Chapter 34 - He leads people on.
"Love can cure heartbreak, misfortune, or tragedy. It is the eternal companion." - Anonymous
***
Raina Williams.
"Thanks for showing me around Los Angeles. It's really beautiful here." Antoinetta smiled admiring the view around the park. She asked if I could show her around the city since Yasmine had been busy and I didn't mind so I did.
"It's the least I could do." I gave her a smile with my pearly whites. The park was the best place to just think, the old men playing chase on the other side while cyclists continuously rode their bicycles past us. It was much greener than anything. It was just a beautiful atmosphere to be around.
"Hey, I'm sorry about the other time-" i immediately cut her off, knowing exactly what she was going to say and I wasn't really one to hold grudges.
"It's okay, you were just defending your friend. I would have done the same thing really." I shrugged.
"Honestly you are so brave being part of the wedding of someone you were once in love with." She smiled lightly giving me a pat on the shoulder.
"I don't love him anymore so it's much easier." I added. Honestly I don't understand why I settled to be treated like crap ?
"I know Yasmine is my friend but Raina, we both know she is in it for the Reputation and money." She said taking a picture of the view in front of our bench.
"You know the German saying a relationship is for two and three is crowd." I muttered.
"I know, i know but I can't seem to shake off the way he looked at you during that dinner." She took a snap at me.
"- Hey I thought the camera was for the view not me." I giggled facepalming as she snapped even more pictures.
"Well I made a genuine friend so I wanted a picture." She said taking a look a the filmstrip of the picture previously taken.
"And here I was thinking you were a designer and not a photographer." I said sarcastically. She gave me a lopsided smile. "I thought so too but I think I'm starting to like photography more. It's really mediocre considering I went to school for designing only to want to be a photographer so I don't pay much attention to it."
"My dad always says when you enjoy the things you do, you do them well." I muttered proudly remembering my father.
"Well your father seems like a wise man." She said.
"I would like to think so too, he is actually a pastor back home in Ohio." I tugged a few strands of my hair behind my ear.
"That's so cool, preachers kid." She teased pinching my cheeks. Goodness I had never met someone so childish but I liked how she was just generally being herself all in all.
"Stop Antoinetta." I giggled my cheeks probably beetroot red by now. Then she snapped another picture from the side angle and I wasn't aware or quite ready for it.
"Now you are acting like a tourist and you are really going to attract thieves." I said my lawyer side showing itself.
"I'm from South Africa, Jozi Johannesburg... crime is basically culture there so this doesn't scare me Ray ray." She quirked a brow. I was at loss for words since no one ever called me Ray ray, her new profound nickname was cute.
"Really well then noted, I'm never visiting South Africa thanks for the warning." I said with a grin.
"Goodness Raina you should get out of your shell, those are the moments that make an experience worth remembering." She laughed. "I remember when I was walking down town ghandi squre on my phone then a someone who was pretending to be jogging, ran past me and grabbed my phone. I couldn't even catch up to him but I was like whatever It was a sign I needed to upgrade to the new iPhone 6." She explained.
"That's horrible but still I would have ran after him or reported him to the police." I said and she threw her head back in laughter.
"Here's a piece of advice Ray ray, if anything goes missing in Mzansi, forget about it. You will never see it again unless they sell it back to you or its on display for sell." She shrugged.
"The police.." I added.
"Haha this is not FBI or NCIS well 90% of them are just so unfit infact they don't care about their job." She said snapping more pictures.
"But I wouldn't change South Africa for any place because those little things make it what it is and that's home." She explained.
"Now I really think South Africa is a really interesting place." I thought.
"Anyways where is that your Hottie of a boyfriend ?" She grinned.
"Argh He's in Washington, I'm not sure when he will be back." I replied.
"Business trip ?" She asked and I nodded. "Well are you sure he isn't up to something else because business trips are excuses to-" i let out a laugh, at the sardonic thought that Gray is cheating because one : we ain't even in a relationship in the first place and two : he plays for the other team. Impossible.
"No, i trust him alot. He wouldn't." I said inwardly smiling.
"I think Angelo is still hang over you." She said waiting for my reaction and it was a bluffing laugh. How can he be hang over me when he wasn't even hang over in the first place.
"Let me let you in on a little secret." I shifted on my seat making myself comfortable. "See Angelo as you get to know him, he is a compulsive liar." I explained thinking about how he thought telling me he was inlove with me would get me to envelope his member between my thighs.
"He leads people on, he makes you think the feeling is mutual then he pulls aways and let's you know it was a one sided feeling." I said calmly and she listened attentively.
"He is so good with words, he will make you think otherwise but-" i paused speaking from experience. "It is just best to ignore his mediocre attitude." I said genuinely because this advise was working for me.
"Do you think he is deceiving my friend as well ?" She gasped and honestly I was talking for myself not Yasmine but now I wasn't sure just maybe.
"No no I'm sure he loves her." I gulped down a lump on my throat as I let those words slip off my tongue.
"I doubt it." She added. " They both don't love each other and I don't know when they will realise it maybe twelve years into the marriage and kids are involved." She shrugged her shoulders and I just kept quiet. Thanking God that I wasn't in that situation anymore, i can only imagine how heartbroken and hurt one of them will be when it finally happens.
I'm honestly happy with the way my life has turned out. My twins are the only reason for my strength to face all these pain. They make me want to be a better person for them and no one else.