.
Chapter Three - Milk
.
I stilled. Suddenly I found myself scrambling off the sofa, hands in my hair, panic in my eyes as if I'd just been caught in the act as a teen by my parents. Or maybe that's what it felt like to be mortified rather than panicked. I was more panicked right now. If he was to burst through that door, I would most definitely be mortified.
A quick look in the kitchen placed Kibbie there wiping down plates with her back to me. I hastily looked around; I even pathetically took a quick swipe down my length to check my appearance. What the hell? My appearance? I mean, why should I even care what I looked like? He was not going to see the inside of that door, I would make sure of it, and on a crest of anxiety I quickly texted him to stop him making any kind of move. He couldn't come up. He just couldn't. This was my space, he had no right to even attempt to invade it against my instruction. I managed a quick text. It simply read;
Me - Fri @22:59
Don't even think about it.
Darius - Fri @22:59
Bree...
Me - Fri @ 23:00
I mean it. Kibbie's here.
His response was swift. Two quick texts in the same minute.
Darius - Fri @23:00
I see.
Darius - Fri @23:00
And if she wasn't...?
My eyebrow rose. Wow Darius...
Me - Fri @ 23:01
...I'd still want you to leave. What kind of time do you call this?
Darius - Fri @ 23:02
All I'm asking is that you see me. Please Bree. Or I'm serious, I'll come up.
Me - Fri @23:02
You. Are. NOT. Coming up. I told you, Kibbies here.
Darius - Fri @ 23:03
Then u know what to do. I'm here, Bree. Meet me.
I took in a long hard breath. It seared right through me. What was wrong with him? Everything I was saying was going in one ear and out the other.
You know, if there was one thing about him I always noticed, it was that he was always persistent. If he wanted something he always went for it. No matter what. Always.
Even me.
Me - Fri @ 23:04
Listen to me Darius, you have to go. Please just go.
Darius - Fri 23:05
Hold on a sec.
Hold on for what? If he was going to ignore me and come up anyway...God, I could so hit him right now. Could I press these keys any quicker? Any day now for speed would be good.
I jumped when my phone began to vibrate and a second later the sound started going off. I didn't even have to look at the display to know who it was. He was calling me now. I immediately took the call to stop my phone sounding off for any duration of time that could alert Kibbie.
Alert Kibbie? It was just a phonecall! It's not like I didn't get called by people other than her yet I couldn't help but panic anyway as if a phone call was unusual. If Kibbie was ever going to get suspicious, it would be my fault. No normal person could possibly be as jittery and on edge as I was right now. That was bound to arouse suspicion. I wasn't doing myself any favours here.
God, the more I panicked the more I realised how that alone would do more to alert her than any phone call. My edgy reactions were more concerning. Phone to my ear, eyes stuck firmly in view of the kitchen watching my flatmate, I said in a harsh reprimanding tone through gritted teeth, "What the hell is wrong with you? What are you playing at?"
"Can you get away for a few minutes? Please. Make an excuse."
I swallowed. "No."
"I just...I just wanna see you."
I quickly looked ahead of me at Kibbie all too thankful that I could only see the back of her and twisted around, hushing my voice again but still equally anxious, "Why? You saw me at lunchtime."
"Oh c'mon Bree. That's not enough. You know it's not. I've literally done nothing but think about you all day."
I shut down on my lids at that, momentarily closing my eyes at his declaration, and for a moment I paused on the line. Why couldn't I control my heart's reaction to him saying that? What was that trying to tell me? Did I even want to know? I didn't think I did...
"Bree?"
I opened them again.
"Did you think about me?"
Oh... I shook my head. "Enough, Darius. Please. This isn't fair on me. On Lovelock."
"Lovelock? You give a damn about Mila?"
"No, but you should. You're the one who's seeing her."
There was a silence on the line. For a split second I thought he'd gone.
"I just wanna talk to you."
"We're talking."
"Not like this."
"Listen—" I was stopped in my tracks as I heard a sudden movement and quickly turned around to find Kibbie coming out of the kitchen. I could hear my voice change now as I spoke again, it was lighter, more cheery, unnatural high as I put my hand in my hair, I nodded, "Yeah, so um, I'll be at work on Monday. I mean, covering you, your hours. It was Monday, right? That you needed me to cover?" Did I save myself there? Kibbie didn't bat an eyelid. I guess I did.
"Kibbie, huh?" he said.
I looked over to her and cleared my throat.
"Downstairs, Bree." He responded, "I'll be here. I'll wait. However long it takes. I'll wait."
I cut the call off.
"Can't believe I'm peckish already." Laughed Kibbie as she re-entered with a plastic jar of cookies and a stuffed mouth. She shoved the jar in my face, "It's assorted. Pick one."
"I'm okay." I said quietly, patting my tummy. "I'm pretty full actually."
She looked at my plate. "Didn't even finish it? Put it in the fridge for next time. I'm using the big storage container for my break tomorrow though, so you can use the other one."
I forced a smile and simply stood there, I couldn't help but think...My eyes scanned a small section of the floor as I blinked away at it and bit at my bottom lip, holding it painfully between my teeth. Just thinking. "Any milk?" I asked.
"Milk?"
"Feel like cereal."
"I don't...I mean...let me check." She looked stumped, but having just sat down she hesitantly got up again and gave me a quick look as she retreated into the kitchen gunning for the fridge.
Milk was not a normal request for me. In fact, cereal was not something I ate very often. That look of hers wasn't exactly surprising, but right now I had a hard time thinking clearly on my feet.
I was breathing so fast my face started to feel hot, my body unsteady. My heartbeat raced uncomfortably in my chest with a mind of its own. I could hear Kibbie calling out something, probably to tell me there wasn't any milk but her voice had quickly drowned out into nothing, I was blocking it out of my head because somebody else was in there right now. And he was waiting for me downstairs.
I thought I caught Kibbie saying she would make a sandwich but she continued to talk while she was at it. All I could do was stand where I was.
There was a burst through the door at that moment. On the TV screen. I looked up at it; the movie of Tobi and Mr.GQ was still on and it caught me right then because of the scene I was confronted with.
The GQ guy was now at Tobi's apartment, her friends hadn't met him until then but they had only just arrived at her place minutes before Mr.GQ got there as Tobi washed dishes. GQ wanted to talk to Tobi alone but her friends were being difficult, one of them in particular took a tone with him that was very telling. GQ suggested maybe he should just leave but Tobi strongly insisted that her friends leave instead. It was then that after some build-up, handsome GQ told Tobi they couldn't be together anymore. My heart jolted. God, had I been there. My initial reaction was to look at Tobi. I watched her as she pleaded with him, I watched as her eyes watered, they were both visibly upset, and as I watched the emotional exchange, something came over me.
I'd seen enough of this movie to know that they should be together, no doubt so far, but something in my heart sunk at her pleading with him not to go. I didn't want her to do that, I didn't want her to beg. She was breaking down in front of him, she was ripped in two at his words, her tears were blocking her ability to speak so much that she was literally hiccupping her words through her tears and the sight of it was affecting him too. Who did he think he was? Who was he to burst into her space and tell her it was over? It hit me so hard watching it, and silently I pleaded with Tobi to stay strong in front of him and fall apart afterwards when the handsome prick had left. But she was falling apart in his eyes, and suddenly my jaw clenched down hard and anger had taken over me.
Anger.
As I stood there I had to ask myself; who was I really angry at? GQ?
Or Darius?
I looked at my phone, snapped an eye over to Kibbie in the kitchen and realized something. I knew what I had to do.
"I'm getting milk." I simply said, walking over to the door and lifting one of my jackets from one of the two hooks.
Kibbie quickly came out, a jam covered slice of buttered bread in one hand, "What?"
"Milk." I said.
"It's like after eleven and you want milk?" her brows were as perplexed as her entire face. I could just see the words 'what the fuck?' running through her head right now. Yeah, it was odd.
I shrugged into the jacket and without so much as a bye I opened the door and closed it behind me. As I got to the end of the corridor I heard Kibbie call out to me. She'd opened the door and was now in the doorway.
"Bree?"
"Don't."
"But—"
"I JUST NEED SOME FUCKING MILK! OKAY?" I yelled at her. Why couldn't she just leave me alone? Just this once. For now. Just...leave me alone.
She looked at me, her eyes a show of confusion, her beautifully smooth caramel brown skin now wrinkled in confoundment, and I just knew that apprehension was mixed in there somewhere too. "What's going on?"
I sighed, shaking my head. I wanted to tell her, I also wanted to instantly apologise for yelling at her, or more accurately for snapping at her, but I just looked back at her pleading only with my eyes for her to let this go but all she could do was look back at me. Her mouth opened for a split second to silence before shutting just as quickly.
"Please," I said, "Not now."
"I don't know what you mean?"
I said nothing.
"Damn, you're looking a bit funny right now."
I didn't know what she thought she knew, but I glanced down at myself, resting my gaze on my feet. I didn't know what to tell her.
"You okay?"
How lame was I to nod in such a shallow way. Nope, not very convincing at all.
She huffed this time. "You are the shittiest liar ever." She said and then stepped back into the flat. I could see her reach behind the door for the jacket she'd only just taken off when she got back from work.
"No!" My hand involuntarily reached out in objection after her. She stopped and turned back around. "Please." I said.
I knew I would have to explain this at some point, and her face...I couldn't even look at it any longer. I quickly looked back at her again and caught hers locking over me.
"I don't know what this is about but --"
"You don't need to know."
"You're freaking me out. Fucking milk? You could just say you're meeting a guy or something. I'd accept that, I mean we're adults here, but milk? Really? The fact that you have to make an excuse is like a red flag right now."
"Just leave it, Kibbie!" I'd had enough already. All of a sudden I felt like I owed her nothing. I could go out anytime of fucking night for any reason and I'd be damned right now if I had to explain myself. Not right now. Just...
But having caught her face once again, it had me sighing with apology. "Sorry. It's just...it's okay. I'm okay." I reassured.
It was obvious she wasn't convinced. It was written all over her. I didn't usually snap for no apparent reason and she knew it. And I damn sure didn't need any damn milk. She wasn't stupid and knew me too well.
"Fair enough." she shrugged finally letting it go. "But if you're gonna lie, lie. You can totally do a better job than that. I'll probably call you in a bit. Milk or no milk."
I watched her as she said that. I think she knew I would return without milk.
Arrrgh, okay lovely people that may just be my shortest chappy EVER. I know, I know, but just wait til Bree meets Darius. What will she say to him...? In fact, what will he say to her...? Next chappy doesn't get STRAIGHT to it, you know, it's not immediate conversation and whatnot, but it does get there...so stick around if you'd like :)