Chapter 3

*AUTHOR'S POV*

Gabby had picked out a purple and black lingerie which stopped just below her ass and revealed everything else in her upper body.

She took some pictures and sent it to Richie.

Richie was in bed with Brittany when the pictures came in.

"So we can't go one more round? Please?" Richie begged.

" I'm already really sore. Aren't you ever satisfied?" 

Just then, his phone beeped.

He leaned over to the bedside still ans picked up his phone. It was Gabby.

"Arghh! What does she want now?" He reasoned but opened the message anyway.

There were several pictures of her in a sexy black and purple lingerie.

Brittany noticed how Richards jaw were left wide open after picking up his phone and it got her curious. She sat up straight, pulling the sheets along with her.

"Is that your fiance?" She asked, the shock louder than her voice.

Richard quickly got up and started dressing up.

"I've gotta go now"

"Hold on! Simply because she dressed up and sent a few pictures in weird poses, you wanna go back to her? So what? I'm just gonna be your little slut while you keep being with your naive little Gabriella?" Brittany asked standing up naked.

" Brittany, I need you to understand. Gabby and I are getting married in the next couple of weeks. I have to act a little faithful and dutiful, don't I?"

" Fuck you and fuck your marriage plans with her. Just know that once you walk through that door, you ain't gonna get in between my thighs again!" Brittany threatened.

" Are you making me choose?"

He was clearly shocked that she was acting jealous when she knew how things would turn out.

Well, women are jealous creatures.

"Have it your way" Brittany replied, sitting back on the bed and pulling the sheets over her chest again.

Richard had always been indecisive. This time around, he chose his infidelity over the girl who was mad over him.

He got back in bed with Brittany.

Back at home, Gabby had given Richard a lot of voice mails to listen to. She was getting frustrated,

"Did he not see all the pictures I sent or did he choose her over me?" She heard herself ask.

" Don't you think you're being too cheap for a man who'd cheat on you in your own house?"

Josey's voice came in through the window. A sigh escaped Gabby's lips when she realized she didn't lock the windows as well.

Josey continued,

"He's staying over at your house for a couple of days and he can't even respect that, respect you or your parents especially your dad. I'm telling you, if that dude has the chance, he'd turn your home into some sorta harem. And here you are, killing yourself for him & forcing yourself to do things you're not used to doing"

" Josey, you're prying into my personal affairs. I did ask you to leave me alone, didn't I?" Gabby asked in a low warning tone.

" I'm not prying. You're being foolish. Why would you know that a man you're engaged to get married to in a couple of weeks is cheating on you and you still try to impress him, even seduce him? That's foolishness, Miss Presley. We both know he isn't worth it"

" Josephine Carter, when you get yourself a decent man, I'd take relationship advice from you" Gabby said rudely.

" I'd rather die single than find the kind of 'decent man' you have right now. Cheap!" Josey spat back as she climbed back out the window.

They were both hurt by what they had said to each other. Who talks to their best friend in such manner and tone of voice?

Angry, frustrated and hurt, Gabriella took off the lingerie and redressed in casual shorts and a blue sleeveless top.

She lay on the bed with face to the ceiling and hands behind her head. She was hungry but she didn't want to go downstairs and see her dad.

That man had a way of figuring out her mood no matter how much she tried to fake it otherwise.

The house was so silent, it was like someone had died.

Trying to suppress her hunger all to no avail, Gabby decided to go to the kitchen to fix herself something to eat.

She was sure no one was downstairs by she could hear mild sobs. It was Josey.

Still angry about Josey's words, Gabby hung her pride and ego on her shoulders and began to stump her way back upstairs to her room when she heard someone speak,

"If only you were here, she would have never said those things to me. We'd have probably been married now and expecting our first child".

Painful memories couldn't help but flood Josey's head.

He has proposed in the most romantic way two days ago and she had accepted.

Damn! Joseph was the most beautiful man she had ever seen. Even their names showed they were a legal match made in heaven.

Her best friend, Gabby, didn't know about her engagement and she was planning to tell her. However, Gabby was always busy at work and all her calls always went to voicemail.

It was almost like Gabby didn't have a phone anymore because she never listened to any of her voice mails.

On that eventful day, the sun was concealing its rays from the creatures living on this part of mother Earth. The sky had become a canvas with shades of orange and red. 

A very beautiful evening for a couple in love to go on a romantic date. 

Josey was all smiles and blushes as Joseph proved to be a gentleman by opening the front door of the car for her to get in. He was taking her out on a surprise date. She felt her day couldn't get any better.

When it came to driving, Joseph was never careless. In fact, Joseph was very careful in all his endeavors. This was one of his endearing qualities. He smiled at her and held her hand reassuringly.

Josey's mood swings was something no one else could deal with apart from Joseph. On their way, her mood swings consumed a greater part of her. 

"I don't like the fact that you're not telling me where we're going. Are you planning to sell me or something?"

Laughing, Joseph in his ever sexy voice replied, 

"Why are you being so quirky? It's that time of the month again, right?"

" It's nothing. I just feel uncomfortable"

" You were fine a while ago, Josey"

" Well, now I'm not" Josey pouted and folded her arms.

Normally, he would park his car by the side of the road and try to pacify her before continuing their journey. But this time was different. He was in a haste and felt they were already late for their dinner date. 

Looking far ahead, he couldn't see any incoming vehicles so he let go off the steering wheel & kissed her for what seemed like few seconds when a truckload of sand emerged from nowhere and crashed into their car.

Josey was in coma for several weeks and only woke up to be informed about Joseph's death. She was traumatized. She went for several therapies as her mental health kept getting worse. She was almost taken to a rehab center.

She kept on feeling guilty about Joseph's death. If only she has let him keep to the wheel. If only she didn't start craving unnecessary attention. So many 'if only's'. But none of that could change what had happened.

During this time, she badly needed a friend but Gabby was at work. Gabby was never around, she never knew about Joseph's death, all of which Josey kept to herself.

Yet, when Gabby needed her, she came through for her.

"If only who was here, Josey?" Gabby asked stepping forward, putting Josey out of her thoughts.

Josey sat up, sniffing her nose and drying her eyes.

"What does it matter to you, jerk?"

"Don't be like this, Josey. Let bygones be bygones. Your words hurt me too"

" Oh so we're gonna measure how much hurt our words caused each other, now? You asked me to leave you alone, now please leave me alone too" Josey said.

" Were you in love with someone? I thought you've never dated before" Gabby asked sitting down.

" Can you just stop? Now you're prying!"

" Josey I'm sorry about what I said to you. I shouldn't have said such personal things about you" Gabby apologized.

Josey wiped her nose and kept stealing glances at her while silence hovered over them.

"Please say you've forgiven me?" Gabby asked again, this time smiling.

Josey finally gave in when Gabby started tickling her.

"Fine, fine, stop!"  Josey said amidst laughter. "I forgive you. And I'm sorry too"

"Thank you, it's fine. We're good. Why were you crying earlier? Who were you supposed to get married to? And how didn't I know about this?"

" One question at a time, Ms. Inquisitive. Number one, I was crying cause we fought again. Number two, his name is Joseph. Number three, you were always busy at work. It was during that time you got newly promoted at work" Josey explained briefly.

" Hold on, hold on! Too much information. About number two, where's he now? How come I never met him?"

"Like I said, you were always busy at work. I can show you some photos of him. Actually, just one. I deleted the rest" 

Josey replied taking out her phone and showing Gabby her wallpaper.

"Whoa! He's so.. he's..."

"Hot? Handsome? Beautiful?" Josey completed giggling.

" Yeah! So did he break your heart? Does he know you still miss him? Where's he now?"

" No, he didn't break my heart. I broke his. I couldn't protect him. He probably knows I still miss him. He's under our feet"

" Under our feet? That means he's..." A gasp escaped her lips when she realized what it meant. " Dead?"

"Yeah" Josey replied faintly smiling.

"Josey, please tell me everything that happened"