Chapter 32: Call Me Please

The car's engine was revving up, and Theo's face was concerned about Rakiza. He was thinking about something he couldn't explain to Rakiza. She was sobbing quietly. In her mind, Nikolas's reddened face was from the warmth of the sun streaming into the building lobby.
Rakiza continued to wipe her tears away, but they continued to fall down her cheeks. She was obviously upset and didn't know what to do.
"What happened up there?" Theo asked, breaking their awkward silence.
Rakiza still doesn't have the strength to confess everything to Theo, but she thought she should say something to get Theo to concede and keep quiet. "I gave the ring back to Nikolas."
"I'm curious about the tears." What's the reason for your tears? People do not cry for no reason. And, based on how I saw you, you're emotionally hurt. What transpired? What did he do to you, Rakiza? "
Rakiza cried out again, "Nothing and please stop asking."
Theo slammed the brakes, bringing the car to a halt, and yelled angrily, "You must tell me what Nikolas did to you, Rakiza!" Tell me right now! "
Rakiza was shaken by Theo's rage and retorted, "You have no right to yell at me like that, Theo!"
"I have the authority because I am your guardian." That means you have to tell me everything that has happened to you, whether you want to or not! "
"And who are you to act like a bastard bodyguard, Theo?"
Leave me alone! "She screamed, "I don't need your help or protection!"
"You have no idea what's going to happen to you if I abandon you, Rakiza!" He gritted, "For all I know, it's my responsibility to keep you safe from...
"Who are you protecting me from, Theo?" Don't put me in a game that only you know how to play. Don't abandon me in the darkness! You've got to enlighten me with that ostensibly protective shield you're putting on me! I'm sick and tired of your dominance, Theo! You're such a jerk and..." Her sobbing drowned out her voice.
Rakiza's inquiry made Theo unresponsive. For her own sake, he was bound to a mission that should be kept hidden from Rakiza.
Rakiza's sobbing filled the car. She began to relax and regain her composure. Her hands were still trembling, and her breath was racing down her throat. And Theo was looking at her with compassionate eyes.
"I'm sorry," Theo said quietly, adding, "I am such a jerk to force you to amend my every query." He sighed, "I am so hard on you, and I am sorry." But I'm more concerned about why you were crying. You wouldn't be crying if nothing had happened up the "A Tower."
Rakiza wanted to confess everything to Theo, but she had respected Nikolas's privacy and had no intention of disclosing Nikolas' illness to Theo. Never. What she discovered about Nikolas should be kept between them and never be revealed to others. She couldn't tell Theo she was crying because she felt pity for Nikolas, and it broke her heart.
Nikolas's flushed face in the elevator kept replaying in her mind. And she couldn't stop crying. She was still shaking, and her tears were streaming uncontrollably.
Theo let her cry out until she dropped. And the silence was excruciatingly painful for Rakiza. She knew Theo would never let her keep a secret from him, especially one about Nikolas. She could tell he was envious of Nikolas and that he wouldn't stop asking her until she gave in, if not today, then tomorrow.
Theo got out of the car and stood near the cliff's edge. The wind was getting colder, even at noon. She then felt a rumble in her stomach. Theo shifted his gaze to her, as if he had sensed her hunger. He then returned to his car, and they were back on the road. Again, Theo's silence was unsettling. Rakiza, on the other hand, had nothing to say to him. And she was relieved that Theo was ignoring her.
They came to a halt in the parking lot in front of the quaint restaurant.
"What are we doing here?" Rakiza inquired.
"I know you're hungry, just like me, so let's get something to eat."
They took a seat in the restaurant's corner, behind the large aquarium devoid of fish. Rakiza was so hungry that she thought she could eat the entire chicken. And they ate quietly. Theo didn't appear to be obstinate towards her at the time. He, too, was troubled by something.
Rakiza suggested, "I could take a cab home after this."
"Stop making excuses for avoiding me, Rakiza," Theo said bluntly. "I'm not going to let you travel alone because you're not safe when you're alone."
"Why are you both concerned about other personas?" Rakiza asked.
"What?" asked Theo.
Rakiza divulged, "Nikolas was also concerned about others, which is why he suggested I wear the red beryl ring for protection from others."
"Are you certain he said that?" Theo inquired.
She sighed, "That's why we had a misunderstanding and I left him after putting the ring on the table."
Theo was thinking again, and he was silent and then, later, said, "Just promise me not to be careless, Rakiza." Be vigilant all the time, and never trust anyone, not even me or Nikolas, "he said quietly.
Rakiza demanded, "You have to tell me the truth, Theo; why are you acting as my protector?"
"For my own satisfaction," Theo said, looking at her.
Rakiza's expression went sour again.
After half an hour, Rakiza was sent back to the dormitory in front of the gate with Theo, who was staring at her most of the time.
"Thank you for returning the ring to Nikolas; that is the right thing to do."
"Forget it," Rakiza said as she walked to the door when Theo quickly grabbed her hand and whispered, "Don't fall for either of us, Nikolas or me."
Rakiza's blood boiled again as she considered the irony of Theo's declaration. He wasn't interested in her. But he kissed her, and those kisses never left her alone. She could feel Theo's gaze on her every now and then. And it was always infiltrating her soul. She then turned to walk towards the dorm door, opened it, and returned to Theo, only to find him gone.
"Where is he?" she wondered.
Rakiza had the loneliest night of her life, and sleep was impossible for her. So she went to her laptop to write. She had not updated her novel due to a variety of occourences. Then she heard a cell phone ringing from her bag. She then remembered Theo's cellphone, and it was the one that rang.
Rakiza said sternly, "Hello, get this cell phone tomorrow and stop calling me at night."
"I know you're still awake," Theo joked.
Rakiza grumbled, "You woke me up by this phone ringing."
"Don't lie, Rakiza, I saw you," Theo exclaimed.
"What?" she uttered as she dashed to the window and peered out.
"And now you're looking at me through the window."
"Why are you doing this?"
"How many times do I have to tell you that I'm watching over you?" Theo's voice smiled. "Is it difficult to grasp?"
Rakiza became enraged. "Then stop feeding your satisfaction with this nonsense thing you do. Are you high?"
"No, I'd be insane if I did that, and I'm not on drugs."
"And why are you hiding out there?"
"To protect you all the way," Theo said.
"What are you afraid of?"
"For you to perish at the hands of my adversary."
Rakiza detected accuracy in Theo's voice. And she was slightly concerned, but not overly so. "It's already late; go home and sleep; your house is miles away; aren't you afraid to roam in the dark?"
"Who is your enemy, Theo. Tell me about them. I should know everything about them. You suggested that they're going hurt me, and then explain to me why?
"And who are they, by the way? Maybe I have a right to know, because I am what they were after, based on your actions. Now tell me, Theo, who are they? And what made me become involved in their rage? If they hated you, why bother to find me and harm me? " Rakiza was firm. "
"As I previously stated, you have valuable items that are important to them, and you must not cave in."
"That's not right, Theo! You must inform me of everything! "
"I will tell you soon," Theo promised. “But in the main time, get some rest.”
As he cut the call, the other end of the phone went silent, and Rakiza was still furious at Theo for not telling her the truth about the guarding drama. And she made the decision to return Theo's phone.
Her Nokia phone then started ringing. It was her manager who was calling. "Hello?"
"Hello Rakiza, "I'm calling to invite you to tomorrow's writer's meeting," her manager, Lyra Brinston, said over the phone. Will you be able to come? "
"Of course, Miss Brinston, when and where is the meeting going to take place? "
"In the conference room, in the office, you know where it is," Lyra said, adding, "Don't be late tomorrow at ten a.m.," she said.
"I'll be there on time, Miss Brinston."
"All right, see you tomorrow."
"See you later," Rakiza said cheerfully. Rakiza's anxiety was diverted from Theo's demeanor by her manager's call. She went to bed after a few hours of writing and promptly fell asleep.
The sun was shining brightly in the morning, and Rakiza was in the shower room getting ready for work.
Chin came in and asked a series of questions, including, "What happened to Muriel?" Have you heard of her? "
"Not yet, Susan, but she may have had an idea about her situation."
"Susan informed me that Muriel had a series of lab tests, but no results had been obtained. I feel sorry for her.
Chin continued, "Until now, I couldn't believe how Muriel lost her blood; she was very health-conscious."
"When will she return?"
"She'll be back to school next week," Chin added.
"So, I better get going," Rakiza said as she finished combing her hair and grabbed her sling bag. "I don't want to be late for my first face-to-face meeting with my bosses," she said as she bolted.
Rakiza stepped outside the house to wait for a taxi when she noticed Theo approaching her. Theo looked stunning in his black sleeveless top and flesh-colored pants.But she didn't allow it to escape her eyes.
"Where are you going?" Chin inquired.
"I have some errands to run," she said as she walked away.
"I'm available to accompany you, Rakiza."
She took a quick step forward, but Theo was quick to react and caught her hand again. And it became comfortable in every way.
"Aren't you getting tired of looking after me, Theo?" Rakiza asked, frowning.
"Doing a job will never tire you out, Rakiza, especially when it involves saving lives."
Rakiza came to a halt and turned to face Theo. "And whose lives are you going to save by keeping an eye on me, Theo?"
"Don't ask; just let me do my job," he said as he followed her. "What are we going to do?"
"I have a meeting at ten a.m., so please don't bother me for one day, okay?" She said sarcastically, "And don't worry about me, Theo. I can handle myself." She then took out Theo's phone and handed it to him, "And here's your phone; take it and leave me alone for now, okay?"
Theo, who had stopped following Rakiza, said, "Keep that phone in your pocket and call me whenever you want."
Rakiza was surprised at Theo's sudden change of plan. And then a cab pulled over, and she got in, leaving Theo standing by the side of the road. He kept staring at the taxi until it was too far away. She wasn't expecting Theo to be so aggressive in protecting her. It came out of nowhere and got under her skin, forcing her to reconsider his explanation of how someone might hurt her. She had a headache as a result of Theo's unspoken plan. She took a deep breath and focused on her meeting.
It was already ten a.m. when she arrived at the publishing house. And when she entered the conference room, she was surprised. She was the only one summoned to that meeting.