Love’n’Lust

“Hey, would you like to have some?” Belle asked the burly man who had been standing there as she had her pie with Jenna and Alex.

“Thanks,” he shook his head, not accepting her offer.

“It tastes really nice, have some,” Jenna took the plate with the cut pie in it from Belle and handed it over to him, not letting him refuse this time.

“Here’s a fork,” Belle gave the fork to Jenna who passed it to him.

“You can sit,” Jenna told him after he forked some of the apple pie into his mouth while standing.

“I should give some to those outside too,” Belle said to no one in particular before putting cutting some pieces for the men protecting outside the house.

“Randy?” She called when she opened the front door. “You two can come have some pie, that’s if you want to…?”

“Thanks, ma’am but we…” Randy wanted to refuse but the other man with him outside cut him.

“I would love some pie,” he smiled.

“Come on in,” Belle made way for him to go through.

“What about you, Randy? Won’t you like a plate?”

“No ma’am, I’m good. Thanks.” He smiled while rejecting.

“Okay,” she just said and closed the door, returning inside.

When she joined Jenna and Alex, she saw that the man from outside had already been given a plate, he sat next to the burly one as they ate.

Randy was still outside, going through his phone when he saw Ben’s car pull up in front of the house. He immediately put his phone in his pocket and stood upright.

“Sir,” he greeted Ben when he got down from the car.

“Is she alright?”

“Yes sir.” He didn’t need to be reminded who the ‘She’ was.

“Where are the others?”

“Uhmm, they are inside,” Randy replied without going into details about what they were doing inside, that was their problem to face.

“Is my sister here?” Ben asked when he saw Jenna’s car.

“Yes sir.”

“I see…”

Randy sighed with relief when Ben opened the door to go in, glad that he didn’t accept Belle’s offer. He knew it wouldn’t have been funny if Ben returned and they were all inside, with no one outside the place.

Ben opened the door to see the two men seated on one of the sofa’s in the living room, having pie. They both stood up with demanded apologies written all over them, they didn’t expect Ben would just walk in so soon.

Ben was irritated to see them sitting like that instead of doing what he had them there for but seeing Alex also seated in the living room got more of his attention.

“What are you doing here?” His question carried a tone that wanted immediate answers.

“She’s a friend of Jenna’s, “Belle answered when Alex didn’t.

“She came with me to see how Belle’s doing,” Jenna returned from the kitchen, making Ben turn his angry eyes to her.

He pulled her to the side to talk to her privately, away from Belle’s ears.

“What were you thinking bringing Alex here?” He questioned her.

“I just wanted to come see Belle but she said she wanted to come with…”

“And you agreed to that?”

“I…” Jenna didn’t know what to say under Ben’s angry eyes.”Alex has changed, you know.”

“I don’t give a shit if she’s changed or not, I don’t want her familiar with Belle. Don’t ever repeat this.” He told his sister before returning to the living room.

The men had left for outside, they didn’t need to be told not to remain in the living room by the time Ben returned.

Alex stood and walked slowly to Ben. With a smile on her face, she placed her hands on his chest, caressing his smooth suit jacket but he quickly held them, stopping her from doing anything more. Belle just watched on, she didn’t expect that Alex could touch him like that but she didn’t give much thought to it.

“Get out of here.” Four words from Ben and she turned back to look at Belle and then at Ben again.

“She’s nothing compared to me,” she whispered to Ben before walking out the front door.

“Take care of yourself, Belle,” Jenna told her with a smile before also heading for the door. When she left, the place became quiet again.

“You came and you chased everybody way.” Belle pouted after seeing the way both Alex and Jenna left. He went to her and squatted opposite to where she sat, in between her legs.

“I’m just trying to protect you,” he told her.

“Yeah, that’s why Randy and those other guys are here, right? You didn’t need to ask Alex to leave.” She still pursed her lips as she spoke.

“You won’t understand but Alex shouldn’t be around you, I don’t trust her.”

“Why? She’s Jenna’s best friend, isn’t she?”

“It doesn’t mean I can trust her. She’s not someone I want you around, okay?” He rubbed on her thighs as he spoke.

“Okay,” she just nodded.

****

“Why does he hate me?” Alex asked Jenna who was driving, some crocodile tears in her eyes.

“He doesn’t hate you,” Jenna told her.

“He does. Didn’t you see how he asked me to leave? So rudely. It’s like I’m some kind of dangerous criminal who shouldn’t be let into any place he is.”

“Come on, Alex. Maybe he just had a bad meeting or something before coming there.”

“No, I don’t think so. He hates me. He hates me even after I changed for him.”

“Okay, let’s be clear here, you didn’t change for HIM, you changed because you realized your self-worth and…”

“Bullshit,” Alex cut her short.”You and I know I changed for him, I even gave him the space he wanted, and years later, he’s with her.”

“With her,” Jenna repeated her friend’s words with a snort through her nostrils.”He’s not with her, you know how he is, he never takes anyone seriously so get your mind off her. He’s not yours or anyone’s.” Jenna hated to say but what she was saying seemed to be the real truth to her. She knew her brother so well to know that he wasn’t ‘with her’.

“You think? Can’t you see all he’s doing for her? He pampers her so much…”

“He just asked Randy and some other securities of his to stay around there and protect her, what else are you referring to as ‘pamper’?”ConTEent bel0ngs to Nôv(e)lD/rama(.)Org .

“Well, he got her that house…”

“You’ve got to be kidding me right now, Alex. You own a mansion.”

“He would never gift me a house, or anything at all.” Alex made her point, making Jenna shake her head in disbelief at what her friend was saying. She thought Alex was over Ben but now she knew she wasn’t.

“And also ..” Alex wanted to tell her other things she knew Ben had been doing but she didn’t want her best friend to know that she had been watching Belle’s every move so she paused her words.

“Also?” Jenna asked to know what she wanted to say.

“Nevermind,” Alex blinked her fake fears away.