The Guy In 4B Has My Heart

Chapter Five

I blew out a breath and started typing Tivere a text, detailing everything that had gone down this evening.

I paused to read the line I wrote: ‘We both hid under the bed!’

On second thought, I deleted the message. All of it.

And instead I typed ‘Hey sis, I am good, I will be back soon.’

I knew she would read my vague message and immediately call me, but before she could do that, I turned on flight mode.

Pretty sure I can handle myself.

I spun, met Kase’s eye. He was casually leaning on my door.

‘You will be needing a new key.’

‘Right.’ I stood up straight. ‘Thank you so much.’ I looked at Kase and the handyman who had a bad case of cataracts in one eye.

‘Thank you.’ I said again. Making sure he heard me.

He just mumbled a response and started to leave.

I looked at Kase. And he shrugged.

‘How much did he charge?’

‘Don’t worry about that. Mr Ozo owes me.’

Kase smiled again, softening the sharpness on his face.

For some reason, I suddenly wanted to hold his face in my hands as he gave me that wide grin, showcasing all thirty-two teeth.

It would be cute.

I could tell that beyond the scary eyes, the furrowed brow and the occasional scowl, Kase had been a cute child.

I wanted to know more about his story.

How he had metamorphosed from a sweet kid to some gang leader.

His phone rang. He fetched it from his pocket; one glance at the screen, his eyes widened.

‘It’s Temi,’ he whispered.

I gestured for him to answer. Enjoying being a co-conspirator.

‘Yeah, I left the bar. I will be at the apartment soon. Just got to the door.’

I could overhear the elevated panic in Temi’s voice, and I had to slap my hand over my mouth.

‘But you told me you were heading to the lounge!’ She groaned. ‘Don’t go in there! I am coming soon.’

Kase dropped the call and shrugged. ‘Temi for you.’

The fondness in his tone sent a little prick in my chest.

I liked Kase and the paradox that he is.

‘I will go in and change.’

‘I don’t think so,’ Kase said, shaking his head. ‘When Temi comes, I will tell her I had to help with your door, and you act as a buffer for the ‘surprise’.’

‘I think she will not want me hovering around.’

‘Nah. You stay. You owe me that at least.’

My shoulders dropped.

And Kase casually whistled.

Before I could figure out what to do with myself, Temi was prancing up the stairs.

‘Kase! Have you gone in?’ Her eyes darted from me to Kase, then back again.’

I could smell the hairspray on her freshly layered, ginger-coloured weave.

I have always wanted to experiment with colours, but somehow I have managed to stick with just black.

Temi looked at me, and I felt discombobulated.

She radiated an intimidating confidence that demanded I match it.

‘Eloho, right?’

I nodded like a little girl and took her soft, freshly painted hand in mine.

‘I like your braids.’

I cheesed. ‘Thank you. I love your hair!’

She answered my compliment with a sassy toss.

Okay, I love her.

She looked to Kase now and opened her arms.

His eyes lit up, but he maintained his blank expression as he enveloped her in an embrace.

She was truly the sunshine to his storm.

Must be nice.

‘Happy birthday, baby.’

She kissed his lips, leaving them stained with her red lip gloss.

‘I have a little surprise for you.’ She winked as she urged him to open the door, then turned to me and beckoned me to come too.

I followed, helping with the gasps, oohs and aahs!

Kase smirked like he had been pleasantly surprised.

I was impressed.

Temi was reeling with happiness that she pulled off her surprise. She handed me her phone to record now.

‘I chose pink balloons cause you have been under immense stress. I want you to be happy.’

My cheeks were hurting.

Another kiss. Then. Another, until I felt maybe I should give them some privacy?

I cleared my throat.

And they pulled apart. ‘Thank you, baby.’

‘You are coming to the party, right?’ Temi said to me as I handed her the phone and she swiped through the photos.

‘I am. I just need to change.’

‘What’s wrong with what you are wearing?’

On reflex, I looked at Kase, and he looked at me too.

I looked away. ‘Fine.’

‘We will have some cake, then we head out.’

The rain had been reduced to a drizzle by the time we crossed the lane and headed to ‘The Frills Bar, ’ emblazoned in neon lights.

When we stepped in, the bar was basically in darkness except for the flickering blue lights that pulsed with the beat.

And bodies were on the dance floor, packed to the teeth.

It was basically a rave.

You were either on your feet dancing, or you were out.

The DJ sounded out the trumpet, announcing the arrival of the birthday boy.

Dozens of phone torches lit up the room. They were clapping and chanting the birthday song.

You could tell from the energy that Kase was loved.

I wondered what the ‘good crowd’ would be like if this was the ‘bad crowd’.

After the chanting, the music went back up, and everyone resumed dancing.

‘Stay close.’ Kase’s warm breath licked my ear and travelled down my neck.

I nodded.

‘If you need anything, come to the bar. I will be there,’ then he added, ‘Have fun.’

The room was dark enough to filter out every ounce of shyness, so I grabbed a drink being paraded by the waiter and moved to the beat.

The energy in the room was so contagious that before long, I was dancing with a random guy whose hands stayed politely where they belonged.

An hour later, I was sweaty and tired, my throat parched from singing too loudly. I wormed my way through the crowd in search of Kase and Temi. They were not at the bar.

The bartender was too busy with the drunks to answer my question, ‘Where is Kase, please?’

I decided to head out. I managed to worm my way through the pulsing bodies again till I got out to embrace the cool night air.

The lightning was still popping up in the sky.

It was already 10 pm.

There was no way I was making it back on campus tonight.

I will stay in my apartment and go to school from here.

I was about to cross the street when I heard a weak grunt.

My ears pricked up, and my eyes moved from side to side.

I turned.

The cry was coming from behind me, from the side of the bar.

The whimper came again.

I walked slowly towards the corner of the bar.

Under the amber glow of the streetlight, a man crouched on the floor, whimpering and begging for his life. Blood sputtered from his mouth.

The ginger-coloured hair I had admired was now orange in the glow of the light.

Temi had transformed. She was no longer Kase’s sweet girlfriend. Her kicks landed with a sickening crack of the bone, causing the man to shriek.

Kase stood aside, hands resting in his pockets.

Each kick was more precise than the last.

Unlike Kase, who stood watching unfazed, I wanted it to stop.

The young man on the floor, his lips and eyes swollen, looked like he wanted someone to stop this. But who could I call?

The police?

They were useless.

There was no one.

The cold air blew as my thumb hovered over my useless contact list.

Sniffled.

Loudly.

I hadn't even known I was crying.

The kicking stopped, and Temi and Kase were looking in my direction.

But there was something wrong with them.

Their teeth were bigger.

No.

Not bigger.

Longer.

Sharper.

Fangs!

And their eyes were red.

Blood red.

Or were my eyes deceiving me?

Run!

No. Don’t run. Stay put.

They will catch you anyway.

They might be merciful if they don’t have to chase you.

Temi and Kase left the man they’d been mauling and were now strolling towards me.

My eyes weren’t deceiving me.

Those were definitely fangs.

Fuck it!

I am running.