~3~
1205 Words
Darina got out of her house and ran to the only place she felt she could find comfort.
That place just happened to be only a few blocks away. Her tears poured down her face again as she approached the door.
At that moment, the door opened and her best friend Luciola stood in the doorway. On looking up and seeing Darina running towards the door, her eyes widened in shock.
“Uh… Darina…” she started shakily, trying to explain herself.
But, she wasn't the one Darina came to see.
Darina brushed past her, and rushed into the arms of the man who stood not too far away from Luciola, wailing loudly.
The man's expression showed that of shock as well, but he engulfed Darina in a hug, trying to calm her down.
Luciola looked back at the man alarmed, with hands on her chest, trying to steady her wildly beating heart.
After exchanging a knowing look with her, he mouthed a silent ‘go’ to her; she nodded and left quickly, closing the door behind her.
Few minutes later, Darina and John were on the couch. He was drying her tears. She hadn't told him what had happened yet. Anytime she tried to talk, she would start crying again.
“Dari, would you calm down and tell me what's wrong, please?” John asked.
“Okay,” Darina said, nodding tearfully as she finally found her voice.
Amidst whimperings and sobs, she told him everything that happened that evening without missing a single detail.
John was beyond shocked.
“Gerald Hampton was in your house? Are you on drugs or something?”
“I'm telling you the absolute truth,” Darina wailed.
“My brother stole from him, and now he wants me to marry him because Jacob can't give him his money back!” she burst out all at once.
John's mouth dropped open. His mind went blank in shock. He burst into laughter; however when he saw the look of dismay on Darina's face, he stopped.
“Wait,” he said. “You're not joking?” It still hadn't sunk yet.
Darina's heart sank.
“Why would I be joking about something like this?” she asked.
“s**t!” He exclaimed, as realization finally dawned on him. He stood up and ran his fingers through his hair.
“This is so messed up. Why would Hampton want to marry you?” John asked.
“I don't know!” Darina wailed.
“So, what are you going to do now?” he asked.
“I don't know,” she said dejectedly, and then looked at him with hopeful eyes. “Could I stay with you for a while?” she asked.
John raised an eyebrow.
“Why?”
“I can’t go back home, John. He said he's coming for me tomorrow,” she said dejectedly.
John was alarmed.
“What? And you want to stay here?” he asked.
“Why not?”
“You just said that he was at your house with some mean-looking guys this evening,”
“So?”
“So?! Your house is only, what, a few blocks away from here? You can't hide here, Dari. Everyone knows we're dating. If Hampton wants to find you, this is the first place he'll come looking for you,” he said.
Darina's eyes filled with tears.
“Besides, I don't want some mean-looking guys turning up at my door just because of you,” John said without thinking.
Darina couldn't believe her ears.
“Just because of me?” She asked incredulously. “What are you saying?”
“Look, Dari, I'm sorry you got caught up in your brother's mess,” his tone wasn't sympathetic at all.
“But honestly, I don't want to get dragged into this. I don't want any trouble,” John said.
His words landed like ice on her skin.
“So, where do you want me to go?” Darina's voice was strained.
“Anywhere. Just...not here. I don't want to be a part of your family issues.”
“You're acting like you don't even care about me, about us,” Darina complained as her heart began to break.
John didn't say anything. Just like her brother. Darina couldn't take it.
“John…,” she called, but he avoided her gaze.
“Of course I care, but this is bigger than that,” he said and sighed.
“There doesn't seem to be a better option here, Darina,” he said repeating Jacob's words and Darina's heart sank.
“Look, I work as a bartender at a high-end club where guys like Hampton hang out and I've heard enough to know that no one messes with Gerald Hampton”
Darina was fed up. What was it about this man that made everyone fear him so much?
“I don't want to marry that man, John. I want to be with you,” Darina cried.
John sighed exasperatedly.
“Why couldn't we just run away together?” Darina asked.
John looked at her like she was stupid.
“Run?” he scoffed. “We're not in some kind of romance novel, Darina. Wake up!” He shouted harshly.
Darina's heart sank even lower than it already was and she smiled bitterly.
So everyone was going to tell her to marry this man?
Seeing Darina's expression, John ran his fingers through his hair in frustration.
“Look, I'm sorry,” He apologized, realizing what he had just done.
Darina stood up and raised her chin defiantly.
“John,” she called. “Do you love me?”
“What?” he asked, wondering where the question had come from.
“I said, do you love me?”
“Darina…”
“John, answer the question. Do you love me?” she looked into his eyes, as if searching for her answer.
He felt uncomfortable under her gaze and looked away, just like Jacob did.
“That's not the point here, Dari,” he said.
“You can’t even answer the question,” she was shaking now.
John still didn't look at her. Darina looked at him with a smile that was not a smile. Tears threatened to fall now.
“Have you ever even loved me, John?” Her voice broke as she asked the question. She was afraid of the answer she would get.
John closed his eyes, sighed and slowly turned to her.
“You see? This is the problem I have with you,” he said. “You get so dramatic over the littlest of things”
Darina's mouth dropped open, and she laughed in disbelief.
“Dramatic? I'm being dramatic?” She couldn't believe what she'd just heard.
She laughed again as tears flowed down her cheeks. Deep sobs followed after.
“Darina…” John took steps towards her.
She raised her hands, stopping him in his tracks. She didn't want to hear whatever it was that he had to say.
“Good night, John,” she said.
She made her way to the door and went out without even looking back at him. She'd just experienced two betrayals in one night.
What was she to do now?
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