It was nearing the end of September when autumn was close at hand. Levi sensed the change in season was about to take him for a spin down that miserable road where it was difficult for him to sleep at night. His eyes felt itchy and he was coughing like crazy. However, he was not one to sit back and let his allergies control him. He would go in search of some Tylenol and Vitamin C to help stop this irritating feeling in its tracks. Thank goodness he had about five hours to recuperate before his shift started at the Blue Marlin or else he would have called in, requesting the day off.
As he got up to check his bathroom cabinet, his cell vibrated in his pants pocket. He pulled it out and checked it, surprised to see it was a text message from Yasmine, especially after he’d decided to ditch her and her drama-filled life at the last minute. He did not know what had become of her and he hadn’t any desire to inquire of her. Any shred of desire for pursuit that he may have had left for Yasmine had been completely taken away when he saw Sasha that night, coming out of the police station with Drake. His obsession with this girl was anything but over and he knew it the minute his prurient gaze bathed her lithe form from top to bottom. So blatant it was that even Drake had recognized it.
Sighing forcefully, like he usually did when he thought about what could have been had Sasha given him a chance, Levi casually read through the words of Yasmine’s lengthy text:
I supposed I should be upset with you, Mr. Johnson, especially because you didn’t visit me at the hospital. But I’m not upset. How could I be after you’ve helped save my life? I don’t blame you for leaving – especially after hearing about all that crazy stuff I did to Drake and all the other crap I’d gotten myself into with Ronnie. Anyways, I’m not going to be a burden to you much longer – not that you care, but I thought I should at least thank you for saving my life.
“Ronnie has been arrested and won’t hurt me anymore – well, that’s the plan. You see, I will be testifying against Ronnie and to avoid being the victim of another murder attempt on my life, I will be placed in a witness protection program… at least until Ronnie has been indicted and put away for a long time. So, my handsome knight in shining armor, if we never see each other again in life, please know that I am indebted to you. Be good and stay out of trouble.
Levi deleted the text once he was through reading it. No sense saving it because it would only mean that there was some measure of affection he felt toward Yasmine, which couldn’t be further from the truth. At least her life seemed to be getting back on track. He couldn’t say the same about himself; he was having all the trouble in the world trying to shake Sasha McKay out of his system – no matter what he did or how he tried to ignore her. Sasha’s heart-shaped face and her cute little lips would always pop up in his head when he least expected it. However, it was brutally worse when songs like Usher’s, “U Got it Bad” were playing on his Bluetooth speakers.
Levi had to restrain himself from walking over to the speakers and smashing them with his fist. How pathetic the lyrics made him seem, sitting home alone, obsessing about a woman who wasn’t his and would never be. Usher wasn’t really his cup of tea anyway. How did that song get into his playlist? He let out another one of those powerful sighs as he grabbed the Tylenol pills and the Vitamin C from the bathroom cabinet and walked to the kitchen to pour himself a glass of orange juice.
He swallowed the concoction and went to his bedroom to take a short nap. Two hours later, he was awakened by his phone, vibrating on the dresser next to him. He was too woozy to check it, but the vibration went off again, and again, creating a sense of urgency. Maybe it was his boss trying to reach him. He grabbed his cell, only to give in to his annoyance when he noticed that it was Yasmine. If he’d known she would turn out to be a stalker, he would have never given her his number. He thought he was simply helping a young woman in distress. She was only to contact him if there was a real emergency.
“I’ve been in my new place for almost a week and it suddenly hit me,” she texted. “We should keep the lines open, because I think the both of us could use the company.”
Levi stared at the text, not feeling the least bit tempted to reciprocate.
“Hello? Are you there? Levi? Please respond...”
Levi’s thumb hovered over the keyboard of his phone, already regretting the move. “I’m here. What do you want?” he texted.
“Are you annoyed with me already? Because it seems like you are.”
“I was sleeping.”
“Oh…sorry. I didn’t mean to disturb you…I will text you later, if that is okay with you.”
Levi shook his head. He really wasn’t interested in talking to this female. However, the gentle side of him wouldn’t allow him to be completely dismissive. “Yes, we can talk later…are you okay?” He didn’t know why he asked that.
“Wow…you almost made me cry.”
“Why?”
“Because your concern seems so genuine, even though I know you would prefer to be left alone…I’m good at sensing people’s moods, even though we are communicating through text. But to answer your question: I’m trying not to lose it. Being told I’m eight weeks pregnant for my stepfather isn’t exactly the most exciting news.”
Levi pushed up on his elbows, leaning against his headboard. He didn’t understand why Yasmine felt as if he wanted to hear about her sordid past. “What are you going to do about the baby? You don’t have to keep it, you know.”
“I am strongly considering abortion. Who wants to bring that monster’s baby into this world? I’ll rather die first.”
Because Levi was a family man, he was greatly alarmed by Yasmine’s response. “I was not referring to abortion,” he texted back quickly. “There are many adoption agencies out there who can help align your baby with the right family. And you should be careful not to pass on your negative energy to an innocent baby. Despite the circumstances, he/she didn’t ask to be here.”
“If you’re so passionate about babies, Levi, why don’t you take it? Better yet, rip it out of my stomach and put it in yours.”
Levi didn’t know how to respond to that and why should he? It was obvious this battered woman needed professional help, instead of messing with his equilibrium. He tossed his cell back on the dresser, only to hear it vibrating again. However, instead of picking it up, he swung his feet to the floor and walked to the bathroom to relieve himself. He had less than three hours to get himself ready for work and he needed all of the ‘me’ time he could get before venturing into that den of perversion. Yasmine had better find some other dude to sink her teeth into, because he was shaking her off of his back as of right now.
Once in the bathroom, Levi decided to shower and prepare his work clothes before taking the remaining hours to chill. He didn’t feel as light-headed and sickly as before. The Tylenol and the Vitamin C concoction worked better than he thought it would. He rarely got sick and he had to wonder if his obsessing about Sasha was breaking down his immune system. He wasn’t sleeping or eating as he normally would. If only he could find a way to get over this girl and move on with his life, he wouldn’t be feeling so discouraged about the future.
What was it about Sasha that had him acting as if he was losing his mind anyway? It had to be more than her graceful sway, or her smooth pecan-colored complexion, or her heart-shaped face and the sexy way her brown hair fell around her neck. Maybe it was her beneficent virtues, her desire to remain faithful to Drake, despite Levi’s efforts to woo her into a sexual relationship. Such an innocuous, reverent-type personality Sasha possessed that it won huge points with even the most ruthless of persons. Whatever it was about Sasha that had hooked Levi’s heart, it seemed as if it was only getting stronger as the days went by.
About half an hour later, freshly showered and clothes pressed, he walked back to his bedroom and snatched his phone from the dresser. He’d completely forgotten that he’d been talking to Yasmine until he saw the last text she’d sent.
“I’m sorry for lashing out at you like that,” she texted. “I know you’re only trying to make me see the light and I appreciate that. But it’s hard to accept anything good when for so long I’ve been fed crap for most of my life. Ronnie ruined my innocence and my self-esteem…I’ve thought about killing myself many times, even as recent as last night. But then I thought about you and how you came into my life just at the right moment.
“I don’t expect you to take on my mess – I don’t want you to. That would not be fair to you, especially because you don’t know me and I assume you have stresses of your own. But I must say this: I can’t explain why I feel comfortable sharing my heart with you. I’ve never done that before with anyone. So please don’t read me wrong. I don’t want anything from you, except to say hello from time to time. I sense that you’re a positive person and I could use some of that positivity in my life. Hope to talk to you later…You don’t have to respond to this text, by the way. I’m going to lay down for a nap.”
Levi lay back onto his pillows and cast his stare into the ceiling. He did not like the fact that he was beginning to warm up to Yasmine’s idea of keeping the lines of communication open between them. What harm could there be in it, sharing your heart with a stranger? Levi didn’t know, but he did know that he needed someone to talk to before his incessant thoughts about Sasha sent him out of his mind. So he texted back:
“Text me when you get up from your nap…or whenever you want. But I can’t promise you that I will be good company. I am not myself these days, as I’m sure you have been able to tell. But in any event, I’m leaving the lines open.”