Choices and Sacrifices Ch. 04

"I need you to help me fish the pieces out." Rochelle announced. Sabrina nodded and complied.

When all four teeth were out Jennifer was allowed to stumble out of the office in a drugged daze with the help of her father. She was mumbling something that gauze prevented from being audible. Knowing the effects of the drugs, it probably didn't make much sense anyway.

"Sabrina." Rochelle called. Sabrina was so busy watching Jennifer, she hadn't realized Rochelle was nowhere around. Sabrina turned toward the sound and saw her standing in front of her office. Sabrina followed her inside.

She sat in her office seat while Sabrina sat on the other side. The seat was plush and pleasantly comfortable.

Rochelle's office was simple and modern. The walls were blindingly white when the blinds were open. 'Dr. Schwartz' was displayed proudly on her desk tag beside a family photo. She, Mena and her husband Yoel were happily smiling under the powerful Caribbean sun from last summer. There were even a few photos of her and Sabrina on the desk too.

"What the hell is going on? Did he mess up already?" Rochelle asked, rummaging through her table drawer as she spoke. Sabrina shifted on her butt as if it would lessen her emotional discomfort.

"No, he didn't do anything wrong..." Sabrina dwindled off.

"Then what is it?" She threw a huge bag of candy between them and began sifting through it. She found her favorite chocolate candy; Twix. Sabrina didn't think twice about kicking off her shoes and grabbing a few pieces of candy herself. Something told her she'd spend her entire break in Rochelle's office, so she was set on being relaxed while it lasted.

"It's me." Rochelle gave her a weird look, beckoning her to continue. "I can't get myself to trust him." Rochelle gave her an exasperated look of annoyance. Her eyes rolled fiercely and she heaved a rugged breath.

"He must've done something; you were not like this last weekend."

"Lastnight, I was letting him write so I was in the bedroom. I came out to get a bottle of water and he wasn't there." Sabrina sighed deeply, remembering the suspicion and pain that she'd felt when she saw him at the bottom of the steps, talking with a hushed voice. "He went into the hallway to call his 'mom'." Sabrina grumbled with her jaws full of candy. "Not only that, but he went down a level to ensure I wouldn't hear him."

"So you don't think it was his mom." Rochelle stated. Sabrina held up her index finger while she cleared her mouth.

"It was his mom; I checked his phone." Rochelle gave Sabrina a look of utter astonishment.

"Sabrina, you shouldn't be searching through his stuff like that."

"I know, I know—I just looked at that one number though." Sabrina's justification fell short with Rochelle, and her expression said just that. Sabrina groaned. "But Chel, I was just hurting so badly. I wouldn't have been able to sleep if I'd just taken his word on everything." Rochelle seemed to think it over, battling on whether Sabrina was completely wrong or not.

"Well, what could he have needed to talk to his mom about that you couldn't hear?"

"That's what I've been trying to figure out all day." Sabrina said simply. She shook her head to herself. "Well, maybe he has someone else's name under 'mom." Sabrina said, her eyes glazing over as she thought of that possibility.

"Sabrina, can I be completely honest with you?" Rochelle whispered. Sabrina was startled by her change in tone. Her eyes were earnest while her brows were knit together.

"Yeah, of course." Sabrina was curious to know what she had to say, especially since she valued her opinion so much. Rochelle was like another older sister to her, but the only difference between her and Brittany, being her street smarts. Rochelle was brought up in a setting that drastically differed from Sabrina's.

While Sabrina laid in a comfy bed inside her single family home, Rochelle was raising two brothers in her parent's apartment while her mother worked two minimum wage jobs. It was clear Rochelle knew more about life and the struggles than Sabrina did so she respected her because of it.

"I think you have daddy problems." Rochelle cracked a smile at her own personal twist on trying to be honest. It was clear what she was trying to say, regardless of the somewhat humorous wording.

"What?" Sabrina murmured, trying her hardest to share Rochelle's same demeanor on the subject. It was hard considering Sabrina thought her best friend would side with her. Although now she was telling her that Sabrina was the one with the problem—she essentially couldn't rely on her own judgment because of her father.

"You can't trust Keegan because of your dad. He's ruined your perception of men. Don't lose Keegan because of him, Bean." Sabrina swallowed a lump in her throat. Rochelle continued. "Think about it; you're searching through his phone. And ya'll haven't even been together for two months yet. He's hasn't given you a real reason not to trust him yet you're treating him like he's already cheated before."

She wasn't the type of girlfriend to snoop in her man's things, especially when she'd promised he had her trust a few minutes before. Her father was no longer active in her life, but she was still allowing him to control her decisions as if he were.

Maybe seeing the capabilities of a man with disloyal motives had scarred her. But Keegan wasn't her father. She wouldn't apply his situation to him—Keegan was nothing like that. He wouldn't hurt her; he was completely in love with her.

Keegan was hers, and she was ruining it.

"I need to go. Can I get an extra half hour?" Sabrina's veins were pulsing full of adrenaline. She stood up mechanically. A flush of heat fell over her body, and she could feel sweat forming on her brow.

"Yeah—are you okay?" Rochelle asked, giving her a suspicious yet concerned look. Sabrina nodded convincingly.

"I'm fine. I just some extra time."

"Take it." Rochelle said, waving her off. Sabrina turned toward the closed office door and stepped into the hallway. She finally made it out of the front door and walked briskly down the city streets.

*

"My accountant is already working on my expenses and all that, so I should be out of this dam place by next month." Connor said, checking in some books at the front register. Keegan was a few feet away, sitting behind a small table and making up schedules for the tutoring space the library had available next week. They were sitting in a tiny yet thoroughly air conditioned room behind the checkout counter.

Connor was talking about his bar, and Keegan was quite happy for him. Not only because Connor was so passionate about starting his own business, but because he was worthy of it. It was clear he had an open heart of gold. Plus he promised Keegan free drinks on the opening day.

"That's awesome." Keegan gave him a fleeting glance matched with a smirk. "There aren't too many great bars out here either. Most of them are full of old people and bad music." Keegan knew firsthand how useless the bars were in the city.

He and Quincy were looking around a few weeks ago for a good place to get drinks. But everywhere they went, they were the youngest in the room; even the music had them beat at least two decades.

"I know, that's why I specifically chose this area—well actually that's why my girlfriend did." He admitted. Connor turned toward the sound of the opening door but Keegan kept his eyes focused. Whoever it was, Connor would help them if they needed it. After taking four hours to do library records alone that morning so that Connor could meet up with the said accountant, Connor promised to help anyone who needed it without the help of Keegan.

"Speaking of girlfriends...." Connor mumbled with a sly grin. Keegan's eyes shot up and out of the open door. Sabrina's pretty eyes were larger than normal and he immediately jumped out of his seat to meet her. His strides were large but measured.

"Sabrina?" He called as he walked out of the tiny room. She was trying to find a way to get on the other side of the counter without having to climb over it completely, which she was close to doing. Keegan could tell something was up; she was frantic.

"How do you open this?" She asked, feeling under the counter's surface for a lever. He could see she was quickly growing frustrated with the barrier. Keegan undid the lock and allowed Sabrina onto the other side. She closed the distance between them quickly. Sabrina locked her arms around his neck and tried to meet his lips.

Keegan grunted on a laugh. Sabrina inched back to look into his eyes.

"My hair, baby." Keegan whispered. She managed to pull on his scalp with her arms tight around his neck. Her arms were locked over his thin dreads and putting a strain on his roots. Sabrina smiled and positioned her arms under the curtain of hair. Sabrina lightly ran her hand over the curve of his smooth neck. Their eyes were fastened in a trance-like stare. She fell inside the deep pit of his smoldering grey eyes.

"Keegan, I love you." Her voice was soft so only their ears could hear. She felt his hold on her hips tighten minimally. He inhaled deeply.

The words were the sweetest sounds he'd ever heard. To know that his love was returned was an empowering feeling. Sabrina peppered kisses over his smooth jaw and on each corner of his lips. She moved her hands to graze the perimeters of his face.

"I'm sorry," She said "I didn't trust you and I should've because you're everything I ever wan—"

Keegan had to stop her with a kiss. Not because he was so overcome by her words that he wanted to show her that affection, but because they were so untrue. The fact that she felt bad for being right and for following her instincts was eating at him. Now she was praising him as if he wasn't a liar and a cheat.

He pulled away and she gave him a warm smile.

"I love you too." He replied. Sabrina advanced for his mouth again just as he went for hers.

Sabrina parted first.

"Lets' go home—I want you to meet my best friend—and my family at church on Sunday." She said it all in one shortening breath. Keegan's pulse quickened with the suggestion of finalizing their relationship. Sunday was a few days away.

"Are you sure?" He asked, letting his nerves seep through in his tone's quality. Sabrina smiled, sensing his unease.

"I'm sure. You'll be fine. You can meet Rochelle—on Scandal Night." Keegan didn't even want to ask what the hell Scandal Night was; he was too afraid.

Sabrina was excited that her mom and sister would be meeting Keegan. She was almost positive they'd love him as much as she did.