CHAPTER 9Taleela's POV; When I get home, it's almost three o'clock in the morning. The streets are empty except for the lights pouring out of the street lights down on the tarred roads. Our street is safe and passable anytime, so I am not scared as I walk down the avenue toward our apartment building. A cat scurries under a car, and I smile, knowing how much I would want a cat right now if not for Susan's allergy to furry objects. And as for Susan, she's probably with her newfound interest because she's not going to return home tonight. I wish her luck, though. I pray that Achilles doesn't break her heart as other dudes do. Then, I remembered a day last year. We were about to write our final exams for the sophomore. Susan was in love with her new explorer boyfriend she met at the club one night. He was everything she needed and wanted in an ideal guy. Handsome, tall, dark-skinned, charismatic, naughty, a friendly and good guy in one combo, sweet and romantic, m
Taleela's POV: "This is a nice dress, yeah?" Susan asks, twirling around in front of her mirror. I sigh and slap my forehead. "Of course it is!" I nearly yell in frustration. "This dress looks nice on you, girl. You're not the one doing the fashion show." Susan begins to sulk, and I roll my eyes. I know how crazy she is about Linda, but she needs to cut herself a fucking slack, damn. She's dressed in a short flaxen dress with a shallow back. A plunging neckline that suits her tiny breasts and cups it firmly. Her dark hair, tied in a ponytail, flops about as she moves towards her shoe rack to get one of her sneakers. Susan is a sucker for sneakers, and every footwear is a sneaker. I don't think she has heels or sandals gracing her minimalist shoe rack. When she returns to where I am sitting, she's wearing a black pair of Nike Air Force. I nod. "You picked out something nice for once," I say to her, and she rewards me with a glare. I raise my hand in surrender while
Kal's POV: It's late in the morning, and I am working on my desktop, wanting to beat the time and my schedule. I know I am meant to slow down, but I don't want to. I am not someone to be lax when there is a lot of work to do. In fact, I like to overwork myself. There's this satisfaction that comes with it. So, I type away aggressively on my keyboard. I am stopped by the constant ringing of my phone, which was beside my laptop, and which I had decided to ignore. But when it keeps ringing, I have no option but to pick. I pick up my cutting-edge phone to check the caller, and when I see it's my Aunt, I groan and lift my phone off the desk. "Hello, Aunty." I greet her as soon as I pick up. "How are you doing?" "Karanos!" She exclaims in her loud soprano. I wince and shut my eyes, waiting to hear why she called. "How's everyone?" I say. She must have forgotten in her excitement that I asked about her wellbeing. I am not surprised, though. She's such a ball of so much
Taleela's POVThe college grounds are bustling with activities, and as I walk through the gates with Susan skipping by my side like a little school girl, I am hit by the sheerness of everyone's dress-up. It seems like the whole university's participating in the fashion week because I do not understand why everyone is fucking dressed like there's a dinner party or a clubhouse close by."Ouch, I feel it!" Susan exclaims beside me, and I honestly want to gag at her enthusiasm. "The whole school is in it today!""Relax, Susan," I say to my friend. "Today will be over as soon as it begins.""But, it's going to be fun, so I am happy." She says in reply."Hi, Taleela."Susan and I twist our heads in the same direction. We both frown when we see who's it.Susan immediately moves close to me and whispers. "I thought you both weren't on good terms? How come he's greeting you?"I shrug. "I honestly have no idea. Let's just stand and hear what he has to say."In no time, a tall dude is standing
Kal's POV: I am still in the car, trying to lock my doors which have suddenly decided to be dormant. I make a mental note to take it to the mechanic once I am free with whatever I am doing. Achilles, sounding impatient calls from where he is standing behind the car. "Dude, what the hell is keeping you in there? It's about time we left the lot." I call back in an irritated voice and that's mainly because my lock is giving me issues. "Chill, man. I am trying to lock my doors. Stop sounding whiny like a kid who hasn't seen their mother in days. It's just Susanne you're meeting." "It's Susan, not Susanne." Achilles sounds like he is rolling his eyes. "Whatever." I mutter under my breath. Just then, I hear a click. "You just had to." I unlock it again before opening the passenger door and stepping out into the open air. Today is quite chilly and I can feel it at the entrance of my nostrils. I shut my door and use the remote control to lock my car door. "So, who are we w
Taleela's POV; I know that Susan has told him that I'll be returning to the bleachers which is partially true. So, I make a beeline for the faculty's digital library, hoping he doesn't follow after me. I just have a hunch that he is following after me, I can feel it in my bones and honestly, I am quite nervous. That kind of feeling you get when you're trying to hide from someone. Exciting and scary at the same time. I bump into a few of my course mates who remind me that classes have been cancelled. And smiling at them like I have no idea, I keep making my entrance into the faculty building. The library is at the top floor and without thinking twice, I make for the steps. There are chances that I would bump into Kal in this elevator. I know it's just me being nervous and all. He might not even be following after all. But, I take the steps anyway. The whole faculty is empty, save for a few people loitering about; girls trying to get their makeup and outfit rearranged
Kal's POV;She is moving quickly away from me and somehow, it is getting me pissed. At the show, I was out of concentration and that was because I was thinking all about getting to Bells and having a conversation with her. No matter how short. Linda, as usual, was excited to see me. Before she did, I caught a view of her sitting at the high table, looking all sulky. The reason was obvious to me; her parents weren't around to watch her perform and show them all she had been doing from a young age. Now, I am back at the faculty of arts, just because I want to talk to this lady. She should be grateful that I am chasing after her. Many women do not get this privileged. I have no idea what her issue is. She hasn't stopped, even after I yell her name out loud. So, I keep moving. She's already past the lobby and inside the large faculty hall. I can outrun her if I want to, but that would be showing that I am really desperate which is not good for my reputation. Women come to m
Taleela's POV: I watch him leave the library through the doors, smiling in accomplishment. I'm sure he must feel really fulfilled right now. At least he's gone, more space for me to do whatever I want to do. I sigh in relief when the doors shut, and as I am about to turn away, I hear Cora laugh fondly behind me and turn to give her an unimpressed look. She shrugs, takes a bite out of her burger, and downs it with her cup of peppermint mocha before she speaks. "He looks quite interested in you. And he's also good-looking. What would make you turn such a hottie down?" "It's a long story, Cora. I just don't want to have anything to do with him. I have an idea that he is virile and all that, but he should know when to stop. I already told him from the onset that I am not interested in whatever he wants us both to be." Cora is smiling as I speak, and I want to pull at my hair and yell. Why does no one want to understand me? Why can't they see beyond Kal's attractiveness? It
Taleela's POVIn the evening, Karanos proposed to me; I wasn't expecting it. I had just been coming down the stairs for dinner when I found him down on one knee with a plush red box that was open and had a diamond ring sitting on it.I had nearly toppled down the stairs when I saw him in that position, and it had him bounding up the stairs in sheer panic.We had both erupted into laughter, and I had kissed and kissed and kissed him, bursting into tears as he took a second kneel before me.It's a memory I will never forget in a rush. The slow sex we had after his proposal, how he handled me gently, how he made me feel like the most special woman in the world.For the first time in my life, I felt a rush of love I had never felt for so many people.We had kept the marriage proposal secret, but somehow, Susan had spread the news across to everyone in her family and also Kal's family. What shocked me the most was how Achilles, Susan, and Karanos' mother conspired to plan a joint wedding.
Susan's POVI ask, fully dressed, but Achilles seems to have difficulty buttoning up his shirt. Frowning, I walk toward where he's standing and help him to button his shirt up."Why are you suddenly shaky?" I ask.Achilles shakes his head, and a lock of his hair falls on his forehead. I push his hair back to its normal position and kiss his lip before leaning back to look at my beautiful husband.He's dressed in a dark shirt, and slacks cling to his long powerful legs. It's not tucked in. Just the way I like it. Patting his chest, I kiss him again."You're nervous, babe," I say to him. "I can see that you are."Achilles sighs and picks up his perfume bottle from the vanity table behind me. "Yes, I am. What if your mother threatens me and decides to send me off without you? What if she dislikes me? What if—"But I place a hand on his lip to shut him up. "Shh. It's okay, Achilles. My mother isn't going to do anything funny. Yes, she might be strict and all that. I think she'll like you
Jemmah's POVThree days later.Greece.I don't know why Karanos wants us to drive to his parent's home. I already told him I'm feeling quite sick, but he's bent on doing what he wants."Can we stop by the hospital before seeing your parents, babe?" I ask as we almost get to the city clinic.The flight we took last night messed with my rhythm, making me highly uncomfortable.Karanos sighs and finally agrees. As he turns at the intersection, he says, "Baby, we all know it's your pregnancy and nothing else. We even got a book to guide us through your trimesters. Isn't that enough? My mum doesn't like latecomers,"I frown at him. "Mummy's boy?"I notice Kal's jaw shift. I know he's trying to react calmly to what I just said. Since my pregnancy, he has been considerate, and I find it weird."Babe, you know that's not true. I love my mother, but I don't suck up to her,""But you sure look like you're doing so!" I say to him,Karanos visibly blows out a breath. "No, I am not! That's how we a
Jemmah's POVThree months laterWell, I got pregnant!Isn't that good news?At first, I didn't think it was. I wasn't ready for a baby, and I didn't plan for it.I didn't see myself pregnant this year. I had never really given having a baby thought, and I was pretty disoriented when the doctor told me I was pregnant.Karanos was in the country for a three-month vacation and a company merger. So, he was running around and setting things up while I relaxed. He didn't want me stressed out.I told him a week later while we were on a date. I knew it wasn't the perfect timing, and I hadn't crested one, so I thought informing him on a date would spice things up since he was in a happy mood.Well, it spiced things up. Kal leaped to his feet and kicked his chair back as he walked towards my seat. He lifted me and twirled me around. He was thrilled, but I wasn't quite sure I was.Okay, here's the thing.I was just so confused about the pregnancy thing, and I wanted to burst into tears, but Kal
Taleela's POVThere's a party tonight, and Karanos has forced me to come to Greece. Anyway, it's not something I'd be stubborn about because I want to be there while he celebrates his partnership with us.That's what his father wants, and Karanos has to do it for him. The man is sick and needs some requests to be granted.Susan already called hours ago to tell me the dress code. It was annoying because I had already prepared a dress to wear tonight, and Susan was calling to tell me that Linda had already picked a dress code for the party.Well, it's no problem because I have already ordered a new dress that'll be delivered in hours at Susan's apartment. I'll be going to the airport with nothing but my purse and a few clothes to stay in over the weekend.I miss Karanos. It's just been a week, but it feels like years.On the morning after the night I had gotten drunk, Tobias pulled out from the deal, and I asked Nikolai to put assigning the contract to anyone on hold because I already h
Taleela's POVHe picks up.Wherever he is, there is a flurry of activities, but he still picks up anyway. That's a good thing. I hope he listens to me because I am extraordinarily drunk and about to pass out."Jemmah," His voice comes. Soft and filled with so much worry."Kal," I say, and my voice breaks. "Kal, photos of me in the strip club back in Greece got released on the internet," Then I begin to sob."Jemmah, I need you to stay calm for me, okay?" He says. "I'll be at your apartment in less than an hour,""But you're in Greece," I choke back tears. "How will you get here in less than an hour?""Don't worry, my love. I'll be there in no time. Don't drink more than what you already have consumed, okay?"I nod. "Yes," Even if I know I will drink till I pass out.When he ends the call, I take another swig from the bottle before leaning back into my couch and thinking about how my life is already a mess within a week of Karanos not being in my life. I have to admit, but he brings s
Taleela's POVI'm scrolling through the internet, and all that fills my news feed are pictures of me and Karanos and headlines talking about our breakup and how it affected our business relationship. Even discussions about the deal being called off.How the hell did these people know about all this? Did Karanos tell them in a press conference or something?Shaking my head, I know that Karanos is not that type of person. He's primarily private, apart from the unfortunate pictures taken by the paparazzi and some ladies that want to leech off him.I lean away from the back seat and tap my driver's shoulder. He turns for a bit. We're almost at the intersection, so I must tell him quickly."Can you take the longer route? We're going to enter my apartment from the back," I say. "The paparazzi will be waiting for me,""Okay, ma'am." The driver says and immediately swerves into the other intersection that leads to the longer route.When we get to my apartment, many reporters are standing in f
Karanos' POV"Jemmah, listen to me," I say as I follow her out of the beach house. We haven't even been here for half a week, and all this is happening. I feel so frustrated and aggravated at myself.But Jemmah doesn't even give me listening ears. She hikes her tote bag higher and continues to drive her luggage toward the door. Pulling the door with all her might, she steps out and nearly swings it shut in my face, but I am quick to hold the gate and follow her outside.She already booked a ride about an hour ago, and the driver is already here with his car purring. As soon as he sees her, he climbs out of his car and takes her luggage from her. Jemmah steps into the back of the car while she waits for the driver to place her stuff in the trunk.She doesn't spare me a glance throughout the ordeal. Her jaw is set, and I see that she's trying so hard not to break down.I climb down the porch steps when I see the driver wasting a bit of time in the trunk and go over to the side of the wi
Jemmah's POV"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to," Karanos says, his voice thick with emotions. "I wish I could make all this stop. You're hurt. You're crying."I jolt awake at the sound of his cries. Looking out of our window momentarily, I see that it's still midnight. Looking back at Karanos lying on the bed, I notice he's sweating a lot, even under the air conditioning.He's having a nightmare.So I move close enough till my skin touches his, and I gather him in my arms. As soon as he feels me close, his arms wrap around me, and he buries his head in my chest.He keeps talking and even starts to sob, making me confused. Why is he having nightmares? What did he experience in the past?But I don't ask him all that. I am more concerned about his well-being, so I wrap my legs around his lean waist, placing my chin on his head while I rock him comfortingly."You'll be fine, baby. You'll be fine," I say in my most quiet voice. "It's just a dream, and you'll wake up soon. I love you so much, Ka