What's Done in the Dark: Part 2: What's Done in the Dark Series, #2

By Solae Dehvine

Terry and his family continue to desperately keep secrets from each other. Old habits die hard as the family struggles to stay together as everything around them begins to unravel.

They have all yet to learn that What's Done in The Dark will come to light, one way or another.

Read Season II of this best selling series of What's Done in the Dark.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Dehvine Publishing LLC
• Release date: Feb 10, 2014
• ISBN: 9781497796249

Book preview

1

Tiffany

Gun shots, jails, and pregnancy tests have filled our past few months. Things too crazy to name with more drama than a soap opera, but somehow my family made it through. We became stronger, but I guess near death experiences can bring any family closer together.

As JB drove, I looked at him and couldn’t help but reminisce on growing up with him. Me, Terry, and JB playing hide and go seek, which eventually turned into ‘catch a girl - get a girl’. We all went to the same high school and I became engulfed in makeup and boys while they chased skirts and sports. Thinking back on the snotty noses, front yard fights, and corner store runs, I would have never thought I was about to marry my brother’s best friend.

If someone would have told me years ago that I would be in this predicament, I wouldn’t have believed it. But here I was, big as a house, pregnant with JB’s baby and on the road to getting married. I wasn’t sure when I’d gotten this big. It seemed like one day people were admiring me and saying how I didn’t look pregnant at all. Then I woke up one day and couldn’t see my feet.

You look beautiful today, baby. JB chimed in right on cue, as if he’d been told to help boost my ego.

I don’t feel beautiful. I feel like a big hungry monster.

Oh, don’t be like that. My bride is going to be the most beautiful thing around. JB drove the car and grasped my arm with his free hand. We dipped in and out of lanes on our way to the courthouse.

It’s going to feel good to get this last little thing out of the way. JB said, and I couldn’t agree with him more. Today we were on our way to apply for our marriage license, the last thing on our list before the wedding.

Yep, the last thing, and I can’t wait to be done and over with it. I’m ready to go on this vacation and relax before this baby comes, I stated as I rubbed my belly.

If I had it to do over again, I would have waited till after the baby was born to have the wedding. I had seen enough halls, color samples, and wedding dresses to last somebody a life time. I did eat a nice amount of wedding cake, and in my delicate state, it was pleasant to stuff my face without looking like a slob.

You’re pregnant, it’s okay to be big. I told myself that every day but I still wasn’t getting used to this feeling. I felt sorry for Trisha. Her and Terry were having twins; thank God I dodged that bullet.

Alright, baby, we’re here. JB told me as he put the car in park and started to get out. In the middle of the day, downtown was a busy sight. Like packs of wolves, people emerged from the office buildings in groups of threes and fours to hit the surrounding street vendors or run to the nearest restaurants before their lunch hour was over.

After this, we should go get lunch and celebrate. I said, getting out of the car. JB helped me lift my swollen body from the passenger seat and we made our way into the brick court building.

The security guards in their muddy brown uniforms made little fuss as we passed through the metal detectors. They made sure we had no weapons and pointed us in the right direction for the licensing office. Up the elevator and down a long hallway we went. With my pregnant penguin-like waddling, we finally made it to the office. I squeezed JB’s hand, hoping I could give him some of the nervous flutters that I was feeling.

In the licensing office, there were signs everywhere, dangling from strings in the ceiling. There was a section of the room for each license; every license the county offered, from business to fishing, had a line. We got in our line along with a few other couples that were before us. Luckily, it wasn’t busy; the quicker this went, the faster I could feed my face.

Yes, may I help you? asked the nice brunette behind the tall counter.  

We need to apply for a marriage license. JB quickly alerted the woman while I sat down in a nearby seat. Carrying all this extra poundage made me tired a lot quicker now, and standing in line wasn’t helping my swollen feet.  ‘Only three more months’  was what I kept telling myself to keep pushing forward, but some days I wasn’t so sure if I could last that long.

Baby, we gotta go sit at this window over here and fill out the paperwork, JB told me as he helped me up.

The woman sitting behind it didn’t seem so friendly, but oh well. This shouldn’t take long. I rubbed my belly as she began asking questions.

NAME. She barked the questions out like a drill sergeant and we were her troops. We answered each one and she quickly typed our responses and moved on to the next question.

Have you ever been married before?

Nope, this is our first and last time. I gladly answered that one as I gave JB a wink. He winked back and gave me a small grin in return. I truly loved him with all my heart.

I’ll be right back. The mean drill sergeant said. Getting up from her chair and marching out of our sight. JB and I sat patiently, holding hands and waiting.

Can’t wait till this is over so we can go eat. My mind was focused on food, with little deviation. 

Luckily, our drill sergeant came back quickly, carrying a tan manila folder.

Mr. James Bryan Phillips, Born July 7 th 1982? she barked.

Yeah, that’s me

Looks like we can’t grant your request for a marriage license.

And why not? Now I was getting angry. This butch was standing between my wedding and my lunch.

Because, Mr. Phillips, you are still married to a Felicia Thomas.

I wasn’t sure if I’d heard her right. Being hungry often made me hear things so I had to hear that over again. Excuse me, you must have the wrong James Phillips. He has never been married. I stated as I quickly sat up in my chair.

My face was already getting hot, the first sure sign that I was getting mad. I was about to read the drill sergeant her rights with a few choice cuss words when JB grabbed my arm.

Baby, we need to talk. His face was filled with sadness, or possibly terror. Mine was pure rage; my face was so hot now that I could have sworn I was rubbing cheeks with the sun.

Talk? What the hell do we need to talk about, JB? People turned to look at us but I didn’t care. My eyes were fixed on JB and I didn’t like the view.

He stood up and tried to grab my arm, Come on, baby, let’s go talk outside and I’ll explain. That’s when I knew that what the drill sergeant clerk was saying must be true.

 Thoughts came to me like a dying person taking inventory of their life. My mind bounced around from my baby, the money for the wedding, and most importantly, the time that I’d wasted on this obvious piece of shit. I despised people who slept with married men, so apparently I was the biggest hypocrite known to man. That’s when I jumped up from my chair. I wasn’t sure what happened or where the power came from; at that point I was a bystander watching myself from above.  I got up, knocking over chairs and moving my arms like a windmill being moved by winds from a tornado. I knew I was screaming, but I couldn’t understand the words that were coming from my mouth.

As if I were possessed by a demon, I stormed out of the office and ran to the elevator. I didn’t know I could run with this belly, but I did. The faces that looked at me in the licensing office and on my way to the elevator were that of shock. However shocked they were, everyone seemed to move out of my way, afraid to get in the path of my fury. At that point, I could have gone head to head with a Mack truck and won. The man that I was supposed to marry was apparently married to someone else.

Wait, Tiff, where are you going? I saw JB running for me as I got on the elevator.

I got on and pushed the ‘close door’ button as fast as I could while simultaneously punching the button for the elevator to take me to the first floor.  I wanted to be out of the building, and nothing JB could say to me would explain why he didn’t tell me he was married.

Married? Why would he keep that from me? My heart was pounding out of my chest and now my hands were shaking. When I got this mad, I knew that the tears weren’t far behind. Sure enough, halfway through my short elevator ride, the tears started to fall. When the elevator doors opened, my face was drenched like small waterfalls had sprung up in my