Demitri is just a normal teen, enjoying his senior year alongside his best friend, Tyler. Reina is...different.
Little does everybody know, Demitri has a little baggage too.
"What do you mean you're going to go see him again?" Demitri looked at me as if I was crazy.
"He looked so lonely up there-"
"So what! If you keep visiting him then that's just going to give him ideas. He got his mama to visit him."
"You're right." I mumbled.
He seemed a little surprised that I gave in so quickly. I guess he expected me to put up an argument. But it's thanksgiving and I don't want to be in a bad mood when I eat. Then I won't be able to enjoy my food.
"Glad you understand, now fix your face and give me a kiss." He tapped my chin.
I leaned in to kiss him, but quickly retracted when my door flew open. Hunter ran in and jumped on my bed.
"The food is done!" He shouted excitedly before running back out the room.
"I'm so ready to eat." Demitri rubbed his stomach.
"You could use a meal or ten." I joked.
He stale faced me and walked out of my room. I followed behind him giggling.
°•°•°•°•°•°
Nia, Demitri, Hunter, my mom, and I all sat seated at the table, silently eating. That was until Nia spoke up.
"So Reina, what have you and Demitri been up to since he came back?" She gave me a knowing look.
Demitri coughed a little, grabbing his water.
"Um, nothing much. Just spending as much time together as we can before he leaves tomorrow." I kept my eyes on my plate.
"Oh, that's sweet." She smiled. "Tabitha, girl I hear the strangest things at night. Just last night and this morning I heard the neighbors going at it like animals. At least I think it was the neighbors." She looked at Demitri and he quickly looked down, stuffing food in his mouth.
"People should really be more private with what they do." My mom shook her head.
"Demitri has something to say." Hunter said with his mouth full.
Demitri's head shot up, "I do? I do!"
I watched him stand up from his chair and get down on one knee, pulling out a black box. My eyes nearly popped out of their sockets. He saw my expression and chuckled.
"It's not that." He assured while opening the box.
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"It's a promise ring. I love you and you love me. Whatever we have going on now is getting a little old. I want to be able to call you mine and really mean it. In other words, I'm asking you to be my girlfriend. With this ring I'm promising you my loyalty, honesty, and trust. I promise to be there to pick you up when you're down. And most of all, I promise to make you the most happiest girl in the world if you accept being my girlfriend and take this ring." I could hear the passion lacing through every word.
"Of course I will be your girlfriend, Demmy." I said happily.
He let out a sigh of relief and put the ring on my finger before sitting back in his seat.
"I never knew you had the balls, son." Nia joked, ruining the moment. But I love this woman.
He looked down in embarrassment, "Ma, there's a child at the table."
Hunter wasn't really paying attention, he was too busy stuffing his face with all the food he piled on his plate.
"Whatever boy. Give me my money, Tabitha." She held out her hand.
My mom pursed her lips as she handed Nia a twenty dollar bill.
"You put a bet on me?" Demitri looked at her in disbelief.
"I sure did. While I was washing your clothes, I found the box in your pants. Tabitha was there too and she thought you were going to propose. I said you were going to finally make it official and stop being a wuss."
"I'm not a wuss." He mumbled.
"You are, but I still love you unconditionally." She leaned over and pinched his cheek.
There was a knock at the door and since no one else wanted to answer the door, I decided to. I opened the door and my good mood plummeted in a matter of seconds.
"Why are you here?" I placed my hands on my hips, looking back at my father.
My mother came up behind me, "Oh, nice to see you finally here."
I faced her, "You invited him?"
"Your father had no one to spend thanksgiving with."
"Ugh, gag me with a spoon." I scoffed, walking back to the table.
"This is Reina's father, Johnathan. Johnathan, that's my friend Nia and her son Demitri. Also Reina's boyfriend." She introduced him. They all exchanged a nice to meet you and he seated himself in one of the empty chairs.
"He's just Johnathan, no relation to me." I clarified.
Hunter grabbed his plate of food and walked upstairs.
"That's no way to act towards your father." He said.
I bit my tongue and forked at my food as Demitri rubbed my thigh. He knows how much I despise Johnathan. I've told him everything that he's done. He's done nothing in my life but make me feel less as a person and unloved.
"I don't have a father." I shrugged.
"Reina, show some respect." My mother told me. I partially blamed her for putting me in this situation. Partially, only because she doesn't know all that he's done to me except calling me slow all time.
"I don't have to show him a damn thing. What respect has he given me over the past seventeen years?"
"I know you're upset with me, but I'm sorry for what I've done." He called himself trying to apologize to me.
"Upset isn't the word. And you're sorry? You're only sorry because you feel guilty. Is it because I don't stutter anymore?"
"Of course not-"
"Lies. Just like the lies you told mom whenever she found a bruise on my body because of your constant abuse. Or the lie you made me make up because I got pregnant-"
"You shut your mouth." He warned.
"I got pregnant because you let your friend repeatedly rape me in that basement every night just so you could pay off your gambling debt! You're no father to me and you never will be!" I ran off to my room with tears threatening to fall from my eyes.
I heard my mother yelling and crying hysterically downstairs. This is never how I intended to tell her.
