Life

Episode 17

Rea tried as much as possible to look composed when Mike sat beside her and Ryan and Emilia sat opposite them.
This double date wasn’t a good idea but she didn’t want to sound weird to Mike. The poor guy didn’t have any idea about how much she still had feelings for the guy sitting opposite them who looked too good to be true. He wore a black blazer and a tieless shirt inside making her wonder why he didn’t opt for a modeling career. His dirty blonde hair was neatly trimmed and combed while his blue eyes just stood out in his magnificent body.
Who would have known she could still feel this way even after giving her life to Christ.
She had to caution herself and her thoughts or she would have a sleepless night.
His finely chiseled face stared back at her when Mike asked what she would have on the menu and she hoped he would remove her piercing gaze but he didn’t.
Didn’t he mind that Emilia could suspect there was something between them?
“same thing you’re having.’’ She resigned inhaling deeply knowing she wouldn’t enjoy a single bit of this dinner date at all.
The waiter took their orders and Rea shifted closer to Mike, hoping that would make him realize she wasn’t in the mood for eye contact games or footsie either.
The last time they had played footsie, it was at an annual dinner where his uncle had been given a humanitarian award. He’d invited Ryan and Ryan had brought Rea along as his date. And then he knew trouble was brewing when she began teasing him with her toes.
She snapped out of silly thoughts that made her suddenly feel uncomfortable in the restaurant.
Rubbing her palms on her skirt nervously, she tried to focus on something else apart from the distracting figure sitting before her.
‘’so Rea, Mike tells me you went to Evergreen high school.’’ Ryan chiped in with an air of confidence not taking his eyes away from her. ‘’if I do remember clearly, i attended the same school.’’
Rea cocked her eyebrows. He was putting the ball in her court and she wished she could slam it against his face hard! He wanted to play games…, well she was up to it!
“wow!.., you were?’’ she faked a confused look. ‘’and what set was that?’’
‘’same set as yours I believe. Football team’’
“hmmmn, so what role did you play in the football team?’’ she added with spite. ‘’water boy?’’
Mike choked on his water and Rea could only smile when she saw the amused look on her boyfriend’s face, whereas, Ryan’s eyes were filled with anger.
Well, he had started it all in the first place.
“that’s Rea for you, you need an extra pair of sneakers to keep up with her.’’ Mike chipped in still laughing at her previous response to his best friend.

“it’s okay.’’ Ryan’s lips curved into a smile. ‘’I heard you dated someone in the team. You must have known how to pick guys.’’
Emilia’s eyebrows were raised. ‘’why do I think you two know each other so much more than hi and hello?’’
Rea ignored her.

“well, at that time, I didn’t know he was a block head till he proved to be one.’’ Rea smiled at Ryan sweetly and turned to her boyfriend. ‘’you know how it is for a guy to date a bimbo, I guess that’s how it was for me. you never know what you have with you till the true colours start revealing itself.’’
Mike responded. ‘’True’’ And continued proudly. ‘’but my friend here was the hot one in the team. That reminds me, I need to check out your year book. I missed out on so many old friends when I traveled to France.’’
“sure. At least you’ll get to see lots of pictures of my high school years, including the girl I took to Prom.’’ He smiled at Rea
Rea swallowed knowing he had her right where he wanted her. she had been the one he took to Prom, she had been the one he dated in their final year in high school and so many pictures including graduating ones that they had both snapped together.
She still even had the pictures back at home.
She closed her eyes and inhaled deeply jerking from her seat. She couldn’t hold it anymore, neither could she pretend anymore. ‘’you can tell him if you’re up to it, at least you’re best friends, but I can’t.’’ she turned to look at Mike and the tears came down. ‘’I’m sorry. You deserve someone better than me and I don’t think I can stay here one more second pretending everything is okay when it isn’t.’’
She picked her purse and set out to leave the restaurant. She noticed it had begun to rain and didn’t hesitate to step out not caring what was gonna happen to her or if she was getting soaked. She pulled off her four inched sandals and started walking with her bare feet hoping she would get a taxi that would drive her home.

All she wanted to do was go home and cry into her pillow, telling God she had tried all she could but didn’t succeed.
“Rea!’’ she heard her name in the rain but didn’t look back. She just kept on walking
Someone pulled her by the arm and at first instance, she thought it was Mike but her heart raced faster when she saw it was Ryan.
“baby…’’
“just let me go.’’ The rain mixed with her tears and she doubted Ryan noticed how weak and vulnerable she felt right now.
But instead of releasing her, he lowered his lips on hers and she hesitated. When he deepened it and lifted her off her feet, she couldn’t object and surrendered completely to him.

When he broke free, she looked into his blue eyes, his wet hair and the fact that her sandals still dangled in her hands.
“I love you.’’ He mumbled and she could say nothing more when he kissed her again.

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Gabe Morrison looked at Scarlett for what seemed like hours and couldn’t bring himself to mouth any words that wouldn’t hurt her. For seven years, he’d imagined her as the woman of his life. the one who he’d spent his life loving and serving. The one he could go extra miles for even without her asking. The girl who had been an angel the first time he met her. the sweet girl who had told him she was keeping herself for her husband.
That woman was the one who sat on his couch presently, looking like a stranger. Like a w—e who prostituted herself to another man’s fantasies and he hated her so much. All she even had the guts to tell him presently was that she couldn’t go on with the marriage but with everything her colleague dished out to him not to talk of the suspicions he’d had about her ever since she moved back to her hometown, he knew there was so much more.

He’d been stalking her, no doubt and whenever he saw her going out with a particular guy, he turned away knowing he couldn’t bear to watch her rip his heart out.
And then it was worse when she spent the night at his place almost every Friday.

It took him self-control not to strangle her even though she sat crying beside him and begging him that she was sorry.

What would he tell his family and friends? All his college friends and colleagues who’d envied him that he was marrying Scarlett were going to make fun of him and confirm such a loser that He was. His company would offer their pathetic sympathy for his cancelled wedding and he would return to his lonely and miserable life.

He didn’t know when his hand cracked across her face and her body jerked hereby making her land on the floor.

He stood up and reached for her hair while she screamed in tears. “Gabe please, I’m sorry.’’

He hit her again and she struggled to get back to her feet but that was before he pushed her to the floor again but she crawled to the door while he reached for her legs and pulled her underneath him.

“where do you think you’re going huh?!’’ he cried angrily and reached for her blouse. ‘’you think I don’t know how you made yourself a cheap little w—e every Friday night! You think I’m gonna let you go that easily.’’
“Gabe!’’ she screamed fully aware that if he raped her, she would lose her baby. He wouldn’t care less if she mentioned it. in fact, he would most definitely want her to lose the baby with the way his anger took over him
Never had she seen this side of Gabe before
The struggle was intense and when she managed to poke his eyes when he tried covering her mouth, she was able to break free but not for long as she felt her head bang against the door.
And then she sank to the floor unconscious.
“Scarlett?’’ he touched her but she didn’t budge.
“Scar?’’ Gabe grew scared and tapped her face but there was no response. He pulled her close to himself but she didn’t respond. ‘’oh my god!’’ he muttered and hurried over to the phone. ‘’what have I done?’’
Rea kept pacing while praying within that her best friend would come out fine most especially in a case like this that a baby was involved and this was just the first trimester.
Gabe had called her and she wasn’t a rocket scientist to realize what had happened. He hit her bad out of anger no doubt. What Scarlett had done was enough to make him go nuts but not a good reason to hit her into unconsciousness. Last night, Scarlett had told her she was finally going to tell Gabe she couldn’t go on with their wedding and she had agreed with her.
And the next thing she knew, her friend was being wheeled into the hospital. What if they were married, would he have killed her?
she glanced at Gabe and shivered on the thought. Who would know a calm and wonderful guy like him could just loose it all at once like that.

He had been pleading all day and she knew his pleas wouldn’t take him far because very soon, Josh would be here and her parents. Most definitely if Josh didn’t get angry and try to throw a punch into his face, he would make sure he was thrown into Prison.
As if he was reading her mind, Josh came hurrying into the hospital and Rea stood up to calm him down when he started panicking. She began to doubt the reason why She had informed Josh about the whole ordeal
Or was it the fact that she wanted him to share in the blame of what had happened to her friend? After all, it had been his fault.
“Josh, you have to calm down.’’ She cautioned. ‘’Ryan says she’ll be fine. Minor bruises and a little fracture is what needs attention.’’
He raked his hands through his hair. ‘’I have to see her…’’
“no, not now. She’s still needs to rest. She’s responding to treatment though.’’
Ryan came out at and Rea was grateful to see him at that moment. She didn’t have the strength to explain anything to Josh anymore.
Gabe stood up from where he was sitting to hear the news.
“she’s doing great.’’ He smiled at Rea and she sighed in relief. ‘’and her baby is perfectly okay. No form of bleeding, loss or damage.’’
Josh’s eyes widened and Gabe’s as well ‘’baby?…what baby.., what are you talking about?’’ he looked at Rea and turned to look at Ryan again. ‘’I didn’t know anything about a baby…, is Scarlett pregnant?’’
“she’s 8weeks pregnant.’’ Ryan confirmed and excused himself. Rea felt trapped when Josh turned to look at her. ‘’she didn’t mention anything to me.’’
“she didn’t want to. She didn’t have the strength to after the whole affair between the two of you.’’
“but it’s my baby. I have every right to know!’’ he was almost yelling.

“oh really?’’ Rea spat. ‘’and that’s the reason why she’s in the hospital you jerk! It’s because of you! It’s because she was sleeping with you while she was getting married to someone else. How do you expect her fiancé to feel when he found out.’’
Josh boiled realizing the truth almost immediately. So the reason why Scarlett was in the hospital was because the Gabe of a guy had found out about their relationship and took it out on her.
Gabe turned to look at Josh recognizing him fully well as the man who had snatched Scarlett away and felt a deep sense of loss and regret. There was no way Scarlett would ever come back to him. she was even carrying his baby. Was that how far the both of them had gone?
Josh looked at Gabe realizing he must be the one and it took him all his strength not to throw a fist into his face as Rea came to stand before him. it was like she knew what he was about to do.

“Hitting him won’t solve anything Josh, so just forget about it.’’
“you’re going to jail.’’ He fumed pointing a finger at him
“you were having s-x with my fiance.’’
“then why didn’t you take it out on me!’’ he wanted to grab him but Rea grabbed him by the shoulders hereby preventing him from gaining full access to Gabe
“Josh!’’
‘’He’s a coward! If he knows he’s man enough, he should have taken it out on me, man to man, not hit my Girlfriend.’’
“she’s not your girlfriend’’ Gabe spat
“and she’s not your fiance anymore a—–e!’’ Josh scoffed. ‘’oh, you’re d–n lucky my baby is safe or you’d be spending the rest of your life roaming the streets young man.’’

“is that the best you can do?’’
Rea was disgusted at the way both men argued shamelessly over a woman who was on the hospital bed who hadn’t even opened her eyes yet. Both of them were wrong. Absolutely wrong but yet they talked like everything was their right.
“stop it! the both of you! Jeez, where are we? High school or kindergarten? My best friend is inside that hospital, lying down in a coma and you guy are here talking like kids! I wonder how she endured going out with you both.’’ She turned to face Gabe. ‘’you’re going to pay for beating up for my bestfriend that way, I assure you and there’s no doubt about that.’’ She looked at Josh. ‘’I don’t want you checking on her now. You’re the last person she needs to see.’’
And she left the both of them.
Josh picked his cellphone and dialed a number.

It didn’t take Gabe long enough to know who Josh was calling and he prepared himself for it.

Soon, Gabe was being handcuffed and led into the police car parked outside after being told he had the right to an attorney and other statements that had to go with it.

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The darkness was thick enough to envelope her being and the invisible shackles held her captive making it hard for her to move. The more she struggled, the more the invisible chains tore through her skin and she felt something hot trickling down her flesh as the chains tightened.

She blinked several times trying to find some sort of light but she couldn’t and soon enough, her eyes got accustomed to the darkness and she weakened unable to move. She couldn’t point out something in the darkness and it felt like she’d been there for days and the heat became so unbearable she spoke up.

“please, help me…’’

The last thing she remembered was the struggle between herself and Gabe and how she’d tried to rush to the door and run out and the next thing she had felt was the sharp pain and a loud thud on the door before she blacked out.

And ever since she blacked out, she had remained in this tormenting darkness and scorching heat. The hotness she felt trickling down her flesh felt like blood and that was when she remembered she was pregnant.
Had she lost the baby?
“somebody please, help me.’’ she choked out almost unable to sq££ze out the words as the invisible shackles had also found way to her throat and seemed to be squeezing gently at first then tightly. She wanted to call out God’s name but she didn’t have the strength to, neither did she have the courage after all she had done and all the present images of herself and Josh played in her memory.

Then she began to cry. She would call out God’s name and if he wouldn’t hear her, so be it.

She just prayed this torment wasn’t forever…, no human could survive this long. She was even surprised that she was still alive.

“oh God!, please, help me…, save me.., please.

I’m so sorry.’’ She shook as she prayed and kept weeping till she felt a gentle hand on her shoulder.

She blinked and realized the darkness had cleared and friendly eyes stared down at her, reaching out to her.

She took his hand and he lifted her gently. It was then she realized the invisible chains had broken free but she was still naked.
She cowered immediately but he pulled her close to himself and she felt a cloak envelop her being. It was as if at that moment she realized who He was and quickly fell to her knees.

“Jesus, I’m so sorry.’’ She wept and placed her face on his feet trying not to look into his eyes. She didn’t deserve his mercy. She had done him wrong. She hadn’t been faithful but compromising, forgetting her purpose and seeking the will of her flesh. She had let him down in so many ways and she suddenly felt disgusted at her actions.
She recognized the hole on his feet and wept more feeling more and more ashamed. ‘’I’m no better than Judas who betrayed you..’’
“hush..it’s okay.’’ He bent low to cup her face in his hands and she could see he was weeping too. ‘’I know everything you want to say and I know you’re dying so much inside to spill everything out but just know I’ve forgiven you and I need you not to sin anymore.’’
“I wont. I promise you, I wont. I wont…, I wont…, I wont..’’ she kept on saying till she opened her eyes into reality and Rea tried to calm her down.

“Scarlett…, Scarlett..’’ she called out to her and she jerked up from the bed looking at her friend and Susan who stood beside her.
“Andrea…Sue.’’ She breathed and sank back into the bed realizing she was back to earth and this was her reality. What she had seen earlier was horrifying as well as Divine. God had forgiven her and she had to make amends.
“I’m sorry.’’ She told them both
Rea hushed her. ‘’it’s ok. Don’t talk much if you’re not up to it.’’
“How many days have I been here?’’
“three days.’’
She nodded slowly as if assimilating the information. ‘’and the baby?’’
“your baby is fine.’’
She sighed and tried not to cry. She couldn’t cry anymore. ‘’I just had a strange dream or I’d rather call it an experience.’’ she closed her eyes. ‘’I don’t even know how to start.’’
“you can tell us when you’re up to it.’’
She tried to turn and groaned in pain realizing her arm was sprained. Her head suddenly felt heavy and that was when she realized that there was a bandage wrapped around her head and her eyes felt swollen. She wondered what else had happened to her face.
“when am I getting discharged?’’
“tomorrow afternoon.’’ Sue responded. ‘’don’t worry you don’t look that bad.’’

Scarlett tried to smile and asked for a mirror while Rea helped her to sit up. Sue obeyed and brought one close to her face thinking Scarlett would gasp once she saw her reflection but she just sighed and shrugged. ‘’it would have been worse.’’
“I’ll fix your hair for you when you get discharged.’’
“thanks ladies. But right now, I think I’d like to be alone.’’
“sure.’’ The two women looked at each other before planting a kiss on her cheeks.
They were about to get to the door when she called out. ‘’Sue, I’m sorry for the stress I put you through. You coming here and all…, in your present state’’
“hey, don’t mention it.’’
“and Rea, thank you very much for being my friend even when I don’t deserve to be called that.’’
‘’you’ll always be my friend and you know that.’’

She nodded and watched them leave.

Immediately the door closed behind her, she closed her eyes and raised her hands to her face while she wept, her whole being doing so along with her.

If she had once queried about God’s mercy, she need not anymore. An example was what he had bestowed upon her presently and she wouldn’t let his grace waste upon her life.
Not anymore. After all, she promised her savior she would set things right and that she would start immediately.

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When Josh entered the hospital room and saw Scarlett, anger welled up in him at the bruises present on her face and dwelled on how he would make sure that Gabe of a man spent more time in jail. Never would he lay hands on any woman again, not even Scarlett.
He would make sure of it once they got married and provide adequate security for her .
“baby…’’ he came towards her and was about planting a kiss on her lips when she moved her face away slightly hereby making his lips land on her cheeks. He was taken aback by her action and looked into her eyes then. ‘’What’s wrong?’’
“nothing’s wrong.’’ She looked into his eyes this time knowing fully well she owed him a lot of explanation and they’d better start now.

His hands searched for her hand but she recoiled. ‘’you won’t even let me touch you…’’ he murmured his eyes becoming sad making him wonder if it was Gabe that caused all of this.
‘’we have to talk.’’ Was all she said
‘’okay. I’m listening.’’ He was eager to hear what she had to say. Anything she wanted, he would give her. he settled unto the chair beside her bed and pulled it closer to her.
‘’I’m sorry for everything that happened between us and that you had to find out this way about the baby.’’
“hey, it’s okay. I mean it’s my baby and once we get married, we’ll be a family together with Gavin.’’
Scarlett shook her head. ‘’now that’s why we need to talk Josh because this thing between us, it has to end.’’
Josh frowned. ‘’what are you talking about?’’
‘’I cant marry you. i’m sorry I made it look that way from the beginning.’’
“we’ll work things out.’’
“in places where the both of us are concerned, working things out isn’t an option.’’ She was firm and was glad for the strength she had to face him. Never had she imagined herself with such courage and she thanked God
“i wronged you. I wronged Gavin, I wronged myself and I wronged God in all ways possible.’ She continued. ‘’I tried to do things on my own and I let myself get carried away. I was obsessed about you and allowed myself believe I couldn’t love or move on without you. I worshiped you and you were like my personal idol unknown to me. Right from our high school days, I fell in love with you but it didn’t end there. I thought only you could make me feel beautiful not realizing I was beautiful in God’s eyes no matter what anyone told me or said about me. I had this inferiority complex and felt so unloved.

I didn’t keep my virginity for purity reasons but I kept it because I felt I would get the perfect guy to give it to which was wrong. The first night we had s-x, I wasn’t prepared for it, but after it all happened, one side of me was glad that I had given it to you. it made me feel I belonged to you in some sort of way whereas the other side of me hated the deed so much but after a while I didn’t care. I wanted you so badly and I had you. I wanted you to Chase me and make me feel beautiful the way I didn’t years ago and was glad you saw me as the woman in your life.’’
Josh was quiet and when her eyes began to mist, it took him extra will power not to kiss her tears away.
“But I was wrong. I’ve been wrong my whole life. and I did so many wrong things. I put you at the center whereas, God is meant to be at the center. I made you my reason for existence and thought I’d die if I didn’t have you. and if I had died, if you had died, we would have gone to Hell. I wronged you because I didn’t tell you about God or try to draw you closer to God. I let my feelings get in the way.

I worked my way into your bed instead. I wronged Gavin because He believed in me and saw me as his role model but I didn’t prove to be one. And I wronged myself in so many ways being that I didn’t see what God wanted for me but rather I kept seeing you.’’
Josh inhaled deeply hoping the next words wont hurt him deeply. ‘’So what next now?’’
“I’m breaking up with you. our relationship cant continue because it’s ungodly. I want you to find God before I can even consider moving on with you.’’
Josh swallowed. ‘’and what about Gavin, and my baby…’’
“they’ll be fine. I’ll be getting discharged tomorrow and so I’ll be moving out of town next week after handing over my resignation letter to the school.’’
Josh’s eyes had begun to mist and he went on his knees grabbing her hands in panic. ‘’Scarlett, baby.., please you can’t do this to me. we can still work things out. I’ll find God. You can teach me about him and I promise, if you want us to stop having s-x, then its okay with me. I can handle it but you can’t leave. Not after I’ve built my life around you. Not after you’ve bonded so much with Gavin…’’
Scarlett was shaking but tried to sound calm. ‘’if you Love me Josh, you’ll let me go.’’
“Baby please…’’
“I’m sorry, but its something I have to do and I’m not going back on my decision. I want to start a new life and I need to be far away from this place if I want to come out a different person. I need to spend time with God myself and realize what plans he has for me. I’ll be praying for you both cos you’re still both part of my life. Demi is not excluded and please thank that woman for me.’’
“I’ll send you emails and pictures of the baby when she’s out. But Josh please, if you don’t release me and if you let the court get involved, I’ll realize you don’t love me, and you’re doing this just because of the baby.’’

Josh raked his hand through his hair and placed a fist on his mouth so that he wouldn’t yell or scream. This woman was what he lived for. she was the one who took a piece of his heart when she left years ago and she was about to do the same now and he felt helpless. He looked into her eyes and knew she was sincere.
She held his hands and looked into his eyes. ‘’I love you Josh. I still do. But there’s a different yoke that ties us and if we don’t follow the same path, it won’t work out.’’
“I’ll follow you to Church. I’ll do anything you want me to do. I’ll let Gavin spend more time with you….’’ he went on and on till she stopped him.
“it’s not about Church Josh and that’s where you’re missing it. it’s about having that personal relationship with God. It’s about soul searching and realizing what God wants you to be. Once you find that, we’ll find each other. It’s that simple.’’
“and how long did it take you to figure all this out?’’
‘’A life changing experience that happened to me. I would have died and gone to hell but God had mercy on me and wants me to set things right.’’

He sat still pondering on all that she had said and hoping she would change her mind but she sat looking at him till a nurse came in with more of her drugs including analgesics and muscle relaxants and Josh had to excuse her.
Immediately he stepped out, he lost all reasoning and let the tears flow. He couldn’t remember the last time he cried but right now, he cried because it felt like his heart was being ripped out by the same woman it lived on.

How he would cope for the rest of the months that would pass by, he didn’t know but he knew she really had to go and trying to stop her wouldn’t make her love him better.
Her eyes had said it all