Preordained #ProjectNigeria

34- Getting There

Maduka's POV~

I'm surprised to see Tasha at my front door the following morning.

"Good morning." She breezes in and I get a whiff of her perfume: expensive with something that smells like berries.

"Come to get what you forgot?" I ask her, folding my arms across my chest.

"Yes, I missed my favourite panties. I got you this, by the way," she says in her soft voice while rummaging in her MK handbag. She hands me a small package, which I politely thank her for and drop on one of the sofas.

"Sit down, Natasha. We need to talk."

This seems to catch her by surprise. Her eyes widen, and she nods. We sit on opposite ends of the sofa and I lean back, narrow my eyes, and watch her.

"We're not getting back together, Natasha. I want to make that clear to you."

"Mads, do you have to be so blunt?"

"The same way you were blunt when you told me you'd fallen in love with someone else." Or his pockets.

She looks so contrite, and starts wringing her fingers together. "I was young, and stupid, Mads. My boyfriend- he... I found out he is sleeping with another woman."

At that she bursts into tears. They run down her cheeks in dark streams, carrying along her mascara and foundation. I'm surprised, but she looks so helpless, I pull her into a hug. Some men are undeserving of a woman's attention, if you ask me.

"I have no one to tell, and everyone is going to laugh at me because they warned me," she chokes. That night, when I came here, I had gone through his phone and seen the text messages between him and the girl... I couldn't confront him and so I ran away to the club, I got drunk, I didn't want to go back to him."

"Why tell me and not him?"

"You were a very good friend even before we started dating, Mads. I have no one to confide in but you."

"And you're just going to let this go on without confronting him?"

"Seun has warned me not to go through his phone but that night he was in the shower and I've peeped at his password before... I was curious. If I confront him, he'll know I disobeyed..."

"Are you serious, Tasha? You're going to suffer in silence?"

It annoys me to hear of people cheating in relationships. I see it as one of the highest forms of disrespect; I don't understand why a person would have someone and still want to go behind with another person.

She takes a deep breath. "I'm still looking for courage."

"And you found courage to leave your underwear underneath my pillow?"

Nwanyieze has been on my mind since last night. I can't evade the image of her with those tears on her cheeks.

"I'm really sorry about that, I really am. That was stupid of me; I wanted to seduce you but now I know it's a bad idea."

"Natasha, I have someone. I'm just letting you know, so there will be no future problems. I'm happy with my life, not angry with you about our split, and wish you the best," I tell her frankly. "Society says exes can't be friends, and I know exes being friends can be complicated."

" I understand."

"Now, as someone who cares about you, I'd say you confront him as soon as possible."

The tears come back.

"No one can do it for you," I state in a serious tone. Tasha has always been some sort of big baby, and most times one has to be firm to get her to to things for herself.