Page 28 of Always Been You
“Hello?” she mumbles.
“Shit, sorry. I was in such a hurry to talk to someone, I didn’t realize how late it was.”
She yawns, and I can almost picture her stretching. “It’s fine. I needed to be awake anyway. Work’s been piling up, and I have to prep some news items. Go on.”
“Okay…” I trail off, taking a deep breath before diving in. I narrate the entire night, leaving out only the conversation in the car about Eddie’s grandfather. Some things feel too private, even for Dzifa.
When I’m done, there’s silence on the other end, followed by her sharp intake of breath.
“Wait a minute,” she says, her tone suddenly awake. “Let me get this straight. You mean to tell me that the guy you slept with was someone you knew? Not only that, but you signed a document without knowing what the hell it was?”
I chuckle despite myself. “Was that what you got from the whole thing? Did I stutter?”
“No, you didn’t stutter,” she snaps, still incredulous. “Lawliss Dua! I thought you were calculative, but you sound absolutely dumb when it comes to him.”
I roll my eyes, walk into my bedroom, and kick off my shoes. “How was I supposed to know he’d be coming back to a place he hadn’t set foot in for over a decade? Besides, Eddie never did anything to hurt me in the past. He always defended me and spoke up for me.”
Dzifa doesn’t respond immediately, but I can feel her hesitation. Finally, she asks, “But didn’t you say he gives off… dark vibes now?”
“Of course there are changes in him,” I admit, pulling off my earrings and setting them on the vanity. “He’s not smiling as much as he used to. A smile used to be his trademark. Now it’s… gone. But I understand. Losing your parents does that to you.”
“Losing your parents does take your smile away,” she mumbles, almost to herself. Her quiet tone catches me off guard. My chest tightens with the realization that she knows this pain all too well. Dzifa lost her father too. For a moment, neither of us says anything, the silence stretching between us like a bridge built on shared grief.
“Lawliss,” she says finally, her voice firmer now, “what are you going to do?”
I don’t answer right away. My gaze shifts to the rain outside, the faint sound of droplets against the window a backdrop to my thoughts. A reminder of the rain in Florida. What am I going to do?
For the first time in a long time, I don’t know.
A knock at the door jolts me out of my reverie. My pulse quickens. I know who it is before I even stand. I hang up the call without another word to Dzifa, crossing the room to open the door. Eddie stands there, his blue eyes locked on mine with an intensity that sends a shiver down my spine.
Chapter Thirteen
Eddie
“I forgot to say something,” I say simply, my voice low, leaning against the door.
Her eyes lift to mine, wide and questioning. “What?” she asks, her voice barely above a whisper.
I take a step closer, unable to look away from her. “I wanted to say thank you for earlier.”
My grandfather has a way with words. Ever since he found out about my plan for revenge, he’s been on a mission to stop me—not physically though. He’s clever like that. He started small, trying to talk me out of it, throwing around words like “let the law of nature handle it” and “doing the right thing,” as if those still meant anything to me. When he saw that wasn’t working, he dug deeper. He tried to get inside my head. He brought up my parents. Not just their death, but them. What they would’ve wanted. Who they would’ve wanted me to be. It’s been his favorite weapon ever since. He hasn’t stopped. He’s been relentless and unyielding.
Lawliss doesn’t know about any of that. She doesn’t know what’s coiled inside me, what I’m carrying, or how close I’ve come to unraveling under the weight of it all. But earlier, she stood up for me anyway. Defended me without hesitation, without needing an explanation, as if I were someone worth standing up for. The thought twists in my chest because I’m no longer the same person she knew.
I had deliberated going upstairs to my room or going to see her. After everything, after I’ve calmed down, all I can think about is her. The way she looks at me. She thinks I don’t see it but I do. She stole several glances at me today when she thought no one was watching and there’s also the unspoken attraction between us she tries to deny. God, I want to kiss her, if only to lose myself in her for just a second, to let her pull me out of the dark place I’ve been clawing through. She grips the edge of the door, trying to steady herself. I can see it in the way her shoulders shift and how her gaze flickers between cautious and curious.
“You came back to thank me?”
I nod, “Yeah. My grandfather tends to say stuff, but he means well.” I rake a hand through my hair.
“I’m grateful you spoke up for me,” I add. Her throat bobs as she swallows hard. She’s gripping the edge of the door like it’s the only thing keeping her upright. She doesn’t step away from me, though. Not really. It’s like she’s torn between bracing for a fight and letting me in.
“It’s fine, Eddie.” She settles on and tries to close the door but I don’t move. Instead, I step inside her house. She sighs and she steps back, her movements instinctive but not unwelcoming. She gives me space, but I close the distance between us, stopping right before her. From this close, I can see the faint rise and fall of her chest and hear the quickened rhythm of her breathing.
“You have a cool place,” I say, softer, almost a whisper. Her house mirrors mine reversely. So where everything is of a darker theme at my place, hers is a minimalist shade of shadow and light, yet striking. It’s just so like her.
“Thanks,” she whispers.
