Too Good to Be Real

Chapter 56

She knocked once on his door and waited for him to call out. If he didn't, she'd go back to her room however it was rather than make a fool of herself any further. Nathi was probably in there, she thought, beginning to leave when the door opened and Obi's tall frame towered before her. His eyes were blotched and reddish and she shuddered, imagining he'd also been smoking. His face softened immediately he saw her.

"Come in." He said, creating space for her. "Is everything okay? Why do you look like this?"

She sat tiredly on his bed and scanned the room. As usual, it was explicitly tidy, except for the slight dent in the bed where he had been sleeping.
"I've just been feeling terrible ever since I last saw Asa in the hospital. I'm afraid she'll do it again immediately she's let out..."

"Hey hey, it's all okay." He said pulling her in and patting her head. She felt like a child.
They stayed like that for several minutes and slowly, she felt better. She was hugging him back now fiercely but he didn't push her away. She wished it could be like this all the time.

"Where's Nathi ?" She asked.

"I don't know. She said she was going out." He said.

She looked up at him. "Why didn't you call me? Even after I told you everything that happened with Asa."

He sighed.
"I thought you didn't want to speak to me."

"Why on earth would you think that?"

"Maybe you were not so happy after your friend asked you to her wedding...or with the picture thing...you know what, nevermind."

He went to drink some water and it clicked.
"Nathi told you I was angry. And gave her own version of the story."
He didn't say anything and she knew it was the truth.

"Give me something to drink." She said, heaving a sigh of frustration.
When she drank from the clear glass he gave her, she almost spat it out. It was water.
"I meant wine."

He held her back from going to get the drink herself.
"Do you think you're in the right frame of mind to drink." It was a question and a statement at the same time. At her persistence, he swiftly locked the big fridge and kept the key right on top of it, knowing she couldn't reach it on her own and she was too lazy to try any harder.

Giving up, she went back to the bed and pouted. He handed her the glass of water and with a frown she took it and downed the whole glass.

"We have exams tomorrow." She announced, surprised at his lackadaisicality. "You're not even trying to read or anything. This is unlike you."

He didn't say anything, just stared at her with a smile that said you don't even know what you're talking about.
"We have exams next tomorrow. I don't know about you, but I'm completely prepared."

She relaxed, grateful she'd mixed up the dates. The days were pouring into each other that she didn't know what she was doing half the time. There was music playing now and it helped a lot to ease her up.

"I broke up with Asher." She said.

He looked confused.
"I thought you guys had already separated. "

"No. Just today."

"So what made you make the very difficult decision." His tone was loaded with mockery. She ignored it.

"He was cheating on me."

"No shit." He was almost laughing at her now. She wanted to hit him but she didn't have the strength to do anything.

"I really wish I'd accepted when you asked me out." She expected his smile to turn when she said this but he was only the more amused. She felt foolish.