ONE WEEK LATER
ANGEL'S POV
"BANG"
"Ow, that's no way to greet your friend"
"You're not my friend" I grit out with angry tears
"Okay, fair point. I know we ended on bad term--" I cut him off "now isn't the time, smarty pants"
You might be wondering who I was cornering this early morning. Yeah you guessed right, it's Chris.
You're surprised right, I was surprised also when I found him lurking around my house area when I was on my morning run and I just knew I had to settle out scores today so here we are because he sure has the nerve to be tailing me after the stunt he pulled a week ago and now Samuel isn't picking my calls
"Okay fine, I agree but you have to calm down" He smirks "breathe in, breathe out. In, out."
"Shut up, you rubber duck" I fire back at him feeling so angry that I wish I could just crack his head open but I couldn't
"WHAT?!, you're a weirdo"
"None of ya business, why'd you do it?"
He makes an innocent face " why'd I do what? "
" Don't play dumb with me you rubber duck"
" The heck?, you need to stop calling me that"
Gripping his shirt tight, I demand " answer me, you dip shit dummy headed fool. Why'd. You. Do. It? " His mouth hangs open in shock as he just stares at me
" No response"
Outraged, I punched him squarely on the jaw, grabbed by his collar and shook him like my life depended on it. I asked him again " Why'd. You. Do. That? "
He grunts in pain and forcibly removes my hand from his collar "He had to know sooner or later, don't you think?. Since you were hesitant and taking your sweet time, I decided to lend you a hand"
" Who'd you think you are to determine or even influence what goes on in my life" I ask feeling bewildered
" Someone that cares about you, someone who loves y--"
" Shut your mouth, we both know you don't" I cut his lie short
" How?, you know I still want you"
Feeling angered, hurt and confused, he thinks he can say a few words and I'd believe him?, he must be joking
"Oh please spare me the lies. You don't feel anything for me even if you do then we both know it's just sexual attraction not LOVE. Because you do not hit a loved one, you do not introduce the love of your life to drugs and substance abuse". I pause feeling the need to take a deep breath before continuing as I feel my eyes start to water. I guess this is the closure I needed, I wonder how proud Success would be if she saw me standing up for myself right now. I continue "You do not force your loved ones to do things they'd rather not do and more importantly, you'd never betray a loved one cause rather than betraying a loved one, most people would choose a different choice. So tell me in which of the following ways that I listed have you ever shown me love?". Instead of answering, he looks at me in shock probably thinking I was out of it but I was part caring at his point.
He raises his hand towards my face thinking he was gonna hit me, I flinch but I still keep my gaze firm and strong. I was surprised when he wiped my tears and not wanting to hit me afterwards cause that isn't too much for him to do, I slap his hand away from my face and I keep my gaze pinned on him. I poke him in the chest and tell him after stubbornly wiping my tears myself "Anytime you try something like that again, you wouldn't like what would happen" I turn to leave but his hoarse voice stops me
"I really caused you a lot of pain, didn't I?"
" Why bother asking when you know the answer to your question? "
" I just want to let you know that I'm sorry, I regret it. I really do and I want you back "
Heh, keep dreaming " I don't need your apology and you can't have me. Have a nice life, let's not meet again please " And I finally get to walk out on him. Falling into steps with the people walking in front, I finally finish my morning run and made my way back home.
As I got home, I went straight to shower. I thought I was going to have a meltdown in the bathroom but I didn't oh I'm proud of myself
I sprawled across my bed, a queen surveying her kingdom of messy sheets and scattered clothes. The ceiling above seemed to be taunting me, its blandness a personal challenge. I accepted, naturally.
"Bring it on, ceiling," I muttered, wiggling my toes in defiance. "I'll stare you down until you get interesting." My gaze narrowed, as if daring the ceiling to suddenly sprout a mural or a fancy chandelier. It didn't
The room, of course, remained stubbornly uncooperative. The clock on my nightstand ticked away with maddening slowness, each passing second a reminder that I was stuck in this limbo. Not quite living, not quite... well, not quite anything, really. I mean he said he wasn't gonna leave me but guess who's been ignoring my calls for a week now?
I let out a dismissive snort. Who needed direction or purpose when you could spend your days perfecting the art of doing absolutely nothing? I was like a Zen master, minus the Zen. And the master part. I even started dancing classes last week and surprisingly I've been doing well, I don't trip over my own feet as much as I did when I just started
My stomach growled, interrupting my impressive display of apathy. I tossed off the covers and swung my legs over the side of the bed, my feet dangling in the air like I was preparing for liftoff. Maybe I was. Maybe I'd just float away and leave this whole mess behind.
Yeah, right. Like that was happening.
I stood up, stretching my arms over my head in a languid arc. Time to find something to eat. Or maybe just stare out the window for a bit. The world outside was always so... fascinating. Not.
I finally mustered the strength to stand up my bed and look for something to eat before I die of starvation
I wandered into the kitchen, my stomach growling with anticipation. Time to fuel up for another exciting afternoon of doing absolutely nothing. I opened the fridge, scanning the shelves for inspiration. Leftovers from last night's pizza party aka me eating an entire pizza by myself? Nope. A sad, wilted lettuce that had seen better days? Definitely.....Not
That's when I spotted the rice, sitting patiently in its container like the reliable friend it was. Jollof rice, here I come!
I began by rummaging through the cabinets, searching for the perfect pot. You know, the one that wouldn't burn the rice to a crisp or stick to the bottom like glue. Even if loved when it does that, it was too much of a hassle to wash after eating. I finally found it, nestled between a pale looking pot and a saucepan, looking all smug and non-stick.
Next, I cracked open the rice container and poured the perfect amount into the pot. Not too much, not too little – just the right amount to fill my belly and maybe, just maybe, leave some leftovers for later aka me eating them in one sitting
I rinse the rice, 3 times and after I make sure the water is clear, I pour it into a sieve
Now, the fun part: adding the magic ingredients. I reached for the tomato paste, that sweet, sweet nectar that gives jollof rice its signature flavor. I added a dash of this, a pinch of that, and a whole lot of salt because, let's be real, salt makes everything better!
With my pot filled with the promise of a delicious meal, I put it on the stovetop and turned the dial to "medium-hot-ish." Because, you know, precision is overrated and then I poured the rice into the pot when I saw that it was already boiling.
As the rice began to cook, the aroma wafting from the pot was like a warm hug for my stomach. It whispered sweet nothings like, "Don't worry, Angel, lunch is on its way" And, "You're going to devour me in 2.5 seconds, aren't you?"
The answer, of course, was a resounding yes. Who am I to deny a very delicious looking meal even if it's still cooking it's dying wish ? I was a nobody so I have to fulfill it's wish...which I absolutely did
SOMETIME LATER
Finally!!
I sat down at the table, the steaming hot jollof rice in front of me like a prize. I took my first bite, and the flavors danced on my tongue like they were performing a choreographed routine. It was perfect.
Just as I was about to take another bite, my phone buzzed, shrill and insistent. I glanced at the screen, and my heart skipped a beat. Samuel. Finally. He finally called me back
I'd been trying to reach him for days, but he'd been dodging my calls like they were annoying little mosquitoes. I'd started to worry that he'd decided to trade me in for a newer model – one that didn't come with so much attitude and sass. Not so fast
But now, here he was, calling me like nothing was wrong. I picked up, trying to sound casual despite the fact that my heart was racing like a cheetah on Red Bull.
"Hey," I said, attempting to sound nonchalant.
"Hey," Samuel replied, his deep voice sending a shiver down my spine. "Sorry I haven't been returning your calls. I've been... busy."
Busy? Busy was code for "I've been avoiding you," but I decided to let it slide. For now though. He can't avoid me later anyways
"Oh, no worries," I said, waving my hand in the air even though he couldn't see me. "I've just been sitting here, twiddling my thumbs, waiting for your call."
Samuel chuckled, and I felt a flutter in my chest. Maybe, just maybe, he wasn't going to leave me after all. Even if he wants to leave, I'd never let him..
Samuel's voice cut through my musings, his tone light and inviting. "Hey, I've got a meeting wrapping up soon. Want to come by the office and grab lunch with me?"
I raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "The office" meant his family's company, the one he'd inherited from his father. Yeah, the one that was basically forced on him. I'd never been there before, and a part of me was curious to see Samuel in his CEO mode.
I smiled, feeling a flutter in my chest. "The office, huh? You mean, like, the fancy CEO lair?"
Samuel chuckled. "Something like that. But don't worry, I promise not to make you sit through a PowerPoint presentation."
I laughed. "Good, because I don't think my brain could handle that much excitement."
Samuel's tone turned teasing. "So, you're saying you'd rather be bored out of your mind with me than have a thrilling time alone?"
I playfully rolled my eyes. "Well, when you put it that way... yeah, I guess I'd rather be bored with you."
Samuel's voice dropped to a low, flirtatious tone. "I'll take that as a compliment."
My heart skipped a beat as I imagined him smiling on the other end of the line. "You should," I said, trying to sound casual despite the butterflies in my stomach.
We chatted for a few more minutes, making plans for lunch and joking around. As we wrapped up the call, Samuel's voice turned serious.
"Hey, Angel?"
"Yeah?" I answer cautiously
"I'm really looking forward to seeing you today. I've missed hanging out with you"
My heart fluttered again. And I smiled feeling warm all over. "Me too, Samuel. See you soon"