Page 82 of Jade

“Naseer, you don’t mean that, please forgive me. I wouldn’t knowingly do that.” she pleads.

“I must look foolish to you. We are over. Leave when you are ready, but I don’t want to see you ever again.” I walk past her as she falls crying. I’m hurting she betrayed the trust I have in her how could she do that to us?

I wasn’t supposed to see that video but thankfully, I did because I wouldn’t have known how well she played me. My father tried to warn but I refused to listen. I trusted her.

Her slow receding footsteps echoed louder in my ear; I heard the closing of my heart as the door closed behind her. The door shutting was the last beat to my flamed anger.

JADE

I’mlost,Idon’tknow what to do or where to go. I have no recollection of kissing another man. I don’t cheat. The fact remains that I did only I’ve no idea how that happened. Now we are over, and he never wants to see me. I can’t go back into the room. Where do I go now? The tears won’t stop flowing.

I go to Rilwan and knock. When he sees me, he’s shocked.

“Please can I stay here, till I can figure out where to go? Naseer told me to leave and never return” I say through sobs. I wish I could stop crying, but Rilwan let me in and closed the door. Radek, the other bodyguard leaves, shaking his head.

“What happened?” he asked.

I play the video, and he watches as I continue crying. “I don’t know what happened, one minute I was having fun with my friends and Lolade gave me a drink and I refused but she kept pushing so I finally took the drink. After that I don’t remember much other than dancing and kissing a guy, I thought was Naseer. He saw the video and lost it; He told me to never return.” We both remain quiet as I wipe my tears.

“I should leave but I’m not in the right frame of mind. Can I please stay till I can think straight?”

“Of course, Ms Bankole. The room on the left is empty you can rest in there.”

“Can I please have Tylenol; I have a headache.”

“Sure, just a minute.”

Rilwan returns with two pills for me. I take them and go to the room. I get on the bed and the tears just keep flowing. The images of Naseer’s angry face and his words keep playing in my mind.

I roll to my side and just let the tears flow.

NASEER.

Shewalkedout,I’dshouted at her to leave. I expected her to stay and provide more explanation, but she didn’t. I stayed in the room waiting, angry and pacing with rage. She has no idea how much I detest any man touching her. The Stan guy in the video had his mouth all over her. I can’t sleep, I can’t do anything. I’m pacing like a caged lion. Waiting for her to return. I need some fucking explanation.

She tried to offer one and you didn’t listen.

She didn’t try hard enough, she just left.

I continued my insane pacing in the room waiting for her to return. After hours of her not returning, I started to panic.

Is she okay?

Did she leave?

Where did she go?

Did she go to him? The thought of her going to him, has me frustrated, clenching and unclenching my fist.

I call Rilwan. I’m sure she said goodbye to him. She wouldn’t leave without speaking with him.

He comes in with a perfected scowl face trained at me.Yes, she went to him.

“Where is Jade?”

“She left,” he answered not breaking the look.

“And you let her leave?” I want to shout but he’s angry at me.

---