Falling For The Playboy

EVA

I looked out the window. “Unlike you, I understand that he’s probably going through a lot right now and that’s what must have pushed him to drink like that.”

He snorted. “Right. ”

It was understandable that he would think I was mad at Omar. His performance last night had been shameful and saddening, but it wasn’t his first. It was typical Omar behavior to stay out late and come home drunk. That was how I had met him after all; sneaking back from a party. He had been fourteen at the time. He probably got worse.

“What the hell are you wearing, Cg? ” Axel asked wide-eyed as we walked inside the hotel.

“What? ” I frowned. Sure my hoodie and joggers were quite baggy, but they were in good condition. The best even. Mrs Lawson paid for quality and quality was what I had on.

“Your feet. Jesus. ” he groaned, dragging his hand down his face like he was experiencing physical pain.

Oh that. I glanced down at my huge slides sheepishly. They were really big and very noticeable. Why had I worn the color orange? I could care less about what I was wearing, I just felt bad for his sake. I tried not to feel too bad. It was his fault anyway.

I narrowed my eyes at him. “Am I embarrassing you with it? ”

“Yes. ” he stated.

“Good for you. ” I walked ahead of him, heading straight for the elevator and then pausing when I couldn’t remember what floor Omar was in. Shit. I would have to ask Axel and he would definitely gloat.

He gave me a patronizing look when he found me waiting for him. “When are you going to admit that you can’t do anything without me? ”

I hissed, shaking my head. And then laughed when I replayed the scenario in my head. He was so predictable. A small smile touched his lips as he watched me through hooded eyes. I suddenly felt a strange urge to run my fingers through his hair. I shoved my hands into my pockets to stop myself from doing anything foolish.

Omar was eating when we walked in. A salivating meal of fried eggs, several pieces of sliced bread and a hot cup of tea. Yet no matter how yummy it looked, I couldn’t be moved to actually want a taste. I had no idea why I was so averse to food.

He looked up when he saw me, a slow grin taking over his features. “Now, this is the girl I know. Only still….. slightly different. ” his eyes trailed behind me to Axel. “Hey, man. ”

Axel rolled his eyes and made to sit on the only couch in the room, making it quite clear he was ignoring him.

I sat on the bed next to Omar. “How are you feeling? ”

“Better. ” he grunted. “I felt like shit this morning. ”

“How–” I hesitated.

“Huh? ”

“What? ”

“Why are you mumbling? I can’t hear you. ” he frowned.

“Shut up. ” I hit him on the thigh, glancing at Axel and saw him watching us avidly. Ugh. Why couldn’t he turn the other way.

Omar followed my eyes, saw who I was looking at and he sighed, then he proceeded to announce loudly. “I can’t talk to you if he doesn’t leave. ”

Axel didn’t even pretend that he didn’t hear him. “Good thing I don’t give a fuck then. ”

“Can you at least turn the other way? ”

“No, I cannot. ”

Omar stared at me in confusion. “Why is he such a stubborn piece of ass? ”

I watched them warily.

“He is sitting right here and he isn’t deaf. ” he shot back.

Omar cocked his brow, looking between the two of us and then slowly, deliberately slowly, he turned back to his food, eating in silence. A fine act. If Axel didn’t leave, then he wasn’t talking to me.

I schooled my features before turning to Axel, shrugging as if to say ‘well, you heard him’.

His mouth fell open in shock. “I cannot believe you. You’re sending me out? ” I shrugged again. He looked completely floored. He probably wasn’t used to not having his way. “Wow. ” he blinked, before getting up and storming out of the room.

“By the way, you’re paying for my breakfast. ” Omar shouted after him and I swear I could literally hear the slew of curse words Axel threw at him. I laughed lightly.

The truth was, I wasn’t really comfortable hashing stuff out and while Omar had seen that part of me several times already, he knew that I still hated doing it, and I could never when we had company.

So when he’d asked Axel to leave, it hadn’t been for him. It was for me.

The first thing I asked was. “How come you were at that party last night? ”

“I should be asking you that. One of my friends that I’m in town with, got invited and I tagged along with him. ”

I blinked, puzzled. “That you’re in town with? You don’t live here? ”

“What? No. ” he threw a piece of bread into his mouth. “But this is where you live, isn’t it? ”

I nodded, but I was having a hard time processing what he was saying. He was in town with a friend? That meant he didn’t live here.

“Where do your foster parents live? ”

“Lagos. ” his eyes widened. “Eva, you wouldn’t believe it-”

“You came all the way from Lagos to Abuja to visit your friend? ” I cut him off.

“Well, no, not really. We all decided to vacation here, in Abuja, and one of the guys has a friend that owns a house here that would contain all five of us, so that’s where I’ve been at. I’m supposed to leave tomorrow. ”

Thousands of questions went through my mind, but I didn’t know which I wanted to voice first. He pushed his plate away, done with his meal, and sipped his tea, watching me.

“How did you get your foster parents to let you travel this far? ”

He shrugged. “They don’t know. ”

“What?! ”

His expression didn’t change.

“You didn’t tell your foster parents that you’re traveling to another state? ”

“Correct. ”

“What the the hell is wrong with you? ” I snapped.

“They wouldn’t know. They think I’m at school. ”

“School? ”ConTEent bel0ngs to Nôv(e)lD/rama(.)Org .

“Yes, Eva. I got accepted into Pan-Atlantic University. ”

I slapped my hand over my mouth. “Oh my God. Congratulations, Omar. ”

“Thanks. ” he dropped his now empty mug on the tray. “Everything’s okay. Don’t you see? ”

I shook my head slowly, so incredibly disappointed in him. “It’s not, Omar. It’s not. ”

“That’s your problem. ”

“I’m so disappointed in you. ”

“What about you? ” he shot up from the bed with a sneer. “Turns out I’m not the only rebellious one. Do you want to talk about how you look? That party? That guy? ” he shook his head like he was the one disappointed in me.

“Rebellious? ” I breathed. “My foster parents knew I was going-”

“That’s not what I mean and you know it. ”

“I don’t. ” I muttered, feeling incredibly small.

He was doing it again. Pushing everyone away when he didn’t want to face the truth. And it hurt that he was doing it to me too. He had a tendency to shut everyone out and retreat into his own little shell whenever he went through something that he couldn’t handle. He called it a coping mechanism. I called it self destruction.

“The Eva I know –knew, wouldn’t have attended that party. ” he cut the final thread. “You changed, I changed, let’s accept that and move on. ”

I stared up at him, letting him see how disappointed I was and hurt by his behavior and then suddenly, unable to be around him anymore, I walked to the door, pulling it open.

I just had to find Axel and get out of here.