Chapter 2
chapter two
ivory
“This number is no longer in service.” The automated voice said again.
I had been calling Acacia, my ex-girlfriend, since she left me at the altar ten days ago.
When I got to her house, my key wouldn’t work.
I knocked for one hour, but she never came to the door.
By then, her neighbor came outside and told me that he saw her with a moving company three days prior.
She blocked me on all social media platforms and changed her number. What did I do to deserve this treatment? Every day since, I have been racking my brain for answers, signs that she wasn’t ready to spend forever with me. There hadn’t been one moment that I could pinpoint.
Donavan was scared that this would trigger a seizure, so he made me his temporary roommate until he could trust me to be on my own.
Thankfully, the golf season was off for now. He just won the FedEx Cup, so he claimed to have all the time in the world to spend with me, for at least a month.
“Ivory, you spaced out on me, are you okay?” I was so wrapped up in my thoughts, I didn’t notice Donavan join me in the kitchen.
His gentle touch under my chin made me meet his concerned gaze, “I’m fine, Dj. I only cried two times this morning. That’s better than yesterday!” I mustered up all the optimism for my best friend.
He worried about me too much. “Good job, I have a surprise for you, so go get dressed and meet me down here in twenty minutes. When’s the last time you had a shower, the funk coming from you hit me right in the nose as soon as I opened the door.” He dodged the punch aimed for his chest.
Discreetly, I sniffed my underarms and he wasn’t lying, I did smell a bit tart. It was the smell of heartbreak and betrayal. Donavan stood there with the biggest smirk on his stupid face, he knew I hated to be wrong.
“I don’t want to go anywhere, can’t you show me the surprise here?” I barely left the house, since my job as a wedding planner gave me even more time to wallow.
I was supposed to be on my honeymoon, we paid for a three-week vacation in Turks she had on a baby phat dress and a huge puff ball in her hair. Sammy was so cute, I wanted her to be my girlfriend and surprisingly, she agreed.
My sexuality was the one thing I didn’t have to question in this life, even when my father disowned me, claiming he would rather go to hell than have a lesbian daughter.
I used to be a daddy’s girl, but when I came out to my family in ninth grade, his hate for the LGBTQ+ community reared its ugly head.
I scrubbed every inch of my body, cried for a few minutes, and rushed to get dressed.
Donavan hated it when I made us late, and there was no need to poke the bear at this time.
It was the middle of winter, my sweatsuit was perfect for the weather and the giant rain cloud hovering over my life right now.
This was my first real heartbreak and this shit wasn’t a joke. I really felt an ache in my chest every time I thought about how what was supposed to be the happiest day of my life, turned sour in a matter of minutes.
“There’s my pretty girl, you look cozy.” My heart fluttered whenever Dj complimented me. The glimmer in his eyes was a bit contagious, making me smile for the first time today.
“Do you think I became unattractive to her somehow? I know I have been neglecting my health since work has been going so well.” DJ shook his head.
“Come here,” I sighed softly but did as he told me.
DJ turned and walked to the foyer where his gold round mirror hung on the wall.
“Look at yourself and tell me what you see, and then I’ll tell you what I see.
” Releasing a huge breath, I looked at my reflection.
My hair had some leftover edge control from the night before, but I combed it today, so that’s a win for me.
The dull look in my eyes was hard to witness.
I usually wore my heart on my sleeve, and seeing all of the heartbreak covering me in a dark cloak made me sad.
“I see a woman who’s broken right now,” I whispered through a few tears.
Donavan wordlessly stood next to me and pulled me into his arms. I collapsed into his secure embrace. His hugs always felt as if he could take away my pain. My problems became his problems and vice versa. I’d tear down the world over my best friend.
His words flowed into my heart when he softly spoke, “If you don’t know who Ivory is, just let me tell you.
She is fearless, intelligent, funny, even if she’s a bit dramatic at times.
But, overall, she is the kindest person I have ever had the pleasure of knowing.
I know it hurts right now, but look at it this way, she didn’t deserve you.
No one is good enough for you. You are going to come up out of this and I’ll hold your hand every step of the way.
” He kissed the top of my head to seal every word.
For the first time in days, I pledged to focus on me and my healing. I can’t keep trying to figure out why we didn’t work out. All I could do was pull the pieces of my life back together and pray that I wouldn’t get cut in the process.