Mariah

"Tyler, remember when you used to run around in your tighty whities with your fake little gun and your cowboy hat and boots?" His mom giggled

"Mommm." He groaned

"I remember that." His dad chuckled before chugging his 2nd glass of rum

"Oh it was just so cute." She reminisced

"That sounds adorable. How old was he?"

"15"

"Oh..." I cleared my throat

15 is a little old to be doing all that baby like shit. I mean I understand they your parents and all, and I'm all for fun times but that's hella weird.

"This restaurant is lovely Mrs. Scott." I complimented

"Isn't it? Tyler used to bring me here all the time." She rubbed his shoulder

I spread an awkward smile on my face and pulled my phone out.

(I finally got the fake iMessage thing I like it lol)

"Sweetie, get off your phone." Tyler whispered and slightly nudged me under the table

I lowly groaned, fed up with him ass kissing his parents.

"Mom, dad. You should tell Mariah how you two met." He put his arm around me

"Oh...yeah." At this point my face hurt from fake smiling

"Well, it all started when we were in middle school..."

*

"And that's when he got down on one knee and proposed. It was such a fine evening." His mom grinned, holding onto her husband's arm

"Indeed, my love." He looked like he was fake smiling too. Or he probably just has a buzz from guzzling all that damn rum

"That's so sweet." I kept my responses to a minimum.

I'm so ready for this night to be over so we can go back to the A tomorrow. I've had enough of Tyler and his parents.

"Speaking of proposals..." Tyler stood up

I quickly jerked my head in his direction. I'm sure my facial expression read nothing but confusion.

His mom gasped "I know you're not about to do what I think."

Those were my thoughts exactly. He has to be crazy, we haven't even been together that long. We barely know each other.

He got down on one knee and pulled a box from his pocket "Mariah, I'm so in love with you. Would you do me the honor of becoming my wife?"

He held the box open and looked up at me, awaiting an answer. I could feel his parent's eyes glued to the side of my face, making me nervous.

"Uhm...yes" I tried to smile, but it was more of a wince

"Oh baby!" He quickly put the ugly ring on my finger before standing up and embracing me in a hug "I can't believe it."

"Neither can I..." I chuckled in disbelief at my own self

"Congratulations you two." His dad grabbed the champagne bottle and poured more in his glass "You make a beautiful couple."

"Yeah..." his mom tried to force a smile but sneered instead "Congratulations."

My dumbass couldn't do anything but keep smiling and chuckling, trying to seem happy. But my mind was screaming:
Girl what the hell were you thinking?

*

After we'd gotten back to the hotel, I locked myself in the bathroom and completed my night routine. As I did each step, I thought about how to break up with Tyler.
It's not that I don't love him, but watching him become a whole different person in front of his parents is weird and a complete turn off. I can't look at him the same.

This is definitely going to be awkward. Especially after I just accepted his proposal. But I only accepted it because telling someone no in a restaurant full of people has to be embarrassing.

"Hey baby. You ok?" He asked as I exited the bathroom with my robe on

I saw he was trying to set the mood. He had the lights dim, soft music playing, and he had poured two glasses of champagne.

I sat my moisturizers back in the bag "Yeah...uh-"

"Ok good. So my mom wants to throw us a little engagement party. So I pushed our flight back another day. Ok?"

"Ty, I have to get home to my child." I slightly scrunched my eyebrows

"I know baby but it's really important to her." He approached me "I'm her only child." He wrapped his arms around me from behind

"Then why don't you stay and go to the engagement party?" I moved him off me

He looked confused "Huh?"

"Tyler I can't do this." I finally said "It's all too soon."

He lightly chuckled "Baby we can have a long engagement. There's no rush." He tried to hold my hand

I yanked back "I don't love you." I blurted

"Wha...What?" His smile quickly faded

I sighed "I don't love you."

He scoffed and squinted, looking hurt by my response.

"I apologize, but I'm just not in love with you. I can't see myself marrying you and building a life with you." I tried to explain

"It's Dorian, isn't it? You're in love with him?"

"Yes." I shocked myself with that answer. I didn't even mean to say that, it just shot out

But it's the God honest truth.
I think about Tyler throughout the day, he'd occasionally be on my mind. But Dorian holds my entire heart in his palm and I didn't even realize it until just now.

"Please tell me you understand." I broke the lingering silence

He chuckled while picking up the champagne glasses and gulping it down "Now see... I tried to understand when you told me you burned your neck with flat irons when it was obviously a hickey from Dorian. I'm assuming you fucked him, right?"

He finished the second glass while I stayed quiet, unsure of what to say.

He picked the entire bottle up "Then I tried to understand when you fucked him at Rio's birthday dinner. Didn't think I knew didn't about that, huh?" He began slowly approaching me

"Tyler..." I didn't know what he was about to do, but the look in his eyes put fear in me

"But what I can't understand is..." he back into a corner "Why the hell can't you LET HIM GO!!?" he sent a strong backhanded slap to my face

I tried to get around him, seeing this was not going to end well, but he grabbed me and forcefully threw me onto the bed. I tried to get back up but he punched me in the eye.
He climbed on top of me and pinned my hands down with one hand. He forcefully poured the warm champagne down my throat, and on my body before tossing the bottle elsewhere.

"Had me waiting..." he kept my hands pinned while he started to undo his pants

"Please." I cried as my vision in my right eye became blurry "Don't do this, don't- HELPPP!" I screamed out

"Shut the fuck up." He sent another punch to my mouth

He went back to unbuttoning his pants and I kept trying to wiggle free. I only had one my underwear under my robe, so I could feel his erection rubbing against me. Visions of my dad raping me flooded my mind and I started hyperventilating.

I felt Tyler's movements stop and out of my left eye I could see him looking at me full of guilt. I guess his conscious got the best of him because he quickly started backing off me.

"I-I-I'm sorry." I heard him say as he fixed his clothes "I don't know what came over me. I-" he opened the door and ran out of the room

I immediately got up and put all the locks on the door, then I slid onto the floor bawling my eyes out.

Y'all was sick of Tyler huh?

Let's see how this plays out...

Happy Monday. I hope your week is great!

-Carlisha ❤️