Novel-novel oleh Nenu

LEAHYou could always trust Francis to pick out the perfect dress, and shoes for any event. I stared at my reflection in the mirror, admiring my waistline.The dress Francis had picked flowed to the ground, but it had a bare back. Just a few stripes were tied to form a bow at the waistline.I applied the last touch of makeup, and sprayed my hair.“Should I leave it down, or take it up?” I asked myself in a low tone,After much consideration, I decided to leave it the way it had already been-down.As I walked down from the stairs, I was met with Francis who was already prepared, and ready to leave.“Are you done?” He asked,“Yeah,” I replied, hurrying towards him.“You know there's no rush, right? If you're not comfortable with this, you can just cancel.” I nodded. I knew quite well, but I'd be damned if I said I hadn't been waking up every morning for the past six months, waiting for when I could destroy that motherfucker. He held my hand, and led me through the doors.Soon enough,

LEAHFrancis came down a few minutes later. His outfit had been switched from a pair of suit to a black pair of joggers, and a white shirt. His hair was rumpled, and wet.“You're done with your meal,” he said walking past me.I was about to reply when I felt a belch come up. “I am. Can I get some water?”“Sure,” he replied,He returned less than a minute later with the bottle.He sat on the chair adjacent to mine. I recalled my bare thighs, and pushed my gown down.“Drew wants to have a talk with you,” he started to say.“Oh, okay. When exactly?”“He said he wants it done today, but I don't think that's a great idea. You're just recovering from something tragic. I think you need time to actually recover before you start planning the next move or course of action.”“I don't mind. It's not too soon.”“Are you sure?”“ A hundred percent.”I saw the hesitation in his stiffness, but he didn't argue. “Sure, I'll tell him to set up a time and venue for you to meet.”“You won't be there?”“D

LEAHFrancis kept looking out the window. I followed his trail, and although I couldn't see the girl anywhere in sight, I knew he was looking somewhere at her. His eyes were on her food truck.I didn't want to interrupt the moment so I sat still.His hands moved to the key, but his eyes were still on her.“You can go talk to her, I'll wait.” I voiced out,He turned to me, “No, it's alright.” He replied, igniting the engine.“Are you sure?” I pressed forward, but he only nodded, and offered a partial smile. I let it be.“How did you find this food truck? It's basically in the middle of nowhere.”Francis chuckled, “what are you saying? This is the heart of town.”“I guess, but I can't understand why you'd step down from your car to buy food from a food truck. Tell me, how hungry were you?”“Can I tell you something?” He asked, stepping gently on the break.“Yes, sure.”“I wasn't hungry at all.”“Oh. Why then did you stop there?”“Her hair.”“Huh?”“She had dyed her hair a burgundy color

LEAH“...and that's the end of my story.” I completed,Francis did not say a word but from the look on his face, I could tell he was contemplating murder.“Kate…is she the one who was your chief bridesmaid at the wedding?” He asked,I nodded.“The one with dark hair, and I think hazel eyes?”“Yeah…”“Okay. Wow. That was a plot twist.” He exhaled,Even I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't lived the story.“Well, that's just how life is. The unexpected always happens.”“Yeah. Look, I'm sorry about all these things that have happened to you. Lucas is one hell of a bastard, and for your ex best friend, I have no words. None.”“I guess I've gotten over it. For her. I mean, she did make a way for me to escape that place, especially after the many death threats by Lucas.” I continued,Francis leaned back on the chair. I watched him stare into space for a while.“I need to get you to a better place. Somewhere you can stay for a while.”I shook my head, “I don't want to be out just yet. I d

LEAHI woke up to the sound of different movements around. Slowly, I wiped my eyes as I tried to look around. Here, it was impossible to tell what time of the day it was.“You're awake, that's good.” Drew's voice pulled my attention,I turned to find him walking in with two cups of coffee in hand. “I was scared you'd sleep into oblivion.” He said, handing one over to me.He was in a black pajamas, so was it still night time? But he had commented on me sleeping for too long…“What's the time?” I asked,“Check your phone.” I cleared my throat, “I-I-don’t have one.”He took a sip of his drink. I had expected him to react, but he didn't seem surprised. “When did you misplace it?”Oh no. He had misunderstood me. “I didn't misplace it. I don't have any. I've not had a phone for a while…”He took another long sip of his drink. “Take your cocoa before it cools down.”I picked up the drink.“Francis is coming over, probably by noon, to check on you. Are you alright with that?”I wasn't. Fr

LEAH“His eldest brother to be precise,” he added.Drew Mountains. First of the many sons born to Andrew Mountains. The meanest, most ruthless, and strictest. Straight A student throughout highschool, and college. His parents never had to bribe their way throughout his academics, or so we were told. He was born with an iron fist. He never partied, was never found lacking, and was his father's right hand. He took interest in the family's business from such a young age. He was the definition of a perfect son. It explained why I couldn't recognize him instantly. I had never truly known him. We only met at important dinners, and rather than entertain girls like me, he had entertained men. Moreover, we had a very large age gap. Ten years, I think, if not more. We never had the same friend circle, or any circle for that matter.“I know you,” I finally let out.“I had to make an introduction though,” he replied, pouring himself a glass of wine. He didn't seem impressed with that.It was sur

EMMAAs I approached Isabella, she eventually paused then turned around. I watched as she crossed her arms across her chest, “what do you want?” She asked ,with a sneer.“I want to talk,”She chuckled. “You want to talk. After years of ruining my marriage, you want us to talk? What do you want to talk about?” She spat,I pleaded an arm forward. “Please, just calm down. I have left Alex, haven't I?” She hissed, “We know you only left my husband because you found another site to dig your gold.” I sighed, “you have every right to be mad at me, and to have awful thoughts about me.” I continued, she only glared harder, “I just want you to know that I am sorry. I truly am. I have wronged you in many different ways-”“And you'll do it again.” She cut in.I sighed deeply, “no, I won't. I won't do it again, because I'm sorry. I have left Alex.”“Oh, no no no. You can have him. Gone are the days when I wanted him. You can fucking have him. I'm done with him.”I sighed, “fine. For what it's wo

EMMA I stared at him in shock. He couldn't be serious, could he?“What do you mean?” I asked, confused.“I already knew.” He repeated,He had a sly smile on his lips. I was too stunned to speak. Could this be a dream? A crazy dream. I blinked twice.How could my mother tell him, and not tell me.He saw the confusion on my face, and began to speak, “I know you're confused, but let me explain. Your mother and I already talked about you before you arrived at manhattan.” He explained, “she always complained about you and Alex and how she wished you would always leave him. When I met you at first, I didn't know you were her daughter, but as time passed, I found out.”“Why didn't you say anything?”“You said you weren't ready to talk about it and I didn't want to force you.”I don't know what to say, “I-I…if you knew, why did you still stay with me?”“I met, and studied you. I realized you were more than just a silly affair. Emma, your affair went viral, there's barely anyone who doesn't

ISABELLAI watched as Chris's face bent into a frown. I expected him to stand up to Alex, and claim his position, but either he was too chicken or just knew his place, so he stepped back. Alex stood before me, and I ensured I had anything but the slightest of smiles on my face.I watched as he skimmed me from head to toe. “You look…stunning,” he said,I couldn't remember the last time he had looked at me like that, or even looked at me at all.“Are we going to dance, or will you keep gawking at me?” I asked, raising a brow.He took a step back, “let's dance,” he said, stretching forth his hands. I took it, and followed him to the dance floor.The song chosen was a slow, and soulful one. We danced rhythmically, with his hands on my waist, and mine on his shoulders.I took a whiff of bus perfume, and my knees weakened. Alex never played with scent, and that was one of his most attractive attributes. The dance continued, and I silently searched for El through the crowds. It was hard t

ISABELLA A knock pounded on my door. I knew it could be no one else but him.“Come in,” I said, applying the final touches to my makeup. I knew he wasn't aware that I had changed my mind and would be attending.I listened as the door opened, and he stepped in.“You're coming,” he simply stated,“Yes.” I replied, dropping my lipstick. I stared at my reflection in the mirror, “do you have a problem with that?” I asked, facing him.“No,” he replied, but I could clearly hear the tension in his voice.“What? You don't like that I'll be able to see you stalking her?” I wanted to ask, but I suppressed it. Talking about Emma had gotten me nowhere. It was time to play fair.I picked up my bag. “Can we go now?” I asked,I watched as his eyes fell on my legs. My dress wasn't exactly short, but it held my curves accentuating my look. The dress had an open back, and thin arms, giving way for me to show off my toned skin. My hair was down to my shoulders, and I had red lipstick on.I watched as h

EMMA.The burial was done soon enough, and I wanted nothing more than to return home. New York just felt like the place where all bad things happened to me. I didn't want to return here.I silently remembered Kate and Faith. Both had been unable to make it for the burial, and although I wanted to be infuriated, I knew I couldn't blame them. Faith was in the last month of her trimester, and her husband had informed me she was due at any date. I couldn't risk her losing the baby due to a heart attack from such a news, so we kept it away from her.Kate on the other hand had relocated out of the country with her husband. I was wise enough to know the expenses for returning back were too much. She could repay her respects later on.God, how did we get separated so soon? I always thought we would all grow old together. I sighed. Truly, Kristina had left all she owned in my care, and I didn't know what to do with it. I wasn't sure I wanted to sell the house just yet, but I didn't know what

EMMAAfter days of trial and error, we had finally been able to get Kristina laid to rest. I had thought that by now, I would have left the denial stage, but that was a lie. I was still in denial as much as ever. My mind just couldn't grasp her not being alive and with me. It made no sense.I crossed my arms across my chest as the priest read from the bible. I looked around. Not even one of her family members had made an attempt at attending. Samuel had offered to invite his family to stand in, and luckily, they all did. I was eternally grateful for that.I looked around. The only person that wasn't seated was Samuel's mother. She had excused herself minutes ago.I sniffed, trying to push back the tears that had been formed in my eyes.What would happen to our dreams of growing old together? They were all just…gone! Just like that! Everything we had budgeted.Samuel held my hands tight. He hasn't known Kristina for the longest time, but even he knew how kind of a person she was. If o

The ride home was extremely quiet. Ryan had come back for her three hours after he had left, and they were finally getting to head home by 3:39. Who knew she would still have to meet other family members even after their casino stuff? She huffed her anger out her nose. "Is all well?" "No." She grunted. The silence took its course. She folded her arms across her chest. "What's wrong?" He asked, placing his hand over hers. She flinched a bit, before regaining herself. How could she explain that she wanted to be alone? Her head was running at three hundred and thirty metres per second. She needed to soothe and calm herself. She was angry, frustrated, sad and mad at herself. Why was it so hard for her to find a peaceful ground? What would it take for her to live a normal life? She was finally getting her life back on track. She had forgotten Anthony and his nuisance. She had her best friend and this amazing guy with her. And all of a sudden, every

"Baby, are you okay?" Ryan asked, placing an arm on her shoulder. She clamped her fingers together, trying to force a smile. "Yes, I am." She replied, turning to him. Her lips spread. "Coleman" Anthony called out, digging into his meal. Sandra looked at her table to find out that a plate was before her. When did that happen? "Mavens." Ryan greeted. "Do you have any intention of introducing me to her?" He asked. Ryan smiled. "baby,meet one of my many brothers. Anthony Mavens" Sandra's frown grew deeper. He was pretending not to know her. Ignoring all they had shared. The same way he had dumped her before. "It's a pleasure meeting you." Anthony said to her with a grin. He stretched out his hand. She stabbed the meal before her. "Same" she replied with a wide smile. She searched his eyes. He really seemed not to recognize her. She stared deeper into his eyes and no flick of recognition passed by. Reluctantly,she sighed. She turned

The long awaited weekend had finally arrived, and Sandra was sitting peacefully like the passenger princess that she was. Earlier that day, she had completed the low cut dress she intended on wearing to the dinner. Adjustments had been easy to make. The makeup artist she had booked arrived ten minutes earlier than expected, and luckily, they had gotten everything done at least five minutes before Ryan arrived. He had arrived in a black tux with his hair gelled backwards. It gave his face a more defined shape. His tattoos all covered up made him seem so innocent. His doe eyes took the form of a bunny's. She could see fear, panic and excitement behind the walls of his beautiful eyes. How important was the dinner to him? She smiled lightly as she recalled his reaction to her present look. He hadn't gasped or gushed, but his eyes had held her body longer than she expected. "Why are you smiling?" Ryan asked. She turned to him, quietly placing her palm on his thigh. She felt

The door slammed in her face as soon as Tanya left the room. Sandra, feeling choked by the repercussions of her actions retreated slowly into the vacant chair her friend had just occupied. Her heart seemed to have sank to her stomach. She clenched it tightly, hoping to hold herself in place. She hadn't really meant what she said. She hadn't. Tanya wasn't a monster. She wasn't a saint either, but she was far from a monster. She sighed. In a way,she was right. Tanya was hurting these men and their families. Innocent people who had done nothing to deserve the sour plate of injustice she had dished for them. But was the truth worth her friendship? She collapsed further into the chair. Tanya was the only person she could ever run to whenever she was in trouble. Tan was her backbone. Her hope. Her candle in the midst of the darkness. Her doorbell rang, capturing her attention. Her nerves grew alert as she quickly rose to her feet. She quietly tiptoed to the door, avoiding any s

She looked around the room, searching the environment. The woman sitting on the other side of the table seemed to have her lips moving but Sandra's head was spinning too fast for her to grasp what was being said. Her lips quivered and she quickly covered them up with both her hands. She was sure her eyes would be reddened. The tears were already at the brim of breaking off. "I'm so sorry, my dear," A voice said, as she felt a palm resting on her shoulder. She looked to find out it belonged to the woman at the other edge of the table. "Get your hands off me." She growled, glaring at her. The woman, with fear in her eyes, quickly retreated as she tightened the grip on her baby. "I was only trying to help" She defended. A snarl escaped Sandra's insides. She couldn't understand why she was mad at the woman. Heck, she should be grateful that the woman just saved her from such a blatant liar like him. Her shoulders fell even harder as she tried to process her t

"Hi," Sandra greeted, wrapping her arms around him. He enveloped her and she took a whiff of his cologne. Gosh, he smelt nice! "I love your cologne," she complimented, pulling away from him. "thank you. How are you?" He asked, holding her left hand. She felt her cheeks flush a bit. "I'm okay. A bit flushed and stressed." "Why?" He asked, scanning her face. She smiled as she noticed his eyes trailing her out look. "I just finished my workout and the heat did not make it all too bearable. " "I understand that," he replied, pushing off the strand of hair that covered her face. She flinched back, pushing the hair to its original position. His brow creased in confusion. "You look good." He complemented. She forced out a smile, knowing he was feeling rejected by her actions. "The cargo and top go together. Blue is a really nice color," he continued. It was the first time in months where she wasn't wearing a crop top, sweater