Three years later…

 

“I hate group projects,” I muttered to myself. I’d logged on to check my school email and found a thread of new emails from three of my classmates who I had been assigned to work with. We have to create an interactive media design for the website of an international technology conglomerate that didn’t exist. At the end of the semester, we would have to then rebrand the company with a better design. Each project was worth twenty percent of our grade and my teammates were already bickering non-stop on whose idea was better. 

Each of their ideas was good, and I saw no reason why we couldn’t incorporate them all, so I sent them an email with a proposal. I knew I wouldn’t have to wait long for their explosion, but I logged out of my email anyway and headed for the door.

I was already late.

Ten minutes later, I pulled up behind the other long line of cars at the curb and waited. I made it on time with a few minutes to spare thanks to my road rage, so I checked my email. My classmates were surprisingly on board with my proposal for the website. I sent a quick response to their questions and input and logged back off.

The school doors opened moments later, and the small class of preschoolers ran out to meet their parents and nannies. I hopped out of my SUV. I wanted a white Mustang with double black stripes and blacked out rims, but my father insisted I get the four-door tank because it was safer. I met Caylen at the rear door as he ran up the sidewalk.

“Hi, Mommy!”

“Hey, buddy. Have a good day?”

“Yes, but I sort of got in trouble.” I paused from helping him into the booster seat.

“Say what?”

“Uncle Augustine said something about butts, so I told Miss Caroline, but she got mad.”

I groaned knowing exactly the kind of jokes Augustine liked to tell despite his audience. “Was it supposed to be funny?”

“How should I know? I didn’t get it.”

My phone rang as I finished buckling him in. “We’re going to have a talk when we get home,” I warned which earned me a loud sigh. I hid my smile as I answered the phone.

“What’s up?”

“I’m starting to think I’d be happier as a full-time barista,” Anna groaned. “Seriously, if I play my cards right, I could be manager one day.” Anna currently worked as a part-time barista at one of the campus coffee shops while she was studying Biology.

“You’re not going to quit school, Anna, so if you’re looking for encouragement, then you should have tried your luck with Tabitha.”

She snorted over the line. “I called her first actually. I just knew for sure I’d get her to talk me into quitting, but she called me a trooper and hung up.”

“You are a trooper. You’ve just started your third year. Before you know it, you’ll be able to practice medicine. Your dreams are bigger than your woes. Remember that. ”

“You do realize that I have at least eight more years before that happens, right?”

“Jesus, Anna, when did you become such a pessimist?”

“Day one of organic chem.” She giggled.

I laughed because buried underneath all that bitterness was the lighthearted Anna. We never spoke of it, but I suspected most of her unhappiness wasn’t because of school.

It was a broken heart.

A year and a half ago Lucas and Anna decided to give a relationship a try. It had been going well until six months later when Z left Chicago after tracking down his mother. No one could believe she had been alive after all this time. When he left, he wouldn’t tell anyone, not even Lucas, where he was going, but he’d kept in contact.

Until one day, the phone calls suddenly stopped.

Anna would never say more than it just didn’t work out, but somehow, I suspected Z’s disappearance had caused their relationship to spiral down until she finally ended it. Now she could barely look at him, and Lucas never spoke a word to her.

Everyone had the same unspoken fear that Z was dead, but it was Lucas who kept searching.

Anna had never gotten over losing Lucas even though she was the one who left him. She spent half her time excelling at school and the other half complaining about it. Happiness eluded her. Or maybe not just her.

It seemed none of us was destined for a fairy-tale ending.

For three years, I fought to let go of Angel, but no amount of pretending could exorcise him from my head.

With his confession, he exchanged one prison for another, and I never learned how he made it possible. Whenever I asked Lucas, Z, or Augustine for details, they’d only say it was better I heard it from Angel. So for three years, I had been left with the feeling that taking my father’s place in prison hadn’t been Angel’s only sacrifice.

“Mian? Mian? Are you even listening?”

“I’m sorry, Anna. I spaced out for a moment. What did you say?”

“I said I just got a text from Tabitha. She wants you to call her. Now.”

 

* * *

I DIDN’T CALL Tabitha until much later that night after I put Caylen to bed. I made a promise to myself when life started to look up that he’d never be my second choice. It was because of that promise that I had nine missed calls and ten messages from Tabitha, Augustine, Anna, and my father. I phoned Tabitha first since she was likely the reason for all the panic.

“Tabitha, what’s up?”

“What’s up? I’ll tell you what’s not up.” I moved the phone away from my ear before she blew my hearing and turned the volume down. “I sick of my parents keeping secrets from me. I’m nineteen, for crying out loud, but they treat me like I’m twelve.”

“Tabitha? Can you get to the point?” I didn’t want to throw in her face that she was lucky to have parents who put her best interest first. It was something she had to realize on her own. 

“Angel’s not in prison anymore.” My legs gave out, and I sunk to the floor. I kept the phone tight to my ear as I leaned my head against the wall and closed my eyes tight. “He’s been out for three months now. My parents and that cretin cousin of mine were keeping it a secret.”

“Wait.” My eyes opened, and I stared out the window. “Augustine knew?”

“It would appear so.”

“So… where is he?” I hoped I didn’t sound too interested, but he is my husband. The marriage didn’t have a legal leg to stand on, but I couldn’t risk sending my father back to prison by asking for an annulment. When Michelle informed me there would be a hearing before a divorce was granted, I knew I couldn’t risk seeing him again either. So I took the coward’s way and continued to live as Mrs. Angel Knight.

“My parents claim they don’t know, and Augustine wouldn’t tell me when I grilled him.”

I sighed and told myself not to make this a big deal. Angel’s impending release had been keeping me awake at night lately, but clearly, there was nothing to worry about. He’d been free for months, and he hadn’t bothered to pay a visit to his wife.

And why should he?

There was nothing for him here. He gave it up on that stand three years ago. He gave me up for me.

One day, when I could face him again, I would sever our ties for good. I forgave him for the pieces he carved out of my heart the moment he chose me, but I could never let him return to finish the job.

After Tabitha had finished her rant, I promised to call her tomorrow and hung up. My stomach tightened at the thought of seeing him again. It was as unavoidable as breathing.

I wasn’t sixteen with a crush anymore, and I wasn’t his prisoner trapped in a marriage I didn’t want. 

You’re just the wife of a man you shouldn’t love.

Angel going to prison hadn’t waved any magic wands. My life didn’t get better once I was free, but I had a village this time who pushed me to get here.

A village I found because of Angel.

My father’s release hadn’t immediately repaired our relationship, either. I sent him away the first time he showed up on my doorstep, but he didn’t just go away after I rejected him. He kept coming back every week for six months until I finally agreed to talk. We took it slow, and eventually, I decided to forgive him by allowing him in Caylen’s life.

Undoubtedly, he’s been a better grandfather than he had been a father. I made a point not to hold it over his head, but days like these were harder than the rest.

Angel had stayed away this long. A part of me was hurt that he had while the other part of me hoped he never came back.

I lifted myself from the floor and decided I would need a long, soothing bubble bath in order to sleep tonight. I didn’t have the energy to talk to the others right now, so I pulled my hair up and ran the hot water.

Just as I started to undress, my doorbell rang.