Chapter 133 AN UNEXPECTED DAY

Chapter 133 AN UNEXPECTED DAY
Godiva POV

Without saying a word, Godmother did her best to calm me down. When I was finally quiet, she asked, "Why do you think Mike is your dad?"

"When I first saw him, his smile looked familiar, but I couldn't place my finger on who he smiled like until Dina came and mentioned that he smiles exactly like me. That was when a lot of things started to add up," I responded, sniffling.

"What things added up to make you come to these weird conclusions?" Godmother asked in a calm voice.

"Things like Hakeem calling Div his sister jokingly, and we all ignored it, and probably the fact that Hakeem's birth was over a month before Diva's," Dina said convincingly.

"But your evidence is flawed, somewhat cooked up, and unconvincing, dear."

When Godmother said those words, I felt conflicted. She saw me struggle to process the information, so she simply patted me on the shoulder, letting her words sink in while she retired to her inner room.

My stomach growled with hunger, but filling it was the least of my problems.

I needed to jog, to cool off some steam. Time passed like fireflies, and a boring day slipped by.

Dina swept my burning curiosity under the carpet. I guessed she wasn't as curious as I wanted her to be. It wasn't her father, so I wouldn't blame her.

That morning, I picked up my skating boots and stormed out without informing anyone.

The morning air carried the kind of freedom I hadn't felt in months.

No Jerald drama to stir my raging heart, no endless phone calls asking where I was, no accusations or words of comfort from Godmother.

Just me, my skates, and a town that didn't know my name.

I practically skipped down the sidewalk toward the little new skating park everyone in town kept talking about, the one that didn't welcome strangers. Music drifted from a nearby café while children laughed on the beginner rink.

"This," I whispered to myself, tightening my skates, "is exactly what I needed."

Before stepping onto the rink, I stopped at a tiny roadside food stall where an elderly woman smiled warmly.

"Fresh steamed buns! Cold yogurt!" she announced proudly. Everything smelled heavenly.

"I'll take two buns and one yogurt," I beckoned, stuffing some folded notes into her hands.

She handed them over with a grin that seemed almost too eager.

I didn't think twice, maybe I should have.

But I hadn't eaten much the previous day, and after three bites, the buns disappeared within minutes.

The yogurt stayed tucked safely in my backpack while I rolled onto the smooth concrete.

The wind kissed my face, and my worries slowly melted away.

I spun once, twice, and began doing crazy steps, those difficult moves I wouldn't try on a normal day. Even the bystanders began watching me in awe.

Then I attempted a jump that almost sent me crashing into another skater.

"Whoa!" Strong hands grabbed my arm before I hit the ground. "You trying to invent a new way of flying?"

I burst into laughter as I smiled at him thankfully.

The stranger smiled back. He looked about my age, tall, athletic, with messy dark hair and eyes that sparkled like he found amusement in everything.

"I had it under control," I added, but he wasn't convinced.

"Oh, really?" he teased. "Because from where I was standing, gravity was definitely winning."

"I was testing gravity," I argued.

"Wow, Gravity Queen." He gestured with his hands. "Scientific research?"

"Exactly." I chuckled as I punched him lightly.

For some weird reason, I found myself getting too comfortable with this guy, and it was weird.

"I'm Jamal," he said, extending his hand.

"Godiva."

"Interesting name," he said as he relaxed by the sidewalk beside me.

"I hear that every day," I smiled.

Then he jumped to his feet and tried some moves. He skated backward effortlessly while talking to me.

"So, you're new here?"

"Is it that obvious?" I asked, raising my brows.

"You still smile too much," he joked.

"I'll take that as a compliment," I laughed out loud, taking the subtle diss.

"It is." He laughed too.

We ended up skating together as though we'd known each other for years.

Some local teenagers challenged anyone nearby to a friendly skating relay.

"You two!" one of them shouted. "You look like partners."

I blinked." We literally met five minutes ago."

"Even better!" Jamal looked at me as he extended his hand, accepting their challenge.

"What do you think?" I shrugged dramatically. "If we lose, I'm blaming you."

"If we win?" he asked, smiling back. "I'll take all the credit."

"Deal." I fist-bumped him, and the race began.

We weren't professionals, but somehow we worked surprisingly well together as I dodged cones while Jamal handled the speed sections.

People clapped, and our moves drew attention until someone nearly knocked me over halfway through, but Jamal reached back without looking.

"I got you." His hand caught mine just long enough to steady me before letting go.

Heat rushed into my cheeks. We crossed the finish line second.

"I demand a recount," I declared dramatically.

Jamal laughed so hard he nearly fell over. "You call that skating?"

"It was artistic," I pouted.

"It was chaos," he replied flatly.

"Art is chaos." I always had my way with words.

"I... can't even argue with that."

Our prize for second place was absolutely ridiculous.

One tiny coupon and another free yogurt from the street vendor.

We stared at it before bursting into laughter.

"I already have yogurt," I said, pulling the bottle from my bag.

"Perfect," Jamal replied dramatically, opening his hands. "Share with the poor."

I rolled my eyes. "Come off it, you deserve an award."

I opened the yogurt, and it smelled normal, so I drank first before handing it to him.

"You're really trusting a stranger?" he asked.

"If I wanted to poison you, I'd make it less obvious," I joked.

"Comforting." He took several gulps before handing it back.

We went on skating, then twenty minutes later...

Something twisted violently inside my stomach, and I immediately stopped skating.

"...Do you feel weird?" Jamal's smile slowly disappeared.

"...Please don't tell me you're asking that because you're feeling weird too."

Before I could reply, another sharp pain hit me.

"Oh no." Jamal grabbed hi
s stomach. "No... no... this isn't happening."

We looked at each other. Then, simultaneously, sprinted off the rink.

The yogurt was obviously contaminated.