Chereads / AFTER THE SHADOWS: A Thin Escape / Chapter 16 - Chapter 16

Chapter 16 - Chapter 16

Once more, James' life was getting back on track. It was not long after and he got an admission letter into college. This time, he was willing to do everything within his might to get his degree. As you all know, colleges are avenues to very many things and meeting all sorts of people. Even with James being an introvert, he found himself friends. Among these friends was one special friend.

He had found himself a girlfriend. Even after all that James went through in his life; it seemed that his heart was still working well. He found in it to fall in love again. Apart from this relationship helping him get over Maxine, they would do studies together with this girl. Life could never be better again for James. This time, he had changed his course to an easier one. He was pursuing a degree in business.

From what he had learnt when he was out of school, he found out that business was a very good course and did not entirely depend on employment. Besides this, studying business would equip him with the right skills he needed to survive in the harsh world.

One day, James decided to pay his girlfriend Vero a visit in their hostels. Upon arrival at her room, he knocked and the door was opened for him. Slowly, he entered the room only to realize that his girlfriend was not in the room. It was her friend Carol in the room. Upon inquiry, she told James that his girlfriend claimed to go see a friend.

This did not sound good in his ears. The friend put it in a way to suggest Vero was out to see him. In fact, the girl acted very surprised to see James in the room. She claimed that when Vero went out, she had gone to see him. This was not good at all. James had to make sure that his girlfriend was not looking for him in their hostels.

He took out his phone to call her and let her know that he was in their hostels looking for her. He was not used to visiting her in those hostels. Upon calling, his call went straight to the voice mail. He tried again and the same thing happened. He had started to get worried. He decided to go out and look for her. As he stood up, Vero's friend Carol was not willing to let him go.

She claimed to have something she wanted to share with him about Vero. She claimed that Vero was seeing another man behind his back. From the turn of events, her claim seemed very valid. First, Vero's phone was off and unlike the other days, she would call whenever she wanted to meet James. He could not help but think all that was true.

He tried much to convince himself otherwise but Carol was not willing to let it happen. She wanted him to believe that Vero was out with another man. James could not think straight and Carol was taking advantage of this fact. He sat on one of the beds in the room in surprise and not knowing his next move. Carol sat beside him and acted to comfort him.

Seeing that James was already vulnerable, she continued to pump bad things about Vero to him. All this she did not because Vero was as bad as she said. She did all that because she had feelings for James. A golden chance had presented itself to her and she was not ready to let it go. James had not known Vero long enough to prove what Carol was saying to be true or false.

In his current state of mind, he could not have the time to put facts together. The more Carol talked, the closer she got to him. As she talked, James started thinking about his past life and how badly people had screwed him. He was not ready to let them do it once more. Finally, Carol was close enough and placed her hand on his thigh.

James did not react in any way. Carol new that she had a chance to corrupt his mind and have him do whatever she wanted. He might have been Vero's boyfriend but Carol wanted him so bad. She had the right opportunity to win him for herself and was not willing to let the moment go.

James was not sure what to think. He just played along with what Carol did. After she made sure that James was vulnerable enough, it was time for her to speak her heart out. She confessed of having feelings for him. James could not understand what was happening but one thing he was sure of was Carol was a beautiful girl too. He was not sure of what to do.

This time, he decided to follow his feelings and emotions. He played along Carol's game. The moment jogged his memory to Munyari School when he had an episode with Julia. He was not ready to have the same thing happen to him again. Carol needed someone so bad and James decided to be that person. Finally, he gave in to her advances. He stretched out and touched her back. This went on for a while and finally Carol had him take advantage of the privacy.

James was so much drowned in thoughts and emotions that he could hardly think straight the whole time. Thirty minutes later, Carol was lying in her birth suit on his girlfriend's bed. He too was half-naked. He finally came back to his senses and decided to leave. As he got his trousers and shirt, he was shocked of what he heard from Carol. She was not willing to let him go just yet.

She claimed that she had loved him for such a long time without him noticing and therefore had him a gift in return. To return his favor of not falling for her but Vero, she decided to keep him longer in the room. James had no option but to play by her rules. They stayed for as long as Carol wanted. Finally, she was ready and willing to let him go but had a condition he had to meet.

James was to leave her his shirt so that she could remember the moment. He had no problem with it. As far as he was concerned, Vero was also out with another man. He did not care of what was to happen if she found out about their engagement with her best friend. Indeed, James left behind his shirt. He walked out of the hostel and went back to his hostel.

Still, his girlfriend's phone was off. She also happened to have not been seen looking for him. At that point, James knew that whatever Carol had told him about Vero was very true. Vero was out with another man. It being a weekend, it was a perfect time to go out. Most of the girls in college took off with their working class boyfriends during these weekends. James could not think otherwise of Vero after all what Carol had told him about her.

The following day, James woke up to a very bitter surprise. Carol was all over the college with police officers. She was looking for James. He had no clue yet that police were all over the college looking for him. Before he could go out for his class, Vero went to see him and to find out why Carol would want him arrested. First, he was very mad at her accusing her of having an affair behind his back.

Vero was bold enough to explain herself to him. She told him that she had gone to see her brother who had been admitted to hospital. He did not believe her but he just had to go with it. He also mentioned to her that he went to their hostels in search of her. Vero got worried on hearing that. He knew the police had something to do with his visit to their hostel.

She was quick to ask him of whom he met in the room and what he did. Since Carol had him convinced that she was out with another man, he did not hide what he had done with Carol. He told her that he met Carol who told him of her ware bouts and then later slept with her for a pay back. Vero got so mad that James could not believe her. More so, she was very bitter that he believed all the lies Carol had told him. It was at this moment that

Vero broke the news of police looking for him. He could not get why they were looking for him. She also mentioned to him that Carol was in the police vehicle. That did not sound good in his ears. From that moment, he knew that hell had broken loose and history had repeated itself.