I emerged from the bathroom expecting to be greeted by the murmur of voices, but instead, an unsettling silence filled the air.
My gaze fell upon Mirabel, who was now seated on the bed, her attention absorbed by her phone, and I noticed she wasn't smiling at all.
My eyes widened in shock as they drifted from Mirabel to the reading table, where Evelyn sat, her piercing stare fixed intently on me.
Her unexpected presence left me stunned, as I had no idea she'd returned to school, let alone anticipated finding her in my own home.
It was only yesterday that she'd expressed uncertainty about her return plans, which made her presence now all the more surprising.
“Wow Evelyn, You are here.........When did you come back?”.........I asked awkwardly, breaking the tense atmosphere in the room.
Evelyn's eyes locked onto mine, brimming with tears, but she said nothing. The silence hung heavy until she stood up, collected her bag, and turned to Mirabel, her voice barely above a whisper.
“I’m going to leave the two of you to continue whatever you were doing.......But let me sound a warning to you for the very last time. I don't want to ever see you here again. He is my boyfriend and I can’t share him with you”........she spat.
“Are you mad? Did you just warn me? Do you think I’m still in first year? Let me tell you, nothing is happening between us yet so don’t start fretting. I didn’t know you guys were still together. No wonder he has been acting all good”
“I’m no longer that little innocent girl you scared away in first year. I have come to stay.
Consider it that I’m taking back what was rightfully mine”........Mirabel fired back at Evelyn, she even stood up from the bed and walked towards Evelyn.
I observed the tense scene unfolding before me, noticing the anger and resentment simmering in their eyes.
Fearing that the situation might escalate into a physical confrontation, I swiftly intervened.
“Please you guys should just stop this argument......Evelyn please sit down and you Mirabel, also sit down”.........I said gently, coming between Mirabel and Evelyn.
“Don’t tell me to sit down Pascal.......Who does she think she is? Goddess of the moon?.......You think you are the only one from a rich family right? I’m also from one too.
Is it because I succumbed to her threat in first year? The truth is that I have been waiting for this day to come. I have been waiting for this moment, to take back what is mine”........Mirabel yelled at me, but was pointing at Evelyn.
Evelyn stood frozen at the door, her calm demeanor a stark contrast to Mirabel's raging emotions. I managed to soothe Mirabel's temper, and she eventually returned to the bed, her anger slowly dissipating.
I discreetly escorted Evelyn out of the room, knowing that a temporary separation was necessary to prevent further escalation.
With a multitude of unanswered questions swirling in my mind, I prioritized defusing the tense atmosphere before initiating a conversation with Evelyn.
“When did you come back and why didn’t you call to let me know you are coming?”........I asked Evelyn when we were outside of my apartment.
Evelyn brushed past me, her silence palpable as she continued walking, leaving me to follow behind.
“I’m talking to you”..........I retorted, dragging her back gently.
She swiveled to face me, our eyes locking in a tense silence. After a piercing stare, she abruptly jerked her hand free from mine, turned on her heel, and strode away.
“Fine, if this is the way you want it then its ok”........I said solemnly, as we walked side by side.
As we reached the junction, I flagged down a taxi for her, but to my surprise, she instructed the driver to drive off.
“Why did you ask the driver to leave? Do you want to trek down to school?”.........I asked rhetorically.
“Is this what you have been doing behind my back Pascal?”........she asked aggressively, ignoring my question.
“Thought you didn’t want to talk to me”.........I retorted.
“Of all the girls in school, you choose to humiliate me with your EX?”........she asked, her eyes misty with tears.
“Evelyn we have so much to talk about......But before then, I want you to go back to your hostel and rest. I will come around later. And for the record, there is nothing going on between us”.........I said nonchalantly to her.
“Don’t take me for a fool Pascal.......Nothing is going on between the both of you and she said all that to me? What do you think I am, a kid?”..........she yelled.
“We are in public, please stop yelling, let’s talk about this later. And don’t ever raise your voice at me in public again for any reason whatsoever”........I said coldly to her.
She shot me a fierce glare, and I returned it in kind. The tense standoff was eventually broken when I escorted her to a newly vacated taxi. After settling the fare, I turned and headed back home.
“What was the meaning of all those things you said to Evelyn”..........I asked Mirabel, immediately I entered my room.
“You heard it as it sounds.......She deserves everything I said, and even more”.........she said coldly as she operated on her phone, avoiding my gaze.
“Mirabel, I want you to tell me the truth, what happened between you and Evelyn when we were in first year? Was she the cause of our break-up? What is it about the threat that you earlier said? Did she threaten you back then?”.........I bombarded, sitting beside her on the bed.
“Pascal, she is your girlfriend right, if you need answers go and ask her”.........She said curtly, and stood up from the bed heading to the bathroom.
After freshening up, Mirabel got dressed and prepared to head out. I escorted her out, then retreated to my apartment to collect my thoughts.
“Did Evelyn threaten Mirabel to leave me in our first year?”
“Was that why Mirabel said that she already left before I broke off the relationship?”
“Why on earth would Evelyn threaten her while she already told me that she had a boyfriend then?”
“And what does Mirabel mean by saying she is back to take what belongs to her?”
My mind was in turmoil, consumed by racing thoughts. I sat up in bed, struggling to gather my scattered thoughts and make sense of the chaos in my head.
Overwhelmed, I felt paralyzed, unsure of where to start or what to do next.
I headed to the fridge, grabbed a bottle of Mc Dowell, and poured myself a full cup. I downed it in two swift gulps, seeking solace. Returning to bed, I lay down, hoping the liquor would calm my racing mind and lull me into a much needed sleep.
I waited for the liquor to kick in, but surprisingly, I felt nothing. It was as if I hadn't had a drop. I needed another drink to calm my mind and focus my thoughts, if only for a fleeting moment.
I got dressed and grabbed my wallet from the table before heading out of my apartment.
I made my way to the bar down the street, where I spotted a quiet corner table. I settled in and ordered a few bottles of HERO beer.
In just an hour, I downed five bottles of HERO, but my mind remained restless.
Undeterred, I ordered three more, bringing the total to eight bottles.
By the time I was halfway through the seventh bottle, I was heavily intoxicated, but still somewhat lucid and able to take in my surroundings.
I caught sight of a stunning woman, slender and elegant, wearing glasses that appeared to be prescription lenses, a face cap, and a radiant smile on her face.
She was walking towards me, carrying a tray of food with poise and confidence.
“Hi buddy! Can I join you if you don’t mind?”........she asked politely, flashing a beautiful and charming smile at me.
“Sure pixie. Make yourself comfortable”........I replied, taking a sip from my cup.
Across from me, she sat down to enjoy her meal, while I, in my intoxicated state, ogled her with a mixture of curiosity and admiration.
“Sorry My bad, please come and join me”.........she requested, with that warm smile still plastered on her face.
“Don’t worry, enjoy your meal”.........I replied, smiling back at her.
“You must be good with bottles to still be able to stand on the seventh bottle”.........she said with admiration, looking at the bottles before me.
“You think so? What makes you think that I’m good?”.........I asked curiously.
“I know some guys that will sleep off on their second bottle”........she answered, with a broad smile on her face.
Her smile was a breathtaking spectacle, one that rendered me utterly besotted, though I couldn't shake the feeling that my inebriated state was amplifying its effects.
“But don’t you think you have had enough already?”.........she continued, but politely.
I let out a laugh and turned to face her, meeting her gaze as she locked eyes with me, her captivating smile still plastered on her face.
“Can you drink?”........I asked.
“Yes I can, but that's if I’m in the mood to......By the way, you haven’t answered my question yet smart boy”.........she replied, with a little chuckle.
“So tell me, what puts you in the mood to drink?”.........I asked.
“I drink when I’m sad, when I’m with friends and want to go wild. But I drink mostly when I get emotionally messed up”..........she replied, taking a spoon full of rice into her mouth.
I remained silent, transfixed by the serene scene unfolding before me, as she savored her food with gentle, unhurried bites, her expression a picture of carefree tranquility.
“So how often do you get emotionally messed up? I mean......Have you ever been emotionally messed up?”........I asked.
“Of course no one on earth hasn't been emotionally messed up.......I have been through that phase but, that’s a very long time ago”.........she explained.
As our conversation flowed, she continued eating, while I reached for the last bottle on the table, refilling my cup.
I observed her every move, mesmerized as she finished her meal, slid the tray away, and delicately dabbed her lips with a serviette.
Having delicately blotted her lips, she unexpectedly reached out, grasped my cup, and in a swift, bold motion, downed its contents in a single gulp, leaving me stunned as she carelessly returned the empty cup to the table.
“You never cared to invite me to drink with you so I am taking it by force”..........she muttered.
She asked the bar man for another glass cup and poured a cup full for herself. She knocked her cup to mine for cheers, raising her own up.
“Now that we are drinking together, we have become friends........So tell me, who messed you up emotionally?what is it that borders you that is making you drink this much?”.............she inquired with an empathetic tone.
“What makes you think that I’m bored or messed up emotionally? Do I look like someone that can be messed up by anybody?”........I asked, trying to hide my distraught state.
The liquor was already coursing through my veins, but I somehow maintained a semblance of composure.
“Nobody is above being messed up emotionally. Most times we don’t ask for it but it comes”........she replied, sipping from her cup.
“Have you ever been in love? I mean.......have you ever loved someone?”.......I asked.
I'm not sure what prompted the question, but I found myself asking her whatever thoughts that popped into my head.
“Yes I have, but that was a long time ago, why did you ask?”........she retorted.
“Nothing, just a random question that crossed my mind”........I replied.
“Now tell me, what is it that is eating you up making you take solace in drinking?”........she asked, focusing her whole attention on me.
“My story is kinda complicated and messed up in itself, so let me not bother you with the long epistle of my complicated story”.........I replied.
“I have all the time in the world and I think I’m intelligent enough to understand your complicated story so give me a trial”........she assured me.
I laughed at her comment and pulled out my phone, but from that moment on, my memories blurred into nothingness.
To Be Continued..........
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