Something about today made Yejide happy; maybe it was Elias, like always. The man did what was needed to make her happy even when she asked him not to. Jide didn't deserve him; shit, she didn't deserve this family in her opinion, but they loved her, and she loved them back. As a child, she didn't remember much, only the man coming into her parents' shack of a house promising to give their children a better life. Her brothers never made it, and she was turned into his slave. Cleaning, cooking, and scrubbing the floors on her hands and knees at six years old. To her, it was no better than the living conductions her parents had her living in.
Then came along Chance, he was kind to her and when he was around he would help her with her studies—promising her that he would get her away from there. The only problem was Emmanuel wanted him dead and if she had been brave enough to tell him at the time maybe she could have left when he did. Although Yejide didn't fault Chance for leaving and seeking out his brothers for help. She was mad at herself for knowing the truth and not telling it.
Obasi and Ime were different stories. They begged her to come along, but by this time Madison was there, and she had gotten her hooks into her skin. The woman was nice to her at first then she slowly turned evil. She had these weird sexual desires toward women, and she was the one that got caught in her little web. Yejide was afraid to run, scared that she would kill her, and after their last encounter, she was sure she would die as this woman's sex slave.
It could have been luck.
Or a curse...
One thing she was sure if, Jide was happy as hell when Alexei showed up when he did. Like Maddi and Ndidi, he was on the run from The Köhlers. At the time she only knew they were the people Madison wanted a child from. Then slowly, she grew afraid of them. Alexei was terrified too. Scared enough to run and hide, but the one thing he didn't want was Yejide following behind. She couldn't think him enough for his decision to send her here.
From the moment she stepped foot on their doorstep, they were kind. Giving her clean clothes and a bed to sleep in that wasn't a bunch of dirty covers on the floor as if she was a dog. Yeah, it took some time before the ones her age would trust her, but it was worth it because those were her best friends, something that she had never had before. Xylia, Ava, and Shanice were her lifelines, and she would kill for them, and it was the same with Xavier, Barkley, and Ziggy. Elias was the love of her life, and she never thought she would find someone that would love someone as broken as her.
He showed her the values of herself, how to love herself, and see the beauty within her, inside and out. No matter how much she tried to pull him anyway, he always came back strong, causing her to fall hard. It was a feeling that scared her, but Yejide was happy that she allowed herself to let him in. Nothing was going to come between them; she wasn't going to allow it.
"H-hi... I-I was wondering when I was going to get to see you."
Quickly Yejide's head turned to the voice. Her heart was beating so fast that she swore it was about to jump out of her chest. Why was she here? Why wasn't she told? Right, when her life felt as it should, something was here to ruin it all.
"S-stay a-away f-from m-me!"
"Yejide, wait! I didn't mean to scare... you." She yelled as Jide quickly ran out the door. Her mind was on finding Elias and the others for answers as her mind ran with questions. Why they didn't tell her, this woman was here. Yejide felt like she was getting tested, like they never trusted her. Elias should have been the first to speak of the women being there. This was like a stab through the heart that deepened the closer she got to Xavier's home. Walking in, Jide felt like she couldn't breathe. Then she saw Elias laughing about something one of them said as she swiftly walked up to him and slapped him without thinking. Soon as it happened, Yejide regretted it as he gripped her by the throat and roughly pushed her against the wall.
