Seventeen

“Eve, I know.” I groan laying back on my bed.

“Well, you just can't leave town without saying anything to anyone. You are not coming from a bush.”

I rolled my eyes, Of course, I can just leave without saying anything to anyone, I did not owe anyone anything.

“I will let Mrs. Martines know, maybe kelvin, am not telling the whole town that I am going to chase my dreams in the same city the man who hurt me is.”

“I understand Neese, if that works for you, do that but it's just important to just say something to someone.”

“So for the dates, I can pick one three weeks from now or a week from now just to settle in, meet people, and everything else before I start.”

“I think the earlier the better, go to New York, meet people then begin your work there.”

“Well, will do that, now let me just get some supplies from the store and let them know where I wanna go and when.”

“Sure, take care.”

I needed to go by the store to get some comfy foods, like chips, oats, and some cornflakes. I drove slowly in the road leading to Mr. Brown's store. When I brought my car to a stop in the parking lot, I decided to pull out a pair of shades and let down my hair. I just felt like I wasn't ready for questions or people giving me the eye as I went about my today's activities, I just wasn't ready. It all made me feel like a husband snatcher.

“Neese?” I hear a woman's voice call. I slowly stop in my tracks and turn to look back.

Dama! I thought the disguise worked, I mean

“How are you doing dear?” A woman with grey hair who seems to be in her 60s walked up to me. I didn't recognize her, could have been Mrs. Martines's friend.

“Am good,” I said

“Darling, so sorry about what happened.” She said

Okay

“How did you know it was me?”

She smiled, “don't be silly, from your call.”

I nodded, right

“And the festival planning was great, take care.” She said and waved at me

Yeah, of course, they know me from that event

“Neese, what can I help you with?” Mr. Brown asked

This disguise didn't work at all.

“Yes, Neese.”I heard Kelvin behind me say. Wow, this morning got crazier. Of course, I was still mad at him.

“I will have two bags of chips, one pack of oats, and one of cornflakes,” I said removing my shades from my eyes and turning to face Kelvin

“Hey listen, can we talk?”

“Hell no,” I said

“Please, just hear e out at least.”

“What?”

“An apology, I was such an ass for just rubbing it all in your face.”

“Mr. Brown here is the pay, you can have the change,” I said quickly grabbing m bag of supplies and handling the money.

“I heard Kelvin run behind me

“Please.”He pleaded, I looked around and saw how a few people had paused to look at us

“Look at how am such a spectacle to everyone.”I quickly got in my car and drove off

********************************************

Honestly, I was done with going outside, I was willing to stay indoors till the time my flight was booked so I could just leave town. It had been three days since I hadn't taken calls from anyone except Eve and Heather. I heard a knock at my door and I was o not wanting to open

When I peeked I saw Mrs. Martines and Quan by my door with bowls in their hands.

“What are you two doing here?” I asked

“We came to check up on you, Kelvin has been worried.” Quan replied as they walked in

“Honestly, you can't be mad at the whole town.”Mrs. Martines said

“Well, I feel like everyone is talking about me.”

“Of course everyone is talking about you dud”. Quan rolled her eyes

“Shut it.” Mrs. Martines rebuked her

“Neese, people don't talk forever, they get over the latest gossip.” She added, just don't lock yourself up and disappear

“Well am not only doing that but am also getting ready to leave town,” I said

“To where go back to Josh?” Quan teased

Of course not.

“Something else, private,” I said

“Oh, dear are you sure you will be fine out there?”Mrs. Matines said hugging me

“I will be thank you.”

“Well, I guess tahts it, we brought u some cooked foods, you can warm them and you can keep the bowls.” Quan said holding her mum by the arm “Let's go.”

“Kelvin sent me to say that he is so sorry and that he wishes you well,” Mrs. Martines said

I felt tears collect in my eyes as my eyes met hers which were so gentle, so beautiful yet filled with tears.

“Tell him I forgive him and that I wish him well too.”

********************************************

I had eaten most of the foods that Mrs. Martines and Quan had brought me by the time it was the following week, I was to travel on Monday, and I was set, packed my bags, felt my last drop of patience leave me.

I got up early and wanted to go to my previous workplace and at least let Danny know that I was leaving.

The drove to the firm felt like I was holding back tears all the way because this is the town I had grown to be familiar with, I grew up here, I didn't really know everyone but I could relate with them and that's the whole sense of a community and I was leaving it. Not just because I had found a new opportunity in New York but because I was too scared to just face life here again. I just felt like the past would always linger, somewhere in the corners of this small town, someone would refer to me as the girl who was cheated on by Jos, or the girl who was sleeping with someone else's husband, or the girl who got lied to. I felt like I couldn't deal with that, I needed change.

“So New York?’ Danny asked

I nodded

‘And it has nothing to do with Josh it's just that am meeting someone there to work with.”

“Like a new boyfriend?”

I rolled my eyes

“No Danny, someone who will be starting up something of their own too.”

“Well, I wish you and am proud of you.”

“I want to see Mr. Roberts.”

“He's never in, but I can pass him a message when he does show up here”.

I nodded

“So thankful to him for the experience of working at his firm, I guess I will be leaving as soon as I can.”

Danny wrapped his arms around me and held me tightly. I needed it.

“Just take care of yourself please.”

“I will, thanks for being there for me.”