Ghungroo - The Siren Call of Lovers (#2)

Chapter 23 - Coming Clean

For misyBonbon ...because you asked:) ...Have a fabulous weekend everybody!!!

Chapter 23

"I asked you to wait for me. We agreed on the that before I left. We made promises...You promised me. Why did you pick up and leave? Are you that immature?"

And boom! Just like that, there it is. The immaturity card.

Stupid, naïve, immature Layla.

I need to defend myself. I did try contacting him. He never picked up! What was he expecting from me? To drop him an email? Schedule an appointment with him?

"I tried calling you. You never picked up. I tried... but you didn't. And the photo...Stephanie sent me a photograph of you and her in an...in an...intimate position. You had your shirt off. She was...she was practically naked...the way she was looking at you...you looking at her...I couldn't...I wanted to...I...l...can't..."

My voice chokes. I can't continue.

He takes in a sharp breath. So he didn't know of the picture Stephanie sent to me then?

"She said...she said that I was one of your many whores. That you'd always come back to her..."

"And you believed her? You believed her over me?

"What else was I supposed to think, Riaan? The picture was so real. I tried calling you, but you wouldn't pick up. What else was I to think?"

"You could have had a little more faith in me. You could have waited like I said."

"The way you were looking at her...the way she was looking at you. So much...passion... and who am I really but the other woman. You are engaged to her, not me. Who am I to question that?"

I choke again on my words. The image of them together is still fresh in my head.

"Was, Layla...I was engaged to her. I told you I was going over there to break up with her, which is what I did. Imagine my surprise coming back to hear that you were gone. Just packed up and left, without so much as a goodbye."

"Why were you there with your shirt off? Why were you in such a...a compromising position with her if you were breaking up with her...is the picture real to begin with?"

There is a long pause. Silence stretched between us.

"Yes, it's real," he finally sighs. "But it's not what you thinking...It's complicated."

Well fuck that! If he's not serious about getting the truth out there then I'm not interested in having this conversation.

I stand up to leave.

I start to walk past him, but he grabs my hand firmly.

"Sit." He says.

Fuck! There's that commanding tone again.

God, how I've missed that arrogant, full-of-crap tone!

I feel strange things happen in the pit of my stomach and my hand burn at the wrist where he holds me firmly.

"You can't tell me what to do. I'm done with taking orders from you..."

"I said sit, Layla...Now."

His eyes are unrelenting. His grip tightens slightly.

I know there's no point in arguing any further. He is just as stubborn as I am, if not more so.

I huff exaggeratedly, but plonk myself back down next to him. This time I'm closer to him and our knees touch.

Getting up to leave was not a good idea. I can't think this close to him.