What About Love? The Color Purple: Love Story 💜 (Taraji & Fantasia)

Chapter 19: The Road Not Taken

I been receiving so much love recently on my story, we're absolutely going to reach 10k reads today. This has exceeded my expectations! You all have been awesome readers and commenters. I hope you guys don't hate me for these next few chapters lol but things will come full circle, eventually!

Please continue to share, like, and comment. I read them all and I do respond.
✨

Fantasia's POV

I finish wiping my eyes with a tissue, removing any trace of remaining tears. They're still somewhat red, but it's dark, so Derek shouldn't even notice.

I take a deep breath before I head back out into the living room.

"Sorry, I wasn't feeling that well for a moment. I'm okay now." I climb onto the couch with him. His eyebrows are arched and his eyes are focused on the screen, though nothing is really happening yet. He extends his arm out for me to lay on top of.

"You okay?" He asks in a dull tone of voice. I can sense a strong shift in his energy and I pull back from him to examine his face.

"Are YOU?" I exaggerate.

"I'm cool." He nods with a lack of enthusiasm and I lay back down on his shoulder. I don't believe him for one second. But if I'm allowed to keep my secrets, he's allowed to have his.
I'll brush it off, for now.

•
After about 30 minutes, I started to get very, very sleepy because Derek barely says a word for the first half of the movie. Suddenly, I feel my phone vibrate under butt and it jolts me awake.

"Oh shit!" I exclaim.

I wasn't expecting it, I thought I'd turned my phone on silent.

With half lidded eyes I search for my phone inside the couch. Once I find it, there's a text from Danielle and 3 texts from Taraji.

I turn my body slightly away from Derek so I can unlock my phone to read the texts from them. When I do, I watch him in my peripheral vision as he huffs and crosses both of his arms.

I still don't think too much of it.

Dani: Oprah bout to piss me off again! I'm gonna start a group text with you & Taraji

♾️

T-Baby ❤️

Text 1: Better be, or else 😉

Text 2: I understand Tasia, and I'm so sorry

Text 3: Tbh, there's never a right time to say goodbye. But it's eating at you. Sooner or later you're going to have to tell him about us. Let me know when you're ready, you know I got your back baby

I glance out of my peripheral vision again before I respond. Derek's leg is tapping on the carpet now, almost furiously and something suddenly clicks in my head....

I left my phone on the couch when I went to the bathroom. That was about 30 minutes ago.

I go back to check the texts to see when Taraji sent them.

28 minutes ago.

DAMMIT! I yell inside of my mind.
I'm definitely no real cheater because, I already messed up the #1 rule.
Keep your phone on you at all times.

I bite the inside of my lip and hope I'm just being paranoid again. But there is literally no other explanation I can think of as to why Derek's energy would suddenly shift like that in less than 5 minutes of me coming back from the bathroom.