Chapter 33: Chapter 33

: Afterparte

→Narrator: Kam

"The fuck are you saying? We can't boast that we've been to offshore if we don't experience the nightlife!" Was what Jordan said after Asa told everyone that she didn't feel like partying all night.

"Look look look." He continued. "I don't care whose birthday it is, but I'm calling the shots tonight. Now, go get dressed, bitches. The party bus leaves at eight."

And that's the reason we found ourselves in After Parte, a hip and popping underage nightclub, located in Chelsea city, the capital of Offshore.

This time around, we had decided that the girls would ride with us and so, we crammed into Jordan's large benz, with Jordan manning the wheels, while we all begrudgingly sang along to Wobble Up, by Chris Brown that was blaring so loudly from the speakers, I expected we'd get pulled over by the police before we finally reach our destination.

"I can't believe there are underage nightclubs in the country." Asa breathed, adjusting her tiny skirt when we alighted from Jordan's truck.

"I can't believe you let Jordan do this." I grinned at her, my hands, wrapping around her waist, pulling her to me.

She shrugged, leaning into me, soft body plastered against mine as she smiled into my eyes. "I was curious too."

"Curiosity killed the cat."

"I'm not a cat. I'm a witch."

She was grinning at me and I was grinning at her and suddenly, a nostalgic feeling washed over me and I started recalling everything.

How we met. How we began. How things used to be when we were just getting to know each other. My first confession. Our first kiss... Our first time.

She wasn't smiling anymore and she looked like she was reading my thoughts, choking on nostalgia too.

"Babes!" Kosi suddenly appeared, snapping us out of the moment we were sharing.

"Before you say anything, I'm having her for the night." I said quickly, interrupting her.

Kosi scowled at me.

"I called first dibs!" I grinned, triumphantly.

"Enjoy this win while it lasts." She scoffed, taking Lola's hand and walking away with her.

Asa rolled her eyes, nonetheless, fighting back a smile.

We were the last to step foot into the club and we immediately got guided to the VIP section by the bouncers. Courtesy of Amir.

As much as I hated to admit it, the club was lit. Exquisite. Unlike other clubs I've managed to sneak into before I hit eighteen. There was a class and elegance to it that I wasn't expecting. The music wasn't too harsh and raunchy and the entire place smelt less of alcohol, weed and body odour and more of cold cash, expensive champagne and extravaganza.

Holy Shit! Amir must have paid close to a mill to land a VIP here.

We were on our way to the VIP section when something very weird happened.

Asa stopped in her tracks, staring straight ahead, upwards at the bar area.

I looked at her, confused. There was intense fear and trepidation in those coffee black eyes of hers and she was shaking like she was having a panic attack.

"Asa, are you okay?" I asked, alarmed.

She wouldn't look at me, lips trembling and staring straight ahead, her eyes locked on something in front of us.

I placed my hands on her trembling shoulders, gripping tight and shaking her softly. Getting in front of her and blocking her path, successfully obstructing her line of vision.

She blinked up at me, the fear and dread, clearing from her eyes. She gulped and shook her head, as if clearing her thoughts.

"Are you okay?" I asked again, unconsciously pulling her closer towards me.

She gulped, closing her eyes and pressed the heel of her hand against her fore head. "Yeah. Sorry. I thought I saw something.

I frowned.

Holding her shoulders and pulling her to me, I scanned the entire luxury club around us for any suspicious individual but everyone seemed to be doing their own thing. Laughing. Drinking. Dancing. In the background, Suh different by Patoranking was blaring out of speakers.

"It's okay, baby." I rubbed her back, soothingly.

"Kam." Someone tapped me from behind. I turned around to look at Amir.

He glanced at Asa for the briefest of seconds and I recognized that look of longing in it... It was the same look he had on the first time I saw Asa in the library.

Something I had eagerly overlooked at that time.

"What?" I asked, having to yell over the music.

"Let's talk."

I frowned at him.

Really? We've had all the time in the world to talk at home and he decides to come at me in a noisy nightclub.

Great thinking, Amir.

He must have noticed the sarcastic look on my face because he rolled his eyes. Leaning in to whisper, purposely, so that Asa would not hear him. "It's important. Disturbing really."

He glanced at Asa again, this time, I read the look in his eyes.

Get rid of her! It clearly said.

Sighing, I kissed Asa's temple. "Hang with the girls, Asa. This should only take a minute."

Asa looked at me worriedly, then at Amir and sighed, walking away.

Kosi and Lola were quick to admit her into a crowd of giggling girls, laughing excitedly at something Jordan was saying.

He led me to a less noisier part of the room and we sat at the booth.

"What is it?" I asked him, sinking into the plush leather.

"Don't look now," he said, leaning in, conspiringly. "But there's a guy above us at twelve o'clock. He's watching us."

"Yeah?"

"Security noticed something weird about him. He followed us in, directly behind you guys and acted like he was one of us, so they didn't ask him for his pass. But since he stepped foot in this section, he hasn't interacted with any of us. They called my attention to it."

Against my will, I glanced in the direction Amir had told me and sure enough, I caught the sight of a guy, our age, give or take a few months, sitting at the bar, a whiskey shot in his hand. He caught my eyes easily and even offered me an easy grin, nodding his head at us, as if saying, "what's up?"

"That's not all, Kam."

I looked at Amir again. "No?"

He shook his head. "He was taking pictures of Asa."

A strange feeling took over me.

It wasn't anger... It wasn't dread.

It was a difficult blend of the two emotions.

I glanced at the guy again, only to find out he was still looking at us with that easy but disturbing look in his eyes. He probably knew we were talking about him now.

"I want to give him the benefit of the doubt but he's been watching her since she stepped foot here. Do you want me to set him straight?"

I looked back at Amir, stunned by how seriously he was taking this.

Amir has always been observant. That unnerving habit of watching people and studying behaviours was probably what made him pick up on this guy's strange attitude and pay proper attention to it, rather than just disregarding the creep.

It was kind of amusing, really. Seeing Amir so tense and concerned. This was the first time I ever saw him let anything get under his skin. Literally nothing concerned him. He couldn't care less about anything going on in his life. Sure, he'd argue intellectually with Dave over trivial, academic things, but he couldn't give two shits if he lost or won an argument... In many ways, he really wasn't concerned about life...

But he was worried... For Asa. He had probably picked up on her behaviour seconds ago and decided to approach me with this info because I honestly wouldn't have noticed the guy if he hadn't told me...

Amir... Cared about Asa.... He wouldn't care about himself or his father or his sister... but he cares about her. And he didn't even know shit about all she's been through yet. Her stepbrother. Her mother. The trauma from her past. He didn't know shit and he was this worried.

Hm... He really does like her.

"Kam?"

I snapped out of my thoughts. "What?"

"I said, should I go set him straight? He's not even supposed to be in the VIP section uninvited. I could get him kicked out if I want but I want to question him first."

"No, no. I'll do it." I told him, standing up from the plush leather booth.

"Kam, you don't have to-" he said, standing up with him.

"It concerns my girl. I said I'll do it."

There was a moment of silence where we just glared at each other.

He had these eerie eyes.

Imagine yourself suspended in outer space, all alone with nothing but cold darkness and shooting stars, shooting past you and you got an image of what it looks like being faced with one of his glares.

He suddenly sighed, grudgingly agreeing. "Fine. Call if you need anything."

"Thanks for offering but I doubt I'd need your help."

"Don't thank me, DeAngeles. I'm not doing this for you. I'm doing it for Asa." He said easily, turning around and stalking off.

I watched him walk away, feeling like he was walking out of my life. A pain registered in my chest. Low. Burning... Painful.

No matter how much I tried to fight it.... I missed my best friend.

-

"Yo." I nodded a greeting at the guy, joining him at the bar, which was a raised, see-through cubicle, directly above the dancefloor.

His smile was easygoing. Carefree. "Sup?"

I ordered a drink when the bartender asked if I wanted anything.

"I saw you taking shots earlier. You fancy any of our girls?" I nodded at the direction below us, where the girls were currently rocking to the beat of a Ohaa by McGalaxy. They were acting goofy and taking selfies, singing along to the catchy music and just having a good time.

In a way, I was glad that Asa's birthday was still a success.

He laughed, taking his time to sip his drink, before answering my question. "My bad. I recognized one of them, the dark skin one. My little sister is a fan."

I raised an eyebrow at him, debating if this was bullshit or not.

"You know, this is where I ask you for your phone, right?" I outstretched my hand, my voice, brokering no argument.

The guy shrugged easily, knocking back the rest of his shot and whipped out his phone. Unlocking it for me to have access.

I went through the pictures slowly, feeling disturbed.

Like he said, he had been taking pictures of Kosi... But the disturbing fact is that, Asa appeared in all the pictures of Kosi... It was normal for fans to take candid shots of celebs all the time... But something didn't sit well with me knowing that Asa appeared in the shots too.

"I'm sorry, my guy, but I'll have to ask you to delete this."

He frowned, for the quickest of seconds and I saw something akin to murderous anger in those eyes but it was gone as soon as it appeared, so fast, I felt like I imagined the whole thing. And his easy smile was back up again.

Taking the phone from me, he held it out for me to see as he deleted the picture.

"All of it." I emphasized.

He hesitated for a moment, before deleting the pictures.

"Sorry for the trouble." He said, his grin intact. "I realize how creepy this looks. Maybe I'll just ask for a selfie later."

"No."

His smile actually faltered. "No?" Like he didn't hear me well.

"No." I clarified. "I don't want you near her or any of them for that matter. Infact, I want you to leave this section. We booked it for the night and last time I checked, no one invited you."

There was no mistaking it this time. The mad anger in those dark eyes of his. I matched his heated glare, not backing down.

"Or should I get security?"

His smile came back up again, like a switch, after a few seconds and he stood up, gulping down the rest of the drink. "I'll remember your face. I have this feeling I'll see you again." Straightening his shirt, he nodded farewell to me, before turning around and exiting the VIP section.

I didn't relax until he was out of my sight, the dread and anger, following suit.

"So?" Amir slid into the seat beside me.

"So what?"

"The guy." He gestured with his eyes towards the exit. "What did he want?"

"It's nothing, Amir. His little sister is Kosi's fan and he just wanted to take shots of her to show to his sister. No harm there."

Of course I didn't believe that shit but I didn't want my worry and dread seeping in to any other person in our group.

Amir looked at me for a split second with a serious expression and then, he bursted out laughing, hysterically, holding his stomach, like it was hurting him.

I looked at him like he had suddenly lost his mind.

"Ya Allah, don't fuck with me, DeAngeles. How stupid do you think I am?" He groaned in his usual husky voice.

"I'm not kidding. That's what he told me. For real."

"The Kam I know wouldn't believe that shit."

His grey eyes have never been so intense before. It actually made me want to look away.

It was practically impossible for you to trick Amir. His bullshit radar was the shit.

But I didn't say anything, focusing back on my drink.

He sighed, "I didn't trust that guy, so I went digging around for info about him."

I remained quiet, nodding him on.

"He came with a group of friends, all the way from Abuja."

The warning bells in my head started ringing again. "Abuja?"

Amir nodded, eyes narrowed, gauging my reaction. "Yes. St Laurent highschool. Turns out they're lodging here for the meantime, prepping for a school tour."

"And how does this have anything to do with the Asa?"

"Chill. I'm not done. I asked his friends, who were pretty much wasted already. Kam, that guy doesn't have any sister. He lied to you about the whole Kosi fan thing and I bet you didn't fall for that crap he fed you."

Damn. Amir!

"I'm worried about Asa too, Kam. If there's anything you know that you think I should too, spill. I want her safety too. I want to help."

"There's nothing going on in Asa's life, Amir. Sorry to disappoint."

He sighed tiredly, like he suddenly felt exhausted. "If shit hits the fan, I hope you remember this moment. This moment right here, when I begged you to let me help." And he got up and left.

I sighed, gulping down the rest of my drink, feeling the onset of a very intense headache, coming my way.

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