Chapter Three

I waited at the restaurant's bathroom. It was a good place to meet up with someone I never wanted to be seen with. He said I should call him Bunny. Bunny was the man who'd help me destroy the man who'd destroyed me.

The man took his time, making sure that no one saw him enter the ladies' bathroom. He came into my stall, squeezing in with me.

He was huge. Even at five foot eight inches, he towered over me. Luckily, the stalls were also very tall. It was a rundown restaurant though, so we knew there wouldn't be any cameras in the bathroom, but still, I had to make sure we weren't seen.

"So, to what do I owe this honour, obroni," the man asked, a devious smile on his face.

I knew I shouldn't be dealing with people I'd found on from the dark web, but it wasn't like I could easily find what I was looking for by asking around.

"I'll keep this short and simple. I want you to help me break someone out of prison."

"Really?" he asked, scratching his scruffy beard. He was a very dark man, about six foot five, and he was broad in a steroid eater way. He wore a trenchcoat and a long sleeved shirt underneath with jeans and boots.

He had a questionable appearance, but it was cold in the country at the time, so his dressing wasn't so strange.

"Really. Don't worry, I will pay you generously."

With the money I'd saved to go to college.

I loved my mother — even though she exploited me for more customers — but I couldn't fulfill her dreams for me to go to school and find a good job to bring her out of poverty. This was more important.

"How much are we talking here?" he asked.

"Thirty thousand dollars," I said.

His eyes widened.

It turned out that that was much more than he expected. It was what I feared, that I would offer him too much, but I couldn't go back now. At least I had about fifteen thousand left for myself. Not enough for college, but I could give mama a little piece of the life she wanted so badly.

"What do I have to do?" he asked, eyeing me greedily.

I took a deep breath to calm myself. I didn't like how he was looking at me. I wanted to run. I was scared, but I was angry too, and my anger overcame my fear.

I relayed my plan to him.

He smiled when I was done. "I would hate to do you wrong."

I kept my feet firmly rooted to the ground. "Will you do it or not?"

He laughed. "These white people. It must be nice to be so rich, yes? I could only imagine."

I hated how they thought all white people were rich, though I couldn't blame them. Being white and American was a lot of privilege, even if I hadn't had an easy life.

"Stop beating about the bush and answer me."

"I'll do it," he smirked, "but I'm afraid thirty thousand isn't enough."

"What do you mean? It's not like I'm asking you to kill anyone."

"No, the money is fine," his eyes glistened dangerously as he continued, "but I've never been with a white woman, and I'd like to, before I die."

My heart sunk.

"But if you're not willing, I guess you can find someone else," he said slyly, leaving so slowly and with so much pompadour that I knew he knew that I would call him back.

"Wait!" I called after him, fighting back tears. "I'll do it. There's a hotel not too far from here. Let's go."

* * *

I stumbled into the apartment, feeling like my legs were jelly. The first person I saw was the bright eyed boy who'd tried to do to Elorm what his father did to me.

I saw red.

I rushed at him. He turned around just in time, catching my wrists. I writhed, trying to free myself from him, but his hold was too strong.

His eyes were wide and filled with tears as he stared at me bewilderedly. "I know you," he whispered. "You're one of Kofi's prostitutes." As he spoke, he struggled to keep me from clawing his eyes out.

"She's not. Not anymore," Elorm said, coming out of nowhere with Kofi following behind her. She was holding his hand and tugging him along like a child. His eyes were fixed on her behind, a coy smile drawn across his lips.

Elorm had a nice butt. I couldn't really blame him.

I stopped struggling with the rapist's son and he let go of my wrists.

He had already turned to her, and he was smiling. "Elorm," he said, rushing to hug her.

She let go of Kofi's hand and accepted Justus' hug. Both Kofi and I stiffened, horrified and angry.

"Let go of her!" Kofi yelled, snatching Elorm away from him.

I nearly lunged at him again, but Elorm began laughing, disentangling Kofi's arms from around her.

"It's okay. He's fine, I'm fine. He's cool, don't worry," Elorm said.

The nerve of that girl. He attempted to rape her. How do you forgive someone like that? Why was she putting herself in so much danger by being surrounded by these kind of people?

"You're really telling me not to worry? That bastard attempted to violate you, and his father did violate your best friend!" Kofi yelled, pointing at me at the last word.

Everyone in the room went deathly quiet after that. They all looked at me. I went silent myself and my gaze went to the floor as I felt as if insects were crawling up my arm. I hated this. I hated them all, I hated everyone and everything, all except Elorm.

I heard footsteps coming in my direction, and I looked up to see the rapist's son in front of me. His hand came up slowly and cupped my cheek.

I flinched, but I didn't move out his reach. His palm was warm and soft. So soft.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. Words can't describe how truly sorry I am for what my father did to you. I wish there was something I could do to make it all better," he said. His voice was so soft and wracked with emotion.

I stared up at him. "You're no better than him."

"My point exactly!" Kofi yelled.

"I admit, I was an idiot back in the day. Yes, I was a terrible person, but I was nothing like that man. I drugged Elorm because I wanted her to come home with me, not to do anything bad to her, but just so that I could win her trust. Do you know Wattpad? You see all those books where the girl gets inebriated and the boy takes her home but doesn't touch her, then he wins her trust and she ends up offering herself to him later in the book?"

From behind me, Elorm laughed. "A grown man like you reading Wattpad books. What do you expect apart from stupidity?"

He wiped his eyes and turned around to glare at her. He turned back to me after, his other palm coming to cup my cheek. "That was my plan with her. It took a while, but she finally believed me. She's still extremely cautious around me--"

"Can you blame me?" she hollered, her tone coloured with amusement.

"But I understand her and I don't mind. I deserve that."

"To be honest, I'm careful around all men... and strangers too, gender regardless, because you never know who'd be out to get you."

He discontinued his speech and pinched the bridge of his nose. When he lifted his head, he turned to her and hissed, "Will you shut up?"

"Don't yell at her!" Kofi countered, looking like he would break Justus' neck.

Elorm laughed again. The sound was so pure, so beautiful. The guys smiled, and Kofi leaned down and kissed her cheek.

After, he whispered, "You're so short, my neck hurts."

She looked at him and glared. "Yeah? Why don't you go ahead and marry some six foot model and leave me alone then?"

"Tempting," he teased.

She gasped and tore herself away from him, rushing up the stairs. He chuckled, then raced after her but not without glaring at Justus for a few seconds.

When they were gone, Justus turned back to me and his hands came down from my cheeks. "Really, tell me if there's anything I can do to make things better."

I wondered whether he was being sincere. I went into the living room to sit down because standing hurt, and he followed me.

He sat beside me and turned his body to me to show me that he was not giving up on the conversation.

His eyes were really bright. They were brown or hazel, but they were very light. In darkness, they would be frightening.

"I don't think there's anything you can do. I'll never be the same again, no matter what."

He hugged me.

I didn't see it coming and it was confusing, yet comforting. Even though I had feelings for Elorm, I'd wondered what it would've been like to have so many people who cared about me like she did.

From the beginning of my life, I had no one. My mother said my father was a one night stand, she didn't like me much for this very reason. I never had friends due to the nature of my mother's job. It would've been a bit fine if she was doing it alone, but that she introduced it to me too kept the other kids away from me.

It was always my mother and me, and even when I came to Ghana, I had no one. My attraction to Elorm was instant. From the moment I saw her in the van in that dark lightening, I was struck. I'd never realised I was bisexual before that.

She was rude to me, but I still tried and eventually, she warmed up to me. Apart from that male prostitute who helped me the day after it happened, no one cared. It was another reason why I was so smitten by her. She cared, and it was such a wonderful feeling.

Now, having someone else who seemed to care enough to hug me... it was blissful. I couldn't help the tears. My mother never did this even after I told her. She asked me what I was wearing and where I was.

But this man, the son of the man who destroyed me didn't care what I was wearing or the kind of work I was involved in. He just wanted to make things right and comfort me.

People take other people for granted. If they knew how much it hurt when no one cared, they'd cherish their relationships much more.

I hugged him back. He sighed, his breath fanning against the nape of my neck and my back. I was still in a little bit of pain, but I relaxed in his arms completely.

It felt nice, and I'd never forget that.

* * *

this book is touching me, idk why. one day, i'll become a really good writer and it'll touch you too 😢

vote or whatever, see if i care. 🌟