising her source of nutrients for everyone to see. I politely explained to him that I’m grown as hell and there are no men going to this party. Him and his spoiled ass twin can leave me the hell alone.” Puma’s face twisted into a frown.
“You leave my godbaby out of this.”
“Girl, you can go right to hell right along with her. I’m tired of her bullying me every night when it’s time to go to bed. I’ve never been so sleep deprived in my life, and she has the nerve to be cooing and slobbing at three o’clock in the morning like shit is sweet. I’m ready to book a hotel room by myself and turn my phone off.”
“I don’t think that’s a bad idea. Hell if you ever need me to babysit, all you have to do is ask. I would gladly keep herovernight so you and Murk can have some alone time,” I offered. I have a lot of experience with children since I helped raise my siblings over the years. It had been a while since I had to take care of a baby, but I didn’t mind trying.
