LOVE & FLAWS | A NIGERIAN ROMANCE |

Chapter 23: The world they knew came crashing

Clint Arrived At the restaurant, cum their love nest. He picked his phone and stepped out of the car, shutting the door behind him. With the aid of the remote control, he locked the car and went into the restaurant. Having arrived before her, he waited.
When she walked in with that defiant look, Clint knew he was in for a fiery ride. Had he known he would have left this doomsday date for another day, but you might as well ask him to predict it. He got up and adjusted the seat for her, cautious enough to keep his distance; she didn't look like she came for a fun date.

Tina dropped her powder blue Ralph Lauren handbag on the table. She settled into the seat with tight jaws. Her expression compensated for the words she couldn't mouth. She crossed her legs and folded her hands over her belly, equipped with her phone. Her face bore a stern look, fiercely holding his gaze.
She didn't say a word, but a voice yelled “speak” at him, another yelled “you are doomed”, while the next one calmly chipped in, “she isn't gonna listen to you”. A big riot broke out among the mass of cells located within his skull.

He couldn't remember organizing a town hall meeting for those bunches of cells in there, but he had to start somewhere. He started by calming down the riot in his head. He needed a suggestion too. He started by considering the various options from the cells. He took the one, the one that advised him to speak.

He succeeded in putting his mental house in order, but not without cancelling a few seconds from their time.
“Good afternoon, ma'am, sir,” the waiter smiled at them. They didn't reciprocate the gesture. Humours were out of bounds today. He realized a bit late.
“Are you taking something?”
His question was met with a wave.
“A bottle of water, please,” he requested.
“I have cut ties with her. It wasn't intentional. I'm sorry,” he pleaded.
She didn’t react.
“Was it?” The unmannered cells started again. “You should have denied it,” its accomplice suggested. “It’s already late,” the next cell said. He lowered his gaze.

He noticed the fast movement of her finger on her phone. He could feel her fury in the movement. A buzz from his phone followed the sequence.
Tina: By her, you mean which of them?
He glanced between his phone and Tina. The question confused him.
Tina: Are you always confused? Or are you just being a mischief like you are?”
She texted again.

He felt like yelling, ‘you are the one who has been confusing my life' into that her fair delicate ears, but why would she call him a mischief?
Tina: Don't you have an answer or you don't want to answer?
Tina: I'm a fool to you; I'm sure about that.
Tina: I'm just one of your playthings or even less. I get it now.
Tina: You made those promises, a scheme to get me going. You never meant to stick to them.
Tina: I'm sure you have made countless no. of those promises to a countless no. of your play things.
Tina: Unwilling to stick to any of it.
Tina: How much worse can you be, Clint?

Clint was puzzled. Does she hate him that much? He asked himself. Why would she say those words to him? It hurt. It did and does hurt so bad. It was an honest mistake. He has texted her severally, explaining himself. He felt his breath ceasing and the blood pumping tissue within his rib cage malfunctioning.
What was she not saying? What the bloody hell was she talking about? No, she couldn't possibly be saying those words to him. They hurt. He meant those words. He was willing to keep to his promises. He tried. He worked on keeping it. That was a mistake, an honest one. She meant something to him. She was no plaything to him.
“What are you not saying Tina?” He asked bewildered, “do you hate me that much already?” He said, broken.

Tina: Here you go again. Let me guess, you are confused.
Tina: Don't f**king play the victim here.
Tina: Do I worth anything to you?
“Tina, you do. You do a lot.”
Tina: Before your presence, I was insulted by that insecure bitch. A superior plaything, like she would grade herself, shamed me.
Tina: She ditched me before you. What did you do? Nothing!
Tears trickled down her cheeks.
Tina: You couldn't even shun her. The least thing you should have done.
Tina: You hate PDAs, but you go lovey-dovey publicly with some people, who have antidotes to your much pronounced hate.
Tina: They flood their Insta Stories with pictures and videos.
Tina: We are supposedly in a relationship.
“Are we? Because I'm not aware.” He shifted his gaze from his phone, his eyes bloodshot.
Tina: My bad, I forgot.
Tina: We were supposed to make things work.
         I fell for that. I did.
Tina: Am a fool? A big one to think you could see past your nose? And even a bigger one to expect you to accept me.

“Aren’t I a fool too?” He asked, “am I not a fool, too, to think I can get you to trust me? I'm making every effort to make us work. Am I not a fool to think you can see that? Am I not a fool to think I can trust you? Ain’t I?” He stressed, “Am I not a fool to think that you would at least be open enough to tell me that Ugo was the unnamed friend and supplier at the company? Why aren't you open enough to tell me you are his love interest?” He asked, infuriated.
“And, why are you so angry with me? Where is this anger coming from? For Christ sake, this is an honest mistake! What stopped you from asking me about Jenny? Oh, that's right; you don't think I can be trusted.”
Tina: Same thing that kept you from asking about Ugo.

He read the text. “You know what?” he exhaled, “let's call this off. It won't work! I can't believe you could say those things to me. You could dismiss my efforts. There is no need to work towards this if I can't be trusted,” he blurted, regretting the words immediately he said them, but he wouldn't go back on it. He wouldn't take them back. It would hurt his pride.
Tina shed tears. She picked her bag from the table and kicked her seat violently. She walked away sobbing, with her left palm over her mouth.
Clint roughly ran his fingers through his hair, almost giving in to tears. Her words hurt; her tears hurt more, but ending things with her hurt the most. The whole thing hurt him. His brain was about to combust.

“I can't believe you said those things to her. You are a monster.” Chidi shook her head in disgust and ran after Tina.
Clint lowered his head on the table, a bid to regain himself from the emotions that coursed through him.

*****
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