He is like a serpent. He can both enthral and repel with his unusual, piercing eyes. They seem penetrate deep into a person’s heart with its hidden secrets. I can’t stand him yet I’m attracted to him. I’ve tried so hard to resist him but I can’t. Sometimes, I wish I’d never met him.
54 Words
This was written for the Weekend Writing Prompt by Sammi Cox. For instructions, click Here.
It’s eight o’clock on a Saturday morning. I’m on my way to buy groceries when my cell vibrates. I stopped and I pull it out of my handbag. It’s him. He’s texting me. Tonight still on?
I reply, Yes. See u at 8. I slip my cell back into my bag and continue walking towards the supermarket. It’s a nice, mild morning. I try to ignore my conscience which is telling me that what I’m doing is wrong. I’m not a bad person. I’m a nice person who gets along with most people and I go to church every Sunday. Yet, why doesn’t it bother me that I’m sleeping with my friend’s boyfriend? It should but it doesn’t. Am I a heartless woman? Have I ever stopped and considered how I would feel it the tables were turned and Wanda was sleeping with my man? I guess I haven’t. Love can be a powerful thing and it can blind you too.
Yes, love. I’m in love with Jose. If I weren’t I would be with him. I never expected to fall in love with him. Before him, Wanda dated other men and I wasn’t attracted to any of them and even if I were, I wouldn’t have done anything about it. Wanda was my friend and I would never ever hurt her by hooking up with her boyfriend. That was my mantra until I met Jose. I was instantly attracted to him but I tried to fight my feelings for as long as I could. It wasn’t easy at all, especially when I realized that he was attracted to me too. We sneaked looks at each other and when we were alone, he would touch my hand or slip me a note for us to get together.
The first time we crossed the line was when he and I “accidentally” bumped into each other at a nightclub. He was there with his friends and I was there with mine. Wanda was out of town at the time. She had gone to visit her sister in Tampa. Jose and I were careful how we interacted with each other but when he offered to give me a ride home, I readily accepted. On the drive over to my apartment, we talked about different things but the air was crackling with sexual tension. At one point, he reached over and rubbed his knuckles against my arm, making me tremble.
When we got to my apartment, he saw me to my door. We could have said goodnight then and parted company but I invited him in. As soon as the door was closed, we were all over each other. In between frenzied kisses, we tore off each other’s clothes and then we were on the sofa making love. Afterwards, we showered and had something to eat. He left after one in the morning. While Wanda was away, he came to my place ever evening and sometimes stayed over. When she got back, we couldn’t see each other as often but we texted and called each other everyday.
Last night when we were together, he told me that he loved me. I was thrilled to hear him say that because I loved him too. I know that he doesn’t love Wanda and I think that he should break up with her. I know that it won’t be easy for him to end a five year relationship but he has to do it. It’s no use prolonging the inevitable. Wanda will be devastated and it will be the end of our friendship. It’s unfortunate but that’s how life is sometimes. It throws us a curve-ball. And in Wanda’s case, she couldn’t dodge hers.
“In love there are no winners or losers, there are only those who are hurt more or those who are hurt less” – Thai Proverb
She sat there at the bottom of the steps leading up to the flat she shared with her older sister, her arms wrapped tightly about her as the tears ran down her face. He was engaged! Why didn’t he tell her last night when they were together?
“What’s the matter?” Caspian asked Denny, his younger brother when he walked into the drawing room and he noticed the troubled expression on his face.
“I just spoke to Pearl and she sounded like she was upset about something.”
Caspian stiffened. “You two are still in touch?” he asked tautly.
“Yes.”
“I didn’t think you would still be in touch after the breakup.”
“We decided that we could still be friends.”
“So, there’s no chance of the two of you getting back together, is there?”
Denny shook his head. He studied his older brother. “You sound like you don’t fancy the idea of us getting back together,” he remarked. “Do you dislike Pearl that much?”
“Where did you get the idea that I dislike her?”
Denny shrugged. “It’s just how you react whenever I mention her.”
“You mentioned that she sounded upset,” Caspian said, changing the subject.
“Yes, she sounded very upset and told me she had to go and then hung up.”
“And you have no idea of what has upset her?”
Denny shook her head. “I can’t imagine what I said that would have upset her. We were talking and she sounded fine. She mentioned that her cousin Sharon was getting married next week Sunday and that she would be flying to Tampa on Sunday evening. She was all excited about being a bridesmaid for the first time. I teased her about meeting a guy at the wedding and she laughed. Then, I mentioned that you were engaged and it was shortly after that she told me to hang on. She went off the phone for a few minutes and when she came on again, she sounded upset. I hope she didn’t get bad news or the wedding didn’t get called off. I will call or stop by and see her later.”
Caspian rose abruptly from the chair and walked over to the fireplace. His back was turned to Denny. He knew exactly why Pearl was upset. Last night when they were together he should have told her that he was engaged but he just couldn’t bring himself to do it. She looked so happy. He didn’t want to ruin that or their evening. They were at his flat. He had invited her for dinner. Unknown to Denny, they had been seeing each other since the breakup. He hadn’t intended to get involved with his brother’s ex-girlfriend, a girl half his age, but his attraction for her was so strong that he couldn’t resist.
On the evening of the break-up, he went to see Pearl at the flat she shared with her sister. Her sister wasn’t there. She was in Tampa with her fiancé. So, Pearl and he were alone.
As soon as he went inside the flat and she closed the door, he asked, “Why did you break up with Denny?”
“I like him but as a friend.”
“So, it wasn’t because of another boy?”
She shook her head. “No.”
He ran his fingers through his hair as he expelled his breath. “You have no idea how relieved I am to hear that.”
She looked surprised. “You are?” she exclaimed. “Why?”
Muttering under his breath, he reached for her and pulled her against him, making her gasp. Her eyes widened when she stared up into his face and her lips parted not in protest but in acquiescence as he lowered his head to kiss her. The feel of her soft lips drove him mad and his moved hungrily, ravenously against them while his fingers dug into the small of her back, pressing her tightly against him so that she could feel how much he wanted her.
She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him back. For a long time, they stood there kissing wildly and then, she broke off the kiss and grabbing his hand, she took him to her room. As soon as they got there, they stripped and got under the sheets. She cried out in pain but it soon passed and she was clinging to him as he made love to her. When they were done, he made it clear that he wanted to be in a relationship with her. They had been seeing each other since then. And now, his relationship with her was in jeopardy because she knew about his engagement. He had to sort this out.
“Caspian!” Denny’s voice jolted him. When he turned to face him, he demanded, “Didn’t you hear me calling you?”
“Sorry, Denny. I was thinking about something.” He brushed past him.
“Where are you going?”
“I have some business to take care of. Tell Mother that I won’t be back for dinner.” And he was gone.
Pearl was curled up on the sofa with a box of tissues next to her while the television played. She was dressed in a pair of pajamas and her hair was pulled back in a ponytail. She had been crying all day. Her eyes were red and her nose was sore from the constant blowing. She must look like a mess but she didn’t care. Nothing mattered anymore. Caspian was getting married to someone else. She closed her eyes as fresh tears fell. They opened again when the doorbell rang.
At first, she didn’t move. Perhaps whoever it was would think no one was home and go away. But, when the bell rang insistently, she quickly wiped her face, got up and went to answer it. Her heart ached when she saw that it was Caspian.
Slowly she opened the door. He looked so handsome. She wanted to throw herself into his arms but then she remembered his fiancee. “What are you doing here?” she asked. “Shouldn’t you be with your fiancee?”
His expression grew pale. “May I come in?”
She was tempted to slam the door in his face but she moved aside for him to go in and then she closed the door. After locking it, she turned toward him. “What are you doing here?”
“I had to see you. Pearl, I’m sorry I didn’t tell you that I was engaged.”
“Didn’t you think I deserved the right to know that the man I’ve been sleeping with is engaged to someone else?”
“I wanted to tell you but I was afraid that you would end our relationship.”
“You’re right. I would have ended it. I can’t be with someone else’s fiance.”
“I’m sorry. I should have told you.”
“Well, you’ve said what you had to say. Now, I’d like you to go.”
“You’ve been crying. Pearl…” he reached out to touch her but she recoiled.
“Please go…”
“I’ll go now but I’ll come again.”
“Go to your fiancee.” Her voice broke when she said the word, “fiancee”. She leaned against the door as the tears trickled down her cheeks.
He pulled her to him, his grip tightening as she tried to push him away. “I don’t have a fiancee, Pearl,” he muttered tightly. “That’s what I came to tell you. I broke off my engagement.”
“Why?”
“Because I love you. I want to be with you.”
“You’re not engaged anymore?”
“No! I’m not engaged anymore. I know that right now you’re angry and upset with me. I’ll understand if you don’t want to have anything more to do with me but I hope that you will find it in your heart to forgive me and give me a second chance.”
Blindly, she reached up and touched his face. “I love you, Caspian,” she whispered. “And I forgive you.”
Groaning, he turned his head and pressed his lips into her palm before lowering his head to kiss her.
I believe forgiveness is the best form of love in any relationship. It takes a strong person to say they’re sorry and an even stronger person to forgive – Yolanda Hadid
Photo Credit: Joy Pixley
“You sold your land to Marjorie Reynolds? Why would you do something so stupid?”
“I was planning to sell it anyway,” he lied. “I don’t want to be tied down anymore.”
“You could have sold it to anyone but her.”
“She offered me cash.”
“What’s she got over you, Wade?”
Wade turned away to hide the expression on his face. “Nothing.”
“Are you still in love with her?”
Wade swung around. “No!” he cried. “My feelings for her are dead!”
“I know that woman. Somehow, she seems to get dirt on people and threaten to use it unless they do what she wants. She’s very dangerous. One of these days she’s going to mess with the wrong person.”
Wade didn’t answer. June was right, though. Marjorie had something on him. Somehow she had found out about his affair with the county sheriff’s teenage daughter. She even had photos of them together. In exchange for the land, she gave him the photos and the negatives. He burned them.
“Well, I hope you don’t live to regret this,” June said before she left.
*********************************************************
Marjorie opened the safe where the negatives were. I’m not through with you yet, Wade Bartlett. I’ll ruin you.
200 Words
This was written for Sunday Photo Fiction hosted by Susan Spaulding. For more details visit Here. To read more of the stories based on this week’s prompt, visit Here.
A man’s heart plans his way, But the LORD directs his steps – Proverbs 16:9
Have you ever made plans without consulting God first? You decide that you are going to go into missionary work because you saw a program on TV or know someone who is in the mission field but have you asked yourself if that is what God wants you to do? He might want you to be a missionary where you work or where you live instead of you going off to another country.
You might be planning to quit your job and move to another city or country but is that what God wants? What if He wants you to stay put because He has plans for you? You may be planning to get married but what if God wants you to wait? What if the timing is not right? OR what if the person you want to marry is not the right person? How many people could have avoided heartache, unhappiness, failed marriages if they had only waited on the Lord.
Let the Lord direct your steps. If you have plans, share them with Him. You may or may not have His blessing but either way you will be much better off than if you were to go ahead and follow your own plans instead of waiting on Him to give you direction.
Photo Credit: C.E. Ayr
She walked past the store, barely acknowledging the sign outside the store she used to frequent when she was a child. She was on her way to Michelle’s home to have lunch. Was he going to be there? She hoped not. She was getting tired of fending off his unwanted advances. How could he think that she would want to get involved with him when he was married to her best friend? What kind of person did he think she was? And even if he weren’t married, she still wouldn’t be interested. He wasn’t her type. He was crude, insensitive and conceited.
What on earth did Michelle see in him? They celebrated their tenth anniversary last week Saturday and they threw a big bash. It was quite the celebration but she didn’t enjoy it one bit. She mingled and tried to act like she was having a good time but at the back of her mind, she kept reliving the awful moment when he grabbed her in the basement. She managed to fend him off and bolt from the room.
Should she tell Michelle? Would she believe her? Was spilling the beans worth it if it meant ruining their friendship?
200 Words
This was written as part of Sunday Photo Fiction hosted by Susan Spaulding. For more details visit Here. To read more of the stories based on this week’s prompt, visit Here.
And the LORD God said, “It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him” – Genesis 2:18
I was studying a lesson on the first two chapters of Genesis and one of the questions asked was, “What parts of the created world talk to you in a powerful way about the reality of God and God’s love for us?” For me it was when God created a companion for Adam. He saw that despite the animals and other creatures, that Adam was lonely.
Adam must have felt out of place. There wasn’t anyone there who looked remotely like him. He had God to talk to and fellowship with but there must have been times when he was lonely and wished he had another person to talk to. God saw this need and He met it in a most profound way.
The first surgery in the history of the world was performed in the Garden of Eden. God put Adam to sleep and went to work. Out of one of Adam’s ribs, God created a woman. Then, He proudly presented her to Adam.
When Adam saw her, he knew right away that she was his equal. He declared, “This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh;she will be called Woman, for she was taken out of Man” (verse 23).
Adam and Eve were the first married couple. God wants everyone to have someone special in their lives. We are social creatures. We were meant to have companionship, relationships. We should thank God for blessing us with friends and families.
Always cherish the people in your life. Never take your relationships for granted.
