The Billionaires Too (#2)

25 || Saying Goodbyes

Sasha was not good at goodbyes, she hated goodbyes from the day she had to kiss her parents goodbye for the last time. She hated the fact that she had to say goodbye to her huge family mansion and all the memories she build there with her entire family.

What broke her heart the most, was that her family became estranged thereafter and everyone went their own separate ways. Demi was the only person who stuck around, at least the only person she let stick around.

However, that had never stopped Sasha from taking risk after risk, endangering both their lives. She was still conflicted about working for MJ Billings, she was even considering running away; but chances were, MJ would find her. After her text message the previous night, she barely slept a wink; all she saw each time she closed her eyes, was Amber's face dripping in blood.

She had never felt this crappy before. Sasha played dirty, but never dirty enough to get someone badly hurt. Amber Botha did not deserve what happened to her, but got caught in the crossfire.

"Are you going somewhere today?" Demi asked. "Sash?" She tapped on the table.

"Hmm?" Sasha frowned.

"Usually, by this time you are gone and you only return later in the evening," Demi clarified.

"Oh!" Sasha said, bewildered. She did not even know her own schedule, anytime was teatime for her. She shook her head and cleared her throat, sitting up straight. "Uhm...I actually have to be in Beaufort West by 5p.m. later today," she said, avoiding eye contact.

"Beaufort West?" Demi quipped, her eyes wide in apprehension. "Sasha, I know that nothing I say will convince you otherwise; but I need you to consider your own safety." Sasha sighed and played with her food. "Beaufort West is far and as far as I'm concerned, you don't know anyone there, you can't be driving late."

"I'll book into a hotel or something."

"With what money?" Demi asked sharply, and Sasha flinched.

They had never touched the money issue before, but Demi was never a fan of Sasha's spending habits, although she had never said it out loud. And with Sasha's consistent resignations, they were bound to have it sooner or later.

Demi sighed loudly and dropped her cutlery on her plate. "Listen, I know what you are doing and who you are working for." Sasha tried hard to hide the panic in her eyes, but it was already too late. "I'm not happy with your decisions, but you are old enough to make your own choices. All I want from you is to be careful."

Sasha cast her eyes to the ground. "I know, and I'll be careful."

Demi nodded in approval. "That's all I need from you."

They continued eating in silence and once done, they washed the dishes together. "Demi, do you ever wonder how life would have been if our parents were still alive?" Sasha asked out of the blue.

She asked herself the same question every time she slipped up. Would she be making the same old mistakes if her father were alive? Would she be the same person she was today?

"It would have probably been different, perhaps it would have been as it is right now," Demi said thoughtfully.

"Maybe I would be a model," Sasha quipped.

Demi smiled brightly and shook her head. "Or maybe you would have grown tired of copying every little thing I did, and you would have been a journalist like you are now."

Sasha's face scrunched up. She was no longer a journalist, no company would want to work with her anymore after all the trouble she caused. She was a nobody and desperate to the point where she went against all her morals, and chose to work with the world's number one renowned she-devil. She no longer served a purpose, but hoped MJ Billings would help back on the road she set for herself; get her parents the justice they deserve. But she was far from that right now.

"Perhaps I would have a purpose in life," she thought out loud.

Demi rinsed her hands and stood with her back against the sink. "Sasha, you do have a purpose in life. We didn't choose this life, you know; it chose us."

"I know that. But being betrothed to a gang leader and surrounding ourselves with criminals is not my definition of having a purpose in life," Sasha said and gave an apologetic smile at Demi's hurt look; after all, she was the one married to a gang leader.

"Sasha, being married to a gang leader or dating one doesn't mean you are also a criminal. You are a journalist, but does that make DK a journalist or Shaka a model?" Demi asked with a sense of hardness in her voice.

Sasha knew she had touched a nerve; Demi was too perfect to have such a slipup. "No," she said skeptically, and they stood in silence. "I think I should marry DK, he's been asking me for years now." She said with a small smile.

Demi smiled, and Sasha silently sighed in relief for the mood change. "You should, plus his mom already loves you."

"Someone is jealous," Sasha smirked proudly.

Demi scowled. "The woman hates my guts."

Sasha giggled, her eyes twinkling with unshed mischief. "Uthe ufuna umshado, uzoba strong," she spoke in Xhosa. (You said you wanted marriage, you'll be strong).

Demi threw her head back and laughed happily. Sasha barely ever spoke their mother's home language; they always spoke in Afrikaans and English. "Look who's talking!"

A sad feeling weighed down on Sasha. She missed her mother terribly, she would find herself reminiscing all those times they conversed in Xhosa or when her mother was mad at her and would scold her in Xhosa. Sometimes Demi reminded her of her mother, she looked exactly like her; they shared the same smile and eyes.

Looking at the smile on Demi's face, made her reevaluate her choices and clear her doubts. It did not matter what it took, sleeping with the devil or getting fired and blacklisted; she would find justice for her parents.

"I miss her," Sasha admitted heavily.

"I miss her too," Demi said and paused. "And I miss you, the real you; not this person chasing after ghosts. Every time you think about your revenge, your eyes..." She trailed off. "I just hope you find whatever it is that you are looking for." She said before she left.