If You Let Him Take Me From You || Woody McClain ||

Chapter 10

Zora 

I tossed and turned unable to find a comfortable position in bed, let alone clear my mind. Jean had took it upon himself to step out for a drink or so he said. I really couldn't find it in myself to care about his whereabouts at the moment. Not after the stunt he had pulled earlier. If he would have stayed it would have only resulted in us arguing. 

 I hadn't expected my father and Jean to bicker. I thought Jean stepping up and proposing would ultimately soothe some of my father's worries. But I was sadly mistaken. 

I was a daddy's girl and had always confided in him about everything. Well most things. So he was aware of the history Jean and I shared. Even the sketchy parts. So being the protective father he was he naturally grew to somewhat despise Jean. 

I guess it was foolish of me to expect him not too. But I had hoped he'd judge Jean's indiscretions with his own in mind. He was no angel after all. Him and my mother had their own crosses to bare. I could remember a time or two when he stepped out on my mother. She cried. But she stayed. You know the story. That was a story for another time. 

All I could think about right now was what had transpired on our balcony after the argument between Jean and my father. I stepped out to talk to him and was surprised by the words that left his lips. My first reaction was anger mixed with a hint of suspicion. "Who is that?" I quizzed stepping out to join him. My fist gathered at my side in case I need to punch his ass in the face. 

"I gotta go." He said turning to face me. "I'll hit you up tomorrow bro." He added ending the call.

"Who was that?" I asked again finding it hard to remain calm. 

"Woody. Look." He said unlocking his phone and showing me the call history. It read Woody. But I wasn't stupid so I grabbed the phone from his hand and quickly opened the contact. Noticing a number I had never seen before saved along with Woody's old number. I took note of it and tossed him his phone back before folding my arm's across my chest and rolling my eyes. He hunched his shoulder's as if to say 'told you so' but I could care less. 

All I wanted to know was if this was Woody's new number. 489-4608. I kept replaying it over and over in my head. 

I missed him soo much. Even more than I had ever expected to. And in his absence felt sort of lonely. 

I hated the way things went down that night. And still regretted it till this day. I didn't mean to hurt him. And I was sorry. I was so sorry.

 I said a lot of things I hadn't meant to say when he rejected me. A part of me had now accepted the fact that we couldn't be together. It would hurt too many people. People we both claimed to care about.  But that didn't take away the longing I felt for him. I needed to let him know how much he had truly meant to me. And that I didn't hate him. Never had. And I didn't think I ever could. 

The truth was that I had learned to love him in ways that I hadn't even learned to love myself. He had accepted me for who I was, even when I was at my lowest. A courtesy I had yet to show myself.

 And in return I had loved him the same. I loved the way he cracked jokes when he didn't know what else to do. I loved how he randomly burst into song and dance when he was in a good mood. I even loved the way he would quietly retreat into silence when he wasn't. I just ... loved him. And he needed to know it. 

I sat up before placing my legs at the side of the bed. Taking my phone into my hand and unlocking it. I typed the number into it holding my thumb over the call icon until it turned black. "Ugh!" I yelled growing frustrated with my own bitchassness. 

I unlocked the phone again and this time I pressed call. Placed it to my ear and waited patiently for him to answer. 

Woody