Chapter 47: I love you, Nathan

Nathan picked up the call that came in for the third time. "Good afternoon mum."

"My darling, what happened to your voice?"

A rough chuckle escaped Nathan's lips. "Mum, you woke me up. Don't give yourself unnecessary scares. What is it this time? Aren't we meeting by evening?"

"My darling we need to talk. It's very important. Are you at--"

"Not at home." Nathan cut his mum off immediately.

"My Darling, you really need to hear what I just heard. Your Dad is furious right now and I just have to quickly call you. I know have promised not to interfere in anything, but I'm your mother. Nat--"

"What's he getting furious for? Has he forgotten his high blood pressure? I've told him several times not to get angry at everything he hears or sees!" Nathan cut his mum off, getting up from the bed to sit. "What is it, mum?"

"My darling your engagement. If you don't want to marry Lola fine, but you need to--"

"We are never going to have this discussion. Why do you think I didn't come home? So Mum, don't even start. We will meet at the engagement party." Nathan said, switching off his phone immediately.

Nathan slowly threw his phone on his dressing mirror, sitting for a few seconds. He had made up his mind, and he wouldn't listen to any of them. There was no way Lola was pregnant with his child. No way! He could be very patient with her but not dumb. He didn't want to escalate things because of bloggers and his parents. Including Lola's parents' reputation. He wouldn't want people to know the kind of daughter they raised because of her future sake. But... He couldn't even risk sleeping with anyone without protection. He was Nathan Brown. Knowing the way people view him and what most ladies had in mind, he never once made that mistake, except...

Nathan turned around and adored the woman who had been sleeping for hours in his bed. Her eyes stared back at him. She was awake. She was beautiful with her weary smile still, questioning Nathan with her eyes that moved all around his face.

Nathan had a light smile on his lips. It spread even wider at the only woman he could risk anything with. Her. He never once made that mistake, except for her.

The only woman who had him come running to her like a child's love for candy. The only woman who made him want to have all of her until he could get enough, that he became even greedier. That's because you know she's protecting herself too.

But how sure are you to keep thinking that?

"Are you okay?" Tacha raised her brows at him in worry, penetrating his thoughts. "Is everything alright between you and Mum. I know how much you love her, and I wouldn't want you to be this way. You can't be mad at her."

Nathan released a huge smile before he could realize. He didn't bother to hold back and it gave off a cute sound that made Tacha's heart leap from her chest. Nathan stared into her eyes. "See the way you talk about her even when she's never nice to you." He came back to his position next to Tacha. "Damn, I love you." He breathed into her neck and she felt it to her core, letting him trail kisses on her neck for a while. When Tacha felt his hardness, she moved away and the two just stared at each other. Hers was...Man, I'm not a fucking machine. My body needs rest.

His was... Just one more babe.

The two of them laughed, making fun of each other. "I'm tired, and I want to go back to sleep." Tacha interpreted in no time. It seemed Nathan understood words more than gestures. She arrived at Nathan's place this morning. The agreement was for her to be picked by evening, but Nathan changed that. She had her breakfast at his place, and after that, he took her to a world of ecstasy, where she became lost, and screamed never to be found. From making love to her, letting her fill the whole of his room with her tender moans till she lost her breath when he slipped in more quickly, more vigorously, deeper and slower, filling her up for hours as he grew larger and harder.

He was her beast, and she was his beauty. She thought she had seen all of him already but this time, she was exhausted because her womb was in seizures, squeezed, resulting in a gust of expulsions when he came into her, collapsing into his hands many times. Now that she woke up, she could feel the soreness in her core and her body was telling for several hours they spent.

Tacha couldn't help laughing, seeing how Nathan stared at her like a course of meal. "What?"

"See, you just blink your eyes "

"What if I blink my eyes?"

"It means one more babe."

Tacha managed a quick laugh, her chest going up and down before she could speak. "Not only one...three more ni."

"I said it." Nathan chuckled a bit roughly, his eyes were innocent and warm, giving Tacha a quick kiss before looking up at her again. "I didn't even know you wanted three more. Where do I start?" He stared at her gorgeous smile that turned into loud laughter as she jumped out of the bed naked.

Damn!

His eyes sparkled as he stared at her body. "Come here," he said.

"Mr. Man, I'm tired. Our agreement was evening sef. Why was I brought here in the morning? Have only had one hour nap. Please let me rest," she said with a plea, coming back to bed. She came back into his arms naked, getting each other warmed. Tacha couldn't deny the sensation. She loved it and let him cuddle her more.

Nathan couldn't take his eyes off her. He allowed her to squeeze her body into his, letting her soft body torture his knowing he had to stay calm and let her have her rest. He buried his face in her shoulder when he had the chance before kissing her there. "I love you." It was more of a whisper as he placed light kisses near her ear. "I've never had so much peace and trust in anyone as I do with you," Nathan confessed. "You seem to understand me now and it makes me so happy." He sighed. "I know I have been acting really strong but I'm so scared of losing you, Tacha. The thoughts of not having you in my arms one day, to kiss you, laugh with you, gist, talk about the future, career, life, and everything we can scares me." He seemed really sincere about his fears. "I love you. No matter what, I know I can't ever love any other woman as I love you. You are such a cheat." He chuckled.

"You came into my life with that huge ass." He gripped one of them and squeezed it, letting a blush take over Tacha's face. She bit one side of her lower lip trying her best not to laugh. "Kai! And the way you bite those lips of yours. They are lucky."

Tacha ended up grinning. Her face brightened up too quickly. By herself, she gave him the consent he needed, bringing his hand to her centre. His hand felt the warmth of her centre and he lost all the patience he had left, coming on top of her all smiling. Tacha made fun of him in between his kisses before she submitted to his torture when his hand slipped in. In and out he repeated, and in no time, she became even wetter. He filled her with his erection causing her nails to dig into his back. He demanded that he watch her. He wanted to watch all her expressions to see how he made her feel. Watch her while his name rolled out of her tongue many times. She was his. He wants to remain the only man for her. The only man who makes her submit to pleasure, keeping her body insane with every ride together. He would never let any man touch her ever again. He was going to go insane if that ever happened. Damn! He's going to make sure that never happens.

Tacha kept her eyes open, she couldn't tell what he was thinking, but he rode her slowly with fervour, his length reaching farther than he could. It was the strangest sensation that went beyond a simple pleasure and she enjoyed it. Moaned into his face and encouraged him even more.. She could tell his emotions were all over and it hit differently. When she could barely utter a word to let him know she was close, her legs became too weak letting them drop on the bed as he slowed down but slipped in and out a lot more deeply till he came, crumbling like a big tower on top of her.

An hour later.....

"Nathan!"

"Bro!"

"Is he not at home? I thought Tito said he's not in the office, claiming that he's preparing for his engagement party."

"The Boss is upstairs sir, but hmmm... he's not alone." Nathan's cleaner added quickly.

"He's not alone...oh shit!" Anthony cursed running upstairs to Nathan's room. He hits the door, almost breaking it down. "Bro I fucked up! Why is your number not going? Get the hell out of that room."

"What is it?" Nathan murmured rolling out of the bed. He was never a sound sleeper, and he could hear Anthony's voice the moment he started yelling his name. He reached for one of his shorts and put on a shirt, stepping out immediately. "What is it?"

"What happened to your phone?" Anthony could tell he woke him up, pleading with his eyes that he was sorry, but he yelled immediately. "I didn't know you lied to mum you aren't at home. I told her Tito said you took the day off because of the engagement party."

"So?"

"I told her you are here and you know Mum. One, she's furious that you lied. Omo, I don't like when mum is angry o. She's gonna be saying lots of shit on how she raised us."

Nathan couldn't help laughing. "You are stuck with that woman for the rest of your life."

"See who's talking. You are about to be roasted cause I think what's about to happen to you is huge. Dad is coming too, including Lola. You know the only person who can feed me with this is Kate. She's been trying to reach you and had to reach me when she couldn't get you." Anthony brought his voice down, a little more serious, looking at the door Nathan rested on its wall. "I don't think you should have her around them cause..."

The door opened and the two brothers turned...their eyes on Tacha.

Tacha stepped out turning her back to the stairs.

"Hey," Nathan held her by the hand, their eyes locked for a few seconds before she remembered Anthony's presence and looked away from Nathan. "You should rest here for a while. You are tired. My cook will prepare something for us now. What would you like to eat?"

Tacha removed her hand from his hand slowly, stepping away from him. She looked up at Nathan. "Please let me go. Your mum is coming. I will come back."

Nathan stayed quiet for a few seconds trying to digest why she wanted to leave when they had plans for the day. He didn't know what to say because he didn't want her to leave yet, but listening to her plea, she really wanted to avoid trouble for herself. She looked really tired and she needed rest. Nathan thought of what his brother said. "Okay, let me call my driver."

"You don't need to," Tacha responded immediately. "Let me leave now. I still have enough with me," she said, about to turn but she stopped when she noticed the sudden looks from the brothers...

Nathan's attention was immediately divided. He hissed and cursed. "Shit!"

Tacha turned and her heart went out of her body when she saw Kate giving her brother a signal, but Nathan's mum was behind her, including Lola whom she could barely recognize. She overheard the brothers talking about them which was why she immediately dressed up and wanted to leave. She didn't want them meeting her here cause she knew it was going to be another disaster, and she wanted to avoid it, but she couldn't.

While everyone took the stairs slowly, Nathan's mum was the one hurrying to meet them first, taking over Kate. When Nathan saw his mum's direction, he dragged Tacha behind him quickly before she could get to her. "Mum!" He gave her a warning stare, stepping forward to her instead.

Mrs. Brown glared at her son briefly before eyeing him. She scoffed. "She has even taught you not to regard me. Parents know how bad a woman can be when she makes you lie to your own mother. Your own mother Nathan! Now I know she's nothing but evil! Pure evil! How desperate can you be hmm.." Mrs Brown shouted at Tacha now, stepping away from Nathan to have a proper view of her. "How desperate has it gotten for my son's money! I knew it! You all just want to be with him for his money and all he has worked hard for! You just want him to take your family out of poverty! I know how manipulative they can be just like mine. I don't want this life for my son or is it too much to ask! Please leave him alone! Leave him you liar! Isn't that your reason for approaching him?" Mrs. Brown yelled, her eyes filled with pain and extreme anger, accusing Tacha who lost her face in complete embarrassment. She was close to tears, blinking her eyes to stop them from rolling down. Tacha covered her face when the tears eventually rolled down, looking away from everyone.

Mrs. Brown's voice came up again, staring at Nathan. "We know you aren't going to show up at the engagement party! And this girl right behind you is scheming on how to have you wrapped around her fingers. She's desperate and would do anything... Anything like instructing her friend to beat up Lola! Look at Lola's face. How can someone like you be so evil! Anyways, my son will know the kind of person you are today! A liar and a thief!"

"Mum please stop. Stop this for heaven's sake! Why are you doing this?"

"Because I know how these things work! You will know what I'm talking about now."

Tacha raised her head, and the first person she stared at was Lola. Her eyes were swollen. Her mouth was twice as swollen as her eyes. Her face was completely out of shape. Tacha couldn't believe what this lady just said about her. Her? Instruct someone to beat her up! For what! Why would she do something as dangerous as that! Are people this desperate? Are people this wicked to get what they want? Are people this shameless and crazy to lie against people for what they never did?

Why lie about what she never did?

Why?

Why the fucking hell would she do that?

For Nathan!

Make her look bad in front of everyone for her own selfish interest.

Tacha's head was becoming too distracted.

She stepped forward without knowing it, getting all the attention in the room. Her eyes were red from the tears she had shed, but her face was completely dry now. They were staring daggers at Lola, accusing Lola, whose eyes could barely open. "Don't you dare lie about what I never did. Don't you dare!" She didn't know when she shouted. "My friend would never! Kenny would never beat you up, Lola. I would never do this! How can you all believe her!" Tacha spoke up sending everyone to the verge of shock. "You are fucked up! And you are a liar! You are the desperate one and a thief here cause I've never even taken a dime from him." Her voice dominated the whole room, hitting every note with anger.

She faced Nathan. "Aren't you going to tell them I don't even know you from anywhere! How do I even approach someone I don't know? How is that my business when I have a job of my own and he was even the one who made me lose my job! You think I would have slaved myself in your house!" Tacha turned to Nathan and her tears caught up with her before she knew it. "Oh God, I didn't want to do this." She broke down in the presence of everyone. "I told you we would never happen. I didn't want to do this. I told you already!" Her tears made her lose her beautiful voice. "I love you. God knows I love you, Nathan. You've been so good to me and I know your love for me is real, but someone like me knows her place since the time I realised who you are...but it's okay! If she wants you...then...oh my Gwad!" She cried, quietly. Hiding her face from Nathan, very quickly, to hide the pain in her eyes. When she returned her face to him to finish up her sentence...

Her heart shattered into pieces.

"Nathan..." She whispered, stepping forward to touch him.

But he stepped back.

And those looks...those looks...Tacha hated to see...appeared suddenly on his face.

Pain was evident in his eyes.

Hatred was staring daggers at her.

How could you..looks...swept her up like shit as if she was nothing.

His eyes glared at her and it broke her heart into pieces.

"Nathan," Tacha held her tears back, trying her best to speak with more calmness despite being broken, and lonely in the midst of the people she couldn't consider friends or family. "I can't just stay back and let her accuse me of what I never did. Please understand."

"I told you to trust me! I fucking told you to trust me!"  Nathan yelled, his eyes darkened in fury. His pride was hurt and it had to be in the presence of his family. The admiration in his eyes vanished, replaced quickly with the Ruthless one he had always been. The pain from her words had tied a knot in his heart for a long time, and finally, he knew no matter how he tried, she would never believe in him, she would never believe in his love for her, and her trust in him to settle everything as he promised. He stared at Tacha, his voice so intense, sending chills to everyone, including Tacha, as if it were on a stormy day. "I never believed them! Why couldn't you stay calm like me! You didn't need to defend yourself for me to know you never did it! I know what you can do." Nathan said, and Tacha couldn't hide her regret. Her eyes shut closed and they birthed tears that slipped too quickly down to her jaw.

Nathan looked away unable to watch her cry. "The fact that you still haven't let go or forgotten what happened despite what we shared is so heartbreaking...and the fact that you think this will never work when I'm trying my best to make it work makes me the foolish one. Now I realize how stupid this is. How stupid I am."

Everywhere became dead quiet. An awkward pause lingered around the whole place for a few seconds before it got chased away by someone who wanted violence and prepared them with her.

"What about Lola?"

All eyes turned to Lola.

Tacha's heart skipped a beat instantly at the voice she heard.

Her head came up and her eyes widened like a cat in the middle of the night. She was still as frozen as ice, her hands flying to her mouth. The voice coming from the phone Lola held with her was none other than Kenny.

"What about Lola? Lola has her eyes fixed on Nathan. Nathan is like a jackpot for them. Neither Lola nor her family would want you two to be together. With Nathan, they could do some business, make more money through him, or even get money through him. I don't know how rich he is, but I can tell you Nathan is damn rich. His father is damn damn rich. His grandfather gave them these privileges and each grandchild has their inheritance. Do you think they would let that go, babe? Anyone who dates him knows what's in store for them. Now she's claiming to be pregnant. I bet you've had unprotected sex with him, stuffing your stomach with these contraceptive pills. Who is supposed to be pregnant? You or her? Don't you wanna have this guy? Babe wake up, these men don't be with you because they love you."

Tacha gasped, completely frozen. She stared at Lola who looked victorious and happy. She got what she wanted. Nathan stared at Tacha completely surprised by what he hears and hated Tacha almost immediately. Yes! She wanted that reaction and she got it. Bringing instant separation between them knowing how much Nathan detests anyone who comes closer to him because of his money, his status, and for their selfish interest. She got that reaction. She did a good job. It was just as easy as she thought. A bundle of flowers with a spy recorder that made her listen to whatever they said. She knew she was never going to be discovered knowing how Nathan pampered his ladies with flowers. A nice flower showing at Tacha's doorstep could be counted as anything Nathan could pull.

"I warned you bitch." Lola mouthed with her swollen damaged mouth.

Tacha shook her head at Nathan who was taken by surprise by what he listened to. He was giving out the same reactions Lola expected, but Tacha tried to convince him. "I swear it's not what you think. You know I don't care about that. You know that." Tacha was almost in tears, hoping Nathan would believe her, but his eyes were extremely ice-cold, sparing Tacha a fierce stare before walking towards Lola. "Take. That fucking phone. Away." He said one after the other as if he was drugged and intoxicated.

"Nathan, it's not true. She didn't mean it that way. We were only having a..." Tacha tried to explain as she followed Nathan who walked towards Lola standing by the stairs.

"I will get pregnant for Nathan."

It was the next thing Lola played when Nathan almost grabbed the phone from her. He stopped in his tracks, and his eyes turned to Tacha who stared back at him. Pleading with her eyes hoping he would hear her out. I didn't say that. I would never do such a thing knowing how much you love me, Nathan. I didn't agree. She only said that because she wanted me to be with you and I was against it. I was against the idea instantly. Lola isn't playing them all. Yes, I haven't used my pills in a while but I just got them back and I'm not even pregnant. I didn't even miss my period this month.

Tacha didn't dare to explain it all to Nathan who looked at her with disgust. She could only stare back at him almost biting her lower lip off. She did that earlier and it cost her a lot already. But the truth was...silence was worse than she could ever imagine. She was scared of saying a word knowing no one was ever going to believe her, but keeping quiet was killing her inside. Even this time, Nathan didn't need to hide how he felt. He was deeply hurt and Tacha could see it.

The door to Nathan's living room burst open, getting everyone's attention.  "Kenny," Tacha murmured, raising her brows to ask why she was here.

Kenny came just in time. She made her way in and stopped in the middle of the living room. She threw Tacha a calm look and made eye contact with someone else who recognised her immediately. A mockery laugh took over Kenny's face. "You still haven't changed cousin, I think I should tell them you are capable of breaking your own face for anything. They probably didn't know you staged that."

Another awkward silence filled the room instantly. This wasn't a movie as much as they imagined it to be. It was the most trying time for Tacha, discovering her very close friend who helped her throughout their university days, even till now was Lola's cousin and she never knew. Could this knowing more about the Brown be that... Her head was seriously turning. She knew Kenny's parents were rich, but now it seemed she doesn't even know much about Kenny... She understood why she kept warning her against Lola like...no! Everyone's friend could actually do that.

The ones who came in for a show ended up looking at a show as they stared from Kenny to Lola. Tacha including. With her swollen face, Lola stayed calm as ever. The tall, slim, brown-skinned lady didn't even spill a word or utter a groan. She understood that anything said could be used against her and played her quiet, innocent role as a mute, extremely injured patient.

"I should have known you could do this anyway. You bitch!" Kenny threw the tiny spy recorder towards Lola. "Take the bug you planted in your flowers. It's a shame to even pronounce you as my cousin. All I could do was warn her cause I know how crazy you can be when you are desperate."

Tacha couldn't believe her ears. She wanted this to be over, and when she found Nathan's eyes again, she just wanted to convince him, letting him realize that Lola was doing everything she could to frame her. Tacha tried to step closer to Nathan, and when she succeeded, touching him was a bad idea. Nathan threw her hand off him, and her right foot slipped. Tacha tripped, her face nearly kissing the hard tiles. Tacha quickly threw out her hands reaching for the railing close to the stairs to catch her balance, almost stopping the fall. Almost. She nearly succeeded, her hand about to sit firmly on the railing, only to let out a yelp, hit by a leg that stood in her way, lifting her higher till she hit the hard tiles eventually...so hard, her grunt of pain filling the ears of everyone as they gasped audibly. The straight staircase quickened Tacha's speed as her body rolled down the stairs.

"Jesusssssss!" Mrs. Brown was the first to shout as Tacha's body hit the stairs in a twinkle of an eye. Nathan jumped down the stairs and Anthony sped so fast behind him, but Kenny beat them to it. Tacha let out a loud shout of pain as her body hit the living room tiles, landing on her butt so hard as if thrown from a swing to the floor, before collapsing on her chest.

But there was something else.

The lower part of her body was covered in blood.

She was bleeding.