One Last Time

Always there, necklace or in person

Marshall looked at me from across the table as we were eating dinner with the kids, he had made the dinner, as always. 

I can't be more honest if I say I suck at cooking, I can cook the simplest of things, sure, but anything like Marshall? Nope. 

He had made fruit salad for the kids with honey to dip the fruit in if they wanted and juice on the side. While making a homemade burger to us, whereas he had put BBQ sauce on the meat to make it more juicy. It was amazing, he's a great cook even though everyone thinks he's only good at "cooking cereal".

"Dad, I got an A on my latest report in science!" Hailie smiled big, Marshall looks away from me at his daughter and smiled proudly. 

"Really? That's great, Hay-Hay! What was the report about?" She explains him about her last science class and what they had done, she smiles big as she finished talking about how math was so easy and that she had no problems with making a science-report where she put mathematical equations to describe the point of it all. I look at Marshall again, seeing he literally was trying so hard to understand what the hell had just come out of his daughters mouth, he ended up just smiling and nodding. "That's good, I'm proud of you baby."

"Thanks!" She smiles and keep eating, Marshall looks at me and give me a silent 'What the..!?' and frowns at me, I just let out a giggle and shake my head at him.

"That awkward moment when your own daughter is smarter than you..." I say quietly, and give him a teasing look as he looks at me with a grimace saying; I'm flipping you off mentally.

Pling! 

"Excuse me." I get up from the chair and walk over to my phone laying on the desk by the door, I pick it up and saw it was a message from Brian. He had texted me an address... I frown a little as I saw the address, I text him back and it doesn't take long for him to reply:

A: Why the address?

B: Meet me there at 8 pm. Without Marshall. 

I frown a little and look up from my phone at Marshall as he reached across the table for more ketchup, he was wearing a t-shirt as always, he was either doing a good job of pretending to not show any interest in who had texted me (Which I'm sure he is) or he genuinely doesn't care. But...  I look down at my phone again and text Brian again, asking why I couldn't bring Marshall. He doesn't reply this time. 

I frown a little and put my phone down, I smile and sit back down by the table and keep eating.

____________

I look at Marshall as he was sitting in the couch with his girls, I smile a little as he looked at me, pretending I was fine.

He told me to not bring Marshall... In other words, he doesn't want to get beat up. Why would he be scared of getting beat up? Cause he took my necklace... There can't be any other reason. 

"I'm going out..." I state eventually, he looks up from Hailie and meet my gaze.

"Will you be okay?" He asks quick, I nod, lie. I wasn't certain if I would, but I had Marshall on favorites on my phone, I'd call him if something was up. Which I'd probably need to do... He looks at my face, I could tell he didn't buy it. "Okay..." He just says after a while and nod. "You'll call me right?" I nod again, this time I was certain. He nods again and look at the tv. "Good..." I put on my Nike's and grab my purse, I put on my sunglasses and walk out of the house and to my car and drive to the address by following Google Maps, I wasn't surprised to end up in the middle of a parking lot to an old apartment complex. 

I shiver a little, it was creepy. I look at my wallpaper on my phone, I smile a little. It was a picture of me and Marshall, holding hands while walking down the street. His right hand holding my left hand, while his left hand was in the pocket of his shorts. A smile on his face as he looked at me from underneath the hoodie over his head, I looked back at him with a smile as I had pushed his chest. I remembered that moment as if it had happened yesterday, it was a peaceful, playful and joyful moment. 

I smile at the memory and look up from the warm memory on my phone and get out into the creepiness that was the parking lot. I lock the car and text Brian again.

A; I'm here... Where you at?

I wait for a reply, instead I see a shadow walk towards me from the other side of the parking lot. I bite my lip, this reminded me of when Dre had driven me to a parking lot and Marshall had come walking towards me wearing a hoodie. I had felt the same way as now, as if I was looking at my killer. Only this time, it wasn't my psychopath underneath the hoodie...

Brian removes to hoodie from his head and looks at me with his chocolate-brown eyes, I frown and tilt my head. I aint scared of him... Marshall's here with me. I remind myself and touch his bruised face gently and shake my head at him. 

"What the fuck have you done to yourself, Brian..." I mutter and look at his bruised lip, he slaps my hand away, and grab something from his pocket, he grabs my hand and put it in my hand and looks in my eyes intense.

"Alexis... I was an asshole, I was blind and I'm sorry. I'm so, so, so... Sorry." I frown a little, he kept holding my hand. "I see that you're happy with him, you love him, he loves you, you've always loved him... It's always been him, and... I'm sorry for taking that from you." I look in my hand and see my necklace, I quickly open it and see the little note was still in there.

I smile and put it around my neck with a warm smile, feeling safer than ever. Putting that little metal case around my neck, so close to my heart, gave me sense of being safe. He was here with me. And he protected me. My whiteboy... I hold the necklace in my hand and look at Brian again. 

"I love you, Alexis. I do." He then says and keeps looking at me with an intense look in his eyes, his face was bruised and a cut was over his right eyebrow, not to mention his busted lip. His face looked so... Rough and harsh, but then he had those puppy-dog, chocolate-brown eyes full of sadness and innocence. I take a step away and shake my head a little. "I know, I know... I'm not gonna pretend I stand a chance against Mr. Mathers..." He mutters, I let out a little chuckle and bite my lip again, ugh that name only can bring me to my knees... For fuck sake, get a grip girl...  "But I wanna set things straight before I go." I frown a little as he reached in his pocket and get huge eyes as he pulls out a Glock and cock it, but instead of aiming it at me, he puts the gun on his temple. I get big eyes.

"Brian, don't!" He frowns.

"Why not, Alexis?" He sniffles, his hand trembling along with his lip. "I have only ruined your life, there is no reason for me no more..." 

"Brian!! Stop this! I care for you, as a friend of course, but I care for you!" I say quick, and smack the gun out of his hand and pull him into a hug. He whimpers and put his arms around me gently and start sobbing into my shoulder. "You're coming home with me." I then say, no way in hell I'mma let him go anywhere alone right now. 

"B-but---" I shake my head and walk with him to my car. 

"No buts, you're coming with me. I don't wanna leave you alone, you're a danger to yourself and others right now..." I stroke through his brown hair gently and pat his cheek gently as I look in his eyes. "Well... You'll be in danger when I take you home, but I can protect you from the rage-filled monster..." I giggle a little and get him in the car and start driving home.

Lord have mercy on that man when Marshall sees him...