Chapter 3
1488 Words
“How about staying with me for the night? I’ll call your mother and explain to her”
The question was out of place for her, she wasn’t expecting it, her face was filled with both fear and excitement.
“What if...? No, he’s like a step dad to me, that wouldn’t happen”
She shrugged it off.
“I can book a ride if you can’t take me home”
She replied, picking her words cautiously.
“Can I talk to you?”
“Yes” she answered curiously.
“Promise to not tell anyone, especially Armanda.”
She rolled her eyes, knowing he wasn’t looking at her.
“I won’t, I promise.”
“Okay, I am not with your Mother willingly, she’s been blackmailing me ever since we met again after Gregory died, I don’t want to be with her, not anymore. Well, I technically used to like her”
He stopped talking to look at her, her expression was blank and he continued.
“Check in the glove box, the white paper”
She opened the safe, her hand trembling, awaiting another Suprise.
“That is signed by your father before his death, An agreement that you get married to me when you turn 18.”
He waited for a response but didn’t get any.
Tulip stared into the night through the window. Her mind was numb, she didn’t know how to react.
She’s stuck in a situation of wanting something then getting more than what she asked and it seems it’s too much or maybe too fast.
“Take me home” she finally responded.
“Mom I need to talk to you about Dad and Desmond.” She barged into her mother’s room and noticed she hurriedly hid something under her duvet.
“What?” She replied , guilt on her face.
“You didn’t tell me Desmond and Dad were friends and what in the world are you hiding?” She snatched the duvet swiftly from the bed.
“Really Mom?!” She shouted at her after seeing pack of cigarette she was trying to hide.
“I wasn’t feeling good” Armanda replied solemnly, now trying to light the cigarette since Tulip saw it already.
Tulip snatched the cigarette from her.
“Guess this is what your Doctor prescribed? I thought you were clean mom?”
“I mean it’s only a cigarette.” She shrugged.
“I shouldn’t have to start worrying about you since Dad’s gone, You’re an Adult!”
“Don’t talk to me like that!” Armanda shouted, making an effort to remind her she’s the mother.
Tulip turned, leaving the room. She had enough for today.
“What do you want to ask me?” Armanda said to Tulip, her voice now solemn.
Tulip didn’t look back or reply to her. She went into her room and tucked herself under her pink blanket, a gift from her father.
It’s about time she make her decisions herself. No Papa, No Armanda, No Cavier.
Now it’s Desmond, her crush and probably her husband to be. She closed her eyes and drifted into a deep sleep after a long day.
“Tulip! Wake up” A manly and familiar voice woke her up. She opened her eyes slowly and rubbed them hard.
“What are you doing in my room?!” She asked, drawing her blanket over her chest.
“Your mom said you wouldn’t come down for breakfast because you both had a disagreement yesterday.”
“I haven’t come downstairs because I was sleeping as y’all can see!” She replied angrily.
“Tulip” Desmond said solemnly as he sat on her bed, his eyes pleading.
“What?”
“How about we start our wedding preparations?”
“You’re insane!” She replied while jumping off the bed because he was coming closer to her.
“You can’t deny that you love me, so stop playing hard to get. I own you now.”
“Mom!!”
She screamed and ran downstairs.
“What’s it baby?”
Her mother was fixing breakfast for them.
“Can you believe Des...”
“Tulip dropped by at the club yesterday.” Desmond chirped In from the stairs.
“Really?” Armanda’s Good morning smile disappeared immediately.
“Well, she said she just wanted to talk to me concerning our relationship, it’s not like she came for the fun” he defended her.
“Let her speak for herself! Is that true?” She turned to Tulip who was too stunned to speak.
“It’s all good baby, I wouldn’t tell you if it’s not.” He kissed Armanda on the forehead and she returned with one on his lips.
“At the table, Really?” Tulip suddenly found her voice.
Armanda gave Desmond a lazy push and replied her daughter.
“Sit, you’re telling me everything tonight!”
Desmond winked at Tulip.
“You’re going to be fine” he whispered.
“f**k You!” Tulip replied angrily, a little too loud.
“No swearing in my house! Who are you cussing?”
“I believe she owns the house, technically.”
“Not now DESMOND!!” Armanda replied angrily while Desmond picked his wine glass and sipped from it, happy the he has now confirmed what the lawyer told him.
“What’s he talking about mom?”
“Eat your food” she responded, her voice now lower than usual.
“Now y’all making me seem like a devil, I lost my appetite.” He cleaned his mouth with a napkin and walked out of the house.
Tulip found Desmond by the pool, his feet in the blue water, splashing water like a lost kid.
“Hi” Tulip said first before sitting near him, putting her feet into the water too.
“She went out.” She added, still trying to get him to talk.
“Armanda is treating me like a bad person even when I’m trying so hard to do what your father never did for her, I love her more than my life.” He said while splashing the water with more intensity.
“She didn’t mean it, she’s going through a lot lately.”
“And I’ve been through more for her, here.” He folded his shirt sleeve,
“This was from a fight she had started, I took a knife for her.”
Tulip admire the wound and she slowly ran her fingers unconsciously through it.
“Hmm hmm”
“Sorry” she removed her hand immediately.
“It’s fine, come here”
She moved closer to him, her body trembling from curiosity and lust.
“Your father wants us together, we should get married but your mother in blackmailing me to date her. I do not want her Tulip, I want you, I love you.”
He slowly took his lips towards hers, waiting for her reaction but she didn’t push him, he kissed her lightly, her lips soft and tender, her n*****s hard from the kiss but she still didn’t say a thing nor respond to his kiss. Stunned by his handsome face, the heat in his breath made her shiver.
“Are you not going to say something?”
“What?” She finally responded.
“Do you want to be with me, not caring about what your mother thinks? What everyone thinks? I know it’s going to be a taboo but would you let your love for me conquer all?”
“I...”
Desmond phone rang and she stopped whatever she was going to say.
“Continue, it’s an unknown number.” He said eagerly.
“I mean I...”
A call from an unknown number came in her phone too and she picked up.
“Hello Tulip, I am officer Jarvis”
The tiny voice said to her.
“Hi, how may I help you officer?”
“Are you Armanda Jose’s daughter?”
“Clearly! You mentioned my name even I never told you, Is my mother in trouble?”
“Well, your mother is okay but not too well because she hit her head in a chase with myself and another officer.”
“Give me the phone!” Desmond snatched it from Tulip.
“What’s happening, is she being held?”
“Who is this please, I’ll prefer to speak with her daughter only and this call is not official, I’m doing this as an homage to him because my daughter benefited from 𝗠𝗥 JOSE’s philanthropy.”
“I am her boyfriend.”
“Okay, well she’s on her way to an hospital right now but she will be arraigned to court after her treatment, the city are prosecuting her, I hope this doesn’t go too wide because there are multiple property damages before she finally crashed into a children playground.”
Tulip couldn’t hide her tears anymore.
- Writer
