Too Hard To Love

Chapter 5

After two days of being in the hospital, Natalie is finally back at home. Laying around watching TV, Natalie hears a knock at her door. She gets up and it's Tamika. "Hey Mika!" Tamika looks puzzled. "Well you seem happy." Natalie laughs. "I mean I feel better, but I'm just glad to see you." Tamika starts to smile. "I'm glad to see you too, girl! As long as you don't scare me like that again, we're good." Natalie smiles and shakes her head no. "Yea, no I'm not doing that again." Tamika then sits on the couch and asks, "So, have you talked to Darren?" Natalie shakes her head no. "I left him a message while I was at the hospital but he never called back." Tamika proceeds to get up and claps her hands once. "Ok. I'm tired of this. Get up." Natalie looked confused. "Girl, what the hell is wrong with you? Wait..." Tamika grabs Natalie's hand and takes her upstairs. "Y'all are going to talk this out. Put on your finest dress and I'll do your makeup. I refuse to let my best friend sit here and be miserable over some guy she has feelings for. Not on my watch you not." Natalie plops down on her bed. "Tamika, how are you going to get him over here? He won't answer my calls." As Tamika rambles through Natalie's closet for a dress she says, "Well, you're going to give me his number. I'm going to act like Ramona gave it to me, and then tell him to come over here." Natalie looks at Tamika as if she's crazy. "Pft, girl that ain't gone work." Tamika comes out of the closet with a blue velvet dress. "You got a better idea? Oh, silence? I didn't think so." About two hours later, Natalie is all dressed in her blue velvet dress. Her face is full of makeup. She has on heels that has diamonds on them. She just looks stunning. "Look girl, I'm gonna call up Darren, you both are going to meet up at your house or his, have a date, talk things out, get this all straight. Period." Natalie sighs but does agree to Tamika calling up Darren. She gives Tamika her Darren's number and she calls him up and puts the phone on speaker. "Hello, who is this?" says Darren. "Hey Darren, don't hang up, it's Tamika. Now, I know you and Natalie are not talking at the moment because of what happened the other day. But this is ridiculous. Y'all both are grown. Y'all are adults, y'all need to talk this out. Natalie is all dressed up and ready to go. I just need you to meet her at her house or, she can meet at your house. Your choice." There is silence for a moment. Darren finally says something. "Do what you want, I don't care. Bye." Darren hangs up and Tamika is looking at the phone in shock that he just hung up on her. "I know he didn't just hang up in my face?!" "Tamika, admit it, it was a bad idea. I need to go to him myself. You didn't have to call him, he didn't need to hear your voice, he needed to hear mine." Said Natalie. "So, what you're saying is, you don't need my help? Ok bet." Tamika grabs her purse and makes her way to the door. "No, Tamika, that's not what I meant. I..." "No, that's exactly what you meant. Well, if you think you can do this without me, fine by me." "Tamika, please! Just chill out for a minute!" Tamika opens the door and slams it. "Tamika!" Natalie followed Tamika outside to try and stop her, but before she could reach her car, Tamika was starting to pull off.

Natalie called Darren and this time he answered. "So, now you want to call me? I have nothing to say to you Natalie." Natalie then says, "Darren please. Just hear me out, ok? I know I messed up. I shouldn't have said what I said to you. I know that it hurts. But everything Tamika said was right. We are adults, not kids. We need to talk this out instead of you just ignoring me. Listen, I can explain everything and answer any questions just please, give me a chance." Darren is silent. "Say something please." Says Natalie. "Be here at my house in 45 minutes. I'll text you the address. Bye." Darren hangs up before Natalie could say anything else. Darren sends her the address and she goes upstairs to grab her purse and keys. She takes one final look in the mirror, fixes her hair, and sprays on perfume. Then she goes outside and gets in her car to make her way to Darren. Forty-five minutes later, she arrives at what seems to be a cabin. She begins having second thoughts. "Did he really just bring me to a cabin? This can't be right." She says to herself. She then gets out the car knocks on the door. "Darren? It's Natalie." He opens the door and lets her in. "Hey." Says Natalie. "Hi." "So, I know this isn't where you stay. Is this like a family cabin?" Darren shakes his head yes. He then shows her to the dining room where he has dinner prepared. A few minutes later they begin eating. You could feel the tension in the room. There was no talking, only silence. Then Natalie finally speaks up.

"Listen Darren, I'm sorry ok. I didn't mean to say those things to you. It's just that I had never felt love like that in years. You made me feel loved again. Beforehand, I didn't trust any man that came into my life which is why all my previous relationships after DeShawn failed. When I thought I was back in love, I fell back out of love. Being a rape victim, it's too hard to love someone who truly loves you back. I didn't realize that until I saw you tearing up when you were leaving the other night. I'm so sorry Darren, I really am. I'm asking that you please just give me a chance. I know I messed up, but I'm starting to like you. I really like you. I don't want to lose that and I don't want to lose you." Darren sits in silence. He doesn't even answer. He takes one last bite and then talks. "Natalie, I really like you too. But, you hurt me when you said the things you said. And like I told you, I'm nothing like my brother." Natalie grabs his hand. "I know, I know and I see that. I should've never thought that way about you. I just want you to give me another chance. Which is why I have a surprise for you. I'll be right back." Natalie gets up and walks out the cabin. Darren continues to eat. Natalie walks out to her car and plugs her phone into the aux cord. She then plays "On Bended Knee" by Boyz II Men. She remembered that Darren told her that this was one of his favorite Boys II Men songs and decided that this would be the way she wins him back.

As the song continues to play, Natalie is singing her heart out to this song. Trying to get Darren's attention. Darren comes outside and stands on the porch. The climax part of the song comes and while she's singing, her voice begins to shake and tears start to form. "Gonna swallow my pride, say I'm sorry. Stop pointing fingers, the blame is on me. I want a new life, and I want it with you. If you feel the same, don't ever let it go. You gotta believe in the spirit of love, it can heal all things. We won't hurt any more, no I don't believe our love's terminal, I'm down on my knees begging you please, come home..." At this point, Natalie sits in her car and begins to cry. Darren finally comes down from the porch. He comes to her door singing a little bit of the song and asks her for her hand. "Natalie, I'm sorry for the way I've been acting. But, like I said earlier, you hurt me. When you said those words to me about me trying to do you like my brother did, I was devastated. I thought you were into me and didn't think you would feel that way. Which is one of the reasons I started to get teary eyed and left. But now, I see that you were just still holding in all that anger because you had never felt love like that. I understand and I forgive you. We can make this work, we just have to get through this together. Listen, look at me. I love you, ok? I know it has only been about 4 days since we've known each other, but I know a real woman when I see one. I also know true love when I see it. We can take things slow, and let love do the rest." Natalie then gives Darren a hug and kisses him. "Thank you, that's all I wanted to hear. Darren, I truly am sorry." Said Natalie. "No need to keep apologizing. I forgive you." "Forever My Lady" by Jodeci begins to play, both Natalie and Darren's favorite song. They both begin to sing it to the top of their lungs until it starts raining. They run to go in the cabin to dry off and Darren goes to get some towels and clothes. "Darren, I can't wear men's clothes," she says laughing. "It's a long t-shirt, you can wear it as a gown." Natalie then shrugs her shoulders and takes the shirt. Moments later, they go into Darren's room to watch a movie and end up falling asleep.