Protected
Episode 17
MAGIC.
“Do you like this one? What about that one? This one looks like it will look great on you”
He points at another go-wn, shoe, shi-t, I almost roll my eyes, I have never in all my life seen a man that loves shopping, is he even real.
“You like shopping, don’t you?”
He shakes his head no as he f!ngersa polo shi-t, I frown dubiously.
“I don’t like shopping, but I like shopping with and for you”
I blus-h, that was seriously sweet.
We are at the mall, we’ve dropped my phone with a repairer guy and he says he will be done in about 2 hours.
(So you see Fabian, they did not come to the mall to charge phone-bebe)
In the meantime he wants us to shop, I initially thought it was for him but i found out he wants to spoil me rotten, I mean when did we get to this stage?
I mean, we are wearing matching outfits, white polo shi-ts and blue jeans, and white sneakers, he made me put my hand in his back pocket.
‘He doesn’t want me to get lost’, his words not mine.
Gone is the man who was so cruelly harsh to me, and in his place is a sweet, kind, loving and handsome man.
Where is justice and what have they done that him?
Is it an alien invasion?
I chuckle at my thought, he turns to me.
“So you don’t like these?”
I tune in and I almost faint at what he is holding up.
He is holding a pink lace br@ and p@n-ties set.
What! Where is this man from.
I quic-kly take it from his hand and hang it back.
“Are you embarras-sed?”
“Well duh”
“You don’t have to be, I have a sister remember? I have been buying these things before I could walk”.
“Well am not your sister”
“Well that you aren’t”.
He gives me a smoldering look and I think I fainted for a minute.
He turns back to the rack and gr-abs the p@n-ty set and adds it to the ever growing pile.
“I didn’t….”
“I know you liked it itty bitty, I could see it in your eyes”
I blus-h and turn away, my eyes snag on a h0t pink sneakers, I want.
He seems to notice because he beckons on a shop attendant and she comes forward but not before throwing me an hostile look.
Well….
“Can we have that? In a size 7?”
She nods, all smiles for him.
He just looks indifferent as he says..
“And….” He glances at her name tag,….”Isabella, if you are rude to my girl one more time, I will buy this mall with you in it”
She pales, scared.
“Yes, Mr Maxwells”
He nods dismissing her and turning to me.
“See anything else you like magic?”
I shake my head, no.
“Well we just have to make you like it”
He goes on to buy me some dresses, go-wns, jeans, slacks, t©ps, some high heeled shoes, sneakers and some undies and bikinis.
What! I have no idea how I will sneak this past julliet, I hope she is at Sage’s house, am scared her and Justin will think am a gold digger.
I see we are getting some attention and a guy even has a phone out recording justice as he points at stuff while holding my hand.
I suddenly feel a bout of self-consciousness, I pu-ll my hand from his and step away from him.
Am sure I don’t look as good standing next to him, I shouldn’t ruin his image.
He st©ps, turns to me and smiles.
“Don’t worry itty, am proud to have you on my arm”
He says this while wra-pping his hands around my w@!st.
(Ha, who knew the great justice can be sweet? It’s a miracle-bebe)
I smile and i tuck my hand into his back pocket.
When we are done we go to check out and round everything up.
“That will be a two hundred and eighty five grands sir, are you paying in cash or by a transaction?”
My heart palpitates, I tug on his shi-t and he turns to me, I whisper.
“Let’s return these stuff, it’s too much”.
He turns to me fully and gr-abs my face in his hands.
“You are worth this and much more , Bella.
(Swoon, zinny , godiya, Mandy, Brenda, oluwadare, Carmen, Dara and Dorcas, that was for you, you guys are worth a million stars in the sky)
I blus-h and he turns to pay, I don’t make a sound.
Am too stunned.
After that the sto-re manager comes and tells us he will be of as-sistance in taking this to the car .
Justice just nod, he must be used to this kind of treatment.
After, we go to the phone repair shop and am glad to see that the technician is done.
I give him my phone and he inputs Kele’s number.
Wow!
Am so happy I turn to justice and give him big loud k!sson his cheek.
He looks stunned because he is staring at me without blinking.
I turn to the technician and thank him, we pay our fee and we exit his shop.
I can’t wait to call kelechi.
As we make our way out we pas-s a pastry and ice cream kiosk.
“You want some sugar?”
I nod, he hands me his card.
“You want some?” I ask.
“Get double of anything you want, I will have what you are having”
I nod and I turn to the kiosk, he is waiting so I have to be fast.
As I place my order for a vanilla and chocolate ch!pmash I turn to watch him.
I see a woman approach him and I stand straight, I don’t like that.
I immediately notice his posture become wary.
Who is she?
I get my order and I pay, as I walk closer I could hear what they were saying or should I say she was saying.
“………I know, I know you miss me in your be-d J, we can go back we can be so good again.”
“Selene……”
I see that justice looks about to puke.
Oh.
No.
Hell.
No.
I walk to them casually and I wra-p my hands around justice w@!st and I pu-ll him from her grasp.
“Whose this baby?”
I ask and he blinks at me in surprise but he throws his arms around my shoulder.
“Baby?”
I hear the bit-ch ask and I smile sweetly at her.
“Am Emilia, whom might you be?”
“Am the mother of his child”
I feel justice arm ti-ght£ñ on my shoulder.
This bit-ch did not just bloody go there.
I might be green and a village girl but I don’t allow people walk all over what I consider mine.
I don’t know what made me do it .
Oh .
Wait.
I know, her voice is terribly painful in my ears.
So I stuff my delicious iced vanilla and chocolate ch!pice cream in her face.
She should be glad it is something sweet.
My poor ice cream.
She squeals as it plops on her che-st, spre-ading on her dress as it ra-pidly melts.
I see people watching the show and a few seem to be recording it.
Good.
I tuck my hand in justice pocket and I say innocently.
“Come on baby, lead the way, I still wants some ice cream”
He looks at me, looks at Selene and busts out laughing.
I mean a full belly laugh.
I don’t blame him , she looks like a drowned raccoon with her mascara running all over the place.
Ha.
Justice leads me to the parking lot and when we get there he plops a big k!sson me.
Right on myl-ips.
Ok wow, That was worth it..
Protected
Episode 18
Justice.
I know I shouldn’t laugh, I know I should scold her, what she did was wrong, that is what I should be saying but I can’t.
That $h!t was seriously too funny.
And that thing about using her first name, Emilia? My girl is badas-s.
She seems to be expecting a scolding because she is wringing her hands and looking nervously at me.
I just drive.
No comment.
When we get home she comes down from the car and flees inside.
To the kitchen I presume.
I get her many packages and I take them to her room.
After this is done, (it took two trip, she didn’t show up for any) I find her.
She is in the kitchen as expected, chopping cabbages.
She st©ps when she sees me.
I take the knife from her, no nee-d for her to chop her f!ngersoff.
I back her against the counter and she breaths ha-rd , looking at everywhere except for me.
I open my mouth….
She beats me to it.
“Am sorry”
She blurts.
I raise an eyebrow.
“Why are you sorry?”
“I embarras-sed you, am sorry, just that I was so mad at her, she was ru-bbing on you and then she brou-ght baby Amelia up, I just got so pissed, am sorry”
I nod, it’s a good thing she can admit her fault.
I stro-ke her hair out of her face, and I say.
“Am not scolding you magic, am just worried”
She frowns.
“Selene is a bit-ch, she might target you because you stood up for me and also you embarras-sed her.”
She nods, I countinue
“Am not saying what you did was necessarily wrong, am just saying , pick your battles baby, you are too good for the likes of Selene”
She nods and I k!ssher head.
“Glad we are on the same page baby, am gonna leave you to it”
I say this and I exit the kitchen to my room, I pas-s by julliet’s room, seems she is not around.
I go on to my room and try to get some work done, I really have to.
After a while I get in to the zone and I go throu-gh some contracts, finally getting some work done.
I hear my door open after about 2 hours, I don’t raise my head, I know it’s her, am attuned to her.
“Hi”
She says and I lift my head, she’s standing there looking nervous.
What now?
“What wrong itty bitty?”
“Do you have a moment?”
I lift my eyebrows but I stand and go with her.
She leads me to the Green House.
What are we doing here ?
I ask.
“Not a fan of pollen baby”
“Just give me 5 minutes”.
I nods.
She steps forward and brings a flower pot, in it I can see freshly dug soil and a baby sun flower.
Ok..
“This is a baby sun flower, based on what you told me seems baby Amelia would have been born in the year of the sun”
I nod, still not getting where this was going.
“This baby sun flower repres£nts baby Amelia, we are going to nurture her untill she grows big and strong, she’s ours”
I stand still not comprehending, who is this girl?.
She begins to wring her hands nervously.
“Why did you do this?”
I ask and she blinks, she looks scared, like she thinks she did something out of line.
“Tell me”
“I thought…….I ….. Thought since you lost Amelia, that you could channel some anger out of you, am not trying to say a flower can replace your baby I just…”
I pu-ll her to me and i hvg her, this girl, this woman Is going to bring me to my kneels.
No b©dy has ever done something so thoughtful for me before.
If I was a man that cried, I would have broken down right about now.
“So…..” She hesitates. “So you like it?”
“I love it magic, I love the sunflower, I love the flower pot, I love it.”
She nods and hvgs me closer.
I look closely at the pot and I see she even engraved Amelia in cursive writing on the flower pot.
I k!ssher head.
“You are wonderful, you know”
I say this as I lead her back to the house..
When we get to the threshold of the sitting room, I pu-ll her to me and give her a soft k!ss.
She k!sses me back.
I break the k!ssand k!ssher head.
I hear a throat clearing and I turn, I see julliet and Justin and Sage sitting on the ground, they seem to pla-ying a board game.
Well they were pla-ying a board game, now Justin just looks pissed.
“What’s going on?”
Justin asks and I feel magic stiffen, she just notices them.
“I don’t know what you mean Justin”
“I mean you practically mauling my ward in front of me”
I turn to magic, she looks close to tears.
“Go on upstairs baby”
She looks into my eyes and I nod.
“It’s fine, go upstairs, I will be there soon”
I k!ssher head and she leaves but not before throwing Justin and julliet a pleading look.
“Now we can talk Justin, am sure what you just witnessed was self explanatory”
“Oh yes it was, what is your game?”
He says this while standing up, sage just pu-lls julliet to himself and they watch.
“My game?”
I ask.
“Yes your game, she is the same girl you insulted, you degraded, what suddenly changed”
I sigh, have had enough theatrics today to last me a lifetime.
“I will admit I was harsh to the girl Justin but…..”
“She is 19, your a governorsh!paspirant, she has nothing to offer, why?”
Ok now am getting angry.
“I very well know she is 19 Justin, I know we are not on the same social standing, oh am aware, but I don’t know, I just know I want to be close to her, she is light, she is everything”
“Don’t get me wrong Justice, am happy you are in love , I just don’t want you to hurt the girl, she has being throu-gh too much”
I nod, but wait in love? Am not going there.
“I will Never hurt her, not intentionally”
That seems to satisfy him, he nods.
“Congrats bro”
I nod, I turn to Sage.
“Let me have it”
“That was some seriously sappy $h!t justice, you should check if you are still a man”
I fl!phim the middle f!nger, I can’t blame him, I gave him $h!t too with julliet, the as-s.
“Am happy for you Justy”
Julliet says.
I nod
“Gotta go make my girl know $h!t is alright with you guys”
They nod and I exit.
I walk upstairs and enter her room, she is pla-ying on her phone.
I climb on the be-d and position myself.
“How angry are they?”
She asks as she puts her phone away.
“They are cool”
She doesn’t look like she believes me.
She opens her mouth but I beat her to it.
“You called your friend?”
She shakes her head no.
“Why?”
“Am scared,” she whispers, I un-derstand, I would be too.
“Am here baby, you can call her, I will hold you as you do”
I whisper back and she nods, she dials the number.
She places it on speaker phone.
“Hello”
The voice over the line crackles.
“Hello kele”
There is a pause and a…..
“Emily? Is that you?”