THE EXAM CALLED LIFE

CHAPTER 12

Did i forget to mention that I'm a very impatient woman? Well now you know. I was at Rocky's at exactly eight and forty five minutes had passed yet Luther hadn't arrived. I checked my phone for any messages or calls from him but there were none. Great. I had cancelled all the plans I had then for us to meet and now he was standing me up? Was he serious?

Swallowing the last gulp of water that was brought to me, I got up to leave and bumped into Luther with ruffled hair carrying a hood in his hands. I had to admit, no matter how poor he was, he was still able to pull off his looks. "I'm sorry for being late. My little girl-"

"Save it. Let's just sit down and talk okay? "I said cutting him off.

"You look really beautiful Miss Cole" he said with a sheepish smile. I was glad to have worn a black sleeveless button up dress that reached just below my knees. It was chinese collar designed leaving a little space between both collar bones. I smiled at him as I felt for the charm bracelet on my right wrist. I leaned back towards my chair a little feeling my pink trench coat and felt a little reassured.

"Thank you Luther. You don't mind if I call you Luther, right?" I asked fingers crossed well not literally.

"No of course not. I am actually sort of honoured," he smiled making his features glow. Get a grip Aramina. The man's married. My annoying subconscious never gave it a rest. I took a deep breath and got back to my senses, a little bit.

"Is your detective okay with this?" he asked nervously.

"Who knows? I actually don't care what he thinks," I said arrogantly.

"But he does," said Luther. I took a moment to think about those words. Yes Blake was annoying and all and there was no way I could think about him like that, right?

"We didn't come here to talk about me. I want to know all about you," I said resting my forearms on the table.

"Well there's not much to tell, just that I'm an ex convict with no job and a family to take care of," he said. A waiter came our way and we placed our order, which was brought to us immediately.

"I'd like to know why you went to prison," I said.

"Well, my father died and my sister sort of blamed me for his death," he said. A flash of hurt lingered in his eyes for a moment.

"Which sister?"

He looked at me surprisingly. "You did a background check on my family too?"

"Of course I did. I couldn't just sit back and relax. You were causing me some major problems to be honest," I said.

"Before I tell you this, you have to know that nobody knows this except my family," he said very seriously. I nodded as if to promise and urge him at the same time.

"My sister Demetria or as she is famously known, Demi Lovato," he said rolling his eyes and leaned back to his seat. He saw the puzzled look etched on my face and decided to clarify things. "My parents used to fight a lot about stupid things and then one day I just lost it. My father was beating my mother up really badly. His knuckles were busted and my mother's face was bloody. He choked her and when I caught a tear falling from her right eye I just lost it. I took the gun that was placed on the table and shot him. Blood sprinkled all over the place as he collapsed on my mother. My head was spinning and I couldn't think straight. Demetria ran out to call for help as I had assumed but she came back with the cops. I couldn't believe it. My hands were shaking and my mother had already gotten off him and frantically tried to clean the place up as we wondered what to do with his body. My mother tried to explain that she experienced domestic violence to them but they couldn't listen. I was sixteen when they took me to juvenile and on the day of my trial Demetria testified against me; her own flesh and blood. I was pledged guilty and was sentenced to twenty years in prison. My education continued while I was there and since we visited Brooklyn National Hospital for injuries and some of the classes, the chief of surgery, Dr Hunt took a special interest in me and promised to give me a job once I was out. I was really glad and was paroled due to good conduct. It honestly came as a surprise to me since I wouldn't have thought that they paroled murder cases. Ten solid years had passed and I went to find Dr Hunt but unfortunately, he had left the world two years earlier. I knew then that there was no hope for me. I tried looking for a job but as I told you, noone wanted to hire an ex convict. Demetria ruined my life. I haven't spoken to her in years. Well, Joan and April try to have me talk to her but I just can't we've always had bad blood between us since then to date. I'm just not sure if I can trust her, you know?"