STAY WITH ME

Chapter 1
Seven years later
She was almost late. She ran a brush through her hair and grabbed the blazer
that her fiancè had ironed and left on the bed and threw it on.
Neelo tried not to giggle at the thought of being finally engaged.
It was crazy how she had loved him almost half her life and he still had this
kind of effect on her.
She spritzed on the new perfume he had gotten for her twenty fifth birthday
just two weeks ago.
He had pulled all the stops and surprised her with a trip to Cape Town where
they the best week sight seeing and basking in each other's presence.
Neelo still felt a bit giddy thinking about that week, she could have really
returned home pregnant if she wasn't on contraceptives.
"Neelo, we are going to be late!" His deep voice called from the living room.
Neelo rolled her eyes at herself in the mirror.
"Don't roll your eyes at me young lady you are going to be late for your
interview!"
"I'm coming!" She called back before she finally grabbed her purse and
rushed out to find him pacing up and down the living room.
"Have you seen my laptop?"
Neelo smiled as she walked past him and grabbed it from the kitchen table
where he had left it last night.
He let out a sigh of relief and cracked a grateful smile before he snaked his
arm around her pulling her to him until their chests flushed against each
other.
She wrapped her arms around him and grinned up at him.
"What would you do without me?" She teased tilting her head to the side.
"I'd probably suffer," he chuckled leaning down to peck her lips.
"You got that right," she said before she stepped back.
"Wait...where are you going?" His hand slid down to her butt.
Neelo released a delighted laugh taking in his hungry gaze.
"You said we are going to be late. You almost chewed my head off. We need
to go sir."
"I'm a changed man now and my priorities have changed," he murmured
softly leaning down to kiss her again.
She melted against him almost forgetting that they really had to go.
Neelo pulled back and laughed when he groaned.
"That skirt should be burnt. You ass looks great."
She wiggled it a little bit with a light laugh. Sza really meant it when she said
she needed a guy to lie to her and tell her her booty is getting when it ain't.
She had always been a size 28 and was probably always going to be.
"Did you get your lunch box?" She asked glancing at her watch.
"I forgot," he cussed under his breath before he rushed back to the kitchen
and came back with the lunch box she had packed for him.
She always made sure to prep his meals every week, she was sure he snuck
out now and then to indulge in fat cakes and tripe but she was glad he took it
seriously as she did.
"Come let's go get you a job," he grinned taking her hand in his.
"You are so sure about me getting hired," she said looking up at him as they
walked out of the house.
It was a spacious bachelor pad they had picked out after she finally
graduated with her Bsc in Biological Sciences and Bio Technology.
She had to forgo UB and take BIUST instead, she needed a change of scenery
after she finished school.
She had been a recluse when she got there and buried herself into her work
until she finally got a wake up call when she fainted in the lab while finishing
her research.
Her university days only got better when she started living again.
She had Olefile to thank for all that. They were only just friends back then but
he showed up for her every time she needed him even when she didn't.
He understood why it took so long for her to finally accept his feelings and be
open about hers, her traumatic childhood had left scars that were probably
never going to heal.
"What are you thinking about?" Olefile glanced at her keeping his one hand
on the wheel and the othe on his lap. It had always belonged there. She was
convinced when God created them at the same time.
"Are you worried about your interview?" He asked softly.
She let out a deep breath. She graduated a year ago and getting a job has
been hard not to mention the industry she had chosen to get into was highly
competitive.
There had been a bit of guilt that Olefile had to take care of everything while
she was still looking for something tangible.
He had been lucky he got hired as junior accountant at the firm he completed
his internship.
"I'm not that worried."
"I know you will do great. Just remember the questions that we had practiced
last night and deliver them with the same confidence. Or you can imagine the
interviewers are me."
Neelo laughed. "A little quite obsessed with ourselves aren't we?"
"I'm helping my woman here, it's the best solution baby trust me. When I am
nervous during presentations I just imagine you are somewhere in the room
and it gets rid of my nerves."
"You are such a marshmallow."
"Eat me then!"
Neelo laughed throwing her head back and rested against the seat looking at
him studying his side profile.
Olefile glanced back at her and threaded their fingers together before he
kissed the back of her hand.
"You are going to do great, you trust me don't you?"
"More than I trust myself," she said with a snort.
Olefile chuckled pulling in front of the large glass walled building.
Neelo felt her nerves kicking in, she had ignored them all this time but they
were resurfacing now that she was here.
Olefile turned to look at her. "I can go in with you if you want."
"No, you have an important meeting. I'll call you after I'm done."
"I can just wait with you in the waiting room."
"I'm pretty sure that's not allowed," she laughed.
"I can wait outside."
"Olefile you need to go to work. I'll be fine."
"Look at you all grown up!" He teased cupping her cheeks.
"I'm three months older than you."
"You are still my baby."
Neelo rolled her eyes. "Stop."
Olefile chuckled. "Okay independent woman. I love you and I know you are
going to kill it. Goodluck and go kick ass. "
"I love you too."
He kissed her forehead and her lips before he pulled back grinning at her.
She grabbed her purse and gave him one last look before she climbed out of
the car and waved at him.
"Wait you forgot your bottle!" He called when she was about to walk away.
Neelo rushed back to the car and grabbed it.
"I love you!" He called after her chuckling when she waved at him while he
blew her kisses.
She laughed to herself before she made her way in.
She halted in her steps once Olefile's car had disappeared.
Neelo wanted to call him and beg him to come back, she couldn't do this.
She was going to be sick. She put a hand over her tummy pressing it down
and tried to calm her nerves.
Her phone made her jolt up, she rummage through her purse and pulled it
out.
Neelo's eyes grew wide at the name flashing on the screen.
She hadn't spoken to him in so long she felt like it was some kind of dream.
She blinked out of her haze and quickly swiped to answer before the call
could go to voicemail.
"Neelo?" His voice still sounded the same, it gave her a bit of comfort.
"Hi Lefa," she greeted quietly.
"You good?" He asked. "I heard you had an interview today. I wanted to see if
you were okay."
Her heart softened, her brother might have turned against his old life but it
warmed her heart to know he still remembered her panic attacks.
"That boy of yours left dozens of missed calls and messages demanding me
to call you and wish you goodluck. I have no idea how he even does that to a
person in prison but he did. He is a psychopath. What do you see in him?"
Neelo chuckled with tears pooling in her eyes. It was too early to be crying
and nobody wanted to interview a woman with red eyes.
"You like him just admit it."
"He makes you happy. That's more than enough."
She blinked back her tears and nodded to herself.
"I know you will do great. You don't need me telling you that."
She actually did. It was pathetic yes but when she was younger and that man
went on a rampage he would speak to her softly until she calmed down.
He was the one who took the beatings for her. He was only just a child
himself but he practically raised her on his own.
"You think so?"
"I know so. You are smart now go do smart people things."
"Thank you Lefa," she sniffed wiping her nose as a laugh bubbled through
her.
"Go before you are late," he said before he hung up.
Neelo stared at the phone still shocked that it had happened.
Her brother was in a dark place. He refused to see her every time she visited
in prison.
It had been two years since his arrest for robbery and theft and she had only
visited him once. He only called with the phone one of his friends had
smuggled for him inside the prison.
She went every month hoping he would change his mind but he wouldn't
barge. He was too stubborn.
Neelo smiled again, she wished she had time to call Olefile and thank him
over and over again.
She made a mental note to pull all the stops with dinner tonight and thank
him properly.
She opened her purse and perused through looking for her lipgloss and
looked around for a compact mirror.
Neelo let out a defeated sigh, she had left it in Olefile's glove compartment.
She looked around the parking lot, she walked towards one of the cars
parked under the shade.
It was a sleek black Audi it looked brand new she was scared to come near it
but the windows were tinted making it the perfect mirror.
Neelo hummed to herself as she coated her lips and pouted before she
laughed at herself.
"Go girl go girl go girl!" She moved her shoulders a little. "You are going to
walk in there and be a powerful smart woman! You are not a simp and you
can't be afraid! You got this!"
She nodded fervently and put her lipgloss back in her purse.
"Beautiful," she grinned to herself and flipped her hair back laughing at
herself once again.
She probably looked like a crazy person but even if she didn't get the job it
wouldn't be a bad day today.
Neelo nodded and glanced at the watch around her wrist catching the time.
"I'm almost late!" She cried out before she went off running towards the
entrance as fast as she could with her heels.
*****
It was lunch time when they finally wrapped up their interviews and she
walked out of the building.
Her eyes widened when she looked up to find Olefile's car waiting for her
outside.
Neelo picked her pace and broke into a little run before she was scooped up
in his arms.
She let out a laugh wrapping her arms tightly around him.
"How did it go?" Olefile asked after putting her back down.
She slumped her shoulders and looked down.
"You know what? Their company is not all that great anyway. You will do
much greater things with your degree. You can work for much better
companies who recognize talent. You don't need them."
"I don't?" She stifled a grin.
"You don't baby. It's only the first start and you will work in much bigger labs
after this don't worry."
"That's too bad. They said I can work in their lab. Should I just turn them
down?"
"Yeah you can...wait! You got in?"
"I got in!" She exclaimed.
Olefile picked her up again and twirled around with her making her laugh.
"I knew you were going to do it baby. There was no doubt. You are so
amazing! Do you have any idea how amazing you are?"
"You can tell me."
"You are amazing!"
Neelo giggled as he peppered her Daze with more kisses.
"You drove all the way to wait for me?"
"I told them I had to get to my woman."
Neelo smiled up at him. "Thank you."
He looked down at her. "You don't have to thank me for anything."
"Lefa called, he wished me goodluck."
"Took him long enough," he scoffed.
Neelo tugged at his hand smiling sheepishly.
"How does it feel to have a working girlfriend?"
"Fianceè," he held up her hand gesturing at the ring.
Neelo laughed. "My bad. Your future wife."
"Husband allowance mo go nna."
"Ke go ngata ka thousand laitake," she teased making him chuckle.
"Utlwa!" He winked at her. "Let me take you to lunch it's a warm up for what
we are about to do this evening."
"Is that so?"
"Yes ma'am now get your incredible ass in the car."
She flashed him a grin before she climbed inside the car and watched him
head to his driver's side.
Neelo did a little prayer, her mother was surely smiling down on her.
She often wondered if she had finally found the rest that she didn't have on
this earth up there?
Neelo shook her head, it was not time to be sad. She just got a job, soon her
brother would be released and she would get married.
Things would be different for them.

Intro
Books by Kerry M

Page · Book series

Gaborone, Botswana

+267 78 101 937

100% recommend (30 reviews)

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Truly Yours
15 October 2024 ·