SIX

Diane raised her hand and struck him across his face. The impact of the slap made Nicholas whip his head to the other side. Ashley and Jenny jumped from their seats and hurried towards him.

“Don’t you dare ask me where we are coming from?!” Diane yelled. She held his shirt and pulled him roughly. Malvika and Natasha tried to hold her and pull her back but she shoved them aside roughly. “You really want to know?! You really want to know where we are coming from?!” She yelled, tears rolling down her eyes.

“Hey!” Ashley said, attempting to shove her. “Get away from him!”

“Stay out of this!” Diane barked and Ashley flinched, steeping back in shock and fright.

Nicholas held Diane’s wrist. “What is wrong with you?” he yelled.

“Well, why you were having fun with Ashley, I was busy watching my father have an heart attack. While you were having fun, I was dealing with the impact of watching my father die without been able to do anything!” Diane yelled.

Nicholas gave Ashley a questioning look but she quickly averted her eyes.

“And so what?” Jenny questioned, taking a step forward. “How is that any of Nicholas’ business? He is not responsible for you neither is he responsible for your father’s death. Why should he care about what you are feeling?”

Diane’s lips twisted in a lopsided , bitter yet sacarstic smile. “Really?” She let go of Nicholas’ shirt. “Okay.” She turned and walked away.

Malvika and Natasha stood staring at Nicholas. Natasha had tears and snot running down her face. 

“What are you still waiting for?” Jenny snapped. “Get into your rooms.”

Malvika walked steely towards her. She stood with her arms folded. They stared at each other eyeball to eyeball. “You have no right to talk to me or my sisters like that.”

“Why not?" Jenny sneered, looking at her right in the eye. "Why shouldn't I talk to you like that? Who are you?"

“You don’t want to see the anger of a sad and grieving woman,” Malvika said. “So for the next few days, watch yourself, your words and your attitude, otherwise, there will be problem in this house.” She whirled around and walked away, dragging Natasha with her.

Nicholas slowly sat on a chair. “Wow,” he muttered. His hand was still on his cheek. 

“Nick baby, are you okay?” Ashley asked, concerned as she sat beside him. “It doesn’t hurt, does it?”

“Why didn’t you tell me that Diane called to tell me about her father’s situation?” he asked her with a glare.

“Seriously? Are you seriously blaming me Nick?” Ashley replied, returning his glare with one of her own.

“I’m not blaming you, I’m just asking you a simple question," Nicholas replied gently.

“Nick, I don’t think you should blame Ash. Those girls are just emotional freaks. You are not responsible for anything that happens to them. They are just trying to make you feel guilty for no reason,” Jenny said, sitting beside him.

“Somehow, I still feel wrong,” Nicholas muttered.

“Don’t let them get to you,” Jenny advised. “Remember how much you hate them. Don’t start feeling any other thing for them. It’s not your fault that their father died and you are not their pillow that they can just cry into.”

Nicholas released a shaky breath. He nodded slowly, trying to convince and assure himself that he had done no wrong. “Yeah…yeah….you are right.” He looked up at Ashley. “I’m sorry babe,” he said.

Ashley frowned at first, then smiled. “It’s cool.”

“Okay guys,” Jenny announced. “We have a dinner to finish.”

                                -------

It was midnight. 

Diane took slow steps down the stairs. She was dressed in her jeans and a cashmere sweater. She walked towards the door and opened it. She closed the door behind her as she walked out of the house. 

She walked towards the large gates, looking at the security men, sleeping. She shook her head. Were they supposed to be sleeping on duty? Well, none of her business, she thought as she carefully opened the gate and walked away.

The breeze blew lightly. Diane stuck her hand in her pocket and walked slowly. She needed to clear her mind. She needed to be away from that house. She needed to be sane.

She walked further and further away from the house. She had walked a long distance. Although, her lags pained and ached her but she was too focused on her inner pains and hurt to worry about the physical ones.

She just kept walking until she got to an open field that she recognized as the park.

Her phone rang and she picked it up. It was Jayden. Sighing, she answered the call. “Hey?” she croaked.

“Diane," Jayden called, his voice warm and kind. "I just wanted to ask how you are holding up. How are you feeling?"

“I’m fine, thanks?” Diane replied, her voice hoarse with tears. 

“You sure? It seems to me that you’ve been crying,” he replied observantly. "Diane, honey, are you okay?

“I….” The sob clogged in Diane’s throat, preventing her from making a coherent statement. Then, the tears rolled down as the cries came in full force. Her shoulders shook violently as she cried out loud. 

“Diane," Jayden called in a state of panic.  "Where are you?”

She slowly wiped her tears with the back of her palm. “Halewood Park,” she whispered into the phone. 

“I’ll be right there,” he stated and hung up.

Diane found a nearest bench, staggered towards it as she was weak from the tears and slowly slumped into it. She wrapped her arms round herself, buried her head in her thighs and let out a loud cry. 

*

About thirty minutes later, she felt someone wrap his arm around her and she knew instinctively that it was Jayden. She buried her head in his chest and cried. Her body shook as she let out the tears. Jayden slowly rubbed her exposed arms soothingly. He brushed her hair backwards, whispering words of comfort. She held into his shirt and continued to cry. The more she tried to to stop the tears, the more they kept streaming down. She blinked rapidly to fight them back but they fought their way down her cheeks. 

Eventually, she looked up and wiped her tears.

Jayden stroked her hair. “How are you feeling?” he asked with concern, looking into her dim, sorrowful eyes. 

“Terrible,” she whispered. "I fee like there is a heavy weight on my shoulder and I...I...can't seem to get it off. I feel like just walking away to some unknown place and not coming back; just to put this all thing behind 

“It will pass," he says, in bud to assure her. He rubs her arm comfortingly. 

“I hope so,” she replied, giving him a weak smile. She let out a heavy sigh and rested her head on his shoulder. 

“Where are your sisters?” he asked as he put his arm around her, drawing her close. He began to slowly rub her arm up and down again. "How are they holding up?"

“I don't know. They are at home. They had no idea of when I left the house," she replied. She sighed deeply as she felt herself sinking more and more into Jayden's hold. 

“That’s dangerous, you know," Jayden said. 

“Yeah, but I needed it. I needed to get out of the house even for a little while."

“I understand.”

There was silence. Diane exhaled sharply. She could feel herself getting soothed by Jayden's slow and sensual rub on her arm. Feeling a little alarmed at the thought, she blurted out, “I’m married.”

Jayden stopped rubbing her arm as his  eyebrows shot up in surprise. “Really? Since when?” He had really not know this and they had been hanging out for a while. He felt a pang of hurt and jealousy hit him as he stared down at Diane's pretty and sad face. 

“Three weeks or a month I guess," she shrugged. "I haven't kept track."

“You don't keep track of your marriage?" He asked, still surprised and she let out an indifferent shrug. "You are not wearing a ring, why?” He asked curiously.

Diane sighed. “Let’s just say both parties were not willing to marry. I usually leave my ring at home.”

“And your husband allows that?” He questioned, wondering what kind of a stupid husband would let a wife as beautiful as Diane not wear a ring; the ring that told all the other men that she was taken. 

“He doesn’t notice and he doesn't care," she stated in a matter of fact tone. 

“Oh. Why wasn’t he at the hospital today? He should at least be there you know.”

Diane smiled bitterly. “He hates me,” she whispered. “He thinks I messed up his life. He has a girlfriend he wants to marry. She’s classy and beautiful and knows how to spend.” Her heart hurt painfully as she said it out loud. It's sucks when you admire someone and you feel like you could try to have a future with them only for you to find out that they belong to another person and will rather die than be with you. 

Jayden chuckled. “Do you hate him?”

“No," she whispered.  "Truth is, I don’t know how to hate people no matter how hard I try.”

Jayden nodded slowly. “Wow.” There was a pause, then, Jayden said, “Well, I think he is a fool because if you were my wife, I would do anything for you.”

Diane chuckled sadly. “Right.”

“I’m serious.”

“Mmm….mmm," she hummed. 

“You don’t believe me? Alright, let’s get married and see.”

Diane chuckled, her heart warming at his kind words. “Too bad, I’m already married,” she stated.

“I think you should be wearing your ring though.”

Diane looked up at his face. “Really? Why?”

“So you don’t give other guys like me false hope,” he stated cheekily and she laughed. He laughed forcefully along with her. If only she knew. 

“You are funny.”

He simply smirked. “That’s right.”

Diane sighed. “Thanks a lot Jayden. I really appreciate it.”

“Hmm. When are you willing to return home?” 

“Maybe in the morning. You don’t mind staying here till dawn right?”

He smiled. “I don’t.”

©️INIOLUWA