Love is tricky, Lily thought. One moment, it’s all breeze and bliss; the next moment brings anguish and agony. Lily didn’t know where to place her friend Bech on the love radar. Why was she crying right now? Surely, she didn’t love Jade, did she?
Lily sat with Bech in silence, the only sound being the whimpering from Bech. When she was calm enough to talk, Bech said, “Tell me everything. Leave out no detail.”
“I just found out he’s a swindler, Bech. He targets the daughters of rich people, makes them fall helplessly in love with him with the promise to marry them, then, after he has gathered enough from the woman, he skips town, never to be seen or heard of again.”
Bech’s shock was all over her face. She couldn’t believe what Lily had just told her. Jade was too smart to stoop… but how well did she know him? She got up, the cocoa beverage now completely neglected on the centre table. She paced in her small hall, trying to put the pieces together.
“Ah, Lily, when did all these happen?”
“His last victim was my friend from secondary school. Her name is Delilah. She had searched for him since he absconded with her money and a saloon car.”
“Oh God!”
“Why?” Lily’s eyes widened, “You had not begun liking him already, had you?” When there was no response, Lily said, “Oh my God, Bech, since when?”
Bech’s look gave Lily all the response she needed. “I didn’t want to admit it because of how close we all were. It would have been awkward if he didn’t like me too.” Bech shrugged. “But after he kissed me, I avoided him to sort my emotions out. I also wanted to give him time to understand what he had initiated.” She rubbed her upper arms vigorously. “It doesn’t make sense to me; everything felt so real…” she said finally, more to herself.
“I am so sorry, Bech,” Lily said, downcast. She didn’t want to see her best friend miserable. “After you left my place the other day, I assumed you had no feelings for him so I was intervening quickly. Maybe I should have come to you earlier.” She sighed. “I heard that Delilah was dead, you see.”
“Who’s Delilah?”
“Jade’s last victim before arriving here. My friend from secondary school.”
Bech covered her mouth with her hand, “Oh my God. You knew him!”
“No!”
“You planned this all along with him? Lily?!” Bech couldn’t hold back her tears; they flowed freely. “What do I have?” She cast her eyes around her sparse hall. “Why?!”
“No, Bech, listen to me.” Lily got up and tried to touch Bech but she flinched. So she continued, “I didn’t know, okay? Delilah never introduced him to any of her friends because she thought we might snatch him. Snatching was common then. I didn’t know he was the one. I ran into Delilah in the mall three days ago and she asked how I was coping with my family’s death.” Lily’s voice choked. “I cut her off because she hadn’t been there for me; why would she care now? Then I heard she had died then it made sense why she didn’t show up during the most difficult time of my life. You can imagine my shock to have seen her in the mall like everything was normal. Then we went for a drink. That was when she told me everything. However, I didn’t tell her I knew the man she was referring to. I was thinking of you the whole time. But you were not picking my calls and I didn’t want to intrude. Today, I couldn’t wait any longer, only to find that ingrate here, trying to seduce you. Believe me, Bech.”
Impossible, Bech thought. Impossible. It couldn’t be happening again. She thought she was smart enough to sense a liar miles away. How could she have let Jade come so close to her heart? She held the front of her shirt as if to prevent her heart from tearing apart. How did she offend the universe such that they kept sending rotten men her way?
This time, she would confront him. Make him tell her what he wanted with her; she had nothing at all. She didn’t fit the category of women he went after. Had she not known this?
She looked around, and upon locating her car key, stormed out of her hall. She didn’t hear Lily call her, neither did she see Lily run after her with the speed that she joined the main road. She needed answers. She needed to hear Jade’s side of the story.
Because of her speed, it didn’t take long to get to Jade’s street. All the houses in this neighbourhood were properly planned, unlike hers. Every resident had two parking spaces in front of their houses. She had passed through this street long enough and secretly too to know that Jade didn’t own a car. So whose car was parked right in front of his house? She sped past his house, parked at the open square a few meters away and walked back to Jade’s house to put her scattered thoughts and emotions in order. It was also to surprise Jade and throw him off-guard.
She didn’t knock. She didn’t have to. Jade’s door was always open to Lily and her. There was no one in the foyer, but there was a heavy trail of women’s perfume. She heard a ceramic hit the floor and followed the sound to the kitchen… only to find Jade in the embrace of another woman on the dining table in the kitchen.
Bech didn’t know how long she had been rooted to the spot. It may have been five seconds, it may have been five years, she couldn’t tell. But the moment Jade set his eyes on her, he pushed the woman aside and began to adjust his jeans trousers. He moved towards Bech, top-naked, with outstretched arms, “I can explain, Bech. It’s not what it looks like. Please.”
Bech just kept shaking her head, unable to speak or move. She saw what she saw. She knew what loose jeans on a man with a woman between his legs meant. Her eyes moved to the woman who had taken a comfortable stand near the kitchen counter, watching Bech with amusement. “Delilah?”
“The one and only.” The woman drawled. “I take it you are Bech.” She looked Bech up and down, threw her head back with a laugh and said, “Hm, impressive.”
Jade’s voice near Bech brought her back to earth. She slapped him and ran out of the house. She could hear him call out her name behind her but she didn’t stop. She just ran and ran until she felt her heart would burst. Honestly, she wished she would drop dead. What was worse than being played for a fool and going along with it?
She got into her car but did not start the engine. Her arms felt leaden and strange. After all these years of keeping herself from men because of her terrible experiences with them, she had to go and love a criminal! She let out a dry laugh. Fate was indeed cruel to her.
She shook herself mentally and drove straight to the open-air bar where she met Lily at the entrance. Lily seemed to calculate her every move; she just knew everything. Bech just collapsed into her friend’s arms, and Lily led her gently to the nearest table. She let Bech cry all that she wanted to. She sat by her, a comforting hand on her friend’s back. Bech had done so much for her since her family died; it was time to pay back the loyalty. Lily’s look darkened.
