CHAPTER 23

RICHARD'S POV

"Kira, when you told me years back that it was possible to cheat on Rhoda without her suspecting, I never believed it could ever work out".

"Of course why won't it work out?" I'm a master planner, you know" she says as she winks at me and closes the door again.

"Don't you ever get a break at all?" I ask playfully as I already know what she's asking for again".

"Of course not sweetheart, I'll never be tired with you or of you" she answers with a smile playing on her lips.

"But I still feel guilty about what has been happening you know you and I both know that I truly love Rhoda" I watch her wince in probably pain or jealously or better still both. It's not like I care so much anyway.

"So you've still got ties with that bitch" she says eyeing me in disgust. I would have slapped her on a normal ground for calling my girlfriend a bitch but not when she's lying in my arms on my bed so I just let it slide. At least that should be a story for another day.

"How dare you call her a bitch, you should know I don't like that" I say playfully even though I'm perfectly boiling inside"

"Don't be like that Richard, it's not like, never mind anyway" she says as she's obviously short of words and I eye her suspiciously "what do you wanna say, just complete your statement".

"Don't worry okay, it's nothing" she answer me obviously sad about me taking sides with Rhoda but for Christ's sake what does she expect? We have been secretly dating since our first year doesn't mean I'll ever stop loving Rhoda and I've made it clear to her so I still don't see reasons why she should get jealous about it. Rhoda has come to stay in my life and nothing has or can change that fact.

I pick up my phone almost immediately it starts ringing and signal to Kira to keep quiet as it is my life that's calling she just looks at me in annoyance.

"Hello sweetheart" I say into the receiver now backing Kira so as not to see her shooting me daggers from her eyes.

"oh, yeah" I continue my conversation with Rhodie"

"Really, that's great dearie"

"Yea, but it's not been really long you know just about I think two months ago"

"It's not that far"

"Oh, okay I'll be expecting then"

"I love you darling"

"Yeah, bye" I then ended the call and came to face Kira".

"So what does she have for you again" she asks with so many expressions on her face but I think jealously is more evident though.

"She's coming here in the next two weeks"

"What's she looking for, at least I remember you going to her house two months ago and you spent almost a week there, I even think you weren't gonna come back again "she adds sarcastically.

"Really, but two months is a while you know, don't forget that she's my girlfriend" I say to her with a little more seriousness on my face".

"But she's supposed to be reading really hard for her exams or aren't they sitting for their final year examinations in their school already?"

"Yeah you are right but next week, she's having her second to the last paper, then she would be having her final paper in two weeks time according to her so she will be coming on Wednesday since she's having the paper on Tuesday and staying for a week or so".

"What the fuck! A week! Isn't that too much? It's not like you guys are getting married or something".

"So you can say that, then what should I say about you? When last did you go to your apartment?" I ask her with a smile playing on my lips.

"That should be when you came back from Crystal University that is two months ago"

"So who's marrying who here? you are just lucky that Rhoda has stopped her surprise visits if not, oh my God you probably would be in the hospital having a plastic surgery right now".

"And you will be in the asylum for calling everything and everybody you see Rhoda because I'm pretty sure she would have left you" she shouts back smiling.

I think that's kinda true though, I can't bear the thought of Rhoda leaving me at all. I'll probably end up in the asylum just like Kira has said. We've been dating for going to four years now and out of the 4 years I've cheated on her for more than three years. What a jerk of a boyfriend I've been I feel so guilty in fact I feel so wicked".

"Hey" Kira calls out to me "what on earth were you thinking about, you've been totally lost, you weren't even hearing me at all. That's really serious" she concluded.

"Get up, we need to read, we are having paper tomorrow, and I don't think I should be reminding you because you are having two if you don't leave here, I wouldn't be able to read.

"Really? Why is that?" she asks coyly

"Distraction, so many distractions" I say to her without expressions on my face then.

"Okay then, I'll just go to the library since my things are still here?"

"I think that's a good idea" I say so she can leave quickly she stands up gathers some books and leaves the room. I really hope that she reads those books. I don't need to pray about that for Rhodie, it's an automatic thing. She reads a lot and I'm pretty sure that even if she doesn't read a hard as she does she'll still pass so I'll just save the remaining prayers for myself. I quickly call Jeffery to come over, my one and only buddy now since Collins and Rhoda are still not on talking terms and I don't want to be in their middle so I just refrain from speaking to Collins.

"Hey old bro ...yeah...............I gat's read now............... sure...........okay then............yeah ...........I'll be expecting" I quickly get up and re-arrange the places Kira messed up before Jeffery arrives and start telling me that cleanings is next to godliness more reasons why I don't think I can ever date Kira. Unlike Rhoda who's extremely organized and neat she doesn't really care about where she throws her things. When I tell her about it, she makes up for it though, but I really don't think she needs to be told before she knows what to do".

"You are 10 minutes late, you said you were gonna arrive by 3:30" I say to my buddy playfully as soon as I open the door for him.

"Really, you never told me you were a time keeper back in secondary school, or you probably skipped that part of your history" he jokingly replies.

"I bet you took some alcohol before leaving home right?". He just laughed at my question.

"I guess you called me here to read, right?"

"Yeah that's true"

"So what are we to read?" he asks me

"Novels of course" I answer sarcastically.

"You know I don't read novel" he replies obviously not catching the joke.

"Dude, you are to wound up, that was actually a joke, we are reading for tomorrow's paper"

"Oh" he replies and brings out his books from his bag.

"I saw Kira on my way out, does she still live here"

"Oh, yeah, she does" I answer absent – mindedly"

"I just hope the real chic doesn't one day catch you guys on top of each other"

"I hope so too, so now let is get to the main thing ....okay" I say quickly as I was beginning to feel uncomfortable as the discussion is now concerning me.

"I think you are the one who's too wound up here" he jokes at my expense

"Whatever"