09. Sinful Book 2

It was closing time and Dan asked that I drop him off at home since his car had issues. Of course I helped. Unconsciously, when I did things like these for Dan, Noah crossed my mind. Where was he? How was he? How was he faring? Did he make friends already, or maybe a girlfriend?

I couldn’t help but feel it was my fault that he had to go on hiatus. I mean I’m sure he had his personal reasons, but I knew I had something to do with it.

“You’re spacing out again. This is the third time today,” Dan noticed. We were in my car and for some reason, I couldn’t bring myself to start the car.

“Antonio; do y’all have issues?” He asked.

“What? No, we’re fine. I’m just real stressed lately. I’ll be fine in no time, no need to worry,” I smiled at him. Dan gave off a strained laugh.

“I never said I was worried about you,” I shot him a death glare immediately, while he laughed at his dumb words.

“Get out of my car,” my voice was firm.

“Come on, I’m worried about you, if something bad happens to you, I could die,” he said, we laughed and got on our way.

“See you tomorrow!” Dan waved at me, I smiled and waved back. From behind him, inside the house, I could see a silhouette of a woman, peeping from the window. Samantha? I smiled and waved at the figure but I doubt they saw me.

Home was calling out to me. I needed rest, and a lot of it , because working in the same building as the people you don’t really like can be real exhausting.

Soon, I was home; I didn’t bother turning off the car because Larry walked over to me. I guess he could sense that I was too tired to do the basic thing like turn of the ignition.

“Larry, you good?” I asked him. Because thinking about it, it was the first time he came to me like that. I never really needed help driving or taking care of the car, so why was he so willing to help?

“Yes, I’m good. Did you have a nice day?” He asked me, he had a small smile on his face. I studied him for while, hopping I’d be able to get something from his aura, but I got nothing. I nodded and made my way into the house.

The first thing that hit me was the scent of some type of perfume. No one in the house, not even the housemaid, used something like that. I narrowed my eyes and walked faster to the living room. I was lost for words.

“Antonio, please listen to me,” Joline had her hands on Antonio’s hands as she begged him for only God knows what. Why was she here? What did she want? Why was my Amman entertaining her? None of them could even tell there was someone else in the living room.

Antonio was fully clothed, thank God, he looked like he had just come home from work and unbuttoned the first two buttons of his shirt. He was looking away from Joline, while putting his left hand under his jaw. He wasn’t with her.

“Mmm,” I cleared my throat, letting my presence known.

“Joline! Baby girl, it’s been a while,” I smiled, while looking at Joline’s disgusting acrylic nails.

“Save it!” Joline rolled her eyes. She thought I meant it then? How dumb-

“Baby, you’re home,” Antonio stood up and walked to me. He hugged me, letting me bury my head in the crook of his neck as he held my waist tight. He didn’t seem good. It was clear as day that he had a bad day

“You good?” I asked him.

“No,” he shook is head as he gave me a small smile.

“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me!” Pained Joline yelled.

“Antonio! I’ve been with you for the longest while. I practically did everything you wanted me to do! It’s almost like I sold myself to you! And this is how you treat me? You let some stupid bitch come and take in all my hard work? You decide to have a girlfriend and you chose her? While I’ve been here all this while!” Joline yelled.

“Yes. I chose her, what else?” Antonio turned to Joline. A little too harsh, sir.

“Joline, you can’t come in here and yell anyhow you want to. There’s a child in this house, please take note,” I told her; she scoffed.

“You’re horrible! Both of you,” she yelled.

“Please leave,” I urged her.

“I’m not leaving!” Joline cried.

“You better! Or I’m calling the police,” Antonio told her. That’s seemed to get her attention.

Look, if looks could kill, lord knows I would’ve been dead a long time ago. Joline seemed to hate me more than she usually did. She needed to know that this wasn’t some contract thing that could end by burning the paper; my relationship with Antonio was solid, and I had every right to bitch slap her if she tried anything funny with me or my family. I couldn’t go all out in the past because my relationship with Antonio was trash, and we didn’t know what we wanted, but things had changed, and I could do whatever I wanted to her if she did the wrong thing.

Antonio ran his fingers through his hair and walked into the kitchen, leaving me alone with the very angry Joline.

At some point, I understood her pain. I would’ve been mad if I was in her position; but maybe not this mad.

“You think you’ve won,” Joline’s low voice was accompanied with an angry smirk. I didn’t say a thing, I just kept my eyes on her; ready to throw hands if she wanted to throw hands.

Joined picked up her bag, that I didn’t even know she had with her, walked very close to me and stopped.

“I’d be careful if I was you,” she threatened, brushed her shoulders with mine and left the house.

All this drama, and for what?