OFF THE HOOK EP:7 Curtains Close

There we were in the room, all four of us. Ebere was now sitting, a scowl on her face as she looked from Chinelo who had her head bowed in embarrassment or retribution, I couldn’t tell, to Elo who paced about the room, sometimes coming to a stop and looking at me, but continuing shortly after.

He stopped once and didn't continue, rather he filled his cheeks with air like a balloon, deflated it, then began to say, in very controlled breath;

“What do you think this all makes you? A saint?”

I tipped my head a bit to the right. I was shocked.

“Oh no. Maybe a victim, perhaps?” His right hand was stretched out as he gestured with his bare palm as if requesting an answer from me.

He scoffed, then continued, “You’re not a victim, you hear me?”

“What the?” It was Ebere's soft voice from behind me.

“You saw the texts, as a friend and as my girlfriend, you didn’t confront her and you didn’t confront me. i gpa do ya (you held it tightly in secret) and you’re coming now to tell me ‘I told them everything including the one with my best friend’” he repeated what I had said earlier, the words hardly passing through his teeth and his head dancing to the mocking beat he was mimicking me with.

“You're not a saint!” He scolded.

A tear rolled down my cheek but I brushed it off quickly with the back of my hand.

“No, I’m not,” I started to say, calmly but firmly, “but I’d rather have any sinner, any day, but you,” I finished in a yell.

My outburst felt like a victory. Like for the first time in three years I've been set free, my cage unhinged and I could fly.

And I flew.

“I didn’t confront you. What of the times I confronted you? What happened? Did any good come from it? Did you stop cheating? Am I even supposed to confront you? You were sexchatting with my best friend. What part of that seemed right to you?”

My breathing was fast and audible when I finished, but I held his face with my eyes; though teary, they were steely too, and I saw beneath his contoured look of anger, beneath his fiery eyes and clenched teeth, that for the first time, Elo was speechless against me. He had lost this case, and he knew it.

He stormed off the room.

I drew a long, slow, deep breath as he exited. Chinelo was still standing close to the door, her head still bowed, in embarrassment or retribution, I still couldn’t tell.

I puffed a breath and looked away from her.

Ebere stood up, with wide arms and a sad smile on her face, urging me to come close, and I did.

She rubbed my back slowly and whispered, “You’ve done well”.

***

Hey there, you’ve come to the end of OFF THE HOOK. I hope you enjoyed reading every chapter.

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