Nik’s POV

“How do I look?” A voice asked as I drew my eyes off the magazine I was holding and focused on a girl emerging out of the dressing room

“Wow” I breathed as she smiled “you look….”

“Different?”

“Yeah, different and sexy” I complimented and saw a blush creep up her face. Well, she totally deserves it, rocking it in that black designer denim.

“We should go, my father doesn’t have that much of patience and I’ve kept him waiting for long ” I more like reminded myself, knowing the old man would be furious by now

“Sure,” Maya acquiesced and stepped outside while I paid for the bills. When I went out, she was already in the car waiting for me.

I looked around, checking for anyone who might be following us. Satisfied, I stepped into the car.

“What were you looking at?” The once Stubborn ass asked, she was really good at observing me.

“Checking if we’re being followed”

Maya frowned “followed?” She looked through the window “Why would anyone follow you? You know, aside from kidnappers and robbers considering you’re rich and….”

I stared at her intrigued “And what?”

“And enemies” she shrugged “you know business enemies. Enemies you make during a transaction who’ll want nothing but to end you, you know…such competitors who…..”

“I know what business enemies are, Maya ” I stated firmly loving her cute blabbering

She paused for a while ” Oh, true” she gave me a strained smile “Of course you know, why wouldn’t you know? You’re smart, intelligent, and would always know. Wait a minute, am I blabbering?”

“Yeah, a little…or more than a little? “

She sighed, pressing her temple, ” I tend to talk a lot when I’m nervous. It’s a disease, an incurable one”

I stared at her for a while not getting why she was so nervous, it wasn’t like the old man was going to hurt her neither would Tina without my permission

“What?”

“Huh?”

“Why are you staring at me like that?” Maya asked, leaving me short of words.

“Nothing, I was just urm..thinking ” Came my reply and she looked away. Without she noticing, I kept staring at her wondering why she was nervous when other girls were ready to kill for such an opportunity

“If you keep staring at me like that you might build a hole in my head…..”

“Why are you nervous?” I blurted out before I realized it. Why was I this way? I just couldn’t understand. All of my dates I never bother about their personal life or what they’re feeling, it’s never my business but why was I so interested in her?

“Excuse me ?”

“What’s making you afraid, Maya?” I asked staring her in the eyes and she stared back, for a while I saw fear flicker in those brown eyes

“I’m scared” she murmured

  ​​​​”Scared of what?”

“Scared of being a failure. All my life, I was never good at anything” she laughed softly but I could see sheer pain beneath that laugh

“Even if I was good at it, I never succeeded but my sister Kim was good at everything. My parents loved her so much that they even forgot I exist, to them I’m a disgrace. So, I left home ” she looked away as a tear slipped down her face and sniffed 

“I was just eighteen when I left home and they never bothered searching for me. Thankfully, I was in college by then, so I worked part-time to take care of school and myself. Even though they didn’t search for me, I had hoped maybe one day …one day…you know they’ll come for me until I discovered I wasn’t my father’s child, I’m Kim’s half-sister. My mom was coming home one day from work when she was rap..ra..raped by some stranger and I became the result..”

“Oh God,” I groaned and put my arms around her and hugged her. She hugged me so tight as if holding unto life as she cried her heart out.

How did she withstand such harsh treatment? I knew she wasn’t faking it cause she wouldn’t cry two times in a row in the same night without thinking of ruining her makeup

I held her face in my palm focusing her gaze on mine “Maya, you’re not a failure” I tried encouraging her but she chuckled nervously

“You’re just saying that to stop me from crying”

“And is that working?” I asked

“A little”

I smiled “I meant every word I said, Maya. You’re not a failure, you’re just taking things slowly waiting for your time to shine and trust me when I tell you that time is coming sooner than later”

She smiled back wiping her eyes with her hands “I guess I’ll just have to believe “

Immediately, a huge frown appeared on her face “I’ve ruined my makeup now your dad would think you beat and forced me into coming here”

I smiled, she’s definitely silly  “No, my dad would think you were overridden with joy to the point of tears after receiving his invitation”

Maya’s jaw dropped at once

“you are so bad ” She murmured as I cheered silently.

She smiled looking away as I admired her secretly, she’s definitely a fighter unlike many girls I’ve seen, willing to fight against a cruel destiny bestowed on her by her family.

I pondered, if it was still the old me I would probably be dating her by now.

But the old me is gone, she’ll be better off with someone who will treasure and stay faithful to her

“Maya?” I called and she turned at once giving me those brown inquisitive eyes

“What?”

“Andrew doesn’t know what he lost”

“Huh? Why do you…..” She tried asking but I climbed down the car before she could finish

“Wait, why are we…..” She looked around open-mouthed

” we’re here?”

I nodded and she turned pale muttering “oh”.

Breathing in, I faced her and placed both hands on her shoulder feeling her shiver.

Concerned, I asked, ” Are you cold?”

“No,…I um.. you know goosebumps. I get them a lot when I get nervous” She answered leaving me more confused than ever.

I regarded her intensely for a while “you seem to have lots of illnesses when you’re nervous?

Confirming my suspicion she was lying to me, she looked away and answered me ” Yeah, you know ..blabbering goosebumps…I told you it’s incurable “

So I decided to play along, If she wasn’t going to acknowledge the attraction between us, no big deal. She’s too good for me anyway.

“Maya, you don’t have to be nervous. It’s gonna be alright, I’ll make sure of it” I squeezed her hand softly and she eased up a bit.

Giving me a strained smile she said “let’s do this”

“Yeah” I smiled back hoping the old man wasn’t going to give me a hard time.

Just when I grabbed her hand to lead her inside, my phone rang “Give me a sec” I requested and she nodded. 

Walking a few blocks away, I retrieved my phone from my pocket only to find out it was Tina calling “What now?”

I heard her sigh” I decided to call the meeting off so you don’t have to worry cause I’m on my way to your father’s place. I’m guessing you’re there already, so just wait up “

I stood short of words, what was I going to do. I can’t disappoint Maya especially after her opening up to me but if the old man finds out she’s isn’t Tina and Tina comes down here, it’s going to be quite a sight.

Great Nik, you’re such a great master planner. I was about sending Tina away when an idea struck me.

Holding the phone firmly I asked, “where are you now?”

“Probably five minutes away from here”

I smiled “fine, you should hurry cause my father doesn’t have much of the word called patience”