A woman's dilemma - Episode 28

 

Claudia:

 I can feel Daniel's eyes on me as I stare out the car's open window. I'm trying to calm my hackles down and talking right now won't be good for anyone. I feel my tired hands clenching into fists on my lap. 
"Are you okay?" Daniel's hand snakes on to my clenched fists and he covers them gently. I can't resist turning around to face him . He takes his eyes off the road for a second to meet my gaze. The care I see in them confuse me. No one is watching or taking pictures. He doesn't have to give me that look. And I can't have myself falling for it. I retrieve my hands from under him and the spell is broken. I stare back out the window.
"Claw I--"
"I'm not okay. I shouldn't have let her leave with that monster. He killed her." Tears sting my eyes and I angrily brush them off.
"It's okay to show weakness once in a while Claw. That wouldn't make you any less. At least when we are together, let go. I won't fault you for that." His soft voice nearly move me to tears but as usual of me, I use a snarky comment to bite off the hands he's offering in help.
"There's no cameras Daniel. Don't give me that Nollywood bullshit." I say coldly and I actually feel a chill permeate the car

All episodes of this story can be found here >> https://www.ebonystory.com/story/a-woman-s-dilemma

. I resist the urge to wrap my hands around myself. I notice the car pulling into Daniel's hotel parking garage but say nothing. I can feel a sob bubbling in my throat. She's gone. I wasn't there for her. I was having the time of my life in Italy while both my friends got beaten down by life. Even my sister said as much. I didn't bother about anyone else while I chased success. 
"Claudia wait!" I don't bother with my bag but as soon as the car comes to a stop, I push the door open and get out. The air rushing into my lungs do nothing to calm me down. For the first time in my life, I feel like I'm having a panic attack. I look around the empty parking garage like I'm searching for something to focus on. Nothing pulls my mind out of the dark place it is slowly crawling into. I shudder breathlessly as the panic sets in for real. Breathing becomes hard. I clutch at bare air when I start to go a bit dizzy probably from not eating since lunch yesterday.
"Christ! Claudia!" Strong arms come around me from behind and hold me back into a strong chest.
"Let go." My protest is weak even to my ears. I can't help but lean against the warm and strong body.
"Let it go, Claw. Let it go." Daniel whispers into my ear softly. I shake my head. If I let this tears fall, would it bring Francesca back? Would it make me less selfish?
"You are not selfish, baby." I've never liked being called baby but the word on his lips are my undoing. Violent shudders shake my body making it hard for Daniel to hold me up. He starts to let me down but goes down with me. Now, we are sitting on the dirty ground floor holding each other while I sob into his chest.
"I killed her."
"Shhh. It's not your fault. None of this is your fault." He tries to tell me but I can't believe that.
"I should have been there for her."
"It was her decision to leave with him. An accident is no one's fault." Daniel says. I push away from him and glare at him like he's the offender.
"He killed her! It was no accident!" I snap. His hands go up in surrender and I notice his tired eyes. He came to get me and Amy out of the police cell. He didn't have to do that but he did. I release a shaky breath and shake my head.
"I'm sorry I freaked out on you. You don't deserve this. It isn't part of the deal anyways. You didn't have to do it." I start to get off the floor but his hand grab mine.
"I had to do this. I'll always be here for you. Whenever you need a shoulder to cry on." He says with sincerity in his eyes.
"You don't have to pamper me to get me to help you out with your situation Daniel. And for the record, I don't need a shoulder to cry on." I brush him off mildly because I really don't know what to do with someone who wants me to lean on them. I've relied on just myself for so long, the thought feels foreign.
"Stubborn woman." I hear him mutter under his breath and before I can stand up fully, he has me pressed against his car with his mouth covering mine.
"Wh--" he takes the opportunity of my open mouth and slip his tongue in. I forget the sentence I was about forming and release a strangled groan instead when his tongue brush the roof of my mouth. Is a kiss supposed to be this great. Maybe it's his years of experience in the acting industry. Why am I thinking about that right now? A sudden flash snaps both of us from our lust haze and I'm the first to pull away. I catch a reporter in the distance. Of course, that's the reason he kissed me. Did I think it was anything else? Nope, not me. I shake the dirt off my butt and stand upright.
"Nice acting." I don't know why I say that like am hurt and I don't wait for his reply before I hurry out of the garage and into the hotel lobby.

Daniel:

 Nice acting? I watch Claudia hurry away from me like I'm a leper.
"A few questions please." I turn around to the idiot reporter who just spoilt my moment with a glare. He is brazen enough not to cower under my glare.
"No comment." I spit off before chasing after Claudia. I don't find her in the lobby of the hotel and I go straight up with the elevator, grateful the nosy reporter didn't follow behind me.
"Claw I-" I burst into my suite to find her chucking piecing of bread into her mouth.
"You don't mind right?" She says between mouth full. I shake my head no and close the door behind me before making my way to her. She's looking everywhere except at me.
"Claudia, about what just happened downstairs __" I scratch the back of my neck awkwardly.
"No biggie. This is what I signed up for right? Kisses in front of cameras." She waves me off and pulls my fridge open just to bury her head in it.
"No. This isn't about that. I--"
"You don't have any orange juice." She finally pulls her head out to point out. Is she even listening to me?
"Claw___" I make a grab for her hand but she slips out of my grasp and walks past me.
"I need orange juice before I choke on dry bread." She interrupts me. I sigh tiredly and rub my equally tired eyes. I didn't sleep a wink last night after my sister came back shaking and hysterical from God knows where. She'd been impossible to console and I'd tried all night. Making me wonder what Francis has to do with her hysteria. She only fell into slumber at the break of day and just when I'm ready to drag my depleted body to bed, I got news that Claudia got arrested. I've been running helter skelter​ since then.
"Orange juice." Claudia snaps her fingers in my face and I'm tempted to bite them and maybe kiss them better. I shake my head at the thought.
"Tina's bedroom. She needed it last night. I think she left it on the night stand."
"Thanks." Claudia throws over her shoulder before making her way inside the suite. Frustrating woman. I pull open the fridge door in search of water then think maybe I need orange juice as well. That's a plausible reason to follow behind Claudia. I shake my head at how this woman I've not known for long has me wrapped around her finger.
"Did you find___"
"Shhh!" Claudia shushes me and points to Tina who's curled up on the bed. I nod and quietly make my way towards Claudia.
"What are you doing? Grab the juice and let's go so we don't wake her. We're also going to be late for our planned day to your sister's house." I say in hush tones.
"She was crying when I got here and clutching her chest." Claudia tells me when I reach her side. My eyes moves to my sister who looks a little peaceful in her sleep right now.
"Her chest?" I ask Claudia who nods.
"Look at this." She gently pulls down the neck of the sweatshirt Tina is wearing and I notice the red and tender mark under her collar bone. It doesn't look like an old scar at all. It looks pretty recent. Like last night recent. How did she get hurt?
"Burnt marks." Claudia confirms what I'm thinking and both freeze when Tina's snaps open. I think we aren't the only ones frozen because Tina doesn't move a limb from the bed until I clear my throat awkwardly.
"What are you guys doing?!" Tina scrambles to the other side of the bed and eyes us like a trapped animal. She looks close to tears again.
"Shhhhh. It's okay. You're okay." I try to calm her down with words.
"How did you get hurt." Tina's attention is snatched from me when Claudia utters the question. I see something dark cloud my sister's eyes but it's gone before I can decipher it. At the corner of the bed where she's huddled up, she wrap both her hands around her legs and pulls her knees up to her chest with shaky breaths.
"I wanted some hot tea last night. I was too shaken up to hold the kettle steady and I ended up burning myself. It's___it's not a big deal."
"Of course it's a big deal! That could get infected. We are taking you to an hospital.

Read " The fill-in wife " by the same author ( Ameh juliet )

. I can't have you hurt again." Tina looks wary of my idea.
"The press! They are hovering out there waiting for you. I don't want to be in the news." Her voice cracks on the last word and I feel like crap that my fame has made it hard for my sister to be totally free. I don't care about the press right now though. I'm taking Tina to get help and nothing will stop me.
"You don't mind if I take her to the hospital before we go over to your sister's right?" I ask the quiet Claudia.
"Of course. She needs help. I can come with right?" She asks and I nod.
"Alright sweetie. I'm going to lift you into my arms now okay? Say something if anything hurts." I say calmly to Tina as I heave her into my arms like a broken doll. i notice how tiny she feels in my arms and how little she weighs. I just want my sister back. This scared frail woman just brings me to my knees in agony. I feel Claudia's hand touch my shoulder lightly like she knows how much I'm tortured inside right now.
"She'll be okay." Claudia mouths to me and I really want to believe her.