Black Coffee (Tara's Dream)|Dearest Diary, - Book 1 (unedited)

I

After confirming that all the bags were in the vehicle and Bri’s car seat was also secured. I gave Shea one more hug and turned to address Troy and Briella who were playing their own version of what looked like horsie.

“Shall we go?”

Troy nodded as he moved to strap Briella into her car seat. I moved to open the other backseat door but it did not open. I glared back at him through the window and he pointed to the single passenger seat next to the driver. I rolled my eyes at him but moved to the other side nonetheless just as he reached out a hand to open the door for me.

“This does not change anything.” I grinded out feeling rather annoyed

“I know.” He replied sending me a glare of his own. He closed the door and strode over to the driver's side and left me shaking my head in exasperation. Troy got into the car and closed the door behind him. However, he did not immediately start the engine. He stared in ahead apoearing contemplative for a moment before he turned to face me.

"Are you that mad at me? Is this some kind of revenge because of what happened?" I did not answer him. What was I to tell him? I looked out of the window staring at nothing in particular. "How many times will I say this? I am sorry!"

"Mmh! " I huffed before turning to look at him with a face full of agitation.

"Despite what you think, not everything revolves around you." My eyes were now glaring daggers. Our eyes locked for a moment even as he continued to regard me with some intense emotion swimming in his eyes.

"Okay, Fine!" He finally turned away and  started the engine . The engine purred to life and he shifted the gear knob ready to release the break. The car started to pull out of the driveway slowly and I turned to wave back at my family. At that same time, my little girl of three years old began singing the ‘Bye bye Goodbye’ song from behind in her car seat even as we slowly progressed down the driveway and into the highway that led to town.

"Daddy, You coming with us?" my little girl ended her song only to begin a stream of endless questions that were directed to her father, so innocent and so oblivious to the tension that was brewing between us.

Troy did not answer her. He remained silent for a while, until little Briella began to get impatient and she started whining. "Daddy! Daddy!" I looked at him. I could see that the man was still very angry about this whole situation, however and contrary to what I was initially thinking, the man was not ignoring his daughter but was rather busy, thinking, the gears in his head shifting as he tried to fish for an appropriate answer to give to his very inquisitive daughter.

"You know what Bri? I think I should come too." I gasped even as he spouted out this nonsense quite thoughtfully. The gall of the man and he had the audacity to turn and give me a blinding smile? "Yes, I am coming with you Bri." he said for added measure even as the smirk continued to grace his extremely annoying but quiteattractive face. 

At that, little Briella squealed out with joy and if hadn’t known better, i would have assumed that my little girl, my angel, my everything was in cahoots with her father. I would have assumed that they had rallied against me and conspired to make my life miserable, but I knew better; for even as my Briella continued to clap her hands gleefully and I continued to moan and groan inwardly, I knew that it was because she loved her father immensely and not out of spite. I continued to grumble away, inwardly though, even as I felt the man’s gaze on me. I turned to give him another deathly glare, but he dismissed it with a chuckle and turned his eyes back to the road. The temptation to wipe the smirk off his face was so great, but I was well aware of Briella's presence behind us and as her mum of the danger that such an action would pose to our little company especially with the said man being established on the wheel.