Citrus

twenty-nine

Issac snapped.

"Don't give me that bull-shit!" He half's screams, his eyes suddenly glistening with tears. "I lost my sister, you bastard. You're the reason she isn't here today,"

"I know that." John said, his jaw tensing.

"You know that and you seriously expect me to forgive you? Amanda was everything to me! And you took her away."

My stomach sinked and twisted into a so many different knots. This isn't going to end very well.

"So because of that," Issac breathed, calming down a bit. "I'm going to take everything from you, and I'm going to make you suffer."

I took my gaze low and watched John squeeze his palms to form a fist, I couldn't even imagine how he felt right now. Still trying to deal with the guilt of what he's done to Amanda, and Isaac getting his family into it, he would certainly feel that all this was his fault.

But it wasn't.

So, abiding to my promise to John, I walked up to Issac's front and slapped him hard.

The sound tore through the air.

My palms stung, and I heard John let out a quickened breath of surprise behind me, but I did not regret it. Issac rose up his head, looking at me in utter bewilderment and he caressed his slapped cheek with his hands, his skin red.

I inhaled. "You have no right to blame John for something that wasn't clearly his fault."

When I got nothing but utter silence as my response, I continued. "We both know—we all know that your sisters death was just an accident, nobody caused it. So, you don't have to be subjecting John to so much guilt and pain that he doesn't even deserve."

"But he—"

"Let me finish," I cut him short before he would say anything totally and utterly stupid.

"Don't you think he has had enough," I went on, "do you know how much he beats himself up thinking Amada death was his fault? Do you know how he has deal with the guilt? And then you come here to rub salt on his wounds by getting my family and his family involved. Have you no shame at all? Don't you gave respect for yourself? Why are you such a—such a—" I looked for the perfect word.

"A woman?" John added for me, a chuckle in his voice.

"A woman!" I completed. "Get a hold of yourself Issac. And if Amanda is some where in heaven looking down upon us do you think that he would he happy with what you're doing?" I held John's arm, and tired to control my heart which was beating uncontrollably in my chest. "Get your shit together. Let's go John."

We turned and left, my feet stumping on the ground. I wanted to get away from Issac as fast as possible. I couldn't believe I just said that. But I knew it was the best thing to do. Isaac had to hear the truth and nothing butyr truth.

Few minutes away from the car, John tugged me backwards. I turner around."What?"

John's smile was brighter than the sun. "You were super cool back there,"

I tried to ignore the warmth that engulfed my entire body. "Thanks, I was just keeping my promise,"

John caressed his thumb only the skin of my palm. "I-I mean seriously, you were amazing." He inched closer and reached out to kiss my forehead, his lips soft and warm. "I should be the one thanking you."

Oh God. I was hopelessly and inevitably in love with this guy. But this feelings tucked in my chest weren't the same with James. It was—even though not as much—different. I yearned for John, and it was crazy the way such a single movement from him would make my heart skip, and my insides tingle.

John drew his head back, and smiled at me once more, studying my face. "What have I done to deserve this? To deserve you?"

I didn't say nothing as I just smiled back at him, ignoring the dying feeling to just crash his lips on mine, and kiss him till I couldn't even breathe.

But we still had a lot of things to do. Kissing him and even maybe expressing my feelings to him would come later. Now is not the time.

He drew back and we walked to the car, entering into it and continuing our slow drive back home.

☕︎

The events of yesterday keeps on playing in my mind over and over and over again, making me feel like a teenager drunk in love.

What was wrong with me?

I was aware of why I was feeling this way, but I didn't expect it to be this much. I was even making it obvious that my mom would give me side glanced and my sisters would look at me questionably but I couldn't help it.

I was in love.

Clutching my pillow to my chest, I began to think about his face. Even doing that made my stomach dip. I had already told myself that when all this was over I was going to confess. How stupid as it sounds I was because if not, this feelings would keep on eating me and I wouldn't be able to take it.

I was the only one at home now. Today was the press conference and every hand had to be on deck. My father had told me yesterday that an someone had bribed the chief editor who published the article online. Aware of who that someone was, it was still unbelievable that Issac would go that far just to see John crushed.

After the press conference and if things–hopefully—went well, John had invited me to lunch. I couldn't wait. Now on business leave I had nothing to do but to louge around, and check up on different houses up for sale so I could rent which I had done in the morning that left me tired.

There was a ring at the door.

Who could that be?

I wasn't really expecting someone and it wasn't the time for my sisters or my mom to be back. I stood, drifting down the staircase to the front door and peaked at the hole.

James stood there with a wary expression on his face.

What was he doing here?

I hesitated before I opened the front door, and he seemed to look relived when I did. I stared at him, my eyebrows raised and he noticed my unspoken question.

"Hey, Bisola."

"What do you want?" I asked.

"Can we talk? He said, "there is something I want to say to you."

I contemplated before opening the door wide for him to enter. "Come in,"

❦

Sorry, hehe.