Chapter 20

Uncle David had decided to cancel the dinner that he was planning to host this week.

Hearing this news had been the highlight of this month for me. 

Apparently, Sierra's family, except Stefan, was furious with me over Sierra's break up. They blamed me for being the reason behind it. And Sierra had not been handling the breakup well at all. Stefan had told me that she was barely eating and talking. All she did was cry, shout out curses at me and then cry again. 

Did I feel bad? No. 

They had broken up three days ago and Sierra was raising hell in their home since then. As far as I had seen, this was probably the first time that she had been hurt like this in her life. 

As for me, I had lost count of the number of times that Sierra had left me traumatized and hurting. So, no, I did not feel bad for her at all. 

Even before Uncle David had cancelled the dinner, I had already decided that I was going to skip it. I had reasoned that I was harming myself by being compliant with everything and that Nana would not have preferred upholding a tradition over my mental health. 

Mom and Dad had readily agreed with my decision. After everything that had happened, they knew that it was in my best interest. 

"Here you go," I said, placing a cup of coffee on the table. "Hope you enjoy it." 

The customer looked up from his laptop and flashed me a grateful smile. "Thank you. I really needed this. Stuck on an assignment due today."

He seemed to be around nineteen or twenty. Probably in the first year of college. 

I returned his smile. "Don't worry. You'll get it done. All the best."

"Thanks," he said, then he went back to typing on his laptop. 

I took a look around to see if any tables needed a clearing. None did so I went back to my position behind the counters.

A minute later, the glass doors opened.

I looked up, expecting to greet another customer. But the person who walked in made my stomach churn. 

What now?

"Jace," I said, when he approached me. "I did not expect you here." 

Hesitancy flickered in his eyes. "Hi." 

"What do you want?" I asked, looking him directly in the eye. 

He remained silent for a few seconds, then his eyes pleaded. "Can we talk?" 

That was the last thing that I wanted to do.

"No," I said, without a moment of hesitation. "There's nothing to talk about."

He shook his head. "There is, Ira."

I shrugged and looked around at the cafe. "Then it's your problem. Now, can you please leave? I'm busy."

He let out a frustrated sigh. "Why don't you understand? Please, Ira, I won't take more than a few minutes." 

I shook my head. "I want nothing to do with you or anything that you have to say."

"I know that," he said, a desperate edge in his voice. "But please, just give me a few minutes."

I bit my lip and looked down at my feet, thinking of another way to get him to leave. 

"For the sake of our past friendship. Please, just a few minutes," he said. 

Oh Lord. 

"Fine." I met his eyes again. "But not here. Come in."

I headed towards the kitchen, and he followed. 

Zuri was packing pies for a party order inside. 

"I'm sorry, Zuri, but can you please take over outside for a few minutes?" I asked. 

She looked at me and then at Jace. 

"Sure." She nodded. 

"Only five minutes," I told Jace as soon as the door closed behind Zuri. 

"Well, Ira," he began, as I leaned against the wall and crossed my arms across my chest. 

I remained quiet, waiting for him to overcome his reluctance and blurt out whatever it was that he wanted to say. 

"I did not tell Sierra anything," he said, "I swear. I was just as shocked as you on hearing everything that night."

"This is what you wanted to talk about?" I asked, frowning. "I'm not interested, Jace. I don't care anymore."

"Fine, I understand," he said, running a hand through his hair as he leaned back against the counter. "But I want you to know that I would never share our personal—" 

"Well, it's certainly not personal anymore, right? Everybody knows, thanks to you both." My words tasted bitter.

"I swear I was not involved. I would never do that to you. You know that, don't you?" he asked, his voice pleading and bent with frustration. 

I shook my head. "No, I don't know. As far as I believe, you have hurt me just as much as Sierra has, if not more. Besides, Jace, since you're so fixed on proving that you did not tell Sierra anything about that day, then tell me, who did? We both were the only people who knew."

He shook his head. "I don't know how she found out. But I'm going to find the answer." 

I sighed. He did not understand that I no longer cared. And anyway, he had to be the one who had told Sierra. Now he was just lying to look better.

"Anything else?" I questioned. "Your five minutes are up."

"Yes," he said, taking a step forward. 

His cologne hit me with a wave of nostalgia.

I swallowed and averted my gaze. "What?"

"I'm sorry," he said. 

I closed my eyes. There was silence. 

He waited for a response. 

I could not bring myself to say anything. I was definitely not ready to forgive him. 

I heard him walk away.

The door opened. I could still feel his presence. He was still waiting. 

Then the door closed. 

He was gone.