Chapter 27: Goodbye 💔

Chapter Twenty Seven of Ruthless.

Sometimes, we would rather say goodbye even when there is a possibility to meet again.

"My mum wasn't born with a silver spoon Tacha. She was just a lady my Dad fell in love with. She was encouraged by her family to marry him because of his money. He pays for their travelling, vacation, school fees, pocket money, and everything they tell him. That's how much he loves my mum, but not how much she loves him." Nathan said, his elbows resting on his knees as he opened up to Tacha. "Coming from that type of background, she needed to fit in, lie, do all sorts of things to be accepted by her other friends."

"Well, I'm sure you must have seen or must have been told how my mum likes me and all that. Always pampering me like a little boy. It would have been better if it were because I'm her son." Nathan paused, resting his back on the sofa. "But knowing that's because I'm always covering for her shit, her lies, giving her money to impress others, and as well still dating her friend's daughter just to save her ass doesn't make me happy."

The two suddenly looked at each other at the same time. Tacha could see the pain in his eyes and wanted to tell him to stop, but he decided to open up and she would rather respect it.

Tacha was instantly intrigued. "So, Lola is a daughter of your mum's friend. And why aren't you happy? I know I shouldn't be here knowing you have a girlfriend and I really feel--"

"She's playing games with me, Tacha." He cut her off. 'A whole me. A whole Nathan Brown." He smirked. "She thinks I wouldn't know she has someone she's dating even after we were forced to date. I had someone then, but I had to cut her off. I did it for my mum and I hope my relationship with Lola could work or could have worked then. I knew in six months of dating her that she was still in a relationship with her former boyfriend till now. Since then, I've not been completely loyal and she knew, pretending not to know." Nathan laughed. "If you know this guy, she would definitely regret ever meeting me and having such guts. But my mum. I had to think about her, and it's been two years of taking that bullshit whenever we see each other. She wouldn't leave me because of all she would gain by being married to Nathan Brown." He said that part, raising his shoulders before he continued. On the other hand, there is mum impressing people not knowing the motive why her friend persuaded her to let their children date each other. She's just clueless."

Tacha couldn't help the smile. The fact that he was sitting so calm and still, yet managed to brag and act as his usual self was funny to her because he was never going to change afterwards. It was part of him, and somehow she was getting used to it this pride of his. She stared back at him. "And you are still with her."

"Not committed to her."

The two, now facing each other. Before, Tacha would have looked away whenever Nathan had his eyes on her, but not anymore. She was comfortable and welcomed his stares. The truth was, she just couldn't explain why she was warming up to this guy. She looked into his eyes. "You are wrong about that Nathan," She said. "Your mum loves you so much. If you have gone out of your way to do all that for her, there is no way she wouldn't respect you, worship you, love you, care for you because whether you believe it or not, you made her feel special in a place everyone thinks she's never meant to be, or a place where she has to live because she's expected to. You, including your siblings, she loves you so much and has witnessed it. You are the reason why she's happy. All of you. You should never stop the comfort you give her. Now I understand why she would never leave you alone if she thinks you are choosing badly. But one day, she would respect your decision because she would never watch you suffer when you crave for something so badly. That's mothers for you. Even when they know what it could cost you, they will help you prepare for the aftermath." Tacha laughed. "That's my mum giving me paracetamol after playing so hard throughout the day when I was young."

Nathan smiled. "Something like accepting you as my girlfriend no matter what she sees."

Tacha's smile faded. Her body completely stiffened at his words. Did she just hear girlfriend?

Nathan chuckled. He kissed her cheek. "Common! Why is your body so completely stiff? I know you don't want that. You don't wanna be with this bad guy so I'm fulfilling my promise okay."

Tacha's body was finally relaxed. She half smiled. "Sorry, I just remembered something." She lied.

"Hmmm.." Nathan smiled watching her. He knew she lied, but still decided to trouble her. "Like what?"

Tacha stared at him. "Are you asking me? Emm... I mean, it's not important. I just suddenly remembered when I fainted. You were so angry cause I said you were just like your Dad, your whole family...and, watching you tell me about your mum just to tell me you love her so much and you are sorry for what she did make me wonder why you don't want to be compared to them. Like you know..."

Nathan chuckled because he knew he had forced her to say what she wasn't planning to say in the first place. He kissed her lips, smiling. "You could have just accepted you were shocked by my sudden interest in making you my girlfriend."

"Me?" Tacha squeezed her lips trying not to smile. "I wasn't shocked. Sincerely, I wasn't. I'm serious about what I said just now. I knew you were joking so it didn't really bother me."

Nathan finally laughed so hard. He moved closer to her, biting her lower lip gently before kissing her. Tacha talked between the kiss. "Will you stop kissing me and answer my question." He laughed and moved away.

"Next time stop being so cute with that pout on your lips. It's sexy as hell. And you are the definition of heaven on earth. All I can think about is entering the paradise again. Let's use the bed instead."

"Nathan!' Tacha tried not to laugh until she eventually did. "Stop and answer my question." She tipped the side of his head with her index finger. "Think straight man."

His gaze fell on her body instead. His arms crossed his chest. He eventually looked up at her and his eyes were focused again. "My Dad is someone or some certain set of people want to be like or even young girls would like to date. He's handsome, successful, rich, born with a silver spoon, and influential with successful sons to point at. Except that, his sons wouldn't even want to be like him in some aspect of his life. The reason I got so mad when you told me I was just like my family. I hated being compared to my Dad even after realising I had taken part of him which I can't help. Watching my Dad while growing up, I cultivated the habit of yelling, screaming, and lashing out at people when they offend me rather than beating them. Especially the women around me." Nathan suddenly stopped, realising he had said the part he didn't want to say. He watched Tacha's expression, and he saw the quick change. He didn't want her to know his Dad was an animal who beat up his wife. She would definitely think he could do that someday.

Tacha squeezed her brows at him to get what Nathan was saying well. They were sitting very close to each other now on the sofa. Tacha wondered what was so wrong with Mr. Brown that Nathan hated him so much. He was exactly what his son said about him, except for the scene she witnessed that night. Mr. Brown hit his driver to the point of death. Does that mean, he would rather yell at his workers than beat them up? Tacha thought none of it was good. Nathan needed to realise that.

Nathan seems worried. "You aren't saying anything."

"Would you have listened to me if I said anything? I wanted to--" Tacha's phone started to ring, interrupting her statement. She walked to where her bag was. When she checked her phone, she gasped at how much time had gone by. "It's almost twelve in the midnight." She dialed the call she missed, bringing her voice down the moment her call was picked up. "Kenny I'm so sorry. I should have called you I won't be coming home."

"Are you staying over at mum's place?"

"Uhmm...no. When I come back tomorrow."

"Okay." Kenny sounded better. "I was worried and called Funmi who said you left before them. I know the restaurant closes by ten and expected you to be home by eleven. Let's say Lagos traffic, but it's almost twelve in the morning and I was worried that I had to start calling everyone when your number wasn't going through at first."

"It's network. I'm sorry I didn't call. You can go to bed now. I'm safe okay. Love you." The call ended.

Tacha followed Nathan up to his room. She insisted she let her stay down in the room where her mum once stayed but he refused. Getting to Nathan's room, it was her first time making it into his room. It was three times bigger and more spacious than the room where her mum stayed. It was painted white. Few artworks on the wall and nothing else. It looked really clean and empty, except from couple of pieces of furniture around. He later told her he had gotten another cook who stayed around. She would either sleep over or come very early the next day. Including a cleaner who also lived in one of the rooms downstairs. When Tacha thought they could have seen them or heard them, Nathan laughed at her instead, getting her so worked up.

They had their bath together and Tacha knew it was never just going to end like that. They fucked like animals and not for once did she stop him. He had her in his bathtub, on his wall, shifting some of the products on his table mirror to have her till they ended up on his bed. Tacha told herself her body could take it for the last time and she wanted him over and over again till she was completely exhausted. He watched her sleep before he dozed off.

✨✨✨

It was past seven in the morning. Tito had resumed to work as always. From the living room, she knew something was off. She knew Nathan must have met Tacha yesterday, but could he have brought her home? The whole place was disorganized and she immediately started yelling the cleaner's name. When Tito got to the door of the cleaner's room, she realised it was locked. Including the cook's room. They didn't sleep in the house which means, they were expected to resume in the morning. Tito expected to see Nathan's brother, Anthony, and his friend who had just gotten back, but it seemed none of them had slept in the house last night.

Tito ran to the stairs climbing two steps at a time till she reached up. Tito knocked on Nathan's door and the response she got was. "Don't come in yet."

The knock on the door woke Nathan up. They slept around three in the morning after what they both did. When Nathan looked to his side, instead of the woman who was driving him insane, what he saw next to himself was a piece of paper.

I would love to have my former job back. You can consider this your last favour to me. Thank you. All the best Nathan.

Nathan slowly squeezed the paper in his hand. He felt his heart tighten like it was going to burst. It was the very first time he felt so incapable of his feelings. He cursed, breaking the glass that had her hands on it. He had given Tacha one of his best wines when she told him she was thirty and hungry. Nathan gripped the breakable plate he used to serve her chips throwing it across. When Tito heard another sound that came from Nathan's room, she barged in without getting his permission.

She could recognise the pieces of plate on the floor. Nathan would never share it with anyone. Why broke it?

Tito recognised the imported glass cup that Nathan sacked his cook for, for breaking one. Why broke another?

Tito took a good look at the room and somehow it looked really disorganized. More than the living room itself.

"I didn't tell you to come in." Tito heard Nathan say, his head still buried in his hand. "Pass me my phone."

When Tito passed him his phone, slightly, she saw his red eyes as if he wanted to cry but he wasn't. They looked so pained, and extremely hurt. Tito watched him dial Tacha's number. Then, she understood what was going on. One, Tacha spent the night. Two, she left without saying goodbye. And what else? Tito wanted to find out so badly, but instead listened as the number Nathan dialed was declared switched off. She watched Nathan throw his phone aside, completely helpless, and for once, he seemed really lost on what to do next.

"Let me try it here sir," Tito suggested. She had Tacha's number already. There were some phone numbers she needed to have and that included Tacha. This time, from Tito's phone, it was ringing. When she called for the second time, Tacha's voice came out lazily. "Hello, who is this?"

A hand from Nathan, Tito ended the call.

"Call her with my second line." Nathan requested, unable to accept what was building in his chest.

"The number you dialed is switched off."

Tito dialed it with Nathan's third line again.

"The number you dialed is switched off."

And when Tito tried it with her second line all over again, it didn't take a second before it started to ring, and lazily Tacha's voice came out again. "Please call me in the morning. I'm not available right now."

Nathan accepted the hard truth. He had been blocked. What a way to tell him goodbye.