LOVE & FLAWS | A NIGERIAN ROMANCE |

Chapter 15: If we must be friends, you have to know your boundaries.

Tina Sighted Him from the entrance of the garden. He wore a black jean and blue hoodie with a print on it. She tried to read the word on the hoodie from her position but couldn't. The designer had printed a word that involved “ood” on the hoodie.
He sat stretched on the seat. His butts were at the edge, his head on top the backrest of the seat, his legs stretched out and his hands tucked into the hoodie's pockets. He wore a pair of white slides on a pair of blue socks.
She sat before him and waited for him to get up. When he didn't, she gave him a gentle tap on his thigh and nudged him to get up. He weakly did, with bloodshot eyes and pale face. “You're here,” he weakly said.

Until he spoke, it never occurred to Tina why he was all covered up. She stood up and went over to him. She placed her hand on his neck and then his forehead. He grabbed her hand. “I will be ok,” he whispered but she doesn’t think so.
“You need to get treatment,” she signalled.
“I will do that in the morning,” he replied.
She shook her head in disagreement. He would have combusted before then.
“What?” He asked.
“How did you get here?” She signalled
“Taxi,” he said faintly.
Tina picked her phone and booked a taxi. She encircled his hand on her shoulder, held him by the waist and helped him to get up.

They returned from the hospital late into the night. The taxi dropped them outside of Clint’s residence and they made their way into the yard and then his apartment. They her aid, they ascended the stairs of the apartment building to the first floor where he lived. She let him lay on the couch once they got to his block.
She disappeared into the kitchen through the dining area and re-emerged with a bowl of cold water. She gave him a gentle tap and showed him something on her phone. He pointed to their right towards a door; she disappeared into the door and returned with a towel.
She helped him pull his hoodie exposing his chiselled trunk and began soaking it in cold water to reduce his temperature. He looked innocent and weak in his sick state –so innocent for a person who had arrogantly picked a fight. Such a good actor, she would remind him of that later.

Tina searched the refrigerator, and then the deep freezer for any ready food; there wasn't any. The storage facilities seemed to be reserved for water, beverages, and fruits, plus a half-eaten pizza and a loaf of bread. She was disappointed. She expected to see at least plate of frozen soup or stew.
She observed the kitchen for some seconds, and then searched the cupboard for foodstuffs. She stumbled on a carton of noodles and spaghetti.
Minutes later, she came out of the kitchen carrying a plate of noodles and fried egg, with diced tomatoes and fresh pepper as the only vegetable in it. She woke him and helped him sit up. She urged him to eat so he could take his medications.

Tina watched him eat the noodles slowly. She couldn't believe she was babysitting him. His bare chest called her attention. For the first time, she was seeing him shirtless. She resisted the urge to trace his prominent anterior abdominal muscles with her fingers.
“Mhmm! Mhmm!” He cleared his throat.
Too late; she too distracted to notice he’s been watching her stare dreamily at his chest. She was embarrassed.

The Night Went by quick and ushered in morning and its drama. Clint wished they were cool, but they are far from that. It was an error to think they were, because of the events of last night. He reflected on the events of that morning. What was he thinking? Why did he pull that act?
He really needed applause. He was good at solving his own problems. He hadn't been like this for ages. Everything about Tina felt different, he knew why and that bothered him.
He woke up sick and weak but much better than he was at night. His mouth was bitter, his head banged faintly, and his tummy rumbled. He searched the room for any sign of a human being. He was sure someone was with him last night.
Tina! It suddenly rang like a bell in his head, giving him a quick sense of self-consciousness. His heart made quick moves to escape his rib cage, and his head banged sharply.
“Urhh!” He groaned in a low tone, placing his hand on his head to stop it from splitting.
He managed to get up and took himself to the mirror. Horrible was the best word to describe his swollen face. He still had his jean trouser and his socks on. He only lost his hoodie.
Upon entering the bathroom, he brushed his teeth, washed his face, applied water to his hair and ruffled it. He came out looking better. He changed from his jean trousers and socks to a short and a singlet. That was the root of his problem. He should have left his mouth alone. That way, he wouldn't have had the guts to kiss her. Darn it! That was gross, but on a second thought, it would have been great. He smiled. Tina had a way of making him go over his head, a way of making him speed out of his path. He touched his cheek, the part where her soft palms had massaged his cheek. The slap was suiting instead of hurting.

Clint Walked In on Tina scrambling the egg for her egg source in the kitchen, still on her short gown. The oil for her makeshift egg sauce heated on the electric stove, and diced tomatoes and fresh pepper were on a plate beside the egg. Clint watched her from the door as she repeatedly spun the slimy yellowish liquid in the bowl with a fork, her arm quivering in the process. She hadn’t noticed him stare, till she stopped. His presence startled her.
“Good morning.” He greeted when she noticed his presence. His attention now fixed at her small pinkish lips. It called him. He wants it. He wants her. Every other thing blurred to the background; business, speech impairment, every other excuses he had given himself in the past. He couldn’t believe he had turned down this cute homely creature.

Tina nodded casually and observed him for seconds, wondering if it’s okay to feel his temperature. To check how well he has recovered. She took a step towards him and felt his neck with the back of her palm.
Clint held her palm. He fixed his firm palm into hers and refused to let go. He pulled her to himself and held her by the waist. He pressed her into him and stared into her eyes. He pressed his lips into hers before she could protest. She pulled away angrily and slapped him. Out of anger, Tina left the kitchen and the breakfast behinds.

Tina Was Infuriated. Clint’s guts annoyed her. It’s obvious to her now that Clint takes joy in annoying her. If not, why will he pull that act on her?

That slap didn't convey her anger enough. It didn't make her feel better. She wished she had done more, except that she had gathered the last of her willpower for the attack. She spent the night trying to help him, only for him to make sexual advances at her in the morning, such a great way of appreciating her efforts.

She went through the events of the previous night and what led to the unwarranted harassment by Clint. From calling out to her, asking her not to go after she tucked him into the bed last night, startling her this morning, and then, the kiss. He seemed to be concealing a lot within him.

She had woken up and to watch him sleep. She blushed at the thought of it. He looked cute and innocent when sleeping. Everything seemed fine until he walked into the kitchen where she prepared them breakfast, and pulled that act. Whether Clint is riding on her feelings or is truly opening up on his remains vague to her at the moment, she will figured out later. Either way, pulling such an act on her was unacceptable to her.

She blushed on the memory of her staring at his chiselled body. The moment when he harassed her came up almost immediately, and the anger came rushing back again. Annoying enough, she wasn't this angry at the moment. She almost yielded. She enjoyed the kiss. She liked his strong lips. She picked her phone to read his apology again. At this moment, she decided to reply and vent her anger and disapproval.

“If we must be friends, you have to know your boundaries and maintain them. I stayed up at night to make sure you are ok and all you could do was to disrespect me. You couldn’t even show an atom of gratitude.
I don't know what kind of friends you want us to be. But, for whatever it is, you must come plain.”

She meant every word in her message. Even when she’s afraid of being hurt and unable to handle the truth like the last time, she wants Clint to come plain. But again, it also worried her that he would lie. If he does, it may also hurt her; in the long-run maybe. Either way, she could get hurt and it worried her.

*****
Creation is hard, cheer me up! VOTE for me! Gift me!
Give me more motivation!