Realizing that the voice he heard sounded too masculine to be Rosaline's, he was a bit relieved but he was on guard.
"Ros?"
"Yeah, this is her phone" The person said
"Can you give her the phone?"
"Who are you?"
"Shaan Al'Din"
The person scoffed "She doesn't need to talk to you"
"And who might you be?"
"I'm hurt that you don't recognize my voice"
"Why should i... you're not my wife"
"It's me, Nolan"
Shaan eyes darkened, he wasn't expecting the person to be Nolan....but he wouldn't assume or speculate, if he wanted her to trust him, he had to trust her. And if Nolan had her phone, it could only mean bad news.
"Okay...i need to speak with my wife"
"You see, I would also love that,but you hurt her and she doesn't need you....She wants nothing to do with you"
Shaan rolled his eyes, he wouldn't let Nolan get inside his head.
"Of course,i know that. Can i talk to her now?"
Then,he heard a female voice in the background...
"Rosaline?"
wait... they're together?!.
"Son of b-" He hung up.
Shaan stared at his phone screen, he didn't know whether to believe him. Jolting him back to reality, his phone rang. It was Noah.
"Hello?" Noah said
"Hey..."
"Um...i g-got your number from Abeer. "
" I figured....i heard what happened at the office."
".. yeah, pretty crazy"
"..."
"Hello?"
"Uh.....my wedding...it's this Saturday. Will you be attending,..you got time?"
"I didn't think you guys would want me there"
"I want you to be there....even if it's the last time we ever meet as friends"
"So you don't wanna be friends anymore?"
"No no.... that's not what i mean. I-i.....uh I'm sorry. I really just wanted to support Renee, i didn't stop to think if she was right or wrong... I'm such a bad friend. I know things may never go ba-"
"Come on ,man ..... we've had lots of misunderstandings , this is just one of them"
Noah sniffed "So you'll be attending my wedding?.....i insist"
"Definitely...."
"Bachelor's night?"
"I... don't think i can make it but if i can,i will"
"Alright.. thank you....it means a lot to me that you're attending.I love you,man"
"Brother eeehhw...have some ayb "
"Hey.... you gotta say it back!" Noah chuckled.
"Okay Princess ...love you too"
" See you soon"
"Yeah" Shaan smiled.
That was fast...
After his call with Noah ended...his mind went back to Rosaline. Noah , obviously got his phone number from her....so why didn't she reach out?. Maybe he was missing the point and he had to call her instead. But he did and Nolan was with her phone,he thought about what Nolan said.
What if, she and Nolan had some kind of revelation that they were meant to be.
What if it was really over between them and she wanted to move on with Nolan ,maybe she felt more comfortable with Nolan. Shaan suddenly felt stupid and betrayed. He closed his eyes and tried to shake off the feeling.
"Women are so complicated " He muttered to himself. Then he dropped his phone and laid down to sleep.
Why am i treating this like it's not serious?
He sat up and picked up his phone to book a flight.
*. *. *.
Two days ago...
Rosaline dropped her phone, she laid down on her back. The phone beeped again, it was a notification,a message from Abber:"i know you must've deleted it thinking he wouldn't take you back, trust me, he's waiting. I don't want him to wait forever.....+**********"
Rosaline smiled, she felt childish....she was about to make the same mistake that tore them apart in the first place.
She copied the number and saved it,just as she was about to dial it...the knock on the door put a pause on her plan.
"Come in"
"It's Meee!...." It was Renee..
Rosaline wasn't in a smiley mood ,that alone already set their conversation up for disaster.
"Okay...have a seat. To what do i owe this honour you have bestowed upon me?"
"I just wanted to say hi"
"You've said it...i need to be alone right now"
"Why are being you so mean..... it's just a man you barely know . And the marriage was rushed and it started a lil rocky...."
"And I suppose you know him better than i do or you are the one married to him?"
"Oh please...if you knew him so well, how come it didn't work for you the other night?"
"Yeah... I've been thinking about that, that's why i need you to get up, get out and stay out of my business!! "Rosaline was slowing losing control of her temper and her voice was shaky.
"Oh...." Renee was taken aback, Rosaline had never raised her voice directly at her before. She turned to leave but stopped in her tracks.....
"Y'know,i was only here to try and help you work things out and be there for you when you figure out the next step and you know it,deep down,that the marriage was bound to fail anyways...."
"Why,thank you ,SISTER... But if you wanted to "help " me or be "there" for me...you wouldn't do it in such a way that would hurt me...stop being such an hypocrite. It's always about what you and your crazy assumptions....did you even stop to think about how I'd feel or what i want??"
"So telling you about the secret things he was doing was wrong?....you wanted Toby too and he beat and cheated the "want" out of you.."
"Telling me??.... TELLING ME?!....you told the everyone except me before you officially announced it, if you had the chance you would've told the entire world. And what secret things?....you blurted out your assumptions without verifying, suddenly it's the truth!.....i regret and i so wish i never told you any of the things that happened with Toby"
"Well, if you didn't shut me out and went off to la la land, playing big happy family....maybe i would've told you in private"
"So that's your excuse for setting the stage where i ruined my own life.... that's your excuse?!"
"So my feelings don't matter to you anymore??"
"To HELL!!! with your feelings... to freaking hell with them. You should've shared my family with me if you were so lonely or joined me and my husband when we're having sex since you felt so left out..... I'm guessing you couldn't because you were too busy planning,let me remind you in case you've forgotten, YOUR WEDDINNG!, With your own Husband,and you'll have a child of your own!"
Renee landed a slap on Rosaline's cheek but, that didn't stop Rosaline from talking as she was red with anger.
"I'm here,losing my mind everyday, while you are now in "la la land" planning your wedding,you don't see me there,trying to dictate your life. The one thing I had going on for me,you twisted my mind into kicking it out of my life and i believed i was doing the right thing. God, why am i even blaming you ...If you had even the tiniest bit of shame in you, you wouldn't walk up to me and spout this madness about your feelings. In all the years I've been alive... I've lost multiple times,but I don't want to lose this time....I'm scared to death, about being alone, how is he managing with Kayid and work....about how I betrayed the man i love , how do i give birth to a child without so much as the father to my child being there, raising the child all alone,nobody by my side to love me as a woman, I'm scared knowing that i might never love another and i might hate my baby and I'm trying to fix that and you're telling me what?!.... Don't you dare!!.....i-i" At that point, the tears were already pouring out. Sean walked in and rapped his arms around her.
"Papa.. I'm scared"She said through tears and she buried her face in his embrace.
"It's okay sweetpea... it's okay"
"You know Shaan isn't right for you, he has a son and he can never love your bastard child like his own no matter how much you love Kayid.... I'm just looking out for you. I'm being your sister."
What?!!!
Now that was when Rosaline actually lost every drop of sanity in her,as she plunged forward to deliver her palm to Renee's cheek, Beatrice beat her to it.
"Nonsense!. That child you're calling a bastard is your sister's child.Have you no shame?"Beatrice's voice echoed through the house.
Beatrice was about to hit Renee once more when Gina ran in to hold her.
Renee's mouth hung open as she watched her mother being told to calm down...her hand clasped to the cheek she had just been slapped. She turned to leave the room only to find familiar faces staring at her,then she stared into the eyes that always looked at her with so much love... affection and support, her eyes widened and she blinked back tears when she saw pity in them. Realization and shame hit her all at once, she ran out of the room each step weighed down with a mix of emotions but the ones she felt strongly were guilt and anger... she was praying that she wouldn't fall. She heard someone behind her.
Don't follow me ,please....
She said in her head.
**. **. **.
After the fallout, the mansion had a cloud of cold silence over it,nobody ate dinner later since Beatrice didn't cook. Regardless of how nonchalant Catherine was, she behaved and stayed quietly in her room. Nolan was sitting in front of Rosaline's room hoping,he could talk to her and try to console her but she didn't step out of her room.
The day went by, the day after that also went by in cold silence. Until Noah couldn't take it anymore,so he called a meeting.
" I called this meeting because i hate intense situations like this.....ex convicts giving everyone a heart attack-" he eyed Nolan.
"-psychopaths living amongst normal people-" he looked at Catherine and sighed.
"Sisters fighting like their lives depended on it.....it's a lot of tension so i have a suggestion...."
He waited to see if anyone had something to say then he continued..
"Well... We have a day before my wedding and we have all worked really hard to prepare for the wedding, I'm grateful....i was thinking we could go stargazing tonight, we could go to a park or an open field for picnic...a night picnic ,we can do it here too, near the stream" They were about to protest when he singled out his index finger.
"...nuh-uh...No buts,nos, maybes,passes. Let's get into our pjs and be down in five."
"Do i have to go with?" Catherine patted her hair, waiting for them to insist that she had to go.
"No, if you don't want to."Beatrice said then smiled.
Catherine smiled then rolled her eyes.
Before they could all get set,Noah got a call from work....they had to cancel their " fun" family bonding time. Rosaline was elated, she didn't feel like letting go of the grudges she held.
She went to her room pretending like she really wanted their night picnic to happen, when she shut the door behind her,she did a little happy dance but her joy didn't last for very long. The door opened slightly, Nolan's head peeking through then he smiled. It sent chills down Rosaline's spine, but she was really not interested in playing nice with anyone.
"Didn't your mother teach you how to knock?"
" Oh... I'm sorry. May i come in?"
"No you may not... you cannot come in."
"Then, can we go for a walk?. I need to talk to you"
"A walk?"
"Not too far from the main house...just around"
There was something different in the way he talked, Rosaline sucked her teeth.
What's the worst that can happen?
"Sure.... I'll meet you outside"
"Thank you" He excused himself.
Rosaline took out her pepperspray from her purse.
"It's gonna be hot " She smirked then grabbed her phone from the side table.
To Rosaline's surprise, Nolan was polite. He apologized for everything he did to her, Rosaline was almost moved to tears. Then he told her about his time in prison,she was so invested in his stories that she asked him to sit with her at the kitchen table for tea....after four hours of stories, she started struggling to stay awake, she checked her phone for the time ,it was 2:00am ....she didn't want to leave but she had to,she needed to sleep so badly.
I haven't stayed up this late since forever...
"I'm sorry..but we're going to have to put a lid on your pot of life experiences" She yawned.
"I need my rest....it was fun talking to you... helped me get my mind off a lot of things. And I'm sorry too for everything."
"You didn't do anything wrong...friends?" He stretched out his arm for a handshake.
"Friends..." She took it
"...now if you'll excuse me,nature calls me to slumber"
She left him in the kitchen and went to her room. She dipped her hand into her dress pocket for her room key,then noticed that her phone wasn't with her. Rosaline closed her eyes, she must've forgotten it on the kitchen table.
"Rotten luck...why didn't i remember before i climbed the stair case?"
She went back to the kitchen only to see Nolan holding her phone to his ear.
What the freak is going on?!
"Nolan?"
"Son of a b****"
"Why are with my phone....who was that?"
He didn't respond....she inched forward then snatched the phone from him.
"Ya Satir..... Shaan?" She fumbled with the phone then successfully dialed Shaan's number. It didn't go through, she tried again and again and again.
Nolan stood there, stunned at how upset and anxious she was as she tapped the dial button over and over again. Did he mess up again?
Rosaline bit her lower lip, her eyes were red and coated with tears. Still staring at her, he got the answer to his question.
"I'm sorry... I thought,you guys....i had no right. Please...i-i was only trying to defen- i had no right. I'm so sorry"
"It's fine.... goodnight " She turned to leave.
"If there's any way i can help,please let me know"
She didn't stop to acknowledge his words, Nolan watched her small frame climb the stairs and disappeared into the darkness.
"I'm such a screw up" He slummed in the chair.
I hope we can still be friends....