can recall that the exchange of words may not have been said at all if certain actions by a certain party were not made.”
Alexa’s eyes widened at his words before narrowing into angry slits. She couldn’t believe that he had the gall to go there. “And you say set aside our differences. How can we if you make comments like that?”
“Well, it’s the truth, Alex,” he charged. “Your actions led to my words, plain and simple. I just call it as I see it.” He pushed aside the half-eaten bowl of soup, totally losing his appetite. The muscles in his jaws tightened in anger. He wasn’t prepared for this and was upset at himself for allowing her to witness his agitation.
“Who are you to sit up here and condemn me!” she exclaimed. His accusation may have been true, but she was not in the mood to hear it.
“The truth hurts doesn’t it?”
Alexa was not prepared for a confrontation, nor did she desire one. She couldn’t even respond to his question, allowing several minutes to pass in silence.
Darius couldn’t take it anymore and announced that he was leaving.
“That’s probably for the best,” she hastily agreed.
He rose from his chair and marched into the next room in search of his coat and hat.
Alexa went straight to the closet where she had hung it shortly after he deposited it in the family room. She removed it from the hanger and handed it over.
“You know, you still should take me up on my offer,” he said in a thick voice.
“Whatever.” She couldn’t believe that he still wanted to go out after just picking a fight.
“What’s wrong?” he asked, leaning in closer. “Are you afraid that your feelings for me haven’t disappeared after all?”
Her eyes widened, and her mouth gaped open in disbelief. “I can’t believe how full of yourself you are.”
“And so are you,” he returned. “The years may have come between us but you are the same Alexa.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
He stepped closer to her. “You know exactly what it means. I know you, Alexa, especially when it comes to me—you are easy. You were easy then and you’re easy—”
“Stop while you’re ahead!” she warned, her eyes ablaze with fury. “I don’t know who you think you are coming in here trying to put me down. I could say a lot about that situation, but I won’t because I don’t want to stoop to your level of game playing. I’m not into playing games. If that is what you’re all about these days, Darius, then you can leave me alone.”
With a smug look on his face, Darius shook his head and departed without another word.
Alexa was fuming when she later repeated her altercation with Darius to Maya over dinner that evening. The two had the house alone. The girls were spending the remaining part of the week with Maya’s mother while Bryant went to spend time with his own mother.
“I don’t know who he thinks he is trying to make me look like some bad person,” Alexa huffed as she took a sip of her wine.
“That doesn’t sound like Darius,” Maya replied.
Alexa threw her a surprised look. No, she was not sticking up for him.
“Well, it was him. He is such an ass. I swear I don’t know what I saw in him to begin with!”
Maya knew, but she refrained from replying.
“He called me easy, Maya. Can you believe that?”
Maya grunted in response.
“So you’re playing silent now,” Alexa voiced, noticing Maya’s silence. “Normally you would be on this story like a cat on a mouse!”
“I’ve just learned to keep my peace at certain times,” Maya replied, clamping her teeth down on a piece of spicy garlic chicken.
“Yeah, right,” Alexa scoffed. “I don’t care, I am not going to play his childish games of cat and mouse. I’m just going to avoid him until I leave.”
She knew what she was proposing would be hard. Just thinking about him made her stomach feel like butterflies were doing somersaults. Over the last few days, her emotions were as unreliable as a weatherman—stormy one minute, sunny the next.
“Then you’ll ruin things,” Maya whined.
“No, I won’t. I just won’t deal with Darius.”
“There will be instances where the four of us will have to come together like when we take pictures. I don’t want you having an attitude and ruin my wedding day.” Maya huffed as she dropped her fork on her plate and slumped back against her seat.
Alexa rolled her eyes at Maya’s display, frustrated that her friend did not understand her dilemma. “I’m not trying to ruin your wedding, Maya. I’m just pissed off at Darius for his comment. He was wrong for what he said.”
“What you did was wrong, too,” Maya shot back. She immediately covered her mouth as if regretting her comment.
Alexa was equally surprised by her outburst. “What do you mean by that crack?”
“I’m just saying that I think he was just as justified as you for his actions,” Maya carefully replied.
Alexa’s curious eyes widened in disbelief. “So you think I’m easy, too?”
“No, no,” Maya interjected, waving her hands. “I’m not saying that. What I am saying is that you hurt him. Regardless of how long ago that occurred, Darius was hurt. He’s probably still hurting. People don’t realize how first loves leave lasting impressions on a person.”
“I loved him, too, Maya. You sound like I reacted totally without emotion and that was not the case,” Alexa cried out, jumping to her own defense. “I was hurt, too.”
“But you were the one who left. The man asked you to marry him. You slept with him, packed up your things and left. How would you have felt if the tables were turned?”
“But I told you how necessary it was for me to establish my career before getting involved in a serious relationship.”
“I believe that was your mother’s suggestion,” Maya corrected her.
Alexa’s frown softened. “That’s not fair, Maya.”
“And you think it’s fair to Darius?” Maya asked. “I understand what your mother had gone through, Alexa, but that was her experience. She had no right telling you not to fall in love until a certain age. Love comes when it’s ready. We can’t conjure it up when we think the time is right. Darius loved you. It tore him up when you left. I should know because I was there.
“I’m not saying that you were wrong for not wanting to get serious at a young age, but I think you could have gone about things differently. Bryant and I have been through the fire and the flood and we have managed to stand strong. He’s been supportive of my career, and I support him wanting his own business. If you truly love someone, it’s about give and take. Maybe your father didn’t know much about that, so don’t use that as an excuse with me because I know things can work out especially if it was meant to be.”
With that she slid back from the table and placed her soiled dish in the sink. Alexa remained seated, confused by it all.
Darius was reminded of Alexa’s cognac-colored eyes as he sipped Grand Marnier from the snifter. Regardless of the number of times he replayed the scene in his mind, he couldn’t understand why he had behaved the way he did. All he knew was that seeing Alexa again made him realize how much he had missed her.
She looked the same except more mature. Her eyes still possessed that tranquil, yet smoldering gaze laced with wonder and mystique.
The