SIX MONTHS TO FOREVER

NIA EVANS

Nia’s POV

“Thank you for shopping with us,” said the lady at the reception as she handed the wrapped gift to me. I smiled and collected it, making my way toward the door.

It was my fiancé’s birthday and also our fifth year of courtship, so it was a double celebration for us. As I held the gift, I waved a taxi over.

“Hello, miss?” said the driver once he stopped in front of me. “I think starting the day with a rare beauty like yours is enough to make a man’s day brighter.”

I blushed, tucking a loose strand of hair behind my ear. It had been a decade since someone told me I was beautiful. Not even Mike. He never said I was beautiful; he only did when I gave him money or did something special for him. I wasn’t used to getting admiration from the opposite s*x.

I hopped into the car. “You drivers know how to flatter a lady.”

He chuckled, glancing at me through the mirror. “Just being honest, ma’am. So, where would you like me to take you?”

“Block Avenue,” I replied warmly.

“That’s no problem, my lady. Relax and enjoy your ride.”

“Thank youuu…”

“Richard,” he cut in.

“That’s a nice name. My fiancé’s stepbrother bears the same name.”

“You have a fiancé?”

“Yes, I do. Today’s his birthday, and I plan to surprise him with this present.”

“That’s cool. There are only a few ladies out there who would want to gift their man on his birthday. Your man must be lucky to have you.”

“You can say that again, Richard,” I said playfully.

“I wish you both a happy married life in the near future,” he said as he matched the brake in front of Mike’s house.

“Thank you, Richard. Have a wonderful day.”

“You too, my lady.”

I smiled, watching the car fade into the distance until it was out of sight. I turned to face Mike’s house behind me and walked in with a face full of smiles. The closer I drew to his apartment, the more excited I became.

Today, I had planned to spoil him with the little money I had taken out of my savings. It would be just enough to take Mike and me out clubbing. I just wanted to make him happy, and after everything, we would end up in bed doing what couples do. This had been my plan since Mike and I had been distant for months. He said he needed some time to work on himself and his financial state, so we seldom spoke on the phone.

I really didn’t know how Mike would feel seeing me in his house unannounced. He’d once said he didn’t like impromptu visits, but I had called countless times and he didn’t pick up, so I decided to pay him a surprise visit. I was sure he must have forgotten it was his day.

I knocked on his door and took a deep breath to ease the excitement overwhelming me. Mike would be so happy with the gift; it was his favorite gold wristwatch. It cost two hundred and fifty dollars, and I had worked my ass off to get it for him. If he asked where I got the money, I’d tell him a friend gave it to me so he wouldn’t say again that he was inconveniencing me.

I knocked for the second time, but no one answered. Maybe I should call him again; he might answer the phone this time.

I dialed his number and placed the phone to my ear, listening to the ringtone, praying he would just pick up. But then I heard his phone ringing loudly inside the house. Mike was in, yet he didn’t care to know who was at the door or even pick up his phone. My brows knitted immediately and my mood sank. “Maybe he went out without his phone,” my inner voice said.

I shook my head. Mike would never go out without his phone, someone who cherished it like his heart and wouldn’t drop it for a second, let alone allow me to touch it. He always said his phone was his privacy and he couldn’t live without it.

I dialed his number for the thirteenth time, and this time, it said User busy.

Was Mike okay? Was he in trouble? I stepped away from the door and walked down the stairs. I looked outside into the quiet streets before returning to Mike’s apartment, but on my way in, I stopped by Kate’s door. Kate was a good neighbor to Mike and the only one I was close to. We had grown so close that she sometimes told me about Mike’s movements, but her number had been unreachable since last night.

Just as I got to her doorstep, I noticed something at the entrance by the corner. I hadn’t seen it while climbing the stairs to Mike’s apartment earlier.

It was Mike’s slippers. My heart suddenly raced, and I took a second to breathe to free my tight airways.

Maybe he wanted to ask for something he didn’t have or perhaps borrow her cooking gas or something.

I looked up at the door and realized it wasn’t locked. My curiosity made me push it slightly, and it opened. I walked in. The smell of whisky and cigarettes hit me, and I covered my nose with my handkerchief.

I know Kate smokes a lot, but…

The table in the living room was messy. Two glasses of whisky lay on it, and cigarette ash littered the surface. Then I saw Mike’s second phone lying next to the glasses.

My eyes flew open, and tears rushed to the surface, blurring my vision. I wiped them with the back of my palm.

“It can't be what I am thinking.” I picked up his phone and glanced at the screen, there were five missed calls... Mike had two phones, and I had been calling both numbers.

I gently placed the phone on the table when the soft moan of a familiar voice tore through the silence.

“Is this what your girlfriend has been enjoying all alone? She must be so lucky!” cried the familiar voice.

The gift fell from my hand, but I still refused to believe what I was seeing around me. Maybe she had borrowed Mike’s slippers and was having s*x with someone else.

‘Had she borrowed his phone too?’ my inner voice questioned.

I wanted to run back home to avoid seeing it, but when the moans grew louder, I barged into the bedroom, and my heart shattered.

Mike was between a fair-skinned pair of legs, sweating profusely.

My jaw dropped. “Mike,” I whispered, teary-eyed.

He turned to me, his mouth dropping. “Babe,” the name fell from his lips as he withdrew his swollen manhood from inside her. My eyes dropped down to meet his manhood that was coated with her slippery discharge. My chest tightened.

“Kate,” I called once he moved away. She didn’t move or show remorse, instead, she threw glances at me from the corner of her eyes.

Mike came down from the bed and walked towards me. “Nia, I can explain,” he said with a stiff manhood.

I shook my head, tears pooling in my eyes. I stepped back to prevent him from touching me.

“You’re a monster,” I whispered as I snatched my handbag and dashed out in a pool of tears. I ran into the streets with a bleeding heart.

I ran without stopping, I didn't realize where I was going but I just wanted to keep running until I was drained of energy. Just when I was about to make a turn into another street, I collided with a block chest that knocked me off my feet. And before I hit the ground, his strong arms wrapped around me and caught me mid-air.

My soul left me.