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Exes and Oh's: Part 9

Serena and Marley Series

By Sharlene AlbaPublished 6 years ago 10 min read
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Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash

MARLEY

The Golden Acres Church on Pansy Street had a full house this Sunday morning. The place was full of chatter as men, women, and children began to settle down into their seats, waiting for Paster Henry to start his sermon. While I waited, I closed my eyes and began my own silent prayers, thanking God for everything he's blessed me with this year and for the future ones as well. I was in excellent health. My business was doing well. My family was still alive and getting more annoying by the day. I loved my parents to death, but if they asked me one more time when I was going to find a nice man to marry, I was going to give them a heavy dose of the silent treatment. I apologized to God for my future tantrums then opened my eyes to find Danny sitting just a few rows ahead of me.

His head hung slightly and his hands rubbed together when he was done making his own silent prayers. I hadn't seen him at this church in years, and I always wondered if Danny had lost his faith along with everything else in his life. I'd heard he'd lost his mother three years ago, and his sister had died in combat overseas a year later. I regretted not reaching out to him for support, but today wasn't about looking back at old mistakes. It was about trusting in God, remembering he didn't give you anything you couldn't handle. Still, I was happy he was here and I was grateful for whatever it was that had brought him here today.

Looking around at the people scattered about, I smiled at the parents and how they managed to dress their children in suits and pretty sundresses. It also made the maternal side of me long for children of my own someday. My smile faded when my eyes settled on none other than Freddy, who'd also been admiring the same family I had been previously. My heart began to race, skipping when he somehow felt me looking at him. I quickly turned away and found Danny had taken a seat next to me.

"I'd kill you for scaring me, but we're in the house of God," I mumbled in a lower tone as I leaned into him and tried not to smack him in public. He laughed and rested his arm behind me on the church bench and settled into his seat.

"Good morning to you too. How about I treat you to some breakfast afterward?" he asked, in a very suspicious manner, but my stomach was already rumbling at the idea, so I decided to accept.

"As long as you don't eat my pancakes."

"Didn't I always eat your pancakes?" he continued, adding a smile as he turned his attention towards Pastor Henry, who had finally entered the room and walked towards the podium. He was a short man, with salt and pepper hair, in his late fifties, he was adored by many in our little town. Everyone began to quiet down as the pastor began preaching the word of God, filling the room with much-needed hope and humility and warmth. You could practically feel the peace washing over you as he recited passages from the Bible.

I looked around again, watching people's faces light up at his words. Some even cried as their hopes began to rise up once again, despite the world's consistent way of trying to tear them down.

"I'm falling asleep," Danny whispered into my ear and I couldn't help but chuckle before I nudged him awake and he glared at me as he rubbed at his side.

"It's almost over," I reminded him, but he insisted on annoying me by placing his head on my shoulder as I kept pushing him off.

"I'm sorry," he managed to say, and the look of amusement on his face suddenly faded as he spoke and I wondered what that was about.

"For what?"

"For that," Danny said, pointing a few rows back to where Freddy was now sitting next to a pretty brunette, whose body was the envy of a lot of women in here. Considering it was one of the deadliest of sins, none of them looked like they cared. My curiosity got the best of me and I noticed the big diamond ring on her hand as he helped her settle in beside him.

"He's engaged?" I asked, and cleared my throat to erase any signs that I actually cared about Freddy or who he planned on marrying. It didn't take away the anger or the hurt I felt when I realized he had kissed me, despite the fact that his heart belonged to someone else now. Did he tell her what had happened between us? Did she agree to marry him despite it? I had all these questions and no one who could answer them but Freddy.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"It happened right after we got back from the cabin," Danny began as he took a sip of his coffee and we waited for our food to be delivered to our table at Lori's Diner. It was a hot spot for churchgoers since it was just down the street from Golden Acres. Half the congregation was there. Except for Freddy and his new fiance.

"I don't need to know the details," I lied, trying to spare me the disappointment in not only Freddy for kissing me but at myself for letting him.

"Yeah, you do. I know he's my family, but he can be an idiot sometimes. I apologize on his behalf," he added, placing a hand over his heart. I rolled my eyes at him and threw a napkin at his face.

"It runs in your family apparently. But there's no need to apologize. It was just a stupid kiss. It didn't mean anything."

"Then why do you sound like you wouldn't mind taking up a shotgun and aiming at his junk?" he sassed and I couldn't help but grin. Despite us not talking for years, he still knew me pretty well.

"When did you become so wise?"

"Seeing a therapist helps. My final session is next week. I'm all cured," Danny claimed, but the tone in his voice said otherwise. Something was bugging him and I had a feeling it had something to do with Serena. She had mentioned she had spoken to Danny about the deed to their house and how he's taking her to court to fight her for it. It wasn't any of my business, but I didn't want any more tension between us now that we were on speaking terms again.

"When is the court date?" I asked, and he didn't seem surprised I had picked up on his solemness. He relaxed into the booth and looked towards the window. It was a beautiful day today. The sun was out. The clouds were nowhere in sight and yet I could still feel the storm coming, sitting idly behind the calm.

"Next month. And all these legal fees are going to kill me by the end of all this but it's worth it."

"The house or Serena?" I questioned and watched his face turn towards me. I already knew the answer. He wasn't just fighting to keep the old farmhouse. He was fighting to keep her. Which made no sense, since he had given up on their relationship long before she had.

"Is there something else you're not telling me?" I added, and watched him purse his lips, trying not to spill whatever it was he had been keeping from me.

"There might've been a short Vegas wedding you didn't get to attend a long time ago and in my defense, I wanted to tell everyone but—"

"Wait a damn minute. You two are married? As in a holy union, papers, the whole thing?" I asked, completely shocked at this news and signaled for the waitress, hoping they still served liquor at this time of the day.

"Yes," he said, as he covered his head for any incoming eating utensils I might decide to throw at him. I couldn't believe it. Two bombs had been thrown at me today and I wasn't sure which one was worse, Freddy's secret fiance or my best friends getting married in secret.

"We're going to need something a lot stronger than maple syrup to go with these pancakes."

"Okay, calm down. It's really not a big deal," he dismissed, as the waitress began to tell me the tragic news that they no longer served beer with breakfast. Once she walked away, I threw the salt shaker at Danny.

"Not a big deal?! How could you two do something so stupid and not tell me?" I exclaimed and he sighed deeply before answering.

"It didn't feel stupid at the time. Granted we were drunk when it happened but still. I don't regret it. And I know she doesn't either."

"How could you possibly know that?" I inquired as I drowned my pancakes in syrup and topped it off with some whipped cream. A sugar coma would have to do for now.

"I don't think you want to know how," he replied, as the waitress finished bringing the rest of our order to the table, along with a pitcher of orange juice and once I realized what he was trying to say, I cringed, shivering at the thought of those two getting dirty all over town again.

"Okay, so now what? Are you two getting divorced?"

"She sent me the papers. I haven't signed them and I'm not going to. I don't just go around marrying women, even if I was drunk when we walked down that aisle."

"I'm not sure she'll see it that way."

"Well, I'm going to have to change her mind, won't I?" he replied, a slight glint of mischief hidden in his dark eyes. This wasn't going to be good.

"Damn it Danny, I'm not going to your funeral too!" I retorted morbidly, as I washed down the beef sausages with some orange juice.

"Relax, short stacks. I can win this fight. But only if you help me," he informed, smiling as he tried to use his charm to coerce me into getting in the middle of this insanity.

"No way. I'm staying out of this. And call me that again, and I'll run you over with my car."

"Oh come on, we're friends again right? Help me bring her home," Danny pleaded, and I hated him for using cheesy lines to appeal to my hopeless romantic heart. Of course I wanted both of them to be happy. I just wasn't sure they would find that with each other.

"If you're serious about this, I might consider helping you. Emphasis on the word might. And Danny, I swear to everything that is precious to me, I will hunt you down and skin you alive if you hurt her again," I threatened, knowing well enough those two could write volumes of books on how to hurt people they love. Cheating, drugs, name a weapon that could kill love in an instant and they've used it.

"Scary words coming from a soldier of God," he teased and I glared at him.

"Danny, I mean it. No more running around like a chicken with its head cut off. If you think she's worth it, then you have to be the best version of yourself you can be to get her back."

"Damn chickens almost killed me the other day. But yes, I know. I'm halfway there. Just...please don't give up on me. Losing her was bad enough. I hated losing you too," he admitted, and I sighed in surrender, reaching to grab his hand in reassurance. We didn't have to say sorry to know we meant it. This was a new beginning for our friendship. I just hoped the foundation of it would stay intact with the storm that was just around the corner.

And her name was Serena.

literature
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About the Creator

Sharlene Alba

Full of raw and unfiltered fluid poems, short stories and prompts on love, sex, relationships and life. I also review haircare, skincare and other beauty products. Instagram: grungefirepoetry MissBeautyBargain Facebook: grungefirepoetry

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