What Other Secrets?

Chapter five... stop pushing me.

Tawan stood in place drinking in every detail of Lada’s home that she could, she noticed pictures along the stair way, leading straight to the top but her eyes couldn’t quite make out what figures stood in the frame. She was still lost in her gaze and about to take a step towards them for a better look when she’d heard the front door open and shut. She assumed it was N’Ira and wondered why she went from the garage all the way to the front to use that door. She halted her movement thinking it a nicer thought to have Ira by her side when she looked at the pictures. She made a move to turn around when slim arms wrapped around her waist. She stiffened in response to the sudden action. She glanced down at the arms that slightly tightened around her and immediately confirmed what she suspected when the scent that wrapped around her was unfamiliar, it wasn’t Ira holding her, -it was a stranger…, in Lada’s home- the thought flashed through the body guard’s mind and she took on a warning stance, warning the intruder to let go. Instead the intruder seemed to snuggle into Tawan’s neck, searching for a warmth or familiarity where there was none.

Then with an almost practiced precision that stunned Tawan, a kiss was pressed to her neck, a weak spot she hadn’t even realized she had, she couldn’t help the way her breath hitched in her throat and her body seemed to react before mind could catch up, tilting her head ever so slightly as a response. The trail of kisses being left on her neck dazed her for a minute as she tried to understand the scene that was starting to play out. Her senses came back to her when she felt the intruder sucking on her neck and turned around swiftly, hoping she was fast enough to stop this from leaving a mark, she had a hunch a bruise was already forming. Her eyes finally met with the intruders with a confused look and a brow raised in question. Tawan’s mind wondered why the face looked so familiar to her…

“P’mor…” Earn ~the intruder said searching Tawan’s face for something. Tawan was amused to hear what Lada was called by this mysterious person, but her eyes held pity, she finally realized why there was familiarity to this face in her mind, if anything, she felt silly for forgetting the famous idol that Ira admired and talked about nonstop, always showing Tawan videos and edits of the celebrity. She wondered how the actress had gotten mixed up with Lada. She thought Lada would be too busy to still be having one-night stands and short-term relations with women. She pitied the actress and couldn’t help showing it on her face. She wondered how Ira would take the news, probably be mad at Lada and smack her a few times.

Tawan watched the actress lean in and she couldn’t think what was the right thing to do in this situation, let the kiss happen? act as Lada and break up with her for Lada? Push her away?... one thing for sure, she didn’t want Ira to walk in on this… it would only end badly for all of them. The popstar could be possessive to a fault. Tawan was still debating what to do when after the pause granted by Earn, their lips met in a light kiss.

“EARN!!” Tawan watched the actress jump back and with a pale face, look to the owner of the voice, she glanced between Tawan and Lada with a dizzying look as though she couldn’t quite let her mind believe what her eyes were seeing. Tawan had a small smirk playing on her lips as she looked at Earn’s reaction.

Earn wiped her lips as she looked at P’mor and then at the imposter she’d kissed, she took a shaky step back.

Tawan looked to Lada with a big smile, happy to finally see Lada after so many years apart, but the smile fell with the look she saw directed her way by the doctor. The glare was fixed on her and not Earn, she noticed the way Lada clenched and unclenched her fists in an attempt to keep calm. The next words Lada spoke were low but clear…

Lada was fuming, she looked at Tawan, she couldn’t trust herself to glance at Earn yet, she didn’t know what look would be directed her way, and she was too angry to think clearly. Right before her eyes, she’d walked in on Earn kissing another woman, her hands wrapped around Tawan intimately. She could feel her pulse quicken at the thought and the sight of Tawan’s smirk that had morphed into a big smile looking at her, another glance at Lada told Tawan she wasn’t meant to be smiling. Lada let out a low breath before she spoke

“Why the f**k would you let her kiss you, Tawan?”

Silence followed her question as different thoughts flowed in the room, Earn looked to the Imposter and muttered -Tawan- under her breath, she now had a name to the second face of her lover, but the name didn’t ring any bells for her. Tawan on the other hand felt offended that Lada could be angry at her the first time they’d seen each other after years of distance. And Lada was trying desperately to calm herself.

“Lada, you can’t seriously be angry at me because one of your short term flings was throwing herself at me, I di- ” Tawan started with a careless glance at Earn who physically winced at the sting of her words while she spoke

“Shut up Tawan, don’t talk about her like that” Lada cut her off with a voice covered with her rage that seemed to only be rising.

Tawan’s eyes turned to slits when she looked between Earn and Lada. She looked at Lada again, “You’re really going to talk to me this way over…” she looked at Earn when she continued “a blonde celebrity bimbo?... is the s*x really that goo-”

She was cut short yet again by Lada, this time though, she found herself on the ground and felt a splitting pain in her jaw. It took her mind a second to process what had happened. ‘she had been punched in the jaw… by Lada… the calm, reserved and quiet doctor had actually struck her… hard’. She held on to her chin and glanced at Lada’s form standing above her.

“P’mor…” Earn had called out when she saw the doctor take 2 big steps to close the distance.

“You knew she thought you were me, why would you let her touch you?” Lada spoke in a calm yet spite filled voice that contradicted the atmosphere and actual anger she felt. She felt guilty knowing she had struck Tawan, but hearing those words about Earn felt like her last glass shattering.

Earn’s confusion was at the utmost point when she heard the garage door leading to the kitchen open, and Ira walked in, eyes glued to her phone. She glanced up, taking in the sight before her, her eyes widened seeing Tawan on the ground holding her jaw and Lada towering over her, and ‘Earn?’… she couldn’t understand what she was looking at.

“Lada…?” Ira spoke out questioningly and all eyes turned to the singer.

“What’s going on Lada? Tawan?” she continued, she didn’t address Earn yet, she hoped whatever explanation she was given would cover that as well…

The tension in the room could be cut with a knife as silence followed her question

“Lada actually hit me, in the face, because of her little sl-” Tawan spoke up from her place on the floor, eyes glaring at Earn as she spoke

“TAWAN!” Lada yelled at the figure on the floor, “I am warning you for the last time, do not speak about her that way” the intensity of her voice causing Earn and Ira to flinch.