HIS AT HEART

Part 13

His moved his arm behind me. I thought he was going to hold me like that last day. My eyes voluntarily closed.
His body leaned closer. My breathing rate increased.
"Open your eyes angel" he whispered to my ear.

I slowly opened my eyes and he had a one sidded grin on his face. He took a carrot from behind me, moved and started chopping.
I stood there trying to collect myself. He handed me a cucumber.
"Here you can help me by chopping this" he said and I took it from him.

We finished chopping the veggies in silence. Occasionally I'd see him looking at me through the side of my eye. The moment I finished I sped out of the house back to where everyone was.

The girls were dancing and it was lit.
The guys were braaing the meat. Khanyisa and her husband were being all lovey dovey. I joined the dancing girls. Minutes later I feel someone dance behind me. I then recognize the scent and realize it's Amu. I just move without even turning to look at him.

My hand is suddenly grabbed.
"How long will you pretend to be angry at me for? Haven't I given you enough time to heal?" He angrily asks.
Who gave him the right?

I continue moving away and he follows me. We were now far enough that the others couldn't hear us especially because the music playing was loud.
"You have a nerve! The audacity! The disrespect to even talk to me, let alone touch me." I scoff at him.
His face suddenly falls.
"Okay baby I'm sorry." He tries apologizing and then holds me by the waist. "I know I don't deserve you but I will try. You are the type of girl who can change me. I know I can change" he begs and I just laugh at him.

I will always say 'mama raised no fool'. I will not be Bob the builder for any man who doesn't really do the same for me.
"Amu, the thing that you never realized was that when I love... boy I love deeply. But when I leave... I leave for food. I tolerated your nonsense for far too long. I am DONE!"
I walked back to the dancing space and he went back to the braai with his tail between his legs.

We were all now drinking. I don't drink that often but today was one of those days.
I was drinking because I was celebrating with Ruth even though she only drank 1 glass of wine. And I was also drinking because Amu's presence was irritating me. He would constantly stare at me and try to talk to me. It was irritating.

Since I was facing the door that leads to the house I saw Nathaniel come out carrying containers with the food. He was now dressed.
He was wearing black jeans with a white long sleeve t-shirt than outlined all his arm and chest muscles. I immediately looked away. I shall not be tempted the second time in one day. I refuse!

He placed the containers in a table near the braai areas, went back inside the house and came back with the remaining.
Khanyisa then announced that people could go dish up.

We went and dished up, sat down and ate. We were all now chilling in a circle together.
After eating Steve switched off the music. Everyone complained.
"Let's play TRUTH or DARE!" He shouted and everyone agreed.
These people seem to now be led by alcohol. Who plays truth or dare with their cousins and siblings?

They did the bottle spinning thingy and it pointed to one of the girls I don't know and Nathaniel. He chose truth.
"Why don't you have a girlfriend" she asked him.
The look she was giving him was not a cousins look. I guess they're not related since I also heard Ruth call both her and the other girl 'friend' earlier.
"Because I hadn't found the one I loved" he casually responded.

"Wait! Wait a sec" Khanyisa shouted while laughing. "Did you just say that sentence in past tense? Does that mean you've found the person now?" She asked.
"Khanyi that's not part of the game. Leave me alone" he said laughing. 

The girl who i found out her name is Risima chose truth too. Nathaniel asked her why she asked him that question and she just said "because I have a crush on you".

The guys clapped and laughed, the other 2 girls clapped too and cheered. Tinyiko seemed irritated. Khanyisa and Ruth just looked at her like 'WTF'.
And me? I was boiling inside. How dare she confess having a crush on the one my heart wants.
Maybe I am angered more by the fact that she was brave enough to confess what I failed.
Nathaniel just laughed and said "next".

The spun the bottle again and it pointed to Gift and Amu. Amu chose truth.
"What's going on between you and Vangama?" He asked.
My mood suddenly dropped. I don't want to hear what he will say.
"She's my girlfriend. We're just going through a hurdle right now." He answered.
A hurdle? Really?

Gift was dared to twerk and he did.

Next it pointed to Khanyisa and Ruth.
Ruth asked Khanyisa her body count before she met her husband. This crazy girl.
Khanyisa said it was 3 and her husband already knew.
Ruth was dared to remove her wig and she did.

Next it pointed to me and Ruth. Oh boy!
"I chose dare" I say, because I suspected that if I chose truth she may make me confess my crush on her brother. This girl is unpredictable.
"I dare you to kiss the one you love here."
Everyone immediately looked at Amu. He even started fixing himself and fixing the sides of his lips.
I looked at Nathaniel who looked kind of angry. Probably because he thought I would kiss Amu.

Kissing Amu would be the drama less choice. They know we dated so it wouldn't be that awkward. But I don't want to kiss him.
The one I live right now and want to kiss is Nathaniel. But I can't do that because it would be very wild. And what if he doesn't like me like that.
Imagine embarrassing myself infront of my ex and his cousins.

So I walked over and kissed Ruth on the cheek.
"Next time be more specific"
I laughed and went to sit down.
The game continued a bit with people being made to confess stuff but it wasn't anything I'm really interested in.

The only thing that interested me was when Nathaniel was asked by Khanyisa if he has found the girl he always wanted and he said yes.
A part of me felt like he was referring to me but another part was doubting.

If he was referring to me he would have already made his move right. Or at least he would have kissed me in the kitchen.

Back at the wedding I understood when he didn't kiss me because I was still dating his cousin but now I was single.

"Some grumpy old man says you should slow down on the drinking because it's not safe to travel while drunk or you can get as drunk as you want if you will sleep over" Ruth says pointing to Nathaniel.
"I am not even tipsy, but he is right. Imagine traveling by taxi while drunk yho. Even if i go with Steve i prefer to be at least sober" I say realizing that I would probably start getting tipsy soon so I really slow down on the drinking.

I then realize that I had never seen Nathaniel drinking. Not today and not even at the wedding. I ask Ruth about it and she says he's a health freak and doesn't drink.
Explains the physique.

Steve, Amu, Nathaniel Musa were together. Tinyiko, Gift and Gift's girlfriend were together. I was with Ruth and her two friends, Risima and Mary.
Risima kept on rambling about how hot Nathaniel is and that she was planning on seducing him when she is tipsy enough. Ruth said she is 21, around my age but she is the 18 years old one instead of Ruth. Maybe it is because academically they are all 3 in matric.

My bladder now wants to be emptied. I ask Ruth to show me the bathrooms and she accompanies me inside. She takes me to the one in her room and she leaves.

I do my business and finish. I also refresh my face and go out.
I bump into someone as I turn into the corridor and he holds me preventing me from falling.
"Careful angel" he says and by the voice I know it's Nathaniel.

I try to walk away without looking at him but he blocks me.
I look up at him and start backing away. He steps closer. It is as though to him it's a game.
My back hits a wall and I notice that he has caged me in. Both his arms are now against the wall and I am locked in.

"Someone owes me a kiss. And if that someone wasn't tipsy I would kiss her right now. But I'm a patient man. I'll wait. Unless she will look me in the eye and tell me that I am not the one she loves" he slowly says with his voice sounding deeper that normal.

"What if she wants you to kiss her?"