Tragedy of the African Cinderella [Black Book3]✔

15.

She had the perfect triangular figure. Even though his mouth was too thick to admit, his mind wasn't.

'She'd make a perfect model with that unique shape and pretty face,'

He imagined his sister commenting.

'But then, Ace, you disappoint both me and the fashion industry by marrying that gruesome footwear to that great dress.'

He shrugged. He wasn't to be blamed for he found the combination rather cool with the pink pair of boots complementing the navy blue dress. Weren't pink and blue girl's favorite hues?

Ace had spent the entire class hours admiring a rare beauty that once was hidden beneath the dirt and still hadn't stopped even though he knew how uncomfortable she felt. He loved the Chinese-eyes effect her afro bun inflicted, her thick eyelashes and baby lips. They probably would taste different from those he'd had.

"Staring is rude." She paused her fork from picking a piece of meat.

"Did you enjoy the lectures?"

She nodded her head with a mouth full. "What about you?"

"I did."

Crown me a liar!

Five minutes had drained on admiring her devour her meal with so much appetite that it almost made him order for her choice or better still, want to share a fork with her. Funny how unique she appeared to be all of a sudden.
He dabbed the side of his lips rather seductively.

"I'm surprised you're not scrambling to return home," he dropped his napkin on the table to lean forward. "What do you really want to tell me, Nora?"

Nora straightened on her seat slowly masticating on the bit of food in her mouth. "I don't want to return home. Never," she said, "I live with my dad, stepmom and two stepsisters. Lost my mum at age eleven to hepatitis B,"

"I'm sorry about that. How old are you by the way?"

"Seventeen," when he nodded and said nothing, she rolled on. "My dad and I lived happily until my stepmom got into the picture three years later. She doesn't like me," Nora exhaled, "at least I'm glad she let me have the 'O' level before saturating my dad with bills enough to not have any to continue my education. Since then, I turned into a despairing help in my father's home,"

Ace stared at her with penetrating callous eyes to an extent that she got fidgety. "Your dad has no say in all these?"

She shook her lowered head.

"Why didn't you run away or even report to the auth-"

"I told you about the authorities before and...I can't run away. I have no other family besides my dad,"

Ace simply nodded.

"The bed's yours." Ace said nonchalantly as he walked past Nora who had just left the bathroom. He noticed she avoided her eyes on him for he was just in boxers and a towel around his neck.

"Where're you going to sleep?" She still quizzed even though she already knew the answer.

"That's a business of mine you shouldn't mind. Put on those clothes on the bed." He disappeared into the bathroom.

It's been four days since he called his mother. He hadn't heard news from either her or his dad or even sister. Some part of his instinct muttered possible reasons why his family was acting distant, financial disintegration being one of them but he vigorously shook his wet hair no. It was impossible.

Ace frustratedly raked his sleek long mop as he defiantly stared at his reflection in the mirror. He was running out of money, his car was still under repairs meanwhile, he bought another while waiting on that which was hopefully due to reach him in less than twenty-four hours which wasn't even certain.

Damn y'all!

He fisted the white marbled toilet wall severally until he could feel his knuckles no more.

The only thing which stopped him was the faint mutters from the room. An irritating high pitched voice which was far from that of Nora's familiar placid one seeped through the toilet doors. Without wasting much time, he ringed his pelvic with a towel and dashed into the room.

"What's going on here?"

Nora, who was backing him with the stranger still on the other side, slowly turned to him with the most miserable expression he'd ever seen her wear.

"I swear to God mum must hear of this. Trust me," the stranger threatened.

"Who that?"

"Oh, hey Ace,"

"Get inside," he ordered to Nora who looked gorgeously sexy in his T-shirt and pair of shorts before holding the door captive. "What do you want?"

"What kind of question is that?" The stranger retorted, chewing on a bubble gum like a mentally deranged whore.

"Go home. I don't need you anymore,"

"Why not? Is it because of that bitchy ass filth--"

"I said you should leave. Now!"

"Why call my phone yesterday morning begging me to come over when you already had my 'runaway' step-sister in your menu?"

Ace's eyes narrowed. He took a quick glimpse of the girl who was nervously sitting on his bed and then back to the barely naked girl in front of him; A tight fitting strapless ass-only-covering dress with a pathetic cleavage exposing V-neck was as much as walking nude.
It seems she wasn't even breathing properly.

"It was a mistake ok? Now get out of my side."

"Transport fair." she stretched her palm out to him with a dramatic eye roll.

Ace sighed, reached for the bedside drawer, and pulled out a couple of banknotes.

"What's this?" Ace's brow rose at the girl's foolish question. "Five thousand francs?" (10$)

"That should be sufficient."

"What the hell I'm--"

Was the last word from her before he shut the door in her face.
He awkwardly remained unrooted as he intently stared at Nora. For the first time, he was thankful for the towel engulfing his manhood.

"Stepsister huh?" He struggled to break the itching silence to no avail. Her gaze had annoyingly stuck to her fiddling fingers. "You're scared she'll voice out to your stepmom aren't you?"

Nora nodded.

"Nothing will happen after that."

"You don't know her," she finally spoke, "Martha is capable of so many things just to get what she wants. She might call the police and accuse you of abducting. I don't want you to get into trouble. I don't want to cause you trouble."

"Chill, you're not going to get me into any trouble, Nora. Just relax and have a good night rest ok?"

"Ok," she swung both legs on the bed shortly after Ace had switched off the lights. "I don't mean to pry," she muttered in the dark. She couldn't see him but she could tell he was in front of her fixing his site for rest.
"But, why did Rose come here?"

Ace slipped into his covers, stared into the dark with his arms beneath his head, and remained silent as if he wasn't bombarded with a question. The night was unusually cozy despite the fact that he was deranged family-wise. He flipped his body to the other side so his back was facing the bed.

Sooner or later, he would have to return home. The probability of 'sooner' was significantly higher than 'later' and that scared him so bad.

"You're so naive to the point of stupidity." He finally answered even though he knew from her light snores that she was far from planet earth. "Good night, Nora."

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