Chapter 8
“I apologize again.” Milan spoke into the phone as she twirled the zipper on the end of her hooded jacket with her fingers. She was calling off her third day back to work. She hadn’t felt the same since the call she got from Derek. It was as if he had slipped her into a depression that she had never expected to feel especially with Andre around. Derek had terrorized her for the past week and she hadn’t left the house since the phone call.
She was afraid that he would act on his plan the moment he spotted her out of the house. She took a deep breath and stared at the TV but it was watching her more than she was watching it. She sat on the couch and thought about everything. It was consuming her whole life.
“Milan, you’re staying home again...” Andre emerged from the hallway scratching the back of his disheveled blond head. It was five in the morning, an usual time for Andre to be up. She furrowed her eyebrows and thought of what would have woken him.
“Oh I’m sorry the TV is so loud. I didn’t even notice.” She decided and picked up the remote to turn the volume down. Her mind quickly distracted itself once again while Andre made his way over to her. He stood in front of the TV set and waved his arms in front of her. Milan didn’t even blink.
“Milan, turn the TV off.” He demanded and sat next to her on the couch. She slowly did what she was told and sat in front of Andre with a pout.
“Andre, please, you don’t have to talk to me about the symptoms of depression. I’m not depressed, it’s completely okay and the baby will be fine. Don’t be so worried.”
“I’m not going to do that. Just tell me right now, why are you letting Derek do this?”
“Letting him do what? He’s the one who's making my life a living hell! I’m not just letting him do anything, Andre. You think I like sitting here in my sweats fucking -”
“You know he hasn’t physically done anything to us right? You’re letting his words get to you and that’s causing your life to be a living hell... And I think he knows that. You take things so internally.”
“Andre, he wants to take our baby. He’s going to make me take a paternity test and he hasn’t filed the divorce papers. It’s like everything I thought I was running away from is telling me nothing is that easy to run from. I just want to be happy with you and our baby girl.” Milan dropped her chin to her chest and took deep steadying breaths. Andre couldn't handle seeing her this way, especially because it wasn’t because of him. It was because of another man. This realization only enraged Andre further and caused him to huff angrily.
“Milan, you don’t have to be scared of him. I’ll handle everything. I just want you to remember how happy you were a week ago. Nothing has changed -look around you... Everything is the same and I’m the same. You still have me and our baby and you can still live happily... You deserve to live happily.” He told her grabbing her hands in his and staring at her until her eyes raised to look into his. She smirked weakly but didn’t mean it.
“It’s
not that simple, Andre. Your life has always been easier than mine.
You always did what you wanted in the romance department... I don’t
have that luxury.”
“What are you talking about? I’m
right here. I could have any girl I want but I’m here begging
you to just be happy... Be happy with me.”
“Okay.” She said to end the conversation, not necessarily because she agreed or heard what Andre was saying. He stood up from the couch and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek before retreating to the bathroom.
He opened the medicine cabinet and dug behind his vitamins and dietary supplement pills to a small black box. It was the thing he had spent an extra two hours out last week to buy and keep hidden from Milan. He flipped the lid open and a stunning, 20 karat princess cut diamond ring sat in the slit of the boxes pouch. He took a deep breath and stared at it. He wanted to marry Milan.
The weeks they had spent together were better than anything he had ever experienced in his 30 years of life. He had known Milan for 13 years and she was his best friend, but after living with her it felt as if she was his soul mate. Every move she made he felt it was justified and could see himself doing the same. She was thoughtful, she was supportive, she was independent, she was beautiful; she had everything he had ever wanted in a woman and more. In his eyes, she was perfect.
But he couldn’t propose to her this way. She was in a horrible place and he had to be the one to fix it before he lost his soul mate to Derek again. He let her make a bad decision 9 years ago but he wasn’t going to let her do it again.
He placed the ring box back to the hiding place and quickly fixed himself up. He was going to get everything settled tonight because he couldn’t spend another day without having Milan as his fiance and eventually his wife. It wasn’t a coincidence that wife rhymed with life. Without a wife, what was the point of living?
“Are you okay?” Milan asked from outside of the door. Andre broke the eye contact that he made with himself in the mirror.
“Yeah, babe. I’m good.” He said before wiping his wet face off quickly and opening the door to greet her pretty face with a smile. She responded with a confused look.
“What are you so smiley about?” She asked stepping around him to go into the bathroom. He placed his hand on the back of his head and debated telling her his plan for the day. He shrugged and backed away from her. It’d be better to tell her once everything happens.
“No reason.” He smiled and stared at her longingly until she closed the door. He sighed, he was the luckiest man alive. Now, he wanted to make her feel like the luckiest woman.
He walked over to the couch and quickly picked up her cell phone he had to make a quick text. He
found Derek’s contact in the speed dial and sent him a quick, cryptic message:
Meet me at Luciano’s Bar at 4PM and don’t text me back cause I’ll be with Andre all day. He doesn’t know I’m coming to see you. k cya.
Sent.
He quickly deleted the message as he heard Milan twist the doorknob of the bathroom open. He tried to toss the phone lightly back to it’s original place without drawing too much attention to himself. He smiled at her as she walked over to the couch and noticed the same confused look was on her face.
“Have you always had such a creepy smile?” She asked teasingly. This was the first time the corners of her lips turned up in a sincere smirk.
“Only when I’m looking at you...” He said before slapping his forehead with his palm, “I’m sorry, that was dumb. Don’t pay attention to me.”
She laughed and touched his face.
“You’re so cute.” She said looking into his eyes. He leaned forward to her face and they shared a kiss. A gentle kiss with so much love hidden behind it.
Andre pulled away and raised up a finger as if to signal that he had an idea.
“Let me call Francois and see if he can come by early. Since we’re already up, there’s no need to waste time being hungry.” Andre explained before reaching over Milan to the side table next to the couch.
“All you ever think about is food.” She teased. Andre pulled the house phone off of it’s receiver and dropped his jaw looking at her in shock.
“Me? All I ever think about is food. I think you’ve confused me with you... All you ever think about is food!” He exclaimed making her laugh and playfully punch him in the arm.
“I would hit you back but you’re carrying a child.”
“Shut up for once and call Francois.”
*****
Andre had been sitting at the bar for over thirty minutes. He was beginning to think Derek wouldn’t show. He picked up his wallet and began to leave when suddenly he bumped into Derek’s stature at the door.
“Sorry man, I didn’t-” Derek stopped himself when he recognized the face of the person he bumped into. Instead he smirked. “Actually, I’m not sorry.”
“You should be. The things you’re saying to my girl... I won’t let you do this shit to Milan anymore. You had your chance and you don’t deserve another one.”
“Who are you to tell me that shit? Milan will turn into the same person she was with me. She’s always fun and frisky in the beginning then she becomes a bitch. Let me take her off your hands for you.” He told Andre. It was as if he was warning him but Andre knew it wasn’t from a concerned place. It was purely out of a place of self-interest. He thought he could simply scare Andre away from Milan. That wasn’t possible anymore.
“Don’t talk about her that way man. She won’t disrespect you around me so don’t do that to her.”
“She don’t got nothing to say! Where is she? She told me, not to text back and that’s what I did. Then, she sends you over here.”
“She didn’t send me. I sent you the text to figure out what you want with my family.”
“I don’t want shit from you.” Derek spat getting ready to turn and leave out the door when Andre grabbed his bicep tightly and pulled him to turn around. Derek quickly shrugged Andre’s hand off of him and cleared his throat awkwardly. He was surprised to see that Andre was so strong.
“I got ten thousand dollars burning a hole in my pocket right now. Say the word and it’s all yours.”
“Man, I don’t believe you.” He said laughing but subconsciously hoped Andre was telling the truth. Andre raised his eyebrows and dug into his pocket. He pulled out his wallet and slipped his fingers in quickly to expose the fat stack of five-hundred dollar bills. Derek’s eyes widened and he scratched the back of his head. It felt like a scam. He looked both ways and no one seemed to be paying any attention to the two men.
“What do I have to do?” Derek asked in an almost inaudible whisper. Andre smirked and put his wallet back in his pocket.
“You have to leave me and mine alone. That means no more contact, and no more threats. You need to file those divorce papers and let her go. She’s already let you go.” Andre explained to Derek. He nodded and swallowed hard. Then it was no longer a hard decision to make: torturing Milan about a baby that wasn’t his and a marriage that didn’t offer him anything was not worth giving up ten thousand dollars. He nodded and stuck his hand out for Andre to shake.
“I’m done with that pettiness. I can’t say I really cared about getting her back honestly. I won’t contact her no more, and I’ll file the divorce papers first thing in the morning.”
“Good to hear.” Andre said shaking his hand and walking around Derek towards the exit. Derek’s eyes widened and he lifted his hands up.
“Bro, what about the...” He stopped himself from finishing since the bystanders were now staring at him.
“Oh, I don’t pay anything in advance. Just know it has your name on it as soon as we get those papers.” Andre shot his billionaire smile at Derek before leaving the bar. Derek nodded and knew Andre was a nobleman. He had no doubt he would pay him. He rushed home to find the file of divorce papers that were on the kitchen counter. He would make sure they received the other half of the divorce papers as soon as possible. He imagined the things he would do with the money.
*****
Andre arrived to his penthouse to find a brooding Milan on the couch sipping water out of a wine glass. He quickly shrugged off his coat and skipped over to her before plopping next to her on the couch. She looked over at him and smiled weakly. He grabbed the remote off the coffee table and shut it off. His bright smile gleaming at her. She furrowed her eyebrows and took a deep breath.
“I’m sorry.” She said before Andre could speak.
“Sorry -For what?” He was taken back. She shook her head and sat her glass down. She covered her face with her hands and held back tears. He watched as she struggled to speak.
“I’m sorry this is all so complicated. You know all I want is to live happily ever after with you. I’ve never met anyone more perfect, Andre. I love you so much but my mistake isn’t letting me find happiness. Maybe it’s not meant for me... Maybe I’m not supposed to be happy.”
“No! Milan, stop that.” He said before pulling her hands away from her face and watching as tears slid against her mocha brown skin and illuminated her big brown eyes. He pouted at her sympathetically but then quickly smiled as he remembered what he had just gone to do. “You don’t have to worry about Derek anymore, Milan. He won’t be bothering us anymore.”
“How do you know that? Just because he hasn’t done anything just means he’s plotting something big. I’m just afraid he’s going to find away to drag you down with me. He’s a nasty person.”
“Baby, listen to me. He will not be bothering us anymore... Trust me on that. I can guarantee your safety when you’re with me. You’re safe with me.” He told her with one knee on the ground as he stared up into her eyes. He suddenly remembered his ring in the bathroom and he needed to do one more thing to solidify her trust.
“One minute.” He told her and let go of her hands. He quickly ran into the bathroom and pulled the ring box out of the medicine cabinet. He took a quick glance at himself in the mirror and combed back his hair with his fingers. It was finally the moment he had been waiting for.
For the past two years he had found his purpose and the only thing he wanted more than anything in the world: ‘real love’ and a family. He saw his future sitting on the couch and he wouldn’t let it slip away. It was the moment he had dreamed about; with the woman of his dreams.
“Milan Chambers,” he called for her attention as he took calculated steps out of the bathroom. She looked up. She was no longer crying. She seemed indifferent about his speech.
“Andre Hausman.” She mocked him as he stepped closer to her without saying a word. He chuckled and placed his hand behind his head. Anything he had once rehearsed to say flew out of his mind as he stared at the beautiful woman before him. He could barely believe that after 13 years of friendship, this was their fate. After she got married, he was convinced that he had lost his chance forever but this was a sign that love was strong enough to bring two soul mates together in the most magical way.
“I have loved you since the moment I found out you were a Star Wars fan.” He started trying (and succeeding) to make her laugh, “I have loved you since that one time you laughed so hard that hot coffee came up your nose and practically burned you.”
“Ouch, don’t remind me!” She shrieked, holding her nose as the memories flooded her mind. He laughed at how cute she was and continued:
“Our friendship has been strong for 13 years and there is a bond between us that I can’t describe
in any way at all. There has never been a moment where we’ve been separated and I haven’t thought about you everyday. I’ve thought about what you would say, what joke you would make, what you would smell like... I love every bit of you, Milan Chambers and I don’t want to stay away from you for even another second. I want to be bound to you; not just by my soul but also by this ring.” Andre pulled the box from behind him and held the lid open. Milan cupped her face with her hands and began to tear up full of joy. “Milan Chambers, will you marry me?”
“Andre,” she said taking her hands away from her face and exposing a huge smile. After a moment of silence she thought about a very important question. His answer would determine hers. “Do you think love is a feeling or a commitment?”
“Um...” He was thrown off. He looked to the side and scrunched up his face. It was a thought-provoking question. “Love isn’t just one or the other. I’m going to say it’s both. A feeling leads you to believe that someone is capable of receiving your love and giving love to you but you’ll have to be committed to constantly giving them that love because a feeling isn’t strong enough to act alone and dictate actions.” He explained the best he could. He looked back up at Milan and it seemed as if she had just won an award.
“Yes, Andre. I will marry you.” She was beyond satisfied with his answer. Finally, she knew.
Their ideals were identical and she watched as his blue eyes smiled at her and showed the content in his soul. He leaned forward and placed the ring on her finger before kissing her passionately. He rubbed her belly and laid next to her.
It was a fairy tale ending she never expected, but then again for years she was with the wrong prince.
The end.
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