10. Trouble in paradise

The dawn sun peeked through a hazy screen of clouds, painting the sky an elaborate mix of bloodied reds and vibrant oranges, intertwined with the smoky greys that permeated the skyward canvas...,a suggestion that rain may play a part in the day....., Daisy thought it was chilly, could have been better if it could turn back time giving her a second chance to rectify her mistake...

the mist thickened and the unmistakable roll of thunder growled threateningly..., Daisy increased her pace, reaching her front door before the rain splattered from the sky..

She took a deep breathe, the most embarrassing and shameful moment of her life still licking at her..., she wanted to take out her key, she frown when she realise Matthew was in, not bothering to knock, she turn down the knob and it opened, just as she thought, Matthew won't lock the door...

She entered and her gaze met with Matthew, she ignore his face smouldering under an angry look and walk pass him not even bothering to greet...

"Where are you coming from...?"Matthew queried

"I don't have your time Matthew..."She retorted over her shoulder...

She trot towards her room, she knew Matthew was tagging behind her but she didn't give a damn...

"Daisy..."Matthew growled behind her..

Not giving him the dignity of a reply, she went into her room and was about locking the door but he hold it..

"Where are you coming from...?"Matthew asked pushing the door wide open...

Daisy hissed, she threw her bag on the table and trot towards the wardrobe

"Am talking to you.."Matthew snarled stepping inside the room..

Infuriated, Daisy turn to face him..."What..?"She snapped

"Don't you dare give me the 'What' like you didn't hear me.., where the hell were you last night...?"

"Non of your beeswax.."She fling back before turning towards the wardrobe...

Irritated, Matthew spun her around to face him...

"Get your hands off of me..."She chided slapping his hand away...."Why do you give a shit about where i was..?"

"Because am your man, and that's what we do.."

She suck on her teeth..."Since when.., is it since you cheated...?"

"Where were you last night..?"

"I told you, non of your business..."

"Where you with him....?"

"Who..?"

"Adam.."

"I don't have to explain a damn thing to you..."She snapped facing the wardrobe again..

He pace, nose flaring...."Did you sleep with him..?"

Irritation sliced across Daisy's face...."Look here man, we broke up okay, which means whatever i do with my damn life isn't your business..."

Rage tingling his spines, he approached her.., Daisy didn't flinch, when he glare, she reciprocated the look....

"Did you sleep with him.."He chided, this time more serious in his tone...

"Yes.."She dare to say

Anger crushed Matthew, he turn away his face, when he turn back to face Daisy, he lost it, he grabbed her by the neck and hit her back roughly on the wood wardrobe..

Daisy gasped, a slight pain erupting from her back....

"How dare you Daisy..."Matthew latched out tightening his grip on her neck...

Daisy's head spin as she try gasping to get air..., she dug her fingernails into his wrists, trying to dislodge him..., realizing it wasn't working, she slapped lazily at his firm hand....

"Matt, you're strangling me"She gulped

He squeezed tightly, then he let go of her, the force making her fall to her knees...

She cough, her neck whistling from the intensity of his grip....

"Am sorry..."He mutter trying to get her up..

She slapped his hand away, her eyes sparkling with anger..."Don't you dare touch me..."She yelled

"Am sorry..."

"Get out.."She screamed at him..."Get the hell out of my room..."

"Fine i will..."He said raising his hand in surrender...."Am sorry okay.."

"Out.."She yelled..

When he stepped out, she shut the door, locked it and crunched down to the floor...

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

Lily took a bite of the omlette, cheesy with dark leafy greens. She smiled and lick at the taste ...

"Michael, this is so good, what's the green stuff?"

With a boyish grin he raised his brows.."Stinging nettle, chives and dandelion leaves..."

Lily paused as if her thoughts had stopped entirely..."Wow.., taste really good.."

He gave a shrug, the one he always gave when he was proud of himself..."Chuck out the stems from the dandelions, boil the rest together for a few minutes, cold water, squeeze, chop. That's it. Sting all gone. Eat what wants to grow, easy..."

"I bet that's what you eat all day in Japan.."Lily said jokingly

"My favourite..."

"So that's why you brought me to a chinese restaurant neglecting our home made food..."

"Don't tell me you don't like it.."

She smile..."Well I'll be lying if i say i don't.., i already said it tastes good..."

He laugh and she join in the laughter.....

"You're still as pretty as you were in our university days..."

A swoon washed over her but she quickly waved it off when she realised where he was heading

"And you're still the same.."She replied with a smile..

"I really missed you Lily.."

She almost blushed at his words..."We missed you too.."

"Did you..?"

She sigh, took another fork full of the food before replying..."Mm-hmm.."

"I couldn't stop thinking about you when i left..."

Her eyes enlarged with butterflies..."There must be plenty of Japan girls who occupied your head"

"Non were as pretty as you.."

She laugh.."Michael, that's the biggest lie of the century.. "

He chuckle..."You think..?"

"It is..."

"But am serious.."

"You aren't..."

"Joke aside, i really missed you..."

"Well you didn't call..."

"Yeah, sort of lost your number..."

She poked her eyes.., her wits warning her he was lying.., he had her number but refused to call...."You did..?"

"Yeah.., i was really disheartened when we broke up..."

She took another fork full of the food before her mind brood over the old memories of her love life....

"We both were..."She said

He nib..."I should have come back..."

"You didn't..."

"I wanted to you know..."

She chuckle wondering if it was proper for her to be discussing her old love life..., she's married...

"But you never did..."

"Where you hurt when i left...?"

"Left..!"

"Left for Japan..."

She sigh..."No.."

"You weren't...?"

She grit.."I wasn't..."

"You're lying.."

She scoff..."Am not.."

He lour his head and it occurred to her he didn't believe..., of course she was hurt he left, who exactly was she kidding with the lie....

"Okay.."He shrugged..

She plant a fake smile on her face..."You haven't even tell why you came back..."

Her stomach rumbled at the delay of the answer to her question....

"My mum died.."

Lily froze..."Jesus, am so sorry, i didn't know.."

"Not really a big deal.., she was old..."

"Have you guys set a date for the burial...?"

"We have, july 3"

"That's quick.."

"We decided to make it quick.."

"Oh.."

He took a sip of his abandoned drink before taking a fork full of his own food....

"So when are you going back..?"Lily asked hoping he says he'll stay a bit longer...

"Next week.."

"When..?"

"Next week.."

"I mean when next week.."

"Thinking tuesday..."

Lily nib her lips.."Okay.."

"I want to be good with you Lily.."

A muscles twitch involuntarily at the corners of her mouth....."We're good.."

"Am sorry i hurt you in the past.."

Lily swallowed, a swoon washing over her..."It's in the past Michael..., let's keep it there.."

He smile and she returned the smile before they refocus on their food...

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

Gulping a dry lump in her throat, Daisy look at her neck in the mirror, Matthew fingernails marks red and visible in her tender neck..., she cursed and drop the mirror angrily...., she was so fed up with his attitude...

She stood up from the chair when the door to her boutique open....

She frown when she saw the person, her mind revisiting the shameful thing she did the previous night...

"What is it Adam...?"Her voice rumbled low from self humiliation...

"You aren't taking my calls..."Adam chided

Daisy sigh wondering how to explain to him whatever they had was over...."I was busy.."

"You left without telling me.."

Daisy rolled her eyes in revulsion..."I didn't want to wake you..."

"Then why weren't you answering my calls..?"

"I said i was busy.."

"That's more like you used me.."

Daisy fluttered her brows..."I didn't use you.."

"When you sleep with a guy and dump him the next day is called use..."

"Okay boy, let's get something straight..., What happened last night was a mistake.., it should never had happen..."

He sniffled, turn away before facing her again..."Did you dump me because i didn't last long, i usually last longer than that.."

Daisy lost her face in contrition...."Why didn't you then..?"She said before realizing she just made another mistake..

"Is just the way you handled me, no one have went down on me like that..., you trigger my quick explosion..."

"Okay Adam..., it won't happen again okay, and am so sorry i did that to you..."

"You shouldn't apologise..."

She huff..."You don't get it, am older.."

"And am younger, is there a law that forbids a younger guy from having a romantic relationship with an older person..?"

"You don't get it.."

"Make me.."

"We're done Adam.., you understand that right..."

He stare at her, and abruptly took away his face from her side..

Daisy sigh when he walked towards the door...

"And hey.."She said and he stopped..."Don't go telling your friends you slept with me okay.."

He look back at her..."I don't do that, am way mature than that.."

"Okay..., good.."

He didn't reply, he just walked out, his body hitting Laura on the way out...

"Get some manners boy..."Laura chided before entering the boutique....

"Hey.."Daisy mutter..

"Who's that boy, he has no manners, you need to see the way he hit me with his body..."

"Forget about him..."

Laura threw her bag down and helped herself to a chair....

"You don't seem fine..."Daisy said taking notice of Laura's mood...

"You're right, am not fine.."

Ignoring her own state of mind, Daisy crunched beside Laura..."What's going on..?"

"Richard.."

"What did he do..?"

"He refused to sign the divorce papers..."

"Was he served..?"

"He was.., i wasn't joking when i told you i wanted a divorce..."

"You know Richard will never sign..."

"I can't stay with him any longer..., am going crazy.."

"I know.., we all are..."

"Richard torments me day and night..."

"I don't know what to say, like how did we fall in love with these men..., how come we never knew the skin they showed us will shed off.."

"We could never had known...., men are chameleons..."

"Yes girl, you can say that again.."

Laura stood to get a dress from the wardrobe.., her head spin, she suddenly took on a pale look, as if she'd been painted with white-wash, even her lips were barely there. Then with one step backwards she crumpled like a puppet suddenly released of their strings....

"Laura..."Daisy whimper holding her before she fall to the ground...

"Laura..."She shouted with pulsating heart...

"Oh God.., no no no, Laura please wake up, Laura..."

She drop her gently on the floor and quickly rushed outside to scream for help...

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

Laura stretched on the hospital bed, she sat up, shoulders straining back, she felt the luxury of her tensing muscles...

"God you scared me..."Daisy said with a hand on her chest..

"Am sorry..., i was so stressed out"Laura replied gently..."Where is the doctor..?"

"Getting the test result.."

"What test..?"

Before she could reply, a female doctor entered the room...

"Good thing you're awake, your friend here almost gave us a heart attack with her questions..."The doctor said jokingly

Both girls laughed before the doctor handed Laura an envelope...

"Congratulation..."The doctor said..

Shock, both girls turn their gaze to her..

"For what..?"Laura asked curiously

"You're two weeks pregnant...."

Horror licked at Laura's stomach making her jump from the bed...."Pregnant..?"

"Yes..."

She quickly torn the envelope and took out the test result, her eyes enlarged with tremors....

"I can't be pregnant..."She murmur.....

"Excuse me.."The doctor chimes in..

"Daisy, i can't be pregnant for that brute...."Laura snarled...."I need an abortion.."

"Jesus Laura what are you saying..."Daisy said shocked by Laura's statement...."An abortion....?"

"I cannot be pregnant Daisy, am getting a divorce.., i can't be pregnant.."

"Relax Laura, you need to think this through..."

"There's nothing to think through.."She latched out..."I can't have Richard's baby...., I can't Daisy, i can't...."