Beneath My Beautiful.

Chapter 15.

"Lulu!" Yvonne shouts excitedly as she runs to give me a hug. "Oh! I've missed you terribly."

"Yvonne I swear sometimes I wonder if you are a ten year old stuck in a twenty five- year- old's body.

She shrugs and follows me to my office. "I want details. How was the romantic  getaway? Did you make me any god-children yet?"

I smile and give her a look. "First it wasn't a romantic getaway since I was forced to take some time off by the doctor and second, what makes you think am going to make you the god mother of my kids?"

She pouts and I laugh.

"I was just kidding sweetie." I tell her. "What's new?"

"I didn't want to worry you but Kendi's in hospital. They found traces of drugs in her blood system and well this is the time we kinda have to let her go."

Kendi.

I looked at Yvonne but her eyes held back something else.

"But you don't want me to let her go." I concluded after realizing why she seemed hesitant. "Why should I risk the reputation of this business by keeping a drug addict for a model?"

"Cut off the professional look here, okay? I fail to believe that Kendi is that kind of a girl. The time she's spent here only showed what a sweetheart she is."

I sigh. I know how Yvonne can always afford to see the good side of everyone. it's her main weakness but I wont let it affect what we do and the rules we've set up for our employees.

"People aren't what they always showcase to the world." I tell her in my matter-of-fact voice.

"She's only eighteen. You and I know that people that age can make mistakes. It doesn't have to haunt her and define her for the rest of her life. It's not my call anymore, you're in charge. " She walks out of my room leaving the guilt in my chest visible enough.

Yvonne rarely brings up my past unless she can use it to get me to feel something and open up my emotions to others but something inside tells me she's right. I find myself wondering why anyone would get themselves hooked up into such stuff but then I cant shake off the fact that I've seen people trying it. I've seen Hakeem try it but I didn't stop him. I didn't even try to tell him off of that habit.

"Its just for fun, Lu. I promise I wont let it control me."

I can still hear him say those words to me in my head. No matter how many times I try to forget such stuff it only gets worse.

"Lulu!" I look up.

"George. How are you?" He gives me a thumbs up and places the document in his hand on the table.

"Yvonne already looked it up but since you're back you might want to take a look at it . Everything's worked out so far but we cant seem to fix a date for the annual show."

"Um...Why don't you let me take care of the dates. I guess I don't need to go over these if Yvonne looked them up. I have this interview with DeDe Magazine but postpone it to next week please. Am gonna leave now."

He nods then gives me an odd look. "Where are you going to?"

I smile as I grab my car keys and bag from the table. "I have other businesses to attend to George, and so do you."

He gets the message and leaves the office. I shake my head remembering how nosy and persistent he can get at times. If not for the fact that he's really efficient I would not have had him around me this long.

I wave at Yvonne once I spot her and head out.

 ***

"She came home this morning. I guess she's just scared of facing everyone else."

"Oh! No worries. I totally understand. I know this must be tough for you." I tell her softly and hold her hand.

 "She's in her room." She points upstairs "Third door to your left."

I mutter a thankyou to her and head upstairs. I hesitate at first thinking whether I should go in or not. Finally I look past my fear and open the door. She's sitting on her bed staring blankly at her phone. I knock on the door slightly to get her attention but when she looks up, my heart almost rips out. She has a resigned look on her face and her eyes are swollen from crying. She looks fragile and lost but she puts on a brave smile for me and nods her head in response.

"How are you doing, Kendi? " I ask her as I approach her. I sit right next to her and realize she hasn't been using her phone. She's been waiting for someone to call or text.

"Am sorry." She starts in such a low tone that were it not for the fact that I am close enough, I wouldn't have heard a thing. "Its one of those things I regret doing but I never meant for it to get this far. I understand why you have to let me go." A small sob escapes from her but I hold her closer to me.

"Its okay, I promise. We all go through such moments and no, am not letting you go."

She looks up at me startled then she hugs me and starts crying. 'I don't deserve it. You don't know what I did. How much I screwed up this time."

I hold her straight so that I can look into her eyes. The pain and regret in them remind me of my own.

"I don't want to know what you've done but I know that everybody deserves a second chance. You've got so much potential and your mum told me how you got accepted into your dream university. Don't disappoint yourself again and never forget that there's so many options before you. Don't choose those that will eventually be your downfall. Okay?"

I see the tiny smile forming on her lips as she whispers a 'thankyou' to me and I immediately feel something come off my shoulders. I feel relieved and lighter. For the first time ever I made it right with someone else. And somehow I feel the hope forming in my heart.

Maybe, just maybe, I'll make it right with myself too.