7. Invasion #3
I blushed, realizing that to Randall, I must have been quite a sight with my deep dark skin and my brilliant grey eyes. At the very least, he was curious about me.
“Well I appreciate what you’ve done officer. I think you saved my life.”
Randall grunted, “Just part of the job ma’am. Mark’s an old buddy. I’d do anything for him.”
I stood up and replied, “Well, I appreciate it.”
I shook Randall’s hand and then he led me out of the station.
As I walked towards my car, I felt light.
Free. Randall had encouraged me not to let Mark go.
I’d been looking for a sign, and I had one.
Randall didn’t even know that I was carrying Mark’s child, but one look at us and he knew something that we had struggled to admit to each other.
Together, Mark and I had the potential to be really happy.
Once I got in my car, I called Mark’s office.
As I suspected, he’d taken the day off, just like I had.
I didn’t bother calling his cell or his house.
If Mark caught wind I was coming, I knew he’d try to convince me to stay away.
I had no intention of staying away from him.
I rolled down my windows as I drove and blasted the latest pop hits from my radio.
My heart was light. I was getting closer to being with Mark… I could feel it.
And once we were together, I was convinced we’d be unstoppable.
Arriving at Mark’s house in the morning felt like I was just coming home.
His neighborhood was uncharacteristically quiet.
Usually I heard the sound of children playing or cars returning from work.
In the morning on a work day, there was dead silence.
I detected a hint of the peace of mind that we both wanted. This could be our future — really.
I could have the house in the suburbs, the doctor husband, a beautiful child and a big happy family. For the first time since I’d left Darius, I remembered the dreams I’d once had of being happy. And those dreams had a chance of being realized.
I knocked on Mark’s door, figuring he saw my car pull into his driveway. But Mark didn’t open the door. Poppy did.
“Hello,” She said with a sweet smile.
“Poppy? Who’s there?”
The panic in Mark’s voice let me know he hadn’t fully recovered from the night before.
“It’s me! Lola!” I called out.
Mark came up to the door with a light jog.
“Lola, what are you doing here?” He asked, picking Poppy up off the ground.
I could tell Poppy was getting a little heavy for him, but she clung to her father with a stark unwillingness to let go.
“I wanted to see you,” I said.
Mark set Poppy down and guided her away from us towards the living room. She scampered away.
“I have the kids today.”
“I know. I’ll be patient. But I’m not just going to let you leave me Mark.”
Mark half-scowled, but I could tell he didn’t mean it.
“Fine then, come in.”
I followed him inside. Mark peeked into the living room where his kids were playing and then led me upstairs.
“They’re fine,” He mumbled, “Let’s just talk.”
I followed Mark into his bedroom — the site of so many of our passionate romps — and then sat on his bed. Mark stood across from me with his arms folded.
“This is risky.”
“I went to the station this morning,” I replied, ignoring him.
He bit.
“The station?”
“I gave a statement to Officer Burns.”
“Good.”
“And I’m pressing charges.”
Mark nodded, but he said nothing.
“You don’t agree?”
“Of course I agree!” Mark snapped.
“Sorry…”
Mark rushed to my side and sat next to me.
“It’s not what you think Lola. I don’t want Rose in my life. I want her locked up for what she’s done to you… But I never wanted to drag you into this. It’s not right. It’s not what a real man does.”
I turned to him with mild frustration.
“A real woman can handle her business Mark. And I’m handling mine. I’m not afraid of Rose.”
“She’s dangerous.”
“I know that. But now she’s in jail. And Officer Burns thinks there’s no way she’ll win this case.”
“We can’t be sure.”
“Why not?”
“Rose comes from money. Big money.”
I snorted, “So what? We’re well to-do ourselves. Mark, no matter what happens, we can fight it.”
He looked at me and for the first time, he recognized the determination in my eyes. I really had no intention of letting him go this time. I wouldn’t let her take him from me.
“Fuck… You drive a hard bargain,” He muttered.
I grinned, “I know that. And I don’t want you to resist.”
Mark looked at my stomach and then asked, “Can I?”
“What?”
“Can I feel your stomach… I… I want this to feel real.”
I nodded and then allowed Mark’s hand to touch my belly. I flinched as his warm hand made contact with my skin. Then I felt this sense of safety and security unlike anything I’d ever experienced before. I closed my eyes and then Mark pulled me close, kissing me on the lips.
“This hasn’t felt real until right now,” Mark muttered.
“The baby?”
“Yes. We’re going to have a baby… That’s made this even harder for me.”
“Why?”
“Rose… I don’t know if you understand Lola. I’ve made mistakes in the past and I don’t want you to get caught in the crossfire.”
“I won’t be.”
Mark leaned over and kissed me again.
“I hope our baby gets your eyes…” He muttered, “And your hair…”
I grinned, “It’s nice to hear you talking like that.”
Mark pulled away, “But maybe it’s dangerous. I still need to keep you safe Lola. And if being with me isn’t safe, then we can’t be together.”
“You’re making this so damned hard, you know that?” I muttered.
Mark nodded and pressed his forehead to mine.
“I know.”
We kissed again. This time, the kiss was long and slow. I felt longing building between my thighs. Mark pulled away this time. He was reluctant to let this go further. Understandable. His kids were both downstairs and we were still very shaken from the night before.
“Stay the night,” He asked.
“Are you sure?”
“Yes. I’m sure. Plus, the kids love playing with you.”
We stood up, still in a strange in-between situation, but at least we’d acknowledged our desire for each other. I followed him back downstairs and then we played with Poppy and Preston for a long time. The kids didn’t seem too perturbed by the fact their mother was in jail.
Really, I didn’t know how much Mark had told them.
Children were smarter than we gave them credit for.
Perhaps the two of them had recognized the inevitability of their mother’s decline.
After all, they were the ones who lived with her and who were forced to listen to her daily threats.
They were the ones who’d always been most affected by her lies and her actions.
In the evening, they tired quickly. I carried Poppy and Mark carried Preston back into their bedroom. They slept easily in their twin beds after Mark and I took turns reading a story. This could be our every day…
The thought stirred hunger in my heart for an end to this theater, and a beginning to a proper, normal love life.
Anna-Mae had always predicted I would settle down and I began to realize she was right.
Losing Darius had felt like the end of the world.
I’d felt like I couldn’t trust men and that I’d never love again but here I was, in love, proving that it was possible to trust men again after getting hurt.
Downstairs, Mark and I lay in each other’s arms on the couch, stoking the tension between the two of us.
We no longer wanted to think about the hurt between us. We no longer wanted to suffer. We just wanted to exist in each other’s arms… in peace.
“Kiss me,” Mark whispered.
I kissed him, nice and long and slow. His lips parted gently and I pressed my tongue between them whilst I ran my hands through his long hair.
Mark pulled me closer to him. I climbed on top of him, straddling him on the couch while he continued to kiss me.
He gripped my hips tightly and pulled me close.
I shut my eyes and squeezed my thighs around him.
I began to grind my hips into Mark and I could sense the arousal building up inside of him too.