Page 4 of Mark My Words

“Destiny.”

“I hope you get everything in life that you want. That you deserve.”

“You can’t say that to me and in the same breath break my heart! What is this, Destiny?!”

The line dropped.

Fifteen seconds.That was all it took for her phone to ring up again. Malik was not one to give up so quickly—that much was sure by the way he called back. When she didn’t answer, he’d found a way to call her the next day and the day after that, which was unusual since it wasn’t typical because of the strict rules he had to live by.

But with his calls going unanswered, they begin to dwindle, right along with Destiny’s strength to stay the course and let him go. By the time she’d thought maybe she made a mistake, it was too late.

Malik was no longer calling, and her regret held her back from reaching out to him. A year went by, and rumors of him being on the Morehouse campus surfaced.

She did a little research and found that he indeed had enrolled at the school. It confused her. The purpose of letting him go was so he wouldn’t give up on his career in the army. But he still made the decision to enroll at Morehouse college.

Another year went by, with neither of them making an attempt to reach out to the other. By then, day-to-day activities had become more bearable, but the ache in her heart was still prominent.

Angelica would often ask Destiny about her and Malik. Destiny would answer with a simple, “We broke up,” and a shrug.

Destiny thoughtshe could get over him completely. She excelled at the local community college, and received her master’s degree in agriculture and life sciences. Her and her grandfather’s farm grew, prompting Destiny to open a fresh market nearby.

Life was steady as the years passed, and then…

“Didyou hear about Malik Jernigan? Someone managed to take that fine brother off the market!”

Standing by the entry of Destiny’s Fresh Market, Destiny’s ears zeroed in on the two women traipsing toward her.

“Yes, girl, I thought he’d never get over…” The woman paused after catching Destiny’s eyes on her. “Oh, hey, Destiny! I didn’t think I’d see you today.”

“Oh, I’m here every day. Just usually making my rounds.”

“Oh.”

They lingered a little.

“You were saying?” Destiny ushered.

“Um, you mean with…” the woman stuttered and looked to her friend for help.

“Oh, it’s nothing you probably want to hear.”

“I do. Malik is off the market, huh?”

They both opened their mouths to speak, but nothing came out. Eyeglasses were pushed back up their faces as they shifted uncomfortably. A hair swoop and eye shuffle later, and one of them spoke up.

“We should probably grab those tomatoes and avocados and get going.”

Destiny nodded. “Have a good day.”

The two enteredand disappeared quickly, and with her thoughts on Malik with someone else, Destiny realized she’d never gotten over him at all. Her heart plummeted.

But what did you expect?

She clearedher throat and tried but failed to get it off her mind. Even today, as she sat while Angelica pulled at her hair as she braided, Destiny couldn’t get Malik out of her thoughts.

“Whatever you’re thinking about, stop it. You’ve got a masquerade ball to get ready for, and I’m just about done.”

Destiny took in a breath. “You’re right. I’ll be ready on time.”

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