"Nonsense. The groom is finally going to have lunch with us. Come on, let's meet him."
I groaned. Was he at least going to show up this time? Well, bold, fat, pot belly mafia leader, let's meet you.
12 months ago
"I don't really want to," I muttered as James looked through the pamphlet. An exotic trip to Hawaii, just the two of us. For some reason I didn't want to. Especially with the way he was acting lately. He was so bi-polar.
One minute he was loving and caring, then the next minute he would yell or swear at me.
"Why not?" He yelled, making me wince. There it was, that drastic change in mood. I looked around the ice cream store and I could see some people staring at us.
"James, keep your voice down," I whispered.
"Why should I? We paid to be here." He was still yelling. I bit my lip as I looked around. Does he always need to be the centre of attention?
"Why don't you want to come with me, Ivory? Do I embarrass you?"
"What? No! What are you talking about?"
"I saw the way you were talking to Michael the other day. What, you like other guys now, don’t you? Am I not good enough for you?"
"James, Michael is twelve. He asked me where the history building was. I was not flirting with him," I retorted, as though I was talking to a child. What kind of a guy is jealous of a twelve-year-old?
"So you're into kids, now?" he asked, his eyes narrowing.
"I'm not dealing with this. Call me when you grow up."
I grabbed my bag, stood up and walked out. There was no way I would deal with his childishness today. Especially with weird things happening at home, all these stupid phone calls, long discussions with my parents, my mother pretending I had no boyfriend and asking me when I want to get married.
I wasn't going to deal with a man who was jealous of a twelve-year-old. Was he even a man to act that way?
I stepped out onto the street and looked around. Damn it, it was already dark. How did I not realise what the time was? Crossing my arms over my chest, I bowed my head down and started walking. My house wasn't that far away, but still, I should have called for a taxi.
I headed up my street, seeing the lights on all over the house. Was there something going on?
I slowed down as I reached the gate, watching as a limousine drove out.
Present Time
In the middle of the night, which I call the witching hour, when there was no noise, and no light, and the rest of the world was sleeping, that was when I woke up.
I wasn't exactly sure what woke me up. Maybe it was the fact that I was positively melting under these covers.
I looked over my shoulder to see Darius sound asleep, and I slowly slipped out of bed. I walked across the floor carefully, trying not to make any sound, and opened the bedroom door.
The door creaked. I froze, looking back. Darius wasn’t moving. I slipped out quickly, tiptoeing down the stairs and sneaking out into the backyard. The air was still cold but warmer than before.
I grabbed my spade and cutter from the corner and walked over to my precious babies.
"Hello, children, miss me?" I asked as I started to pluck off the dead leaves. “I had neglected you guys too much.” I looked at the blue orchids again.
"I wish you guys would bloom quickly" I picked up my watering can and continued talking.
"I'll make you a deal. If you bloom and actually come out right, I will throw you a party," I muttered, standing up.
"Do I get to go to this party?"
In the stillness of the night, the voice was an unwelcome distraction that had me jumping under my skin. I looked around with eyes wide and saw Darius. Oh, just him.
"Damn it. Can you give some warning before you go scaring people?" I demanded, putting the watering can down. He walked up to where I was standing.
I didn't realise what he was wearing till now: a grey v-neck shirt that just made his eyes stand out even more and highlighted his body a bit too much. Stop it, pervert Ivory.
"What are these?" he asked, referring to my orchid.
"Eh-"
"What are you doing up, anyway?"
Hmm. Which question should I answer first?
He lifted his hand and poked the bud. I watched, horrified, as it tilted and fell off the plant and onto the ground at my feet.
"Um, I don't think that was meant to happen, right?" He asked, unconsciously rubbing the back of his neck. I looked at the ground with my mouth hanging open, and then at him.
His lips curved upward in an attempt to smile. "I guess the party's off?"
CHAPTER TWENTYFIVE
"My-my- my babies!" I whined as I looked down at the bud. There was one, one damn bud, and he had to kill it. I gritted my teeth and he took a step back.
Count to ten, Ivory. Count to ten. There was no point arguing.
"We can still throw a party?" Darius threw up his hands, trying to placate me.
I narrowed my eyes at him. He bent down, picked up the flower and held it out to me.
"It's not that dead. Maybe if you float it somewhere, it can blossom," he said. I reached for it but he pulled his hand back and inspected the flower. He pulled at the closed petal and I let out a squeak.