Idée Fixe

Too Soon (2)

Chapter Three

Darkness has now consumed the sky completely and I glance at the time on my phone. It reads 8:57. I regret not going to the party with Dani, but after seeing Demarcus I've completely lost interest in being around people. The worst part is that after I got home, I noticed that I had received a text from an unfamiliar number and I've been reading the message over and over.

+16142384115: thea, its lucky. im sorry i aint contact u sooner, but i been dealing wit shit. i know about u running into D and i apologize for not telling u sooner but we relocated here. u gotta be careful, thea. he ain't too happy about runnin into u. nigga been going crazy since u left and now he looking for u.

Tears threaten to spill from my eyes and I don't even fight against them, this time I allow them to accompany me in my misery. I bring my knees up to my chest and wrap my arms around my legs as my back rests against the headboard. The loud sound of my sobs fills the room as the feelings of loneliness and fear settles in.

"God, please," I beg as memories of Demarcus and I flood my mind. I was once his everything. He loved me. What changed that? Why?

"Please make it stop," I cry out loudly as my heart clenches, begging to be released from the past. It hurts.

The sounds of cars passing by can be heard from the large opened window and it causes my loneliness to grow. No matter how hard I cry, no one will hear me. No one knows how much pain I carry or the thoughts that consume my mind. It doesn't matter that my life seems to be at a standstill, everyone else's life will continue to move on.

A loud knocking sound pulls me out of my state of melancholy and my heart starts pounding as I stand up from the bed. I quietly make my way out of my bedroom and towards the front door. I open the closet door and grab the baseball bat that I keep in it. Peering through the blinds of the window that allows me to see the front, I notice a tall and masculine figure standing there. The porch light falls onto them and I let out a sigh of relief as it reveals Jalen.

He knocks on the door again as an impatient look takes over his expression. I place the bat back into the closet before quickly unlocking and opening the front door. His expression softens when he sees me and I inwardly argue with myself for not looking presentable. I'm only wearing a black oversized t-shirt and my hair is pulled up into a messy ballerina bun.

"Hey," he greets me with a comforting yet mesmerizing smile. My insides ignite with lust and desire as I take him in. He's wearing a burgundy sweater that hugs his muscles and compliments his skin. His dark brown eyes are glowing underneath the porch light and I question how someone can look so picture perfect without even trying.

"Hi," I respond as I open the door wider and step aside to let him in. He enters and his eyes roams my apartment.

"I was disappointed when I ain't see you at the party," he says as he turns towards me, " Dani said you weren't feeling good."

"Yeah.  Are you thirsty?" I attempt to change the subject and he nods before following me into the kitchen.

"You have a nice place," he compliments as he leans onto the counter. I can feel his eyes traveling my body, causing my heart to accelerate with excitement.

"Thank you," I respond as I open the refrigerator, "water, juice, or pop?"

"Water."