PRIDE AND HIS HEART

Chapter 2

Clara’s face brightened upon seeing David who also reciprocated lightening up his face with smiles. Kiara sat, just staring up at the ceiling as if the sudden appearance of David had sucked all the energy out of her. Clara, meanwhile, was already up, pulling David into a warm hug. “Hey, stranger!” she squealed. David chuckled, hugging her back before his gaze drifted to Kiara, still frozen on the couch. His smile softened, a hint of amusement dancing in his eyes. “Kiara, you gonna stay up there all day?” he teased, and Kiara's gaze snapped to him, a sheepish grin spreading across her face but she didn't mind him.

“Hmmm, have you seen Peter? Or James?” David asked, facing Clara

“No.” She replied

“Is she okay?” He asked, going close to Kiara and sat on the arm of the couch.

He tried patting Kiara on the back but then Kiara immediately shifted his hand from her. She looked at David in an unusual way, her smile felt unreal. As if she was forced to.

Clara became curious as to why Kiara behaved that way but didn't ask straight. Her lip quietly uttered “why?” Squeezing her face in a way that shows that she was trying to figure out the mystery.

David didn't bother, rather he smiled. Yet Kiara's face went blank and her whole body language was shifted. But then the door cracked open and the twins came in; Peter and James. They were Kiara's younger brother and David's close friends. They both walked in cheerfully, especially upon seeing Clara. Jest and laughter filled in the air again. Face brightened, wide smiles and joy was felt. Everyone was happy except for Kiara who showed no concern. Face fixed up to the ceiling acting unbothered until James noticed and whispered her name.

“Kiara.” She turned to him. He winked his eyes signalling her to join in the moment. Forcefully she did, obviously faking a smile to fit in.

A few moments later, Peter, James and David left to their rooms to play games. Meanwhile the both ladies resumed their discussion. This time Clara asked her straightforward.

“Why all the attitude? What's wrong?” she asked out of curiosity.

“Nothing,” Kiara replied hesitantly, moving her legs from the floor to the stool. She picked up her glass of wine from the table. “It's nothing serious. Well, I'm not a paedophile.”

“I will suspend this issue but you must and have to tell me what's going on.” Clara declared.

“Nevermind Clara, I don't know the issue you want to talk about but whatever, suspend it as you said.”

The three guys were there in their room. Blue light was on, a rack of shoes and sneakers beside the neatly arranged bed and hip-hop playing from some hidden speakers. The three guys sat on the couch, playing the latest PS5 games. Each of them has a pad. The room was abuzz over the latest hip-hop songs by the Weeknd. Paul reduced the volume to slow down the sharp voice from the speakers. He spoke.

“Why is your girl behaving weird?” He said, followed by laughter.

“My girl?” He asked, turned to Paul, looking into Paul's eyes without his smile. “You mean Kiara, your sister.” Then he resumed playing.

James interfered, “Bro I understand you love that girl but maybe you have patience till she calm down and understand why she will need a man in her life. She's just being stubborn, you know Kiara and how she is. She's been like this ever since her childhood and it seems she isn't matured yet.”

“But this girl is twenty six, what do you mean she isn't matured yet?” Paul said.

“It doesn't matter bro, at times maturity is not a matter of age but understanding. She hasn't got it yet. Maybe with time she will.”

All these while, David was mute, lost in thought and just there not playing anymore. He stood up, went to the window and beneath the window was the balcony where Kiara usually gazes at flowers and at night, she gazes at the stars. She was there again with Clara, having some discussion.

David stared at her reminiscing the good old days when he would mess her hair, touch her cheek and even hug her from behind sometimes. Something he does not dare this time. He knew the reaction that would accompany the gesture. Paul watched him from the couch, smiling, putting away his pad.

David was just there, the smile on his face vanished into the total opposite. James noticed, and his smile faded away too.

“You missed her right? I remember the old you around her,” He said, spreading his arms across the couch. “Just keep trying buddy.”

Silence filled in. Beneath the room was the balcony where Clara was having a discussion with Kiara. In her flair gown, Kiara stood with her almost not uttering any word, just nodding like she was not interested in the topic which was the banter between her and David. Her whole attention was somewhere else and sometimes she would like to interrupt with something unrelated.

Clara has always admired the friendship between them and hopes one day they will officially become a couple but as things went otherwise, she hoped to amend the bond between them but Kiara was turning hardheaded about the matter and wouldn't budge no matter what was being said.

Clara diverted the whole conversation to something funny and started discussing her stay in Italy.

"I forgot to tell you I had a bungee jump date with my fiance and it was so fun." Clara said, with laughter on her face.

She seemed to understand that talking and advising Kiara on her relationship with David won't help especially at that moment when David was around. At that moment, smiles bloom across Kiara's face, while David watches from above, blooming a smile from David too. He has this grin on his face which got Paul's curiosity out and wondered why David was smiling while watching his stubborn sister.

Paul went closer to see for himself what had got David's smile and that got him laughing.

“Wawww! I see.” He chuckled

“What was that?” He said, laughing, pretending to not know why and then James walked in from the bathroom, curious and joined in too.