"She said no." One of three weird men said holding machetes. "Get lost"
Max glared at the impudents infront of him, he had been driving in full speed to Anna's place while talking to Liam in earpieces when he noticed Anna in the front seat from a far. When they got out, he immediately figured that they were robbers judging by a black face mask one was holding and shiny machetes. He had no time to chit chat with them so he fetched out his gun and pointed it at one who said it.
"Get the fuck out of my way" He growled. "Anna, come out"
Anna shakily got out and opened a back door and Fiona came out as well. She held her had and ran to Max's side. Fiona was violently shaking from fear. She had been sitting between them for God's sake. She didn't want to imagine what would've happened if Max hadn't shown up for help? DEATH! Or RAPE.
"Get in the car" Max commanded. He had come for one girl not knowing that they were actually two.
Anna opened the door for Fiona to go in first. They heard two gunshots but there wasn't anybody dead, Max had shot their car's tyres. Anna gave Fiona her hoodie who was in her mere pajamas. Anna regretted being harsh on her earlier, she wrapped her arms around the shaking Fiona and pulled her closer.
After a long drive, Max pulled over and led them into a mansion. They wordlessly followed behind him not letting go of eachother hands. He led them through a vast sitting room and into a long hallway till he opened one of bedroom doors.
"Anna, you will sleep here." He said then looked at Fiona, "Follow me"
"No" Anna said, "We will sleep here, together"
Max gazed at the stubborn girl who had wrecked havoc speechlessily. "Liam wants to talk to you"
"Are you sleepy?" She asked Fiona instead. Fiona nodded, they got in a bigger white painted room multiplying their rentals times two. Fiona got in bed and Anna covered her with the quilt. She came back to Max and he took her in a room full of computers and bookshelves.
Anna was still angry and dreaded seeing Liam's face again but her anger had subsided when Fiona said that it was Lexie. Besides, if Fiona had forgiven her, who was she not to hear him out. Max connected him on the a wide flat screen.
The couple stared at each other for some good seconds both fuming in anger.
"What in the hell were you doing, Anna?" Liam asked,
Anna felt tears sting her eyes for his blunt question, "Is that all you had to ask, sir?"
Liam bit his lower lip to control himself, "Do you know that your senseless decisions could've cost your lives?"
Anna frowned at his choice of words, "My senseless decisions, huh? Is that how you should talk to me like, Liam?"
"How do you want me to talk to you when you can't let me talk in the first place?"
"Oh! So I'm the problem now, right? Are you being disrespectful to me because of all the money you've invested in me?" She broke into fresh tears, "Since when am I this cheap to be treated like this, huh?"
"Shit" Liam cussed passing his hands through his hair in frustration. "When did we come to this point, Anna? How could you think of me like that? Where is your trust in me?"
"Who is not trusting who, mister?" She asked with hands akimbo.
"You, Belle...."
"Don't Belle me. I'm Anna for you" Anna said. Her body was shaking in much anger that she felt ripping her self off.
"You really thought I was cheating on you?" Liam asked in a low sad voice.
"What did you want me to believe? Who hangs up because his cousin sister entered into his room? Who ignores all phone calls from the person he claims to love? Not even a simple 'I will call you later'? Do I make you feel so small to introduce me to your people?"
"You were naked"
"So what? She's a woman like me or you didn't want her to know that you were chatting with a lowly girl like me?" Anna asked not backing down.
"Anna stop. Why do you keep stabbing my heart into pieces like that? Lexie is not a woman like you to see your nakedness."
"Yeah, I know. You're about to convince me that a crow is white in colour, right? Do you know how I feel now, I feel like everyword you've ever told me is a lie, you're a liar and I don't want to deal with liars all my life. It makes me feel disrespected and I don't sit on the table where respect is not served."
"Listen babe...."
"So I'm babe now from being 'senseless'? You know what, I'm done with you. When you come back, go at my place and take everything that belongs to you. I don't deserve you 'cause I'm out of your league." She said and started going out but halted.
"Oh! Thank you for saving our lives, I owe you for only that" She said lastly and closed the door on her back.
A tear rolled down his cheek, the pain in her voice knocked his breath out. He could stand all kinds of hatred but not hers.
"Should I detain her till you come back?" Max asked him when he entered the room.
"No, let her be." Was all Liam said and ended the call. Max stood in the room alone in total sadness, he hated it when his best friend felt sad but couldn't help.
Anna found Fiona sound asleep, she kissed on her cheek and covered her properly. She went in the bathroom where she cried all night long till morning. What made her cry more wasn't about Liam and what, it was her bitterness and insecurities she had grown up with from too much rejection, love had always been far a way from her. To all she had heard, Liam had no problem but she was the very problem of her own. She didn't want to tire him with her stupid behaviour so she decided to distance herself from him for her mental health and his peace of mind.
She left very early in the morning before Fiona was awake but not before arguing Max to take her back home safely. Unknown to her, Fiona had been pretending to be sleeping. She had heard her cry all night which had made her cry as well. She stared at her retreating figure in the window. At least, it was now day time and she was safe to go wherever she wanted.
"Good morning" She heard a voice behind her
"Good morning, sir!" Fiona said hiding her tears.
"Don't be sad, she cares about you." He said and she nodded. Max gave her a cup of coffee to which she took and slept for a few hours. She woke up later and found a girl standing above her.
"Hello miss, my name Kim. Are you my brother's girlfriend?"
"No! Not me" Fiona said in haste. First of all, the girl was using English which was her problem and secondly, what she was asking choked her.
The girl pouted, "Can you be please, he needs a girlfriend and you suit him. You're pretty"
Fiona was now confused on what to say, she pointed at herself, " Me, I'm marriage"
"You're married?" Kim asked and Fiona nodded vigorously. "Okayyy!" She said and got out sad.
Fiona heaved a sigh of relief. She wasn't ready to add more problems on her plate. Max came back later with a dress in his hands and showed her how to use a shower. After showering, she changed clothes and went out of the house to go home. She admired Max's nice house as she looked around it. She wished she was his sister too.
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Anna lodged in a cheaper hotel she could afford on her own money to avoid anybody disturbing her. She drunk alcohol to stupor for day and night just to forget her problems and get some sleep. The next morning, she went to her brother's house to hide from there. They were gladly at home due to a public holiday.
"Is it that so called boyfriend you told me about? Who made you get tired of your own life?" Nathaniel asked in despair.
"No." Was all Anna said, "I will stay here for a while if you don't mind"
"That's not my problem, the main problem is that I don't know what is happening to you, girls. How will I start telling your parents that I failed you? I failed to take care of you"
Anna frowned, "What are you talking about?"
Stella saw her boyfriend's heavy heart and said for his stead; "Nancy's here. She came yesterday crying so hard after looking for you all over...."
Anna ran to the guest room but the door was locked. She came back to Stella, "What happened to her?"
"Eric's friend borrowed a huge loan on his house, car and business without his knowledge and now the bank is taking everything tomorrow. We don't know where Eric is or if he's still alive, he probably ran mad. Nancy hadn't eaten anything or slept from yesterday till now. She's just crying and wailing nonstop."
Anna burst into tears, she knocked on her door again and again and again until Nancy finally opened the door. She hugged her tightly.
"It's okay, everything will be fine."
"No Nana, No. I don't know if my life is a curse on this planet earth. Where will I go when I'm already living against my parent's will? For everything we've been through with my man, is this what we deserve? What have we ever done to God to punish us like this? I'm dying, Nana, I'm rotting from inside." Nancy said amidst much tears, "What if he had killed himself already, I swear I and his mother will die too. He's the only pillar to his family, how will his siblings survive without his support? And why can't God at least see that and do something to help?"
Anna wished she was in good terms with Liam now, he had all the money to help. She sobbed till her chest hurt, she held Nancy in her chest laying on bed to calm her down. Both hadn't taken anything so they were too weak to cry anymore. They stayed grunting hopelessly and breathlessly like that for hours till they slept off hiccuping hard.