? The Deal ?
Written by Idara Kingsley
?Chapter 19 ?
? Charlotte ?
Mum kept ranting about Brian. She looked like she would pull off her hair in frustration. Scratch that, my mum loved her hair so much. She protected her hair like it was a bag filled with gold. She had product upon products that made her hair shine, smooth, easy to comb, attra-ctive and had that sweet, coconut smell that would make you want to smell her everytime. I loved that smell so very much.
I just sat on the couch, checking out my acrylic nails. They somehow fascinated me at that moment. The bored look on my face was frustrating mum. She knew I wasn’t having any of her advice. She sure knew I wasn’t listening too.
Truly, they were pointless. Yes, pointless.
“Charlotte!” Mum angry voice called. I raised my eyes up to her, looking directly at her. She looked like she wanted to cry. Why? Ugh, this woman was so, so dramatic. She wasn’t gonna talk me out of something if she used those tears. Tears irked me do very much.
“What, mum?” I dragged, involuntarily rolling my eyes.
“You don’t know what you’re getting into again. You don’t know you’re building room for more heartbreak.” She stated. Her voice was all cracked.
I sighed and sat up. If only she knew it was fake. But, if she knew, that would mean more trouble for me and Brian.
“Look, mum. I know what I’m doing. Noah and Brian are different people. Noah was stupid enough to let go of a perfect lady like me,” I paused and fli-pped my hair away from my shoulder. The curls bounced on my back. My mum was just staring at me. I continued, “Brian values me. He’s different. He’s nothing compared to Noah.”
My mum scoffed, folding her arms und-er her bre-ast . “Bullshit.”
Say what now?
I held back a chuckle, using my palms to cover my mouth. My mum just cussed. Damn, I should have gotten that on camera.
She was oblivious to what I was doing. Maybe she wasn’t, but didn’t care.
“Men are all the same.”
Oh boy. I knew where this was heading. I slumped back on the couch, ready to join my mum count.
“My father. The first man who broke my heart. Stupid.” My mum was cussing and she didn’t care. She never wanted me to cuss, but she was doing it in front of me without a care in the world. I wasn’t so surprised anyways.
“Your dad. That man.” She gritted her teeth.
She was tryna act tough, tryna act like she didn’t care. I could see the softness, the glint of sadness that flashed in her eyes for just two seconds. I almost missed it. Almost.
She was hurt yes, but she trying to bottle up her feelings was gonna hurt her more than she ever imagined.
Dad was regretting now, but I wouldn’t tell her. I don’t want to get her hopes high. She was moving on, that was what I wanted. To figure out herself first, love herself before she got involved in love, again.
The first one broke her, I’m not gonna let that happen again.
“….. That’s five, concluding that all men are dogs.” She smiled proudly.
She paused as if realizing that she wasn’t supposed to talk too much. She flushed with embarra-ssment. Oh well, perks of having a dramatic mother —you get a show when when you’re in a bad mood.
My mind was still worried for Zoey. She was going throu-gha lot. I wished I could swap bodies so I could go throu-ghthat pain for her. I wished I could.
She never deserved all of it. She deserved to be happy. Like every human being like her.
“Are you here, Charlotte?!” My mum voice bright me back to the present.
Yeah, sure. We were having a discussion that I was already bored of.
“Can we skip this already, I ain’t changing my mind anytime soon.” I was rude. A bit, not too much. The edge in my voice was enough to tell her I was sick and tired of the ‘BRIAN’ discussion.
She sighed and nodded. ” Okay. Go shower, the maids will serve you dinner.”
“Not hungry, I had enough food with dad.” I said dismissing her. I stood up from the couch and began to make my way up to my room.
“Your dad?” Her voice came off as a whisper.
I turned back. Shit, I want supposed to say anything about him. I wasn’t supposed to. What was wrong with me?
“Sorry, I meant Brian.” I lied. She wasn’t buying it from the look on her face. She looked at me as if I was making a fool out of myself.
Apparently, I was.
“Don’t lie to me!”
I let out a frustrated breath. “Not now mum, don’t do this to yourself.” I gritted my teeth. She wasn’t gonna spoil my day already. Dad did, so I wasn’t having her do same.
“Cool.” She nodded continuously, till she left to the garden.
I shook my head and began climbing up the stairs.
When. I got into my room, I threw my jacket on the bed, and threw my tired self on it too.
It was such a long tiring day.
Drama upon drama. My day so much wanted me to be sad. I was tryna block every sad stuff out of my head, but Zoey kept popping into my head, continuously.
I wanted to help her.
The big question was how?
How was I gonna achieve it? How?
The more I thought of it, the more clueless and sad I was becoming.
If I couldn’t help my best friend, who would?
Who?
My ringtone filled my room, distracting me from my thoughts. I groa-ned and reached out for it.
I looked at the caller ID. Brian.
I blinked. How did I forget this boy so easily? Damn,I was worst than I thought I was.
I wasn’t in the right frame of mind to pick it up. I watched it ring again. Again. Again. And again.
Honestly, I wanted to pick it up, but something kept pulling me back. Was my mind playing with me?
It stopped ringing.
I sighed in relief.
I just needed sometime alone.
Mum was unhappy. Zoey was an emotional wreck. Brian needed my attention to pull off what we started. Dad was sad.
I was on my own. No one cared. I was the one looking out for others, making sure they were okay.
No one, absolutely no fu-cking body.
My phone dinged. I ignored it.
I picked up my blanket and wrapped my self with it.
Slowly, I drifted off to sleep.
*****
Soft knocks landed on my door. I flutter my eyes opened, taking in my surroundings.
Yup, still in my spacious room. My comfort zone.
“Who’s there.” I asked in an almost a hushed tone as I begrudgingly stood up from my bed.
I knew for sure my eyes were swollen. I could feel dry saliva plastered on my cheeks. Who cares anyways, it was just mum.
I unlocked the door and pulled it open.
“Hey mum, I forg—.” I stopped halfway into my sentence as I looked at the built body structure standing by my door. Hands shoved into pockets, face staring directly at me, with that full brows that were raised up, slightly.
I gulped. “Brian.” I called in a whisper. I wasn’t expecting him to be standing by my door. Why was he here anyways? I braced myself up and looked up at him. Calmly and steady voice that do not have any trace of fear. “Why are you here?”
“You were not picking up my calls or replying my texts.” He brou-ght out his phone and showed me mutiple texts that he had sent to me.
Oh. Guilt flushed throu-ghme. I ignored the calls, but not texts. I wanted to tell him but decided against it. It would sound off as if I was purposely ignoring him all day.
A question popped into my head immediately. I looked up to meet his burning gaze.
He was looking directly at me, waiting for an answer from me.
There was something about that look. Was it the softness in his eyes? Or the way he looked at me as if….. I was special?
I gulped again. “Who let you in?”
“Your mum. She wouldn’t let me see you, so I sneaked in.”
I chuckled. Yes, I chuckled. Brian snuck in just to come see me after mum’s refusal. Damn, never had I thought I’ll have such treatment, ever.
I blus-hed. I looked like an overripe tomato in front of the guy. He too, couldn’t hide his wife grin that plastered on his face.
“So, I’m certain you’re okay, I’ll have to sneak out now.” He smiled at me.
I didn’t want him to leave, not soon. I was enjoying his company already.
“Brian, wait.” I called him back. He stopped on his track, moved his head and body towards me. “Don’t go. Please.”
He gave me that look again. My heart raced. I loved the look. He made me so high of myself. He looked at me like I was a special being. No body, I mean nobody ever got to look at me that way.
Surprising me, Brian walked up to me, scooped me into his hands and we went back into my room. I locked the door to avoid mum barging in to see him. You know, he kinda snuck in.
I giggled at him as he threw me gently on my bed.
“What was that for?” I asked in between giggles.
“I missed you. Did you not miss me too?”
The way he talked, sent bu-tterflies to my stomach. de-ep, sensual bedroom voice that sent heat to my core.
He rolled his tongue on his dry li-ps, making it glister with saliva.
“Charlotte?” He called softly, attempting to take my hands into his.
I nodded. “Of course, dude.” I chuckled, punched his arm playfully with a smile.
“Okay. Your mum is kinda scary.”
I laughed. I shifted on the bed, crossed my legs and faced him. “Not even close. Have you met my dad?” I added with a s chuckle.
“I heard a lot. Is he that scary too?”
“Kind of. He’s so overprotective of me. When I had that marriage thingy….” I paused and gulped. I did not have to think of it. Still, I went on. “He went all out for me. Mum had to stop him from locking him up.” It wasn’t no news that I preferred my dad over my mum. The reason my mum acted weird back then was because she knew of dad and I relationship.
She was scared I’ll leave her too if I began hanging out with him often.
No, I wouldn’t. I still love her regardless. She was the one that got custody years ago before I turned eighteen.
She made me stay with her even though I had two houses already.
Although, I was gonna leave soon, but everything crashed when Noah did the shit.
I saw myself folding and unfolding my fingers that had formed into a fist. That Noah… I gritted my teeth… The son of a b.itch! He’s gonna hear from me too.
I’ll ruin him the same way he ruined me too.
“Are you okay?”
I looked sideways to see Brian already up from the bed. He was holding me close to him.
His sweet deodorant almost choked me. It was so strong, yet filled my brain with it’s addictive scent. Gawwwwd.
I nodded.
“Maybe we shouldn’t talk about your ex no more.” His voice laced with worry. He was worried. Brian was worried for me.
“Okay. You want some smoothie?”
“Nah, I’m good. I kinda have training.”
“Can I come watch you?” I asked, playing with my fingers.
His face was expressionless. “Sure. Sure, that would be a great honour.”
I grinned widely. “I’ll get dressed now.” I smiled to him as I walked to my walk-in closet.
I think I was slowly falling for him. Slowly.