17 Tell Me You Are Not In Love With Her

After they dropped Paris off, Abim and Doris drove in silence to Doris's flat which was located in a noisier part of town.

Her flat was beautiful and comfortable enough for one person. The sitting room had every thing a sitting room was expected to have and the two rooms, one of which was vacant, were both family sized. Abim had rented this apartment for her two months into their relationship. Before then, she was living with her grandmother in a remote part of town and going to work from there every day.

She worked as a salesperson at a big supermarket in town and the distance between the supermarket and her grandmother's remote corner was very far. But now it was just a few houses away and walkable.

Another reason Abim had volunteered to rent her an apartment was because she had suggested moving in with him and that was something he knew he wasn't really going to comfortable with; although he never revealed this to her. Visiting him frequently was different and better. Preferable to actually living together. He wasn't ready for that.

"Would you like to drink something? I've got a few cans of coke in my fridge." She said as she watched him fall exhaustingly on of the lilac coloured couches that beautified her sitting room.

"Nope."

"Some food then?"

"Not hungry."

She sighed heavily and went to sit beside him. "Darling, what is it?"

"With every thing that has happened recently, I'm surprised you are asking me that." Abim rubbed his tired eyes. This was one of those times he wanted to be alone by himself. . "By the way, Paris told me you think she is into me? Where the hell did you get such a ridiculous idea from?"

"Why are you offended that I think so?" Doris moved away from him and punched his eyes with hers.

"Oh my God, not again." He shook his head. "I am just surprised you think so. I'm curious about what must have triggered the thought. Did you ever catch her staring at me in an interesting way?"

"A few times." Doris refused to look away.

"I'm sure it doesn't mean anything. We all know how much she suspects me in relation to James's disappearance. Paris isn't that type of woman."

"Wow." Doris clapped her hands in a congratulatory manner. "So you know her that well now, don't you?"

"Doris let's not do this. I'm fed up already."

"And now you are avoiding communication." She threw her hands in the air. "I guess that explains why you were with her last night?"

"I was?!" Abim turned to face her fully.

"She alighted from your car last night when you arrived at the mansion. I have been wondering how you were able to go pick her up so fast and then bring her down when your brother's attempted suicide was causing panic. But then, I realized you never picked her up. The idea itself sounds stupid. You were already at her house Abim, because you were not home when your brother had the episode." Doris pressed for answers with her facial expressions.

Abim thought she was crazy. "You are crazy if you think I cheated on you."

"There we go again." Doris rolled her eyes. "Were you at her place or not?"

"I was."

"Oh! Doing what?"

Abim waved off her question. "If you posses any atom of love for me, you'd understand that I'm so drained by everything that's happening and I do not need you to make me feel worse."

"And I'm the one who isn't drained? See the shit I've gotten myself into simply because I'm involved with you!"

"Babe don't say that." Abim reached for her hands. Doris was sometimes toxic but he loved her like that. That was the problem.

"But it's true. If we were not together, Paris would never have had the guts to insinuate in public that I had something to do with your brother's disappearance. That question she asked is the most humiliating thing that I've had thrown at me in a while." She withdrew her hands and glared at him, wanting him to get more involved in the discussion.

Abim looked tired. "I'm her prime suspect, not you babe. I think she was a bit overwhelmed last night." He explained as calmly as he could.

"You are defending her?!" Doris moped at him in horror. "Oh now I see why you were so reluctant to pay her off the case. That's something I should never have to tell you to do because I am your girlfriend and you are expected to watch out for me!" Her tiny voice had risen.

"Okay, I'm sorry." Abim gave up.

"No, you are not." Doris grabbed a throw pillow and hit him with it. "I hate you!" Her voice broke down.

"I love you babe." Abim dragged the pillow from her and set it aside. "Just try and calm down. You are overreacting."

"You don't even love me anymore." She said with resign, shaking her head in pity for herself. "I can see it in your eyes. If you want to leave just leave already."

Abim closed his eyes and inhaled deeply and slowly. This lady was so annoying. He exhaled lightly and opened his eyes. "You know I love you babe. Just stop this nonsense already, I'm having a headache. You are supposed to be more concerned about how Max is doing more that some irrelevant things that are not even true to begin with."

"Irrelevant?" Doris made sure she heavily emphasized the word.

"Yes. You don't even realize you are toxic." Abim's pitch changed and now he sounded pissed.

"Get out of my house." Doris stood up and pointed at the door.

Abim looked at her, astonished. "I don't understand. Are we fighting?"

"Well, now we are!" Doris screamed at him. "Leave my house! I don't want to bear another moment of your lying insensitive face!"

"Says the insensitive one!" Abim screamed back at her and stood up. "It'd do my mental health a lot more good if I leave right now anyway. Every single thing about you smells toxicity."

She pushed him towards the door . "I said leave!"

Abim opened the door in anger and slammed it in her face.

A few minutes later, she heard the screech of his car tires as they rolled out of the compound.

She slumped against the door and began to cry.