*****
Sean enters the house, he sees her going to the kitchen, taking a deep breath he follows her, hoping she doesn’t slap him again
Megan turns when she senses someone behind her… she is startled when she finds him there, looking around
”What the hell are you doing in here Sean? The party is outside, and if you need to use the toilet it is that way”‘ the points out of the door
”I know, look can we talk, you have been avoiding me all night”
”No we can’t and for good reason, I don’t like you”
”Yes I know you said so but… it didn’t feel that way when we were in the water”‘
”Ýes about that you have no right to take me unawares and flinging me into the water and-” she chooses her words, avoiding what she knows he means
”that wasn’t the part I was getting to but… I am sorry, Kiki wanted you to have fun and I wanted you to have fun”‘
”’Did kiki tell you to forcefully kiss me too?”
”No!! That was on me!!
”Don’t you ever do that again!” she warns me “‘Because a slap wouldn’t be all that you would get”
He steps closer ”Look, here is what I do not understand, I hear you loud and clear you don’t like me and I am really really sorry we started talking on a wrong note, I messed up, big time and I have been trying to make amends ever since but this past few days suddenly took a different turn and since that kiss, I- “‘ he stutters “I haven ‘t been able to stop thinking about you”‘
”Well you shouldn’t!”
”Why not?” he steps closer
”Because, I do not like you Sean!” she repeats frowning, “What are you doing?”
”yes , I know you said so, but it didn’t seem that way when you kissed me back that day”
”I did not, you forced your lips on me and I pushed you away”
”After you kissed me back and I swear it felt like it wasn’t the first time I had kissed you, I close my eyes this days and I think about it, the kiss, you..and I do not know why… I can’t explain this sudden change and I need to make sense of it”
”Make sense of what? I don’t like you Sean and I need you to step back before I hit you with a pan” she moves away, why the hell was her heart racing, her hands shaking and she was feeling hot, she should leave, shout at him and leave. She steps back more until there is nowhere else to go as her back kisses the wall, why was her knees threatening to buckle… what the hell is happening to her, why was his presence making her jittery all of a sudden…
God! Are you doing this?
Devil… it is you right? Not today Satan, not ever!
He is close to her, not touching her, their faces a breath space apart ”What I am feeling. I cannot believe that I am admitting this right now because I didn’t know until a minute ago standing here, same room with you and thinking about it… I like you Megan, I don’t know how it happened or why… but.. I like you Megan Philips”
She swallows ”No you don’t, step away Sean I swear I will-”
”And I want to kiss you again, I do”‘ he closes his eyes and opens it back “Please don’t slap me again, you say you hate me but you are trembling..why?”
“‘I…I ” please don’t kiss me ..don’t!!
He touches her face, caressing her cheeks, watching her…he steps closer…no space between them, then he leans in and kisses her.
She stiffens folding her fist.
Push him away Megan, slap him, hit him, push him away.
He doesn’t stop kissing her, urging her mouth to open… caressing her face, she caves in as she moans into his mouth… she kisses him back, holding onto him she melts into his arms as they kiss in the kitchen ..savoring each other’s lips and drinking from each other.
Suddenly he lifts her up wrapping her legs around him, licking and kissing her lips as one who is starved of the sweetness only her lips could bring, unable to have enough…wanting to have it all… a desire burns through him like he had never felt before… her taste bringing familiarity… places he has been before, touched before… tasted before..
Megan wraps her hands around his neck kissing him back… memories of their first and last night four years ago flooding her back… she aches, she moans , she desires..
Then reality comes knocking as they hear voices… she jumps down immediately pushing him away.
Sean gets slapped back to reality as a guest enters the kitchen, staring at both of them “Where are the disposable cups Megan, I was calling out for you”‘
Megan gives it to her and she leaves, she turns back to look at Sean, she sees the desire in his eyes, she shakes herself… he comes closer to her
“Stay the hell away from me Sean, stay the hell away from us, Get out!!”‘ she points to the door “‘Don’t you ever touch me like that again”
”Megan!”
“‘GET OUT!!” She snaps
Sighing, Sean leaves back to the party.
Zachary notices his countenance “What happened in there bro?”
Sean has a sad smile on his face “‘I think I messed up again”
Zachary grabs his shoulders and taps him on his back, “Don’t worry, it would be fine” Sean doesn’t answer, he wasn’t so sure… one minute they were in-tune and the next they weren’t and he was afraid that she would never let him come that close again..
He was honest when he told her he liked her, he really did like it, how the hell did that happen he had no idea but Dammit!! He has feelings for Megan Philips and he has no idea what to do to get her to feel the same or give him a chance to make her stop hating him. It was frustrating… it was.
When she comes out she ignores him again, this time till the party was over and everyone was leaving… as the place suddenly became deserted, the last parents approaches Megan.
“Thank you Miss Philips for having us, and Happy Birthday again Kiki” the last parent leaves taking their children
“‘I am glad, Kiki say your goodbyes” Megan says
”Goodbye Tom, Luke..bye “she waves
From the corner of her eyes she sees them, Tonia taking her mother inside, then she comes back out to help clear up, she sees her laughing at what Zachary says then she sees Sean helping her to clear up the place.
She walks up to them with Kiki running ahead of her to pick up cups and throwing it into the bag Sean carried, then he gives her a high five.
“‘Erm… I think we can clear up later ourselves right Tonia?” she clears her throat avoiding his eyes, she frowns deeply.
”It’s no problem… we’re almost done”‘ Sean tells her
”It’s fine Megan, they are trying to help” Tonia turns to her
”I will just get someone to do that later for me, thank you..for Kiki’s gifts, she doesn’t need it but-”
”I do, it’s my castle”‘ Kiki pouts
”Yes. It’s her castle!!” Sean repeats apologetically, why won’t she look at him
”And it’s pink”‘ she says ”I also like pink”‘
”Yes she does”
”Whose side are you on Tonia?” she cocks her head to the side staring at Tonia angrily
Zachary and Sean frowns “We didn’t know we are picking sides now “‘
Megan rolls her eyes, saying stiffly “Thank you but..I think it’s time to go..say your goodbye’s Kiki”‘
Kiki reluctantly does, going to hug Sean who does the same ”Take care Tonia” Sean says walking away and passing Megan, he pauses “‘maybe, when you are not being defensive, we could talk about what happened at the beach and in there”‘ he says for her ears only
She doesn’t answer him, sighing he beckons to Zachary so they leave, Megan stands to watch him enter his car, waving to Kiki .
”You know it was really sweet for him to come by, bearing gifts, indulging kiki and even staying back to clean, the least you can do is be grateful and stopped being an insensitive arrogant ass” Tonia whispers to her
“Kiki, I want you to meet someone special to me in the whole universe” Megan takes Kiki’s hands pulling her to the house, ignoring Tonia, who just shakes her head, seeing Sean pull away, she goes inside to meet them.
****
Ruth turns when they come into the house.
“Kiki, I want you to meet your grandmother” Megan says to Kiki pushing her forward
Kiki’s beautiful face screws up ”My grandmother? The one in the pictures on the table, this one?” she lets go of Megan’s hands, gets the picture, she is pointing and comparing looking at Ruth and the picture
”Yes baby, that is my mum, your grandmother and she is happy to see you”‘
“‘Yes I am Kiki, and I am so sorry… will you forgive me for being away for like ever?” Ruth asks as tears run down her eyes, she opens her arms and goes down to her level
Kiki stares at her for a minute, then a smile breaks out in her face as she rushes to go hug her “‘Hello grandma!!” she hugs her closing her eyes, Ruth laughs and cries, kissing her face and hugging her, she pulls Megan down and they are hugging and kissing each other’s faces.
Tonia wipes tears again from her eyes the second time that evening. Surely, God has a hand in this re-union. Miracles do happen.
But God, Tonia Prays, one more. Just one more.
*****
“What is the problem?” Zachary asks as Sean curses
”I think I left my wallet and phone back at Kiki’s”
”How could you forget the two most important things in the history of man’s existence?”‘
”Dude, it fell out when I was taking down the canopy and lifting up somethings, I kept it on the table, just forgot to put it back in my pockets, I have to go get them, I need to also get gas for the car and call up Tasha, she has been calling me nonstop all day… didn’t pick”
”Guess we are going back there, maybe I can get another cake, that ish was tasty””
“hmm, yes it was” Sean makes a U-turn
“And Tasha?”
Sean sighs “I need to break it off with her”
”When?”
”When I get home”‘
”Wanna do it over the phone..that’s dicey”‘
”I know but…I have to, but I will go this weekend over there and see her, talk to her face to face, break it off. I don’t love her Zachary. She is great a few times but there are other things I cannot overlook. I don’t love her, and it would be wrong to continue. I am ending it with her, I don’t need some distractions if and when… I erm….”‘ he lets it trail off
”That bad huh, you dig Megan for real, kid and all, you sure bro?”
Sean doesn’t answer… he didn’t have an answer for that, he likes her… he was going to get on the ship and see where he goes, this feeling was different from other feelings he had had, this wasn’t something he wanted to let go off. So he didn’t answer because he didn’t know what to say.
”Let’s just go get my stuffs” then today, come what may, he was ending it with Tasha, he can’t lie to himself, this was his life and sadly, he doesn’t see Tasha anymore in his present and even in his future.
And why can’t he stop thinking about Megan?
*****
Charles was furious when he got home to find out that his wife wasn’t there, he had checked everywhere for her, called friends up, even reported at the station after when she didn’t turn up for a few hours and her phones were switched off. They had told him that he couldn’t file a missing person’s report until after 24 hours, he had gone home and waited for her to turn up, she didn’t. He was worried, frustrated.. he walked round the house, pacing, hoping , praying until he saw the paper on the table he had missed, he picks it up.
“Charles, I have gone out of town to see our daughter and our granddaughter, I refuse to spend another day like this. She is our family and this hatred and bitterness and anger has gone on too long, you are CHRISTIAN and you preach forgiveness, yet your heart is stone cold. She is our daughter and today is Kiki’s birthday, if you won’t forgive her because you love her, do it for me, do it for the little beautiful innocent girl…I am going to see them, spend time with them, here is the address, you can either come and make peace or you don’t come at all”
Charles squeezes the paper in anger “Never!! I will never forgive her” he spits, then he grabs his jacket and locks his house… he flags a taxi and gives them the address on the paper, his face was a mask of anger.
*****
The knock on the door distracted Tonia, Megan, Kiki and her mother who were talking and catching up,looking at baby pictures,laughing and eating.. Tonia goes to open the door and sees them.
”Er.. hi Sean?” she is curious
”I am so sorry, I forgot my phone and wallet, I don’t know if you saw it?”
”I erm… I didn’t see it but ” she frowns shaking her head, she turns to Megan “Did you see any wallet or phone anywhere?”
Megan turns to see Sean there, wondering why the hell he was back, she frowns saying stiffly “No I didn’t. Please this is a family time, we don’t need disturbances”‘
”I just came by to see if anyone saw it, I would leave soon”‘
”I saw it, it’s out back”‘ Kiki jumps up, running outside, going to the back to get it.
“Kiki come back here!!” Megan calls after her
”Be right back mummy, I know where it is” she was gone before anyone could stop her
Sean stood at the open door waiting, Tonia back to sitting, Megan praying he leaves so her mum doesn’t start asking who he is. She hopes Kiki returns faster than the speed of light.
”Megan, who is the handsome gentleman?” Ruth eyes Sean at the door and then smiles at Megan,
”Erm..mum you should see Kiki’s pictures of her school last year when she came first position for a spelling bee in her class..see” Megan avoids the question pointing at a picture to distract her mother
”Oh wow see her happy face!” Ruth clasps her hands together laughing
Tonia turns to Sean “I apologise for my friend’s rude behaviour, she isn’t always like this”
”No, it’s fine, I deserve it I guess, we started on a wrong foot!” he smiles but it doesn’t reach his eyes
Tonia smiles back. Oh I wish I can tell you Sean, but at the end of the say, my loyalty lies with my friend.
Just then a taxi pulls up, a man alights pointing at the paper in his hands and the taxi car points to the number of the street… the man straightens up and walks to the door stopping when he gets to Sean backing him.
”Is this the residence of Miss Philips?”
Sean turns to face the speaker, “Yes, and you are?”
”Charles?” Ruth who had gotten up to pee stops, turning when she hears his voice
Megan jumps from the chair, running to the door…..”Dad!!?”
*
TO BE CONTINUED.
