Seat of Betrayal

8. Leave

Poem by DanielMends0

Adelynn

As I hear footsteps get closer to the bed, I keep my eyes shut till the pair of legs retreat and walk into the closet instead. I lie down in silence as I feel Kevin sit on the other side of the bed.

‘’I’m sorry, Ade. I had to attend to an impromptu meeting,’’ he says and I keep mute. He must take me for a fool if he thinks I’ll take this dumb excuse especially when I smell a very different fragrance on him.

‘’I know you’re not asleep. I said I’m sorry. The meeting was urge…’’

‘’Do you have to lie to me even when I smell her on you?’’ I don’t move, I just speak to him without looking in his direction.

‘’Smell who?’’ I roll my eyes even though it’s very dark and he wouldn’t notice either.

‘’Don’t act ignorant.’’

‘’Ade, I…’’

‘’I need to rest and this conversation is stressing me out already. Please leave me alone.’’ He lets out a deep breath and a few seconds later, enters the bathroom to shower. At least that’s better since I don’t get to smell the cologne of whoever he slept with.

^^^      ^^^     ^^^

‘’I thought you said I should stay out of your business. What do you want from me now?’’ Clara looks at me with innocent eyes which don’t even suit her as I keep on sorting the files in front of me.

After what happened yesterday, I thought she would never speak to me again or something but here she is in my bedroom on such a bright Saturday afternoon requesting for money for God-knows-what.

‘’I know what I said, Ade,’’ she says in a mid-scream as I look up from the current file I’m holding at her with a raised eyebrow.

‘’You dare shout at me too? Get out,’’ I blurt out, not only because she almost raised her voice at me but because I’ve been in a horrible mood since yesterday. Aside that, I got a whole load of unfinished work the previous week so I had to bring some files home to work them off this weekend.

‘’I’m sorr…so so sorr…, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to shout…’’ she stutters.

‘’Good. Now what were you saying?’’ I ask as I continue with my work and hear her groan.

‘’I need some money, Ade.’’

‘’So?’’

‘’Come on. You know I need money from you.’’ I scoff and she rolls her eyes.

‘’Say the magic word,’’ I tell her and she buries her head in her hands for a few seconds as she takes in a deep breath before speaking.

‘’Can you please lend me some money?’’ she says with her teeth together and a squinted face.

‘’I need you to say it and mean it, miss. I have a whole lot of things to do and you can’t waste my time like that.’’

‘’Alright, alright. Can you pleeease lend me some money Miss Adelynn Jorge?’’ she says without squinting her face this time.

‘’Good. My bag is in the closet, you can take the amount you want.’’

‘’You’re the best,’’ she squeaks with joy as she disappears into the closet where I hear her rummaging through my bag.

I let out a deep breath and look back into the files. I wish Clara could make her own money to make her happy all the time like this since I know for sure that I will not be there for her forever.