Mahogany Desires

Chapter 40

                

           “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.”