He was right, of course. But outside the office, I spent nearly every hour with her.
Zioh:While I’m away, does she seem alright?
Dave:No, sir. At the office, Miss Sophia grew quiet, often lost in contemplation. This is why I thought I should see her outside the office, too?
As I feared, something was wrong. Had she and Tsabinu had a row this time?
Zioh:No need. She always comes here after work.
Dave:But, sir, Miss Sophia always goes home.
Zioh:Yes, but after that, she comes here. I pick her up from the cafe near her house myself.
Zioh:Keep an eye on her while she’s at the office, find out if anything’s troubling her, or if she is headed here when I don’t pick her up. After that, don’t worry, she spends most of her time here anyway, and often stays the night.
« -- * --»
Three weeks later, things felt calmer. At least,it should have.
Therapy had become routine. My steps felt easier than before. The fog in my head thinned, especially with how close Tshabina and I had grown these past weeks. But… still, unease pricked me whenever Dave reported back from the office.
I’d wanted to ease Tshabina’s despair by speaking to Tsabinu, but she brushed it off whenever I brought up her brother.
So I waited for her to trust me enough to meet him.
The whole world can doubt you, Zioh. But I will never. Not today. Not tomorrow. NEVER.Purple. 73.
Our days kept moving, becoming almost a routine. After work, Tshabina came to this penthouse, and we spent the day together.
But something was strange. Her scent was different. I told myself it was a different perfume, but deep down I knew it wasn’t. Tshabina had her own scent—carnations, forever etched into my memory, but I couldn’t smell it anymore.
Also, I didn’t see the colour anymore. No… I didn’t even feel it.
For the past few weeks, Tshabina had felt black-and-white. The colour she had radiated had vanished. Her smiles, laughter, jokes, hugs, kisses, warmth, heartbeat, voice, and embrace all felt dim.
It shouldn’t be like this.
I never felt hollow when I was with Tshabina, or even just looking at her.
My thoughts broke when the beeps of the code being entered at my door. A soft smile curved on my lips, and I strolled forward.
My woman.
She ran toward me, and I caught her in my arms as she leapt. “Hey…” I greeted her, a little laugh escaping my mouth.
I loved this change in Tshabina—it felt like being back to when we were children and teenagers. I could see my little Sophie again. Especially since the day I set foot back in Indonesia, when Tshabina kept drawing lines.
But whatever version she was, I’d always love her as long as she was my Sophie.
My smile lingered as I leaned back to see her face clearly. “Hey baby… I miss you,” I said, tucking strands of her long black hair behind her ear.
Tshabina smiled, her eyes sparkling as she looked at me. “I miss you too, handsome…”
Hey, it’s Tshabina. Or… her.
I shook my head as the voices returned to gnaw at me. But then Tshabina cupped my jaw, her warm hands against my neck, making my heartbeat race, and she leaned in to press her lips to mine.
Her soft lips sent a rush of warmth through my body. “I want you tonight,” Tshabina whispered, full of desire. “I always want you, Zioh.” She moaned as she bit my lips.
