Chapter 7: Chapter 7

: Nubian Mermaid

→Narrator: Asa

"I can't believe princess bitchface actually blackmailed you to get us to come to this freaking circus muck." Kosi was complaining angrily to Jemi. "I swear, if she breathes in my direction, I'm breaking her nose."

Jemi rolled his eyes. He honestly looked every bit like the angel I made him out to be in my head, dressed simply in a sparkling white Fear of God T-shirt, white jeans, solid gold chain around his neck and white vans. "Stop being so over dramatic. I heard her parties are actually great. Besides, no one forced you to come."

"So wait," she snorted. "You think I'll let the two of you walk alone to your deaths? Helllsss to the no. We're in this together, baby!"

Kosi's endowed assets were clearly emphasized in her tight, white, tube top with the texts, Bad, Spoilt & Rotten, boldly written on the chest area, cropped high enough to expose her toned stomach and belly piercing. Her micro mini pink skirt stopped just below her big butt. And she tied up the entire look with kickass makeup and white laced up bondage boots, silver septum piercing, glinting on her nose.

Kosi wanted to doll me up so bad, but I just came in a T-shirt dress, leggings and boots, a wool beanie sat on my head. For makeup, I had on mascara and lip gloss, wanting to be as inconspicuous as possible, hoping to survive the night without Kam noticing me.

Jemi only sighed as we walked into the huge house. There was soft music playing and the entire place wasn't filled to the point where you're suffocating on the stench of another person's breath.

We walked into the living room, where most of the people were and I was pleasantly surprised when I saw that a large wall was set aside where food was being served. I caught the scent of spicy chicken, jollof rice, pizza and deep fried chips.

Naturally, I gravitated to the food section when a voice made me stop, turning my legs to jelly.

Kam.

There he was, at the bar area, talking to a girl with a long red weave-on, all the way to her waist. He said something that made her laugh and my stomach tightened painfully when she placed her hand on his arm and squeezed, leaning into him as they laughed together.

And he let her.

Jealousy curdled the blood in my veins, a wildfire, consuming my insides.

Suddenly, the girl looked up and caught me watching them, her eyes blinked in realization.

She knew who I was and I knew who she was. The 'childhood friend'.

Childhood friend, my ass.

I gulped, quickly moving to hide myself among the crowd of people.

To say I was disappointed in him was the understatement of the century.

Part of me knew I overreacted. The other part was too hurt to care.

I'm not even angry over the fact he's in touch with his 'childhood friend'. I was angry over the fact he condoned stupid shit from her... And yes, a part of me also felt insecure.

The aesthetic shots she sent of her nude body... Well, it's kind of hard to ignore the fact she had a great body going on. It's not something I'll ever openly admit, but sometimes, I wish I was less skinny and more thicc, like Kosi, and I usually envied girls with big ass, full breasts and hips.

I never thought about it much but yesterday brought all the insecurities crashing back.

I couldn't breathe normally until I walked into another room. Far from him. The kitchen, I realized.

I grabbed a chilled bottle of water from the fridge, closing my eyes and taking a deep breath as I pressed it to my throbbing temple.

Why did I ever agree to come here?

"Asa, right?" Someone suddenly asked beside me.

My eyes flew open and I saw her. The girl from the pictures.

"What do you want?" I asked, coldly, nails, digging the inside of my palm as I struggled to get a hold of my emotions.

The girl was pretty, no doubt. But there was something off about her. Something fake. Like she just discovered plastic surgery and went at it everyday.

I could already see that her boobs and ass were fake, in her tiny red halter top and tight mini skirt, and yes, part of me was wickedly delighted and disappointed at this. There was a highness to her cheekbones that were too architectural to be natural. Her lips were plump and pouty, a bright red colour, a tightness to her face that made her smile look forced. Her nails resembled talons dripping in blood.

She was beautiful, no doubt, but her beauty came at a price.

I silently wondered if Kam had slept with her before.

The thought seared my heart, skewering my senses. I struggled to control my breathing.

Her face softened as she raised her hands, as if in surrender. "I come in peace, Asa. There's no bad blood between us, okay? I'm just here because of Kam."

"He sent you to clean up his mess?" I raised an eyebrow at her.

She laughed, the tightness in her chin, not giving her the luxury to laugh properly. "No, he doesn't even know you're here. He didn't want me talking to you, but he knows by now that nobody tells me what to do."

My eyes narrowed at her. "So, what do you want?"

She touched my arm and I shrugged it off. "Please, don't touch me."

My personal space was something I took very seriously. You have to be close to my heart before I let you into the safe radius that I considered psychologically to be mine. I usually got very anxious and irritated when my space gets invaded and that anxiety and irritation only increased after my stepbrother had his way with me.

And with the anxiety and discomfort, usually came fear and anger.

Her eyes dropped as she retracted her hands. "Oh. I'm sorry, Asa."

Seeing her so meek and compliant suddenly made me feel bad about how uptight I was acting. I offered her a tight smile. "It's okay."

She lowered her eyes. "I'm really sorry. Kam told me about everything that happened and I don't want you blaming him for my mistakes. I'm really sorry you found out about the texts, but that's how we usually chat."

"You're sorry I found out about the text." My voice was flat.

She wasn't sorry about what she had done. She was sorry I had found out.

This girl was making it hard for me to like her.

"Don't get me wrong, I've seen Kam in relationships before. The way he acts with you, it's different. I misunderstood everything. I thought this was one of his mindless relationships. Something he would get bored off eventually. He's like a little kid that way, you know? He gets bored easily. I thought you guys wouldn't last. I mean, you're not really his type. No offence."

"I'm not his type?"

She laughed softly. "Yeah. He usually prefers them dark and curvy."

"Like you?" I cut through her bullshit.

She laughed softly. "Well, yeah. Nubian mermaid, that's what he used to call me."

"Calls you?"

"Yeah. You know, my name, Ariel? In the little mermaid... But I'm black. Dark black. Nubian. So he just mixed things up and I became Nubian Mermaid to him." She laughed softly, then added quietly. "He was my first, you know? And I was his."

My throat tightened.

"Your first?" I whispered.

I sounded like a damn parrot, even to me.

"It's hard to forget your first, Asa. It's hard to let them go."

My heart stilled, cold and frozen blood, static in my veins as I suddenly understood what she was trying to say.

"Yeah." Her voice was wistful. As she opened her mouth to say something I knew I'd regret hearing. "We were fifteen when we first had sex, Asa. We were lovers, long before you came into the picture. I was the only one he kept coming back to. The only one he couldn't get enough of."

Her face suddenly contorted, her painted smile, melting off her face as she crept closer to me, totally disregarding my personal space as she whispered into my ears, her voice, dripping in venom. "I suggest you remember that, instead of acting like you own him. I could get him back with me in a heartbeat if I wanted."

My palms itched to slap that poisonous smile off her face.

She leaned away from me, plastering back her fake compliant smile. "Nice talking with you, Asa."

And she turned and left me writhing in anger and hurt.

My heart was banging against my chest painfully as I struggled to breathe. Pain, choking up the breath in my lungs.

Another one of his exes, I scoffed. As if Haliya wasn't enough.

I shook my head, blinking back the tears that threatened to fall. No. No. I wouldn't cry for him. I would never. I would never cry for him.

But the tears came anyway as I squeezed the plastic bottle in my hand.

My chest felt too tight. My heart, heavy. I couldn't breathe. Couldn't think.

I wanted to cry out, anxiety, clawing at my throat while I struggled to inhale oxygen.

Suddenly, hands clasped around mine, big and warm, taking the bottle away from me.

"Asa! Shit! Are you okay?"

I looked up into Amir's worried dark grey eyes and looked away.

"Yeah. I'm fine." I choked out.

Of course, if Kam was here, he'd be here too. They were best friends after all.

"No you're not." He argued, his voice soft. "Come here." Pulled me into his arms as I broke apart in his embrace.

He rubbed my back and held me, murmuring soft words into my hair as my sobs dulled to whimpers and soft sniffling.

"I'm sorry for breaking down on you like that." I murmured awkwardly when I came out of his embrace.

These panic attacks were so embarrassing.

"Don't be sorry, Asa." He was still looking at me worriedly. "We're friends."

"It's just that, I'm kinda fighting with your best friend now and we're probably on the verge of breaking up. I thought you'd take sides."

He laughed softly. "If I really had to pick sides, I'll pick your side. If there's one thing I've come to realize, it's that women are always right."

Against my will, a short laugh bursted out of my lungs.

"Thanks, Amir," I told him, meaning it. "I think, I really needed that hug."

He spread his arms, a smile on his lips, silver eyes, twinkling. "There's plenty more where that came from."

"Nuh uh." I stepped back as we both laughed at each other.

"Do you want to go back to the party?" His voice was soft, as if he didn't want to scare me away.

I shook my head, no.

"You ready to ditch this party?" He asked, shoving his hands into his pocket and cocking his head to the side, a small smile on his lips.

"Yeah." I didn't want to be here anymore.

His smile grew mischievous as he leaned down to whisper. "I know a place."

I giggled softly. "No, thanks. I don't want you to leave this party because I'm feeling like an emotional wreck."

He shrugged. "No p. I wanted to leave, anyway. Hey, Asa?" He perked, suddenly.

"Yeah?"

"Ever seen Lagos from the top of a roof while eating cookies and sipping expensive wine?"

A smile tugged at my lips. "No? Ever heard of the possibility of a brain damage?"

"Damn, girl!" He laughed softly. ""Well, I have this pity party with myself on my rooftop once in a while. You can come with. I was about to leave anyway."

I hesitated.

He twirled a bunch of car keys around his finger, meaningfully. "I've got Dave's keys. Snatched it when he wasn't looking."

I laughed at the entirety of it all.

"So?"

"So what?"

"Come with."

I took my lower lips between my teeth, thinking. I didn't want to be here anymore especially with the possibility of running into Kam.

My heart was still raw. Scathing. And I suddenly felt like doing anything I wanted.

Fuck it.

"Sure, Amir."

⊱⋅ ──────────── ⋅⊰

→