Chapter 22: Without Her

Jevan's POV

She was gone.

And I was a wreck.

I could still feel her sleeping posture in my arms. I reminisced about the calm way she drifted off to sleep as if everything was going to be okay.

It wasn't okay. I had so much plans in store for us together. I was going to have my father give her a brand new sponsorship to my college if she didn't get in on her very own because I couldn't stand being away from her.

After our college education, I was planning on picking out the perfect engagement ring and asking for her hand in marriage. I saw her as my wife and the mother of my children and coming home to her after work everyday.

Now, all of that was ruined and I'd never be the same.

___________

School had resumed from Easter break. I tossed my bag into the locker before closing it.

Turning on my heel, I turned right into Brooke.

"Hi handsome. How was your Easter?" she asked.

"Just leave me alone, Brooke," I sulked and moved away from her but that didn't stop Brooke from pursuing me further through the halls.

"Jevan, wait! I heard about what happened and I'm so sorry but it's rather embarrassing as well. I mean, we had a thief as a maid in our house and I can bet Blossom is no better. Apples don't fall far from the tree. You dodged a bullet."

"The only bullet I dodged was you. You're so obnoxious it should be a sin. You think you're perfect and pretty, but really, you're like a freaking poisonous snake."

"You don't mean that!"

"Yes I do and I meant it when I said to leave me alone. I don't want anything to have to do with you!"

"Jevan, what did she do to you, huh? She's gone and she's not coming back here! Are you going to go to Africa and drag her back with you? What makes her so damn special? What does she got that I don't got!?"

Brooke was redder than ketchup in the face now.

"What does she got that you don't? So many things. She got respect, manners, a beautiful soul, the right self-esteem and a darling attitude. You don't possess these things because you can't buy them from a catalog!"

"Jevan... I still love..."

"I don't want to hear it!" I yelled at her and turned away. I stopped in my path, "Oh, and she got a better body too," I finished.

Brooke did her dramatic scream until her friends came to her rescue.

___________

At lunch, I ran into a sad looking Sophia and Nina. I managed to pull them both into a hug.

"I miss her like crazy," Nina said once I released her.

"It doesn't feel the same without her," Sophia added.

"It's eating me up like a cancer. I care so much about her and I love her. I keep looking through the entrance, hoping she'll just appear and we'll move on from this."

I sat with them for lunch as we sulked together about losing Blossom.

The saddest thing about it this was that Brooke wasn't completely lying when she said that Blossom wasn't coming back, and I knew, sooner or later, I'll have to pull myself together and move on without her by my side.

My family was supportive as always. Jada and Jase misses her and so does my mom and dad. My father hasn't stopped fighting the system to adopt her but they were determined to be extra-difficult as Blossom wasn't a citizen of the country.

_____________

As days went on, they turned into weeks, then months and before I knew it, I was getting ready to head off to college.

My parents were proud of me as were my siblings on the day of graduation but I couldn't stop myself from thinking about Blossom.

She was supposed to be here. She deserved having this moment with me by her side. A single tear escaped my eye and my friend caught it.

"Bro, are you alright?" Connor asked me.

"Yeah," I answered. He studied me for a brief moment before turning his attention back to the ceremony.

_____________________

Brooke's POV

"Jevan looks so sad," Tina dumbly said. We sat across from the boys, the aisle separating us for our graduation ceremony.

"Oh please, he'll be fine," I answered.

"You don't feel guilty?" she asked again.

"Of course not. I did the right thing."

"But you said that when you do what you did, he'll take you back. That didn't seem to work so what exactly did you do, Brooke?"

___________FlashBack______________

After finding out that my low-life maid was Blossom's mother, an idea immediately struck my clever mind.

Although I wanted to get rid of Blossom only, her mother was the perfect opportunity in making that happen and I didn't have to travel miles away for such an act.

On that very day, the day I decided to put my plans into action, I stole my mom's most precious piece of jewelry and placed it into Gloria's jacket.

See, I knew my mother would miss it. She was celebrating her wedding anniversary with my father and being as it was the first jewelry he gave her all those years ago, and it was specially designed for her, she decided it was perfect to wear it for the occasion.

I watched as Gloria entered my parents room to start the cleaning there. I waited until she went into the bathroom before I sprung into action.

"Brooke, have you seen my bracelet?" my mother stormed into my room and asked when she was fully dressed for dinner with my father.

"The one dad gave you?" I asked.

"Yes. That one. I had it in my jewelry box on top of my table and now it's gone."

"I haven't seen it."

" I know it's extremely expensive but it can't magically grow legs and walk out the door so where did it go? Who was here today?"

" It was only I and the maid. Maybe she took it. She's poor after all."

"I swear if that woman took my bracelet, I'll bring the full force down on her!"

" If that woman took your bracelet? Well it wasn't me so it has to be her. We were the only ones here so you better call the police."

And just like that, my plan worked. The police were called and Blossom's mom was arrested. My mother had incredible close ties with the police departments in the entire state.

Getting Gloria and her off-spring deported was like taking candy from a baby.

__________End Of FlashBack_______

I watched Jevan with a triumphant smile. I knew I did the right thing and I knew we'd soon be together because I had another plan.

I knew what college he applied for and what college he was getting into and the classes he were taking and I was going to be right there with him every step of the way.

He'll have to take me back one way or another. I wasn't about to give up on him, I wasn't about to allow him to fall into the hands of anyone else for that matter.

'You're so mine,' I mentally spoke, 'And I'll remove anyone who stands in my way, even your mother.'