“It’s our wedding day, my love,” his eyes motioned towards my body, causing me to look down.
I screamed when I saw that a beautiful white gown adorned my body. It was the exact same dress I told Xy I wanted to get married in, back when I was actually in love with his ass. Who am I kidding? I’mstillin love, which was why I had been running from him so much.
“Xyleek,” I exasperated his name, closing my eyes briefly. “I knew you were a fuckin’ nut job when I met you. I accepted that, which I shouldn’t have, but now I know you’re smoking crack if you think I’m getting married to you. Today or any day.”
“The same wayyouwere smoking crack tryna get rid of my seed,” he grinned before getting directly in my face. “I don’t know what part you don’t understand about me loving you forever, but Ima make that shit crystal clear today. There’s anentire ceremony set up for us downstairs. All of our family is here and so are the families of Casa, so yeah, wearegetting married today,” he spat with his nostrils widening.
Looking around again, I tried to sit up, and that’s when I realized I was chained up like a damn runaway slave. “What the....fuck? Where are we?”
“Sicily.”
“ITALY?!” I shouted.
If I was in Italy, and all seven families were present, that meant I wasfucked. Getting married wasn’t an option, it was my only choice. Casa Oscura didn’t dowasted time. If they came to a function, there was a purpose, and if that purpose was futile, there was bloodshed. No questions asked.
“Do you know another Sicily, my love?” he calmly asked, freeing my hands from the thick cuffs that were holding me down. “And please don’t cry, Drek, you gon’ ruin your makeup.”
Even though my hands were free, I was frozen in place. This nigga had gone through the trouble of setting up an entire wedding, getting the families there, getting me in a fuckin’ dress,andgetting my make-up done, all while I was unconscious. I mean what in the actual fuck?!
My eyes darted over to the door, and I heavily contemplated on how fast I could move. I couldn’t see my feet over the poofy ass dress, so I didn’t even know if they were chained. When I subtly lifted my foot, it was obvious that I wasn’t confined there.
Xy sat on the bed next to me, slowly stroking my cheek. “I’ll give you five minutes to get yourself together, and then wewillwalk downstairs and prepare to say I do. I love you.”
I tracked his every movement until he was out of the door. Immediately, I rolled out of the bed, getting a quick glance at myself in a mirror. My makeup ate down, so whoever did it, shout out to them but too bad they wasted their time. Pulling on the door, I realized it must’ve been locked from the outside.
Turning around, I searched the lavish room for something, anything to break free before scurrying over to the window next. If I had to guess, I was only about three floors up, which wasn’t a far enough fall to kill me. Would I break a bone or two? Possibly, but that seemed better than marrying the psychiatric patient known as Xyleek Chambers. Lucky for me, the windows opened up to a grass padded courtyard.
“Rahdreka, I swear it’s gon’ take God, the angels, the demons, and Pop Smoke to pull me off yo simple ass if you jump out that muthafuckin’ window!” Xy fumed from behind me, standing at the door.
I hadn’t even heard him come back in, which was kind of ruining my big plans. My head turned from him to the window to him and then back to the window. And then, I saidfuck it.
***
Yup, that’s me, a runaway bride. The one that’s debating if I want to break a bone or my “fiancé’s” heart. And I know, you’re probably wondering how I got here, right? Shit, me too! One minute I was minding my business, the next, I had a fine ass, 6’2” chocolate lunatic stalking my every move. The moment I became romantically involved with Xyleek Chambersagainwas the moment I fucked up.
But! Before you think he’s the loving villain…which he is…and I’m just some kind of lovesick idiot…which I am… you have to understand where it started, and why we can’t seem to leave each other alone.
Let me take you back. Wayyyyy back…back to the beginning…
Prelude
Dreka
April 16th, 2006
“Ouuuuu, Xy!” Xy’s little sister, eleven-year-old Tavani, yelled as she bust into his room. “Ima tell Momma!”
Stumbling out of the bed, Xy threw on his boxers and grabbed Vani before she could get back out of the room. He slammed the door shut and locked it while I held his silk blanket tight against my naked body. I had no business being in his momma’s house, fuckin’ like I paid bills there. It was the day after my 13thbirthday though, and the only thing I had asked Xy for was to take my virginity.
We couldn’t do it yesterday because I was with my family all day, and by the time we got home, I was too tired to sneak out. My parents knew Xyleek and I were dating, and they really liked him, so they didn’t mind us hanging out. The problem was, I lied to my mom and told her that Xy’s mom was home today. She was, in fact, at work, but I knew my mom wasn’t calling to verify the story. She believed anything I said.
“You ain’t gon’ tell Mom shit ‘cause you ain’t see shit!”
Vani pointed at me with the corner of her lip raised. “I see Drek, and I see she’s naked. I’m no rocket scientist, but I took sex ed last month, so I know when I see people having sex,” she looked past him and directly at me. “You’re pregnant now.”
Xy started laughing, making my heart flutter.AnythingXyleek did made my heart flutter. The man could fart, and I’d take the deepest whiff. Yeah, that’s how in love with him I was. We’d known each other since third grade, and with us living only a few houses apart, we regularly played together outside. It wasn’t until we started middle school did Xy confess that he had feelings for me. I had feelings for him too, so he asked me to be his girlfriend a year ago, and we had been dating ever since.
“You need to take sex ed again then because you ain’t learn a gahdamn thing,” he walked over to his dresser and opened the middle drawer. “How much?”
