A woman's dilemma - Episode 69

 

Claudia:

"Drop me off here." I instruct the taxi driver who swerves off the road and pulls over in front of the house I used to call home. I pull my sunglasses up to my head and sigh.
"I'll be out in less than twenty minutes. Don't move an inch." I tell the older man who nods. I'm paying triple for this so he better not drive off on me . A feeling of dread creeps up my spine as I make my way to the house but I quell it down. Benjamin is supposed to be at work by this time. I have my key. I just need to take my things and leave. Twenty minutes. He won't find me here.
I can't face him from fear of what he might do now. Daniel doesn't want me coming back here but with him out with his mother for his sister's wake, I took the time to come get my stuffs.
I look back at the taxi waiting for me in case I need to make a run for it before I put on my big girl pantie and walk into the compound. I push my key into the door and it clicks open. It's obvious that no one is home and the thrill that rushes up my spine has me grinning.
"Okay. Let's make this snappy." I say to myself as I push the door close and run into the room to grab my clothes.
I notice things thrown around the room and I roll my eyes. I make my way to the wardrobe and pull my big suitcases down

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

. I don't waste time arranging. I just pull clothes off hangers and into the two open suitcases. I already have all my shoes packed and I'm just going into the bathroom when I hear the sound of the front door opening. I freeze in my steps.
"Sh*t!" I mutter under my breath. I have to leave. I forsake the things in the bathroom and Start to push the suitcase close one after the other.
I grab both handles and push them to the ground just as the bedroom door flies open.
"Look who we have here." Benjamin sneers at me and I bite down on my teeth.
"I'm just getting me things. And in case you didn't get the memo the last time let me spell it out for you. You and me, we're done Benjamin." I say firmly. He looks me up and down then starts laughing so hard, tears fall down his cheek.
"I'm not in the mood for this." I start to roll my suitcases past him when his hand clamp around my wrist.
"Let go!" My other hand swings up and I clock him right in the chin with my fist.
"Hell!" He bellows as he clutches his chin. Oh I've wanted to do that since he completely molested me in LA.
"Listen to me Claudia, I'll..."
"You'll what? I have a taxi driver waiting just outside this door. And the police in speed dial. Do you want to risk it?" I square my shoulders and face him off. His face twists before he drops my hand.
"He's going to leave you after sleeping with you, stupid." He sneers.
"Let me worry about that. You should be worrying about how to get a new job." I tell him smugly.
"What did you do?!" He roars and I know I shouldn't have said that. I've angered him further.
"Claudia, let me help you with that." My head snaps behind me to find Daniel looking mad as hell. He comes to stand between Benjamin and i. I can't say how relieved I am.
"Go down to the car, Claudia." Daniel says cooly.
"How bout you?" I ask him softly.
"I just have to hand this man a restraining order from the police. Thought I'll drop it off myself." Daniel pulls the paper out and push it to Benjamin's chest.
"See you anywhere near her and it's not only the police you'll have to contend with." He grinds out to Benjamin before he picks both of my suitcases and drags them out behind me.
When we get out, I notice that the taxi is no longer waiting.
"Where my taxi?" I turn to ask Daniel.
"Don't get me more angry, Claudia. Get in the car." He spits at me.
"I'm...I'm sorry. I just wanted to get my things." I say softly.
"Your things?! I told you to leave it. I would have bought you everything or gotten them for you." He says.
"I know." I let my head hang in shame.
"No, you don't know. Do you know how scared I was when I got to your hotel and couldn't find you? I almost got an heart attack! I thought you were hurt or worse! I just lost my sister, Claudia. Don't do that to me again." I close the distance between us and put my hands around him.
"Never. I promise. I'm so sorry about Tina." I say and he breaks down on my hair.
"She was so young. I couldn't protect her."
"No. Don't blame yourself. I'll not let you do that.
We're going to get through this." I say into his chest. His hands tighten around me.
"You're all I have now and my mother. I'm never letting anyone hurt even a hair on your hair." He vows.
"Neither am I."

****

Benedict:

"Well If it isn't the brother of the year." Benson says drily as he comes into my hospital room where I've just finished seeing the orthopedist I'm supposed to see within my three months injury leave in Nigeria.
"Oh you're here. Yay?" I answer him just as drily. We both eye each other for a few moments before his face stretches out in a broad smile.
"Grumpy much." He laughs as he comes to sit besides me on the bed. I sit up on the bed with a little strain but he doesn't try to help me. He knows how I hate being treated like an invalid.
"This brings memories." He says and I roll my eyes at him.
"Please don't start with how I got us both in an accident." I groan and rub my tired eyes. I'd been in a flight for more than fifteen hours. I'm not in the right mood right now. Coupled with the mess of Amy crying because of me two days ago at the hospital in LA. I'm really in no mood.
"She's also in this hospital y'know." He says after a few minutes of silence and I frown.
"Who's here?"
"The woman responsible for that mood of yours." Benson throws softly and I groan. Of course he knows. I don't want him thinking I tried to take his woman.
"Listen man, I didn't know you guys were together. I stopped it as soon as I saw your text to her." I say truthfully.
"You know better than to read people's texts, Benedict." He chastises and I shrug.
"Whatever. You can have your woman."
"I wish I can." He says and I frown.
"What do you mean you wish you can? You already have her. I..."
"The same woman who is in love with my brother." He asks and I shake my head.
"You have it all wrong. She's not. We just saw a few times in LA."
"Shut up little brother." He says. I'm only little by so much but I don't say this.
"I'm only going to say this once. Amy and I, we were never going to work from the start. You know why?" He asks.
"Why?"
"Because she was already crushing on a certain someone who used to be her professor. She'll talk about him even when he wasn't the topic of discussion. And with such respect in her eyes."
"Oh man. I didn't mean to take your woman from you. I'll leave. She'll get over it. She's yours. I know you are into her Benson. I'm not taking anything else from you. After that accident, you've never been the same. I know that was my doing."
"No. An accident is just that. An accident." He says and I picture Amy saying the exact same words.
"No. I was drunk. It was no accident that couldn't be prevented."
"Yes you were drunk but I played a part as well. You didn't touch the steering wheel that day Benedict. I was so tires from classes, I dozed off. The car got out of control. I tried to stop it but I couldn't." He stands and pace the hospital room. I just stare at him with wide eyes.
"All those years, you were eaten by depression, I couldn't do anything for you. But right now? I'm not taking anything else from you. I'm letting you know that Amy has a right to choose who she wants to be with. And that's you brother. Are you going to throw it all away? Remember how I made you throw away basketball because of the accident. How much did you regret that?" He asks me.
"Too much." I say truthfully. And I know I'm going to regret letting Amy so much more.
"Then go get her. She's in this hospital. They're discharging her friend so I don't think she'll be here for long." Benson tells me.
"I've messed things up. She wouldn't want me. Not anymore." I scratch my head, frustratingly.
"She told me she's in love with you just yesterday. I don't think feelings can change in 24 hours."
"I don't know what she's going to do."
"Well, aren't you going to find out?" He asks me.
"I am." I say with conviction.

Amy:

"I'm going to live at daddy's for a while before Gideon and I get married next month." Frances says with a big smile and Claudia pat her hand.
"I still want to keep touching you so I can assure myself that you're really here." Claudia says and I nod.
"Yeah. I'm not leaving my men anytime soon." She grins and I shake my head.
"Come on before you talk our ears off with talks of your men." I tease her. I pick her bag up as we all walk out of the room.
"Let's not come back here again except for good news. Like one of us popping out a baby." Frances says and I crack up.

Read " Set me free " by the same author ( Ameh juliet )

. I don't think that'll be anytime soon for me. I bend over and laugh at the thought of Claudia pregnant though. I pity Daniel.
"Amy?" I stop laughing when I realize I'm the only one laughing now and look up to find Benedict standing in front of us with crutches in hands.
"Wh..w.." I stutter as I close and open my eyes to be sure that I'm not dreaming.
"You're here? You see him too Claudia?" I ask my girls.
"Francesca, I think we'll need to leave these two to sort things out." Claudia pulls on Frances away from me.
"Hey! Don't leave!" I yell after my friends and start to run after them but Benedict hops in front of me.
"Get out of my way." I try to sidestep him but his hand hold on to my top's material and I stop.
"What do you want now?" I frown at his hand.
"You." He answers without hesitation and I falter in my stance.
"Me? After what you did back at the hospital? You ...you....you..." I don't even know the words to say and Benedict shocks me as he drops one of his crutches and pulls me to his chest with his free hand.
"What are you..." His lips comes down gently to kiss the corner of my lips.
"I want your smile." He kisses the other corner softly and my toes curl in pleasure.
"I want your soul." He pulls my head down to kiss the tip of my nose.
"I want your body." He takes my hand and kisses my knuckles.
"Benedict..."
"I want all of you." He says and this time, he presses his lips to mine in a kiss so fierce it burns a hole in my heart. I put my hands around him and hold him tightly to my body.
"That's if you'll have me. I'm a royal fuck up, Amy. I might fuck this up again but I need you to work with me. I know that there's something here. Something the both of us cannot run from." He brushes a finger across my lips and the soft look in his eyes is unbearable. All the memories I have with him assaults me and I blink back the tears.
"No. I don't want you to cry." He says like he's pained and I shake my head.
"It's happy tears." I say truthfully as I pull his head down to meet my lips.

So one more episode to go. Who's ready to wrap this up