“WHAT IS YOUR problem?”
Silence.
Tabitha’s hazel eyes narrowed into slit as she stared daggers at Drake. They’d made it to her apartment complex quickly thanks to the minimal traffic and a short distant they had to drive but during the trip he kept quiet and kept his eyes on the road the whole time. It was as if she wasn’t even there.
Something was seriously wrong between them.
He’d started acting strange right after he came back to the emergency room at the hospital with Jason but in all honesty, she no longer had the energy to deal with anyone at the moment and decided to give up on questioning him.
“Fine. Don’t answer me. It was a mistake to come back to this damn city anyways!” She opened the door to get out when suddenly Drake gripped her forearm. Turning to face him, she thought that he looked a bit sad and begrudged herself for sympathizing with him. He didn’t deserve it.
Turning her body towards him, she gave him her undivided attention, she had no choice since he continued to latch onto her forearm; his grip tight. “What is going on in that head of yours Drake? Is this about Brandon’s death?”
There was a pregnant pause before he shook his head, let her arm go and put both hands through his dark locks while letting out a ragged breath. “This isn’t going to work.”
Confused Tabitha frowned. “What isn’t going to work?”
“Us,” he muttered and stared out the windshield.
If someone kicked her in the gut right at that moment, it probably wouldn’t have hurt as much as his words did. The back of her throat started to constrict as she tried to keep the burst of emotional pain that threatened to spill, at bay. She swallowed hard and asked, “Why not?”
“It’s too messy.”
“You made it that way!” She quickly shot back as her emotions started to get the best of her.
Drake scowled. “We made it that way. Look I may not be an ideal good guy and all that crap but I do have loyalty for my friends and especially my family. I can’t lose my brother over some girl.”
Tabitha flinched. “Some girl? That’s what I am to you? Just some girl?”
“You know what I mean,” he retorted.
“You’re right, I do. I’m just the girl who used to fuck your little brother five years ago and you just days ago. I’m just the bitch who goes from one brother to the other. Yup, that’s me, Tabitha the hoe with a gun.” She made a move to leave the car but his hands gripped her by the waist and turned her towards him.
“I didn’t mean it like that and you know it! I’ve loved you for five fucking years and I’ve sacrificed my relationship with my brother just to show you that but now, I’m starting to see that maybe it wasn’t worth it. We fucked up Tabs and being with you in front of him is just going to make everything worst.”
“Not worth it? Wow, you couldn’t have twisted the knife any deeper even if you wanted to,” she responded. Her own voice sounded cracked to her and she was ready to get away from him or she’d be forced to hit him.
“I don’t mean to hurt you Tabs but that’s just how it has to be.”
“Cut the bullshit Drake! It doesn’t have to be anyway unless you want it to be.”
“You don’t think that I want to be with you?” He bit out. “But because of this web we created, it won’t work.”
“But we can make it work.”
“We can’t.”
“We have to try!”
“We can’t!” He snapped.
“I don’t want to lose you. You’re the only person who’s been in my corner,” she pleaded.
“I’m sorry. This is how it has to be. I can’t see him hurting as much as he is. He just lost his best friend and he’s trying to remove me from his family tree for what we did all together. I can’t add more fuel to that damn fire. He’ll hate me.”
Tabitha took a few seconds to think about what he said and knew that he was right. What they did was selfish to the point of no return. She got it. She didn’t have to like it but she understood.
“Alright. I’ll respect your decision. Just do me a favor and don’t start acting all strange on me again.” She reached out and ran her fingers through his dark locks.
“Strange?” He looked offended for a bit. She nodded her head and sent him a smile that he quickly returned. “If you say so.”
Reaching out, she cupped the side of his face a hand. “You know, I came back here thinking and hoping that Jason would want me back but I was wrong about it all. I thought that we could pick up where we’d left off but that’s impossible when the one I really wanted and needed was right by my side, even in spirit.” A fat tear slid down her cheeks and she hardly bothered to wipe it. “You’re a jackass Drake Mills, you really are, but I still find myself falling for you.”
Drake gripped the hand that was on his face and kissed her palm. He looked into her eyes and smirked. “Of course you are. I’d be more surprised if you wasn’t tripping over yourself because of me.”
Tabitha rolled her eyes. “Way to ruin the damn moment I was trying to have.”
He chuckled as he slid his thumb across her cheeks where the tear had fallen. “I’m sorry,” he muttered as he closed the space between them and brushed his lips against hers.
“It’s a wonder Jason haven’t tried to kill us yet. You’re cocky as hell and I can’t keep my mouth shut. Two very irritating qualities.”
“I’m not cocky and you’re just outspoken, though I hope you learn to control that fast because I think his new girlfriend suddenly has beef with you.”
Tabitha frowned. “I guess I shouldn’t have said what I said but Jason cornered me and you chose that moment to go mute. I had to try to get the attention off of me.”
“It didn’t work Einstein,” Drake stated and flicked her forehead with his fingers.
“Ouch,” she yelped and quickly retaliated by smacking him behind the head. “And yes, thank you for stating the obvious, smart ass.”
Drake grabbed both her hands in order to keep them from flying to the back of his head again and sent her a playful glare which turned into a heartwarming smile. “Go get some rest Tabs.”
“Yeah, I guess this is good-bye,” she muttered softly as a melancholy feeling settled into her heart. Her smile faded away as she stared into his green eyes.
“It’s not a good-bye,” he replied as he dropped her hands and looked away from hers eyes that screamed at him to reconsider. “We’ll see each other almost every day if you plan on staying in the crew.”
“If that’s how you’re looking at it then you’re right. Just promise me one thing Mills-”
“Drake,” he corrected.
“Right. Just promise me one thing Drake.”
“What’s that?”
“Don’t give me a reason to go into my boots and pull out my M-9. Keep the desperate whores to a minimum please,” Tabitha stated.
Drake cocked a brow. “You’re serious?”
“As a heart attack,” she quipped and slipped out of the car. She turned towards the car and waved as her heart broke a little bit more. She pivoted on the heel of her boots and went through the double doors of the apartment complex. She knew that Drake was a good guy no matter what he acted like or looked like to others. He wasn’t good with showing vulnerability to just anyone and masked it with anger and aggression. Unlike his brother who’d rather masked his with silence and isolation.
Regardless of how she may look to others for hooking up with two brothers, with the exception of the abortion, she didn’t regret much. They were two great guys and she was glad she’d gotten to know them both as an individual. Too bad she couldn’t be with either one.
Drake didn’t know what to do himself and the sting that became a constant in his insides since he’d decided to end it with Tabitha, was getting harder to ignore. The feeling was new to him and he had no intention of wasting his time dwelling on it. There were plenty of fishes in the sea. Tabitha just happened to be the first he’d ever given a damn about. She’ll be out of my head in no time soon, he thought to himself.
At the end of the day, he’d done it for his brother. He couldn’t stand Jason looking at him with disgust. There would be other girls but he’d promise his dad that he’d watch out for his one and only brother and Drake knew that though he was called a lot of things, no one could ever accuse him of being a liar.
With a grunt, he started the engine and began to back out of the parking space when he spotted Tabitha running back out of the doors, panic written all over her face. He quickly stomped down on the brakes, switched gears and hopped out.
“What’s wrong?”
Tabitha came to a halt in front of him. “Where is your phone?!”
Jason parked his Lexus in front of the house that he and Drake spent more than half their lives in. Their parents chose this house specifically for its big yard. With two boys, his parents needed somewhere to send him and Drake when they became rambunctious.
It was a two story old white Victorian house with short white pillars posted on the front balcony but it was simple and looked cozy.
“Nice home,” Machayla complimented.
Jason cocked a brow. “Have you seen the house you were staying in? It’s three times bigger.”
“There was nothing nice about it,” Machayla retorted. Her voice dripped with malice.
Jason clutched her hand and squeezed. “Come on let’s get you inside.” They stepped out of the car and made their way towards the wide porch. “Give me a second,” he uttered before walking to the far right of the porch where a variety of potted plants were displayed. Squatting Jason reached over and uprooted a fake cactus. He reached into the pot and pulled out the key his mother always left for him and his brother when they’d forgotten their spare.
Straightening up, he started to head back to where he left Machayla at the front door when suddenly he noticed something odd in his peripheral vision. The window to the living room was left wide open.
A sense of dread settled deep into his core as he also spotted what seemed to be sneaker scuff marks on the white paint below the window.
Something was wrong. His mother never left any of the windows in the living room open after dark simply because she thought it unsafe.
“What’s wrong?” Machayla asked with worry.
Jason placed a finger on his lip as he listened for anything that sounded unusual. “Shhh.” Without a word, he went and stood directly in front of the door. He reached for the handle and twisted. “Fuck!” He quickly snatched his weapon from the small of his back and turned towards Machayla. “Where’s your gun.”
Machayla frowned at his random question. “I gave it to agent Hassan at the station.”
“Damn it!” Jason growled. He couldn’t leave her out here unarmed so he had no choice but to bring her into possible danger with him. “Listen, I think someone broke into the house. I need you to stay close and alert. Got it?”
Machayla nodded her understanding but her eyes once again became windows to her emotions and Jason could clearly recognize the fear and worry in them. He wanted to grab a hold onto her and devour her full lips until her worries were lessened but now wasn’t the time.
Removing the gun off of safety, he grabbed hold of the door’s handle and slowly pushed it open. He motioned for Machayla to follow him and stepped into the familiar living room with his gun pointed and finger on the trigger.
It was dark but the light from the full moon shone through the open window and gave Jason an eyeful of what he assumed happened. He felt his heart drop to his knees and his face flushed of all color as a ball of fear threatened to choke him right out of his existence.
Stepping further into the house he started to search for any danger with his weapon still held high. He walked through the mess he’d first notice in front of the door and purposely ignored the blood he’d notice on the floor.
“Mom.” He called out. No answer.
With his gun still pointed he stepped into the kitchen. “Mom,” he called out again.
Nothing.
Jason searched the kitchen and the dining room with urgency and determination but found nothing. Finally, he began to move up the stairs towards the bedrooms. As they climbed the stairs one at a time, Jason started to pray that he’d find his mother in bed and sleeping soundly but deep down, he knew that that wasn’t going to happen.
After knowing and living with someone for all of your life, especially a woman, you learn their habits. You noticed the smallest things that they did to go about their days in life and you made sure to keep it that way or else.
His mother, Julianne was a typical women. She liked to think that she’s simple but in all actually, she was a complex individual who wouldn’t sleep unless she knew her doors were locked, her windows were closed, her children were fed, her dishes were washed and her house was clean.
And damn it if her sons and her late husband didn’t love her for it even though her habits rubbed them the wrong way. So much so that Jason knew that his mother would never leave the house in disarray before going to sleep.
Yes, something was definitely wrong.
They made it to the top of the stairs and paused. What if he was walking into something gruesome? He didn’t know how much proverbial bullets he could take in one day before he broke down mentally and emotionally. He couldn’t afford to lose focus. He couldn’t afford to let the pain of losing his best friend get to him. Not now, not when Machayla needed him to be strong.
Reaching behind him, he searched for her hand. Once he found it, he clasped their hands together but Machayla rearranged her hands and slipped her fingers through his. “I’m right here,” she whispered.
Jason turned and shot her a small but appreciative smile. “Thanks.” With a deep breath he started to move towards his mother’s bedroom door. It was closed. Grabbing the knob he turned it slowly and pushed the door open to find a clean and empty room that didn’t appear to be tampered with.
His shoulder’s instantly slumped as a wave of grief hit him for the second time that day.
He quickly turned on his heels, rushing pass a surprised Machayla and ran towards his old room but it was also empty and just as tidy as she always kept it.
“Jason.” He heard Machayla call out but his sudden hysteria wouldn’t let him slow down.
Jason left his room and ran towards Drake’s old room. When he found nothing, he rushed out and went into the guest bedroom. Nothing.
He felt like he’d traveled back in time to when he was but five years old and lost his mother in the local shopping mall. He remember the emotions like it’d happened yesterday. He’d felt lost, petrified and alone. He thought he’d never see his mother again and when she finally did find him, it wasn’t until his father died that he’d once again felt those same emotions at once.
Running trembling hands through his hair, he ran down the stairs and back to the living room where he’d notice the blood and broken cellphone when he first walked in. Crouching to the floor he tried his best examine the scene without the thoughts of possible horror his mother could’ve been through.
“Jason, please talk to me. What’s going on?” He heard Machayla say from behind him.
Shaking his head in disbelief, he rose on his haunches and looked down at her. “They took her. That fucking bastard took her!”
________
Heyy yall! I missed the feeling of uploading and reading your comments and just plain talking to yall. I ran into some problems with Wattpad but now thats done and over with, I'm back and guess what? This story is complete!
Depending on your response to each chapter, i'll be uploading a new chapter whenever. Hells, yall can get another one tomorrow :)
As for my other stories, they will be EDITED and continued when i stamp this story as complete on Wattpad!
I know that this chapter is short but I hope you all enjoy it!!