PULL MY HEARTSTRINGS (COMPLETE)

42

                                

     

“So that’s how we’re talking to each other now?” He followed her out of the car, his long strides made it easy to catch up with her.
     
“Did you expect me to jump up and down with joy after finding out that you abducted me?”
     
“What?” He frowned but that didn’t deter his steady gait. “I didn’t abduct you, Kgomotso.”
     
She stopped her mad dash and glared at him, it was pointless because she couldn’t outrun him or the hypnotic scent of his cologne.     
     
“Oh, really? Then what am I doing here against my will after I explicitly told you I don’t want to see Nolitha?”
     
His jaw clenched and he couldn’t seem to find the right words to erase the hurt in her eyes. He expected some form of resistance but was foolish to think bringing Kgomotso here would change her mind. 
     
“Why would you hurt me like this, Anesu?”
     
The sight of her tears unsettled him, listening to Lwazi was a mistake he was about to pay dearly for.
     
“That’s not what I meant to do you have to believe me, baby,” he pleaded.
     
“And what makes you think I’d trust anything you have to say to me right now.” She hated how shaky her voice sounded.
     
He came closer with his hand held out.
     
“Hai, don’t touch me.” She quickly stepped back.
     
He dropped his hand after a moment of hesitation and couldn’t mask the pain etched on his face. Her blatant rejection was retaliation, Anesu believed in fighting fair but Kgomotso wasn’t one to play by the rules.
     
“I can explain.”
     
She raised her hand, stopping him from going further because nothing he said would fix the mess they were in.
     
“Am I wasting my time with you, Anesu? Because if that’s the case let me know so I can leave.”
     
“Is this the part where I beg you to stay?”
     
Bathong, he made is sound like she was being unreasonable when he was the one who fucked up big time.
     
“You don’t have to beg because I won’t stay where I’m not wanted.”
     
His shoulders deflated and a soft sigh followed. His face showed signs of defeat but their showdown was far from over, there was still a lot she needed to get off her chest.
     
“Should I climb on top of Kilimanjaro and declare my love for you, is that what you want?”
     
Mxm. Him jumping off Kilimanjaro would be the option for her right now.
     
“I want you to put me first.” She hit her chest so hard he was sure it would leave a mark. “Show me that my feelings matter to you.”
     
“They do matter, baby.” He stepped closer but her warning from earlier rang clear in his head.
     
He was too close for comfort, proving that he didn’t need to touch her in order for Kgomotso’s body to betray her. Their bodies clearly spoke a language she could never understand even if she tried, because these strong feelings they had for each other were beyond human comprehension.
     
“Then if that were true we wouldn’t be here,” she said, waving her hands around.
     
“I made a mistake and I realize that now.”
     
Hallelujah! He was finally moving towards the light.
     
Kgomotso smelled the cigarette first before she noticed they had company and was even more surprised to see Lwazi’s face emerge from the cloud of smoke.
     
Since when was he a smoker?
     
She frantically waved the smoke away because she wasn’t trying to get cancer from his second hand smoke.
     
He flung the cigarette to the ground. “Your sister doesn’t know,” he said, crushing it with the bottom of his Louboutin sneaker.
     
And even if she found out it wouldn’t be from Kgomotso.
     
“Sanibonani,” he greeted, rubbing his hands together after realising he interrupted a tense situation unprovoked.
     
Anesu was the only one who returned his greeting.
     
He cleared his throat, wondering where to start convincing Kgomotso to come inside, if she was anything like Kamo then he was in for one hell of a challenge.
     
“It’s not Anesu’s fault, I’m the one who asked him to bring you here and I know it’s not easy for you being here but I’d like to thank you.”
     
She chuckled but there was no humour in her eyes. “Don’t thank me yet because it makes you seem presumptuous.”
     
His gaze landed on Anesu, silently demanding an explanation but he didn’t offer one. It became clear to Lwazi that Anesu blamed him for this predicament, which was unfortunate because his intention wasn’t to cause problems between him and Kgomotso. He knew how important their relationship was to Anesu, she was the first woman to capture his heart after Jessica and dare he say Anesu’s relationship with Jessica didn’t hold a candle to what he shared with Kgomotso. It happened fast and that concerned him but to see the spark return in Anesu’s eyes was enough to dismiss his doubts.
     
“Ndoda, I thought you talked to her,” said Lwazi, still looking at Anesu.
     
Kgomotso stepped up to Lwazi, hands on her hips. “I can speak for myself so don’t address him when talking about me. And since you’re a glorified messenger you can go back inside and tell your cousin I don’t want to see her or talk to her and that won’t change no matter how many times she asks.”
     
“Ayikho inkinga. We’ll never bother you about this again and I’d like to apologise on behalf of Nolitha, she didn’t mean any harm all she wanted was to make things right with you.”
     
“Well tell her she can drop the Mother Theresa act because I won’t fall for it.”
     
Anesu squeezed her hand, she didn’t have to look at him to know he didn’t approve of her conduct. She was a woman after all and disrespecting a man was seen as a serious transgression by those who believed women needed to be submissive.
     
“I want to leave,” she said.
     
Anesu made a move towards his car.
     
“No.” Kgomotso shook her head. “I’m not going anywhere with you, give me your keys I need to be alone for a while.”
     
“Where are you going?” he asked, holding onto his keys.
     
“Why would I tell you?”
     
He sighed, eyes trailing her lips and Kgomotso held her breath waiting for his kiss but he dropped the car keys in her hand and stepped back. Tjo, not even a kiss on the cheek, the thought sadly crossed her mind as she walked back to his car.
     
“I told you this was a bad idea.” Anesu turned his attention back to Lwazi.
     
“It’s obvious she’s still holding a grudge against Nolitha but I don’t understand why because she wasn’t even having an affair with Xola.”
     
“What don’t you understand? I’m sure you’d feel the same way if someone accused you of something you didn’t do. And I hope you meant what you said because I’m not doing this to Kgomotso ever again.”
     
He took out another cigarette, lit it and took a long drag to calm his nerves. “I’m washing my hands nge ngo Pilatu, I’m done and never getting involved in women’s business.”
     
“And you’re taking me home since I don’t have a car because of you,” said Anesu, checking his messages.
     
“Khululeka, I got you.”
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