Life At Green Havens

CHAPTER FORTY SEVEN

Neriah's POV

"What's with us and Emerald?" I asked and the tyre screeched... My heart raced and kept pounding so hard I felt I was going to have a heart attack. i just wanted to know. I was tired of living like I didn't care about talking to one of the sweetest persons I have met. Really, it was so sad that the one person aside Norah that found me so interesting and the one person I feel comfortable with was a family enemy and I was yet to know anything about it.
Dave was calm and collected, he however said no word to me and drove us home safely. He stayed in and calmly he said.
"Go up and freshen up, Neriah." I stepped down and walked it quietly. I had my bathe and stayed up. I was scared my brother would yell at me; although he rarely does that except I really go way my bounds and I hardly do, but then I felt I did. I watched him from my window even after my bathe and he was just stepping out of the car. I sighed and focused on other personal things
Our maid came up that evening and requested I joined my brother for dinner.
"I'll be down in a sec." I told her as I concluded tiding my wardrobe. I went down and Dave wasn't in the dining. I started eating hoping he joined in later but he didn't.
"Irene?" I called our maid.
"Yes?" she answered from the kitchen.
"Where's my brother?" I asked possessively.
"He is up in his room."
"Has he eaten?"
"He took his food up with him."
"oh." I replied and somehow lost my appetite from there. I took food along with me and headed to his room. I knocked gently.
"Can I come in?"
"Yes."  I went in and sat opposite him both my legs crossed on the bed. He had his food by his side but he hadn't even had up to quarter of his plate done. He was busy with his laptop.
"You didn't come down to eat with me."
"I had things I needed to cover."
"Things like?"
"Relating to dad's work."
"Okay." Although, Dave never spoke to any of our parents, he never disobeyed them. He always did things they asked him to do for the betterment of the family of which 90 percent had to be me. After some moment of eerie silence, I asked.
"Are you not going to talk about what I asked you earlier?"
"Nope." he retorted.
"Why?"
"Because it's not worth talking about." he answered and closed his laptop.
"But why? I have been living in the shadows for too long!"
"Why do you suddenly care about what he did to us?"
"That's because everyone has refused to tell me anything! He is in the same school and my class for heaven's sake. What am I supposed to do?"
"Ignore him." he plainly said and I scoffed.
"Don't sound like it's something so easy! Ignore him? For how long?"
"Neriah!" he called a bit high toned. "Do not get yourself involved with Emerald! and if you have, detach yourself."
"I don't get to chose your friends for you Dave." I said and got down from the bed.
"Emerald is not your friend and he should not be." he said maintaining an eye contact with me, he had no smile on.
"You don't have that right Dave." I said admist tears almost dropping from my eyes.
"Why the fuck are you defending him?" he yelled at me. I shivered. "I have told you Nelly, stay away from Emerald, that was the first request I asked of you and you agreed on that. Why this argument?"
"Because I like Emerald." I said, my heart racing. Honestly, I didn't know when that slipped from my mouth. I don't know how into I am with Emerald but I know I did like him for sure but I guess it had its limit. Anyway I said what I said and left Dave with widened eyes.
"Neriah!" he groaned and placed his fingers on his forehead massaging it.
"Dave."
"Detach yourself from Emerald, you will regret it."
"If you can't give me a valid reason, I won't do anything you tell me to do." Dave stood up and stayed close to me.
"Don't try to act stubborn, Emerald will be of no good to you and don't dare go against me Neriah, You are my kid sister and I won't make the wrong decision for you."
"That is it. All you, mom and dad do is make decisions for me. You guys think for me, reason for me, decide for me, pick my friends and school for me. The three of you are practically living my life for me and then I have no sayat all because of your silly reasons I know nothing about. I am fucking 19!"
"You don't speak about mom and dad in that manner."
"You don't make it easy too, I'm tired." I said and left his room slamming his door. I went back to my room and shut the door.  Few moments later, dad called and I threw my phone to the other side of the bed. I had tears begging to come out but I decided not to shed a tear. Another call came in and I didn't bother checking who it was. I stared at the ceiling, sighing and groaning at every given chance.  Night came and I picked up my phone and I saw some messages from Emerald and also he called. I was about replying when someone knocked on my door.
"Who is it?"
"When did you start locking your door?"
"Leave me alone Dave." I said and faced my phone.
"Dad and mom have been trying to reach you."
"What do you guys want?"
"They wanted to talk to you."
"You reported me." I shook my head, disappointedly.
"No, you are just going nuts."
"Okay, please leave me alone." I said I decided not to reply to anything else he said, luckily he said nothing and left.
I went to Emeralds message and replied his whole messages with, "hey."
"Really? Just hey? is everything okay with you?" he replied. after about 12 minutes.
"I'm good, what's going on?" I asked him.
"I'm good, I didn't hear from you all day after school and you ignored my text all day and you come back to reply me with just, "hey" ?" he replied back with a smirk and I smiled eventually.
"Sorry about that. I was busy."
"With?"
"Arranging my wardrobe."
"And?"
"Nothing. Just that."
"Alright Alright, tell me about your evening."
"Nothing much, tell me about yours..." he did and I laughed so much talking with him. He called on face time and we talked like we did not see at all that day.
And again, I slept late again, even more late than the last time. But this time, I didn't leave him hanging. I told him I was tired and needed to sleep...