by Kiru Taye
“What the fuck? Stella was part of your stupid game?” He jumped off from the floor. He pointed a finger at Gloria, clenched his hand, and slammed it on the table.
Everything on it jumped.
“So you let Malcolm and his gang do what they did to her just so you could have me? You are fucking sick!” He spun around. “I’m sorry, Lara. Jocelyn, I need to get out of here. If I stay any longer, I’ll kill the bitch.”
“Ike!”
“What? I shouldn’t call you a bitch? When you could coldheartedly allow Malcolm to do what he did to Lara?”
“I didn’t know he was going to do that!”
“Really? Didn’t you come to the room? Didn’t you see the boys here?”
“I did, but I thought they were just hanging out. They weren’t doing anything to her when I saw her. It was only...” she trailed off.
“You can’t stop talking now. Spit it out.”
“I went to his house once. His parents weren’t there. I saw him in his room. She was kneeling on the floor crying and he had a gun pointed at her head while he had his...penis in her mouth.”
“Fuck!” Ike braced his hands against the walls. “And you did nothing!”
“Of course I did something. Seeing what he was doing made me feel sick. I told his mother about it. Within a few weeks, Malcolm was on a plane to the USA.”
“So that’s why he stopped.” Tears flooded Lara’s eyes. “He just stopped calling. I hoped he’d died in some car accident or something. It was later I found out he’d travelled out of the country. You’ll never understand the relief I felt when I heard that. But I couldn’t stay in Enugu for him to come back and find me. I had to get away and never return.”
She slumped back against the chair and Ike was across the floor beside her.
“Can you help me stand?” she asked.
He hooked his arm under hers and gently pulled her up. When she stood, she dusted her jeans off and smiled at him. “Thank you.”
She sucked in a deep breath. “Gloria, thanks for telling the truth. I’m glad that everyone here knows what really happened. I also want to say thank you for intervening when you did with Malcolm. Although you started the whole thing rolling and I can never forget it, I’m grateful that you realised what Malcolm was doing and did something to stop it.”
She glanced at Jocelyn, who nodded.
“I’ve also thought a lot about whether I could ever forgive you. Knowing that there’s some humanity in you makes it a little easier for me to say this. I forgive you, Gloria. I’m not saying we’re going to be best of friends and hold hands while singing Kumbaya or anything like that.”
Ada snorted.
“But I don’t carry any grudge against you. I wish you the best. However, I hope you’ll take up Jocelyn’s services at some point or perhaps seek the help of a counsellor because some of the things you did were sickening. And only a warped mind can come up with all that manipulation.”
She sighed.
“Anyway, I’m done talking. I’m exhausted. I’d like to go get some food and then sleep for the rest of the day.”
Jocelyn smiled at her. “Well done. We can head out now.”
Gloria was off the bed and out of the door quicker than anyone else. Henry followed her. Ada patted Lara’s shoulders and then went out.
Ike stayed with Lara as she stepped out into the corridor. “Can I come and see you later?”
“I’m sorry,” she said. “Not tonight. We’re on a late flight out tomorrow. We can talk in the morning.”
“Okay.” He swallowed his disappointment. He would’ve liked to spend more time with her. But he understood she needed to rest after the day she’d had.
Outside, Gloria was already in the car and Henry stood beside it. He watched as Lara, Jocelyn, and Ada boarded their car and headed off before he opened the front passenger door of the vehicle waiting for him. It was best for him not to sit next to Gloria because he wasn’t sure he wouldn't strangle her before they got back to the hotel.
They rode back in silence and he didn’t wait for either of them when he got out of the car and headed for the reception. He spoke to the guy at the desk and arranged for another room. The man gave him the key to a new room and he headed upstairs to pack his things.
Gloria and Henry were in the room when he got in. He went straight to the wardrobe, took out his overnight bag, and started packing his things into it.
“What are you doing?” Gloria asked.
“What does it look like I’m doing? I’m packing my bag. I’m moving to another room.”
“What’s wrong with this room?”
He wanted to say ‘You’re in it.’ Instead, he said, “If I sleep in this room with you, you won’t be safe.”
“Ah, ah...why are you being so difficult? She forgave me. Why can’t you?”
His mouth dropped open. “You are a piece of work. You still don’t get it. You’ve manipulated me for years, and you want me to carry on as if everything is okay between us. Wake up, Gloria. It’s over between us.”
“You can’t leave me.” She got up off the sofa and walked in his direction.
“My advice is for you not to come close to me,” he bit out and held up his palm in a stop signal.
Henry blocked Gloria from coming any closer.
“Okay. Fine, I’ll give you time to cool off, but we still have a wedding in a few months.”
Ike gave a cold laugh. “You really do need a shrink. I’m not going to marry you, Gloria.”
“Are you really going to give up fifty percent of your business just so you can punish me for something I did five years ago?”
Ike pointed at her. “I’ll give up all of my business if it means I never have anything to do with you.”
“It won’t come to that,” Henry said. “I’m going to buy the shares, which will give Ike the money to pay your father off.”
Ike’s mouth dropped open, same as Gloria’s.
She recovered first. “You can’t do that.”
“Yes, I can,” Henry said with a tight smile. “The agreement his father signed with yours means that he can give back the market value equivalent cash instead of shares. I’ve been waiting for an opportunity just as this. Ike is my friend. He watches my back, I watch his.”
Gloria groaned in frustration. “Whatever. You’ve been waiting for an opportunity to get one up on me. Well, you won’t get that chance again. Get out, both of you. I don’t want to see either of you again.”
Ike grabbed his bag and slung it over his shoulder. Henry held the door open.
Ike turned to Gloria. “Gloria—“
She cut him off with a raised hand. “Unless you’re apologising for being rude to me, I don’t want to hear whatever else you want to say.”
Before she could turn away, he saw the tears in her eyes.
He felt bad for leaving her like this. But she had made her bed and he really wasn’t ready to forgive her.
“Take care of yourself,” he said before walking out.
“I’ll be seeing you around, Gloria,” Henry said before shutting the door.
“Do you think she’ll be all right?” Ike asked.
“She’s got a thick skin. She’ll be off harassing another Lagos bachelor before you know it.”
Ike chuckled as he put the key in the lock of his door and opened it. “Yes, I’m sure you’re right.”
“What about you? What are you going to do?” Henry asked.
“Well, I’m going to start by seeing if Lara will have me back. And take it one day at a time.”
“That’s a good plan. In the meantime, I’m going to let you settle in. Pop over later if you need company.”
“No problem,” he said as he walked into the room. He dumped the bag on the floor and flopped on the bed. Then he pulled out his phone. There was a message from his mother. He sighed and sat up before dialling her phone number to give her the bad news about the wedding.
Chapter Twenty-Two
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��Wake up, sleepy head,” Lara said in a cheery tone as she got out of the bathroom where she’d showered, brushed her teeth, and dressed.
She’d had the best sleep in years, perhaps her entire life. She’d slept the whole night without the help of sedatives. It had been a long, dreamless sleep. She hadn’t woken up in the middle of the night hot and shaking from nightmares.
Going through the session yesterday had been cathartic. She’d been exhausted by the end of it. They’d returned to the hotel for a quick debrief. Then dinner and she’d gone to bed at about 8pm. She’d had ten hours uninterrupted sleep not induced by medication.
This morning, she’d woken in a cheerful mood, feeling as if she finally had control of her life, instead of being ruled by fear and nightmares.
Finding a text message from Ike saying he was coming over had added to her cheerful disposition.
The fact that he still wanted to talk to her after the things she’d revealed the past day had to be good. Yesterday, a part of her had been worried that he’d be disgusted when he heard the truth. Instead, he’d been devastated by what had happened to her. He’d cried in her arms. She couldn’t remember seeing a man cry before. She’d had to wipe his tears. And then, he’d gotten furious when Gloria had revealed her part in the ordeal.
Ada poked her head from under the covers. “What time is it?”
“Seven thirty,” she replied.
“What? It’s early,” Ada grumbled.
“The early bird catches the worm.”
“Eh, I’ll gladly skip the worm, thank you.” Ada pulled the covers back up and then down again. “Why the hell are you up and dressed at this ungodly hour, anyway?”
Lara grinned. “Ike is coming over at nine.”
“He is?” Ada sat up. “I wonder what happened between him and Gloria. He looked ready to kill her yesterday.”
“Yes, but I’m sure his friend would’ve prevented any bloodshed.”
“At one point, I thought Henry would be the one throttling her. You know that expression parents have when children misbehave and they are about to pull out the cane?”
She nodded.
“He had it. I thought he was going to spank her or something.” Ada chuckled. “Shame he didn’t, because I would’ve paid to watch someone throttle her ass.”
Lara burst out laughing. “That would be something to see, indeed. But I don’t know if there’s any man she couldn’t wrap around her finger.”
“Henry wasn’t taking any crap from her. He looked like he had her figured out already. She needs a man like him to keep her in line. God help him.” Ada laughed.
“Yeah, God help him if he decides to take her on. Anyway, enough about Gloria. Are you coming down for breakfast?”
“Do I have to? Breakfast is open till ten o’clock, right?”
“All right then, stay, grumpy. I’ll go and knock on Jocelyn’s door. She should be up.”
“See you later.” Ada dived back under the covers.
Lara chuckled as she grabbed her phone and bag and left the room. Jocelyn’s room was next door. She knocked and waited a few seconds before the woman opened the door dressed in a white towelling robe.
“’Morning,” she greeted. “I wondered if you’d like to come down for breakfast. Ada is still sleeping. I don’t think she’ll get out of bed before 9am unless there’s an earthquake or something.”
“Of course,” Jocelyn said with a smile. “I just got out of the shower. Give me a minute to get dressed. You can come in.”
She stepped away from the door, allowing Lara in.
“Thank you.” Lara went over to the chair and sat down.
Jocelyn grabbed a dress from the hanger and went into the bathroom, leaving the door partially open. “I spoke to Ike this morning.”
“Oh?” Lara’s heart thudded.
“He wanted to know how you’re doing.”
“He could ask me directly.”
“Of course. But he wanted to know my professional opinion. And he wanted to know how to behave so he didn’t do anything to upset your progress.”
She smiled. “And what did you say?”
“That you’ve done incredibly well. Your response to therapy continues to be positive. And I told him to be himself. The last thing you want is people tip-toeing around you.”
“Good.” Her smile widened as Jocelyn came out dressed in a maxi-length blue and black Ankara print dress. The woman always looked lovely. “You look great.”
She smiled in return and put her shoes on. “Thank you. So do you.”
“Thanks,” Lara said and headed for the door. “Come on. I want to have food in my tummy by the time Ike turns up.”
Jocelyn grabbed her key and purse and followed her. They went down to the half-full restaurant. They found a table by the window and settled down. The waiter dressed in a white shirt and black trousers took their order. They both went for the hot meals, ordering sausages and eggs with their toasted breads.
“So how do you feel this morning?” Jocelyn asked after the waiter left.
“I feel incredible. I can’t remember the last time I felt so carefree. Like I can do anything.” She felt so good, she was tempted to stand on the table and shout it out.
“This is fantastic. I’m so glad. It’s amazing the changes that happen in the brain when we let go of our fears.”
“It’s better than any drug I’ve ever had.”
“I’m so proud of you.” Jocelyn reached across and held her hand. “Enjoy the feeling and hold on to it. Remember what I said. Don’t let other people dictate how you feel about yourself. There’ll be some days when something bad will happen and you might feel like falling back on the bad habits and thinking destructively. Use the techniques you’ve learned.”
Lara nodded. “I’m going to take it one day at a time. I’m certainly going to make the most of the way I’m feeling today.”
“Good,” Jocelyn said as their food turned up.
“Thank you,” she said to the waiter who left their plates of food as well as a pot of tea.
She ate the food with relish, savouring every last morsel.
“So how do you feel about Ike coming to see you? Do you still have feelings for him?” Jocelyn asked.
“Yes. I still love him. It will be nice to see him and talk to him, but I’m not expecting anything more from him. It’s a huge thing to ask a man to love me after what’s happened.”
Jocelyn reached out and placed her hand over Lara’s. “I know how you feel. I feel the same way about myself sometimes. But we all deserve to be loved, and anyone who can’t love us isn’t meant to be with us. Ike is a good man. He might surprise you, so don’t shut him out. Okay?”
Lara blinked back tears. Sometimes, she forgot that Jocelyn had undergone something similar to what she had.
“Okay,” she said just as her phone beeped.
She picked it up from the table and read the message. Her stomach fluttered. “Ike is here.”
She typed a reply. I’m in the restaurant.
Another message beeped. Okay. I’m coming in.
“He’s coming here.” Her voice squeaked as she clutched her shaking hands on her lap. “Do you think I look okay?”
“You look great,” Jocelyn said with a chuckle.
“I feel as if I’m going on my first date.” She chuckled. “Actually, it is my first date.”
The affair with Ike five years ago had never been dating. Not really. And she’d never allowed any other man close after Malcolm. Casual hook-ups and booty calls weren’t dates.
Ike appeared in the restaurant and walked towards her. Her heart raced, her hands still trembling.
“Relax,” Jocelyn said.
She nodded and sucked in a deep breath, letting it out slowly. Feeling better, she curled her lips into a smile.
“Hi, Jocelyn. Lara,” Ike said as he stood next to their table.
He looked handsome and boyish in a blue t-shirt and dark denims and black sneakers with white so
les. He didn’t look like the boss she was used to seeing in suits.
“Ike, hi,” Jocelyn greeted with a smile as she stood. They embraced briefly and he kissed her on the cheek.
Lara stood, too, her heart still thudding hard against her chest. Ike stepped up to her and wrapped his arms around her. He felt solid and warm. Great, as she sucked in his scent. He brushed his lips against her cheeks and her skin tingled.
“You look great,” he said. “Both of you.”
“Thank you,” they both chorused as they exchanged knowing looks.
“Lara, I hope you don’t mind if we go now. I have a few things lined up for the morning.”
“Sure.” She grabbed her phone and tote.
“Be sure to bring her back in time for her flight,” Jocelyn said.
“I sure will,” he said and took Lara’s hand.
Her skin electrified from the point of contact, and the butterflies in her stomach were certainly having fun. She followed him outside. Warm sunshine greeted them as well as the chauffeur standing in front of the shiny BMW.
Ike ushered her into the back seat before getting in. The man shut the door and got into the driver’s seat.
She relaxed into the soft leather as cool air wafted around her. She remembered the last time she’d sat in the back of a car with Ike. She’d been filled with anger and resentment, but none of those feeling came to play now. Instead, her excitement and elation remained. So much had changed for her in the month since she’d started working at TI.
“Where are you taking me?” she asked, watching the scenery as the car rolled out of the gates and joined the morning Enugu traffic.
Enugu wasn’t as congested as Lagos, so the flow of pedestrians and vehicles didn’t have the same manic quality as there. A part of her missed the sedate life she’d experienced here for the year she’d lived in this place.
“It’s a surprise.” He squeezed her right hand that he still held onto. “But I’ll give you a hint. I’m taking you to somewhere I had wanted to take you to five years ago if we’d had the opportunity to date properly.”
She tried to think of places but came up blank. Having never been on a date, she couldn’t think. Ada’s dates took her to restaurants or the beach, but they couldn’t be going to eat since she’d just had breakfast. Enugu was landlocked, so there was no beach.