Beckoned Through The Dark

36 // Lesego // Imposter

I sat on the floor with my back against the bed and my knees to my chest as I cried my heart out.

My heart hurt so much I felt like ripping my chest open.

I couldn't believe what I just heard from Clay.

My life was crumbling down, and I couldn't do anything about it.

That imposter was ruining everything my mother and I worked hard to build. She was destroying my family.

"Why is she doing this?" I asked.

Clay just stood behind the door, clutching his waist. He threw his head back and sighed. He scratched his head in frustration before coming to plop down by my side, laying his head on the mattress.

"This still feels like a nightmare," he spoke after some time. "This big dream I can't seem to wake up from." He shook his head and covered his face.

I could just imagine what he had been through since her arrival, after all he spent all these months with her without really knowing what she was up to.

"What is she like?"

"She's nothing like you." My heart did somersaults, but that was soon replaced by panic.

"Clay, what if she's extremely dangerous? What if we can't get rid of her? I can't let her continue living my life, she can't have my family and she can't have you!" Clay looked at me, and I felt like I would suffocate from all the dep in his eyes.

"She has never had me," he said, and I sucked in a deep breath. "And she never will."

I looked away from him. "What is she like?" I repeated, and Clay sighed and tore his gaze from me.

"Fake. She is fake. I met her at campus the day after we kissed, and she'd just broken up with Sihle at the cafeteria."

"What?" The hurt look on Clay's face said that he misread my reaction.

"I overheard her tell Sihle in front of your friends that she was in love with me." He looked at me with a sad smile. I knew how it must have impacted him, because he had been waiting to hear that from me for a long time. "You have no idea how much that meant to me," he admitted.

I tore my gaze away from him, I couldn't stand the cloud of emotions in his eyes. "Guess I have to thank her for that one, she did me a huge favour," I muttered softly without intending to, and I blushed furiously when I realised what I'd just implied.

Clay frowned, staring intensely at my face. "She may look like you, but she has nothing on you," he whispered. "I'm so sorry, Les, I'm sorry that it took me so long to realise the truth."

I held his hand on the floor. "It is not your fault."

"Why do you guys keep saying that?" I guessed he was referring from that guy from the elevator. "Lesego, we've literally known each other since high school. You know me better than anyone I know out there." I don't think Clay understood the complexity of the situation we were in. That imposter knew what she was doing, she must have been planning this for a long time.

I was about to ask about my mother when the door opened, and a head peeped in.

"Tommy, come in," Clay said without even looking up.

The boy, Tommy, grinned mischievously and entered, closing the door behind him.

"Hi." He waved at me.

I rolled my eyes at him, ever heard of knocking? "Hi."

"Tommy, what is it?" Clay sounded so disinterested.

Tommy looked around awkwardly and cleared his throat. "Uhm...can we speak in private?" He asked.

Clay sighed and lifted his head. "Man, just say whatever you came here to say."

The boy looked at Clay in disbelief, I could tell by the look on his face that whatever it was he wanted to say, had everything to do with me.

"Uhm, okay." He wetted his lips. "There's been some developments."

My ears perked up at that. "What developments?"

"Uhm...I received a tip-off," he said hurriedly and took out his phone. He turned on the screen and turned the phone towards us.

If I was standing, I swear my feet would have given way. My blood ran cold, and my heart dropped to my stomach.

"Wh... when was this taken?" I breathed.

Tommy looked at me in panic and turned to Clay for rescue. "When the hell was the picture taken, Tommy?" Clay yelled, making both me and Tommy jump.

Tommy swallowed. "Last night."

Everything started to spin out of control, and my heart squeezed in pain as I struggled to breathe.

"Clay, what's happening to her?" Tommy asked in panic.

Clay turned to me and his eyes widened as he realised what was about to happen.

"Lesego, don't do this to me right now!" He grabbed hold of me. "Thomas, quickly get a doctor. She's asthmatic, hurry up!"

My pipes blocked as the image floated in my conscience. What was Detective Daniels doing with the imposter and Funeka?