BURN for Better or Worse (COMPLETED)

Chapter 32

LILIAN...

"What a day." Ndlangamandla breathes, bouncing on the bed next to me. If he thinks we're going to share a bed after what he did to my son, he has another thing coming. I reject the kiss he tries to tattoo on my cheek and my smart move earns me a scowl.
"What's wrong with you?" He asks, sitting up and leaning back on the headboard.
"What's wrong with me? What's with me, Mandla?" My voice raises grudgingly, emotions have taken over.
"Haibo mkami!" This man.
"Don't mkami me, Mandla," I snap, hopping out of bed. "Get out." I'm standing over him, pointing at the door. If this man knows what's good for him, he will get out of this room.
"Lilian-"
"You know what Mandla, I'm tired. I'm tired of you treating my son like he doesn't matter." He frowns, glaring daggers at me.
"This is about Bulelwa?" I don't get the shock in his voice, is he okay with what he did back there?
"Nobody touches my children, not even you." I am dead serious, he snorts and increasingly moves out of bed. My eyes measure his tallness until he's standing straight, shoulders squared... chest out... nose flared and eyes scrutinizing.

"Are you talking to me like that, Lilian?" His voice grates, I have pressed the angry button.
"You're the only one in the room with me," I'm not deterred by the intimidation hovering around Ndlangamandla, he knows that he does not scare me.
"I am your husband." Calm and collected, yet his voice displays a great amount of fury.
"I am a mother and I will do anything to protect my children."
"Lilian-" His voice transitions from power to shock in a split of a second, his eyes hunt my hand that's raised to stop his speech.
"I didn't say anything the first time you ousted Bubu out of the house because I thought you needed time to process the news, but what you did today Mandla is something I will never forgive."
"I didn't mean to do that, I love my son Lilian. I love my children, I would never hurt them."
"How do I know that after what I witnessed today?"
"That was a mistake-"
"You had him by the throat Ndlangamandla..." He makes me so angry and I want to slap him across the face, raising my voice at him seems to be helping.
"Don't shout." He says, calmly so. I hate that he's telling me not to shout, I hate being told what to do.
"Get out of my room." Tilting his head to the side, he narrows his brown eyes at me. Hands folded across his chest and a demeanour that tells me he's not pleased with my rantings. That's it, I am done playing nice with this man. I'm quick on my feet, marching to the closet to get an extra blanket. He catches it when I throw it at him, confusion sweeping over his face in a flash.
"Get out." I'm pushing him out and surprised that he's not fighting me. "You think you'll touch my baby and I'll let it slide, awundazi wena Mandla. Uyandiqhela qha." I get to meet the pain in his eyes before shutting the door on his face. My husband and I have never slept in separate rooms before, but today he crossed the limit. I let it pass with Thobekile and the whole Betty issue, not again. I'm done playing the naïve wife.

THANDIWE...

I'm annoyed by this man next to me, yet I love how his arm is enfolded over my shoulders. I dread the question he gifts me with.
"What's wrong?" It has me churning on the seat. He gets arrested and I'm supposed to be okay? Men are not normal, no scratch that... Nqabayomzi Biyase is not normal.
"Thandiwe." I don't want him calling my name when I'm upset with him, I turn my back and he doesn't get the message that I'm dismayed.

We're boarding in Twenty minutes, Styles and Neo are seated opposite us. The waiting area is not crowded, just a few passengers.
"Nothing." Everything is wrong.
"Okay, would you like something before we board?" Is he serious?
"So you're not going to explain yourself Nqaba?" He smiles raising his huge shoulder like it means nothing that he was arrested
"Am I not here with you, Nkanyezi yami?" The problem with Nqaba is that he thinks he owes no one an explanation.
"Keep doing whatever you like Biyase and let's see where that will get you, stubbornness leads to distraction-"
"No it doesn't." He laughs and the deep echoing sound of it drags a smile on my lips. I'm trying to make a point and he's playing. "I love that you worry about me though, I missed it. But you don't have to Tshabalala, I can take care of myself and as long as I have you to go home to, nothing will happen to me."