Love At Last

UNDERGROUND

“Lily I want you in all honesty, to tell me who that man is,” I didn’t raise my voice, I spoke gently. I noticed she started to panic a bit; felt like she understood what exactly I was asking of.

“Ummm…he…he’s,” she stuttered.

“Relax, okay? I’m not here for an argument. I’m here to iron things out with you amicably so please calm down and talk to me,” I goaded.

“You sure you won’t get mad?” she asked staring directly at me.

“It’s your life, okay? I’m sorry for lashing out on you the last time the way I did and you don’t have to feel pressured but right now, I need you to answer my question,” I implored.

“Fine! I’ll tell you. He’s Jacek’s dad,” she dropped the bombshell. Turned out Jarod was actually right after all.

“He is?” I asked dismayed but made sure not to raise my voice on her. She nodded. “He’s back again?” I added, then she nodded again. “Does he want you back?”

“Apparently,” she bowed her head slightly.

“What about you?” I asked causing her to raise her head to look at me again. “Me?”

“What do you want?” I asked empathetically.All text © NôvelD(r)a'ma.Org.

“What I want?”

“Yes.”

“I don’t get.”

“Do you want him back or not?” I asked explicitly.

She heaved a sigh and bowed her head again like she didn’t have a reply for me.

“Relax. Don’t force it, just don’t tell me what you really want,” I beseeched. She still remained silent. “Lily?” I called out gently.

“To be honest, I really don’t know…,” she started talking, “on one hand, I want to give him a second chance to make it up to me but something in me keeps dissuading me. Nana even told me she didn’t trust him completely but the past few days of my life with him have been nothing but the very best,” she explained. The latter part of her sentence hurt me a bit though. This new guy already had Lily all over him more than I ever did

“I like you, Lily,” I confessed and had her fixated on me wide-eyed. “I really do. And if you kind enough to give me a chance, I’m ready to be a changed man for you,” I added and drove her speechless – she was frozen.

“Lily?” I called out seconds after my confession when she said nothing. “You like me?”

“I really do,” I emphasized.

“You really do?” She looked like she was still trying to process everything I just said.

“I do,” I nodded affirmatively. “You have a choice to make, Lily. You don’t have to feel pressured by him,” was referring to Ryan. “I want you so badly I to be with me.”

“But…but…,” she started to panic again as she gestured with both hands.

“It’s okay, it’s okay. Trust me,” I held firmly on to her hands.

“I’m not tryna reject you or anything like that, it’s just that those memories of we being together and people walking up to me to remind me of my dirty past still taunts me and I wouldn’t want to burden you with any of that,” she made known her plight.

“It’s okay,” I stressed the latter part laying emphasis on ‘okay’. “You don’t have to push it, okay? I’m not forcing you to give me a reply right now. Take your time, think things through, alright? I heartened imperturbably.

Seeing the state she was in, I was left with no other choice but to let her go in, after giving her full assurance that I was ready to wait for her till whenever even though I hoped she chooses me. I watched her walk into the house and turned around to leave.

I went to where my car parked, opened the door to go in when suddenly a hand shut the door in my face. In shock I turned around and saw that it was my rival – Ryan.

“Hi,” he rested against the door preventing me access. Instead of force my way through, I perceived it was best I condoned him and let him off eventually in good piece.

“What do you want?”

“What was your little chit-chat all about?” he asked egoistically.

“It’s none of your concern, now move!”

“I heard everything you guys said.”

“You were eavesdropping?”

“Yeah,” he nodded smugly.

“Why?”

“Because I sensed you were bad news.”

“So what are you trying to say?” He scoffed .

“You came to beg Lily to take your ass back so I came to tell you to save your energy because now that I’m here, she’s all mine now.”

“That’s Lily’s choice to make.”

“We’ve already been intimate once, we even have a child together. You think you can beat that? Can’t you tell from the way she abandoned you and your friendship who’s way…,” he emphasized by pointing upwards “up there on her scale of preference?” he continued. “Give it up. You can’t win unless I back down,” he challenged.

“You see…,” he cut me off.

“And also, I want to thank you so much…,” he accentuated dramatically, “for the time you took care of her in my stead.” I scoffed and looked away, shaking my head “While I’m here, scram! You’re more than welcome to come back again when I’m through with them,” he said and had me turning back to stare at him in awe. What did he mean by the concluding part of what he just said.

“What did you say?” bug-eyed, I asked.

“What did you hear?”

“When you’re through with them? What did you mean by that?”

He gasped dramatically and said: “Was that what I said? Me?” he faked ignorance.

“I heard you loud and clear.”

“I don’t think you did, man. You need to get your ears checked.” He stands upright with both hands in his pocket and closed the distance between us. Whispering into my ears, he said: “Drive safely.” He then gave off a mischievous smile and went back inside the house.

“When he’s through with them?” I muttered to myself and got into my car. While driving, I kept pondering over that particular line – ‘when I’m through with them’ – trying to decipher what he meant by that.