Obsession

11.

"Can you make something with red beans and rice."

"Sure baby."

Raven heads to the kitchen and starts to cook when she hears the door. Shortly after she hears voices one sounding slightly similar to husbands and a soft voice guessing that it was his stepmother.

Soon after a woman standing at what she believed to be 5 foot 6, brown skin, and sporting long deep wave bundles joined her in the kitchen.

She was beautiful and Raven adored the way her curves fit her and how cute her outfit was.

"You must be Raven. Oh I've heard nothing but good things about you."

She takes a long look over Raven twirling her around. Ebony loved how Stephan had followed in his fathers footsteps and had found love with a young woman of bigger size. Hopefully she was the one for him.

"You are even more gorgeous in person. And the glow you have. I can tell we're going to be best friends."

"Sorry but that positions already taken."

They both look up and Raven locks eyes with her best friend. Seeing her in person after six months brings tears to her eyes. She never thought they'd be back together or even be talking right now. Everything was finally working out and in her favor.

"Ebony this is my best friend Victoria, Vicky this is Ebony Stephan's step mom."

The two smile and wave before focusing back on Raven and her growing belly. Victoria was happy but couldn't help but being disappointed in her best friend for allowing this to happen to her.

The girl she knew had planned her whole life out. Graduate college, start her business, travel, settle down between 24 and 26, get married, have kids before 30, travel with kids.

Now she was standing in the middle of the large kitchen watching the 19 year old cook and wobble around with not one but two kids inside of her. She had somewhat traveled and she was now married. But it wasn't the way they had talked about it, the life her best friend lived didn't come with the details they would stay up and talk about until god knows when. It didn't include the things that she was supposed to ruin for her. Victoria wanted to be happy for her, she really did. But it was hard to find the happiness in this tragedy she had somehow got sucked into.

"I'll leave you two to talk and catch up."

Raven nods and Vicky takes a seat behind her at the island decorating the middle of their large kitchen. It was hard for her to keep eye contact because she knew soon, the questions would come rolling in. Raven couldn't fathom the thought of having tell tell her best friend every disturbing detail about her new life. Shit she didn't even like thinking about it herself.

"I need answers Ray and I need them now. The truth."

"About what V? He flew down to see me and apologize, we had sex, I found out I was pregnant, he flew us out of state and we started over."

"So your telling me. Your best friend since first grade. I know the whole him apologizing and y'all having sex is true because I know you. But you really expect me to believe that you were fine with him getting you pregnant at 19 and him flying you out. Meaning you had to drop out of college, mis our on your dreams of traveling alone, really getting the chance to settle down and prepare for marriage, and then finally having kids. There's no way. You've had your life planned out since we were like 10. And to add on to it you haven't talked to me in six months so tell me the truth."

Vicky was right. Nothing about Ravens story was true but she couldn't ruin this weekend. This fairytale she had began to believe. Her marriage. Her family. Everything had to be perfect and if that meant keeping the lies in play she would do it. Nothing meant more to her right now than her happiness and she was finally beginning to get there. Despite her being pregnant and having to drop out. Despite her "husband" forcing her to get pregnant and leave the states. Despite him physically, mentally, and emotionally abusing her for the first four months they were starting over.

He was all she knew. All she had. And now she was carrying his children. Their children. Their legacy. And she wouldn't allow such "small" mishaps ruin her life again.

"I am V. When we left I wanted to start over. I didn't get a phone until recently. I was trying to keep my pregnancy a secret but I couldn't anymore so I caved and got a phone. He started his business when we got here and my line should be launching in the next couple of weeks. Getting married was my idea, I don't want the kids to grow up in a broken home. Plus I love Stephan."

Even she couldn't believe what she was saying. It was like everything was becoming the truth to her and she had finally came to peace with her demons. She did love her husband no matter what they went through. She didn't want her children being brought up in a broken home. And she really had just received her phone two weeks ago.

"I hear you Ray, but you know I'll find out the truth. Whether you like it or not."

"Anyways what's new with you."

Raven continued to cook her food while she and Victoria caught up. Ebony and the boys eventually coming in to join the conversation. Everyone was enjoying each other's company except Stephan. He couldn't shake the fact that Victoria would be interrogating Raven for the next couple of days. He didn't like people poking around in his business. And this wasn't her place.

As they ate Vicky eyed the couple from time to time trying to pick on little hints that Raven was lying but nothing stood out. She didn't do the little side ewe face she would make when someone was being too mushy. But she laughed every time he would kiss her forehead or lean over to whisper vulgar things to her. He rubber her thigh or her belly throughout the whole meal and she kept her hand in sync with his. They seemed fairly happy and she would be leaving them alone. For now.

As the night wound down she made her way into the guest room. Unpacking her things and getting comfortable before getting ready for bed. While putting her things away in the closet she discovered a box. Being who she was she couldn't help but look through it.

Photos of Raven filled the box almost to the top. Shots of her with her previous fling caught her attention right away. Them kissing in the car, him kissing her in front of his window, him undressing her, then during intercourse, Raven laid up with her college side fling. As she dug further the pictures began to creep her out. Finally coming across a letter dated back to August.

"August 2,2017

           Dear Raven,
     You might not know who this is but you'll figure it out soon. I haven't stopped thinking about you since preview this morning. And I know you think you looked like hell, but I think you looked beautiful. I want you and not to be cocky but I'll have you as soon as the semester starts. So don't be out here doing stupid shit because I'll know. I'll have eyes on you at all times. Even when you think I don't know.  I'll know.
            ,your secret admirer."

The more she dug through the box the more disgusted she felt. He had been stalking her and planned everything up to this point.

"You shouldn't be looking through that."

She looked back to find Stephan standing in the door, torso showing and that panty dropping sly grin he always placed on his face when he was up to something.

"You disgust me."

"I haven't done anything wrong. And you'll keep your fucking mouth shut if you want to make it back home."

At this point she believed that he could make her go missing. Hell he made her best friend disappear for six months. She didn't know what to do with the information so she just handed him the box. Wanting nothing more than to unsee the images and unread all the letters she read.

"Keep your hands off my shit. If you didn't bring it in with you don't touch it. Next time I catch you I'll break your fucking fingers."

"But why? Why go through all this? The hunting her down, watching her every move. Why not just do things like a normal person?"

"Because she's mine. I wanted her I got her. You should be happy for your best friend. She got the life she wanted."

"But you could have given it to her another way."

"You wanted me to wait for her?"

He laughs.

"I did. I waited outside of the dining hall, outside of her classes, outside of niggas apartments that she was fucking two weeks later. Why does it matter how I did it? We belong together and she's happy. So keep your fuckin mouth shut."