Scars (Romola 2)

85: Will you?

He nodded, taking her into his arms, just as her legs seemed to fail. He sat her on the couch. He may have got through to her for now but the difficulties were just beginning if he had to hold her attention. Whether or not she would help Modupe was a secondary issue.

"Romola, listen to me. I meant it when I said I want to help you. When I saw you earlier, I didn't know what to think. I would've left everything  if I knew how dire the situation was."

"Don't say that." Romola spoke through her tears. "Do you know what that means?"

She shut her eyes, silently sobbing except for loud gasps of air. He wiped off the tears that he could with his thumb. He hated to see her cry but it was better for her to process the feelings.

"It's my fault too. I shouldn't have let you get away the first time. I should've asked you why you were here crying with blood on your shirt but you vanished before I could say a word."

She spoke now, her voice harsh with anger. "I didn't know that you would help me. I would've asked you if I was sure but you were there with Yetunde. And when I thought to again, it was too late."

"I'm going to look for Jide." Romola's mother said.

"No." Romola's eyes flew open. "Maami, don't go. Please."

"I won't go far." Her mother hurried out of the room and shut the door.

"Are you afraid of being alone with me?"

It hurt him to think that Romola was so disgusted with his presence that she needed someone else in the room.

"No. Why would I be afraid of you?" She said, but shifted in the couch creating a distance between their bodies.

A distance that he didn't bother to close. She would come to him at the right time.

He held both of her arms. "The thing isz since I've been here in this hospital, you've been the one thing on my mind. I've been searching for you and I was certain that after Modupe's treatment, I would find you. I found you too late to be able to do anything for you sister."

"You're just saying this because you want me to help Modupe."

"I swear, Romola. It's the truth. You could ask Yetunde or the nurse. I was on my way to you when they told us that Modupe would need donors. I didn't even know you were a perfect match. In fact, Romola, Modupe is in this condition because of you."

"Me?" She turned on him. "How is this my fault?"

Olumide couldn't resist the urge to touch her. He ran his fingers around her face. "Because I wanted answers. I wanted to know the real you. The truth. Not what Yetunde said. I meant it when I said I couldn't stop thinking about you. I tried to. But you were always  in my mind and I know you must be mad about your pictures on the internet but it wasn't me. It was Yetunde. She stole my phone. I'll explain later. We were arguing about it when Modupe's accident happened."

"You... you were arguing about my pictures?"

"Yes."

"And then Modupe..."

Olumide watched distress grow in Romola's face. His passionate commentary had elicted a response far from the one he'd imagined. What if she took it to mean that she was directly responsible for Modupe's accident?

"Romola," He squeezed her right hand. "Listen to me, Modupe's accident was my fault. Yes, I was arguing about you but I could've been patient until we'd gotten home but I just had to know, Romola. I had to be sure, then and there."

"But why Mide? Why me? After all these years? After everything? You think that I am a—"

"Ssh..." Olumide placed a finger on her lips.

Her question deserved a response. An answer that he already knew and was ready to give but he wasn't sure that she was ready to receive it. Her response, whatever it might be wouldn't change his feelings. Ignoring her hadn't worked. Thinking the worst of her had failed too. But regarding his feelings and who she was honestly had brought him in the right direction.

"Because you're the only woman I've ever really cared about. It was you, Romola. It has always been you."

She snatched her hand from his. "And what of Yetunde? Your beloved fiancee? The one you knew you were going to marry the first day you saw her."

"The proposal." He scratched the back of his neck unsure of how to explain it. "I wrote that for you."

Her lips pressed in a thin line. "Stop lying."

"I'm not. Every word I said that day, I meant it but for you. Not Yetunde."

"And you're the man Yetunde wants to marry. So unfaithful."

Olumide groaned. Both irritated and attracted at the same time. She had the good sense to question him. Just as she had the first time he'd told her Yetunde was taking drugs.

"Romola, I'm not expecting you to forgive me or take me back."

"Take you back where? We were never a thing."

"It's the truth. I'm not engaged to Yetunde by choice."

# # #

She stared at him. "What do you mean?"

Wasn't it his choice to walk up to the stage with the microphone and spew those word to Yetunde? Wasn't it his choice to kneel and give her the ring. There had been no gun pointed to his head at Dami's wedding. So what was he claiming?

"I—"

"Sir." The door burst open and the nurse hurried in with a panicked look on her face. Her gaze settled on Romola and relief flodded her face. "It's good you're still here."

"What's wrong?" Olumide rose.

She shrunk away from him. She missed the comfort of his warmth but it was selfish to want to keep him to herself; especially when Modupe's life was in danger.

"The new donor. Her blood isn't viable. Her hemoglobin level is low." The nurse looked to Romola and fell to her knees. "Ma, I'm begging you. Please, don't let this girl die."

Romola stared at Olumide, waiting for him to beg her too but he only sighed as he stared back at her.

"You want me to do it."

"Yes."

"But I don't want to."

"I know."

"You're not going to beg me?"

He crouched in front of her. "We've begged you, threatened you, praised you. What else? I know the real reason you won't help Modupe is because she's Yetunde's child and I don't think it's fair that Modupe has to suffer for Yetunde's mistakes but it's not my choice to make. I won't force you."

Eye to eye with him now, she could no longer resist the burning question within her. "Why are you enagaged to her?"

"If you could've saved your sister by working with Yetunde, wouldn't you?"

"Yetunde wouldn't want to work with me."

"You're right but you're not Yetunde. Will you?"

Romola pressed her lips in a thin line. It was a tough question but the answer was plain.

Olumide rose. "I won't force you, Romola. Whatever you choose to do, I'll still want to see you when this is over."

It tore her heart that she would have to do this for Yetunde. Something she couldn't do for her sister. Something she still didn't want to do.

She grabbed his hand. "Alright. I'll help but you have to trust that I know what I'm doing."