FEAR.

HOPE'S POV.

"We are here."

Dian utters for the first time since my episode.

We had been driving in silence. Dian kept looking at me from time to time maybe scared that I would fall asleep again. I was also scared of more nightmares so I didn't dare close my eyes.

"Where is here?" I ask almost in a whisper. Peeping outside, I realize its already dark except for the familiar street lights. The realization that we are outside my apartment hits me. How? This must be a joke.

"But Dian, how did you know where I live?"

He gives me a smack before answering.

"Connections remember? It is a small world."

He is so fluent in his answer that it shocks me. Was that just a normal thing to him? Looking up people and knowing everything about them including the exact place they stay?

Am not in the mood to argue so I give no reply. He moves out of the car to get my door. His answer is still bothering me but I choose not to say a word. I feel so exhausted to start thinking how and why he would know where I live.

"You seem to be overthinking. Just stop. I'm not some serial killer who stalks everyone for prey. I was here for your window fixing."

Window fixing? The words almost choke on my throat. I recall how dramatic I was on that day and my palms become sweaty. But why do I not remember him?

"Excuse me. You are a glazier?"

"Anything wrong with me being one? You seem surprised."

Of course, am surprised. A glazier who drives a 2022 model of Audi R8 that's not in the market yet? Surprised is an understatement. I wish I could say this out loud.

Dian clears his throat as if watching me.

"Something on your mind? Ashamed of me? Now that am a glazier?"

He dares ask me that? How and why would I be ashamed. I got no job myself, at least he has something.

"Not ashamed. Wondering why I cannot recall your face. Not easy to forget a face."

"Oh, that you might have. You never really saw me. I was the third guy you never met."

"So, you mean you were the third guy?"

"Yeah, I figured you didn't notice. Arrived later and got informed you were not in a good mood. Chose to keep my distance."

"Sorry about that. Took out my anger on your colleagues which was not okay."

"It's okay. For what its worth, they did not take any offence. We have delt with worse."

Walking to my front poach, I sit on an arm chair and stare into the clear sky.

"Thank you for today. Thanks for bringing me home."

"Will you be okay alone?"

I hesitate. But I was sure I would be okay. I never have a choice anyway. My life has given me very few choices. I always have to get myself together, get back on my feet, smile and move on like everything was okay.

"Hope…?"

"Oh, sorry I will be okay."

He gives me a look as if to disagree but then stops.

"Then I will take my leave."

With that, he blubs a take care and heads to his car.

Watching Dian drive away brings tears to my eyes. I have been with him just for a day and truth be told his departure brings an emptiness in my heart. I cannot understand why joy is always short lived for me. It is cold and am scared to be alone. Never said that to Dian, I rather feel he has done enough already.

The way he had held me after the night mare was so soothing. Being vulnerable to a stranger is not one of my plans so I felt really embarrassed.

I check my wrist watch, it is half past seven. Am sure Vins has early shifts at the diner on weekends so I leave him a voice message asking him to come over after his shift.

There is no way I can spend the night alone after what happened today.

DIAN'S POV.

I drive towards the city square but I can't help but feel bothered.

I could tell Hope was not sure she wanted me to leave. Having interest or showing any in ladies has been a task for me for the past many years. Am surrounded by ladies in my line of work and it has never occurred to me that I would ever be interested in either of them. Now this lady I officially met today can't seem to leave my mind.

My world is slowly blowing up. The heavy walls I had around to shield my feelings are falling apart and there is this burning desire that keeps screaming her name.

I can not tell what happens in the next several seconds because I find myself turning around and speeding towards her house.

It is almost eight in the evening and there is heavy traffic. I'm not used to waiting in the traffic so I keep tapping on the steering impatiently.

The look in her eyes as I left keeps replaying in my mind. What if she wanted me to stay even when she couldn't say so?? Since the nightmare she didn't say much. The happiness in her eyes had suddenly been replaced by fear. Her eyes were silently screaming terrified.

I pull up by her street and drive towards her apartment. Before I can pull up to the parking lot, am beaten to it by an over speeding Volvo. Slowing down, I watch as the Volvo parks Infront of her apartment. A medium height guy, long black hair, walks out of the Volvo with a Favad Delicacies shopping bag and heads to the apartment's main door. He rings the bell once and walks in without waiting for a reply.

This sends a load of emotions running through me. Why was the guy overspeeding? Was she in danger? Why would the guy just walk in like it was his place? Is he Adam? My veins bulge with anger and am afraid any second longer here, would send me to that apartment and smashing the guy's face.

I slowly turn around and head back to the city and drive straight to my villa.

HOPE'S POV.

Dear God, I do not know what to say right now because if I were you, I would not listen. Often, I go astray, walk in paths that do not honour you. Yet every time that I come back, you always listen.

Am not proud of who I am, neither am I anything close to perfect. I am tinted all over with no idea what to do or how to live anymore. Just show me a way.

************************************

If there is anything am always grateful that my mother taught me is prayer. She did her best in laying a good Christian foundation for us. I'm nothing close to righteous but at least I know how to pray. Most times, I find myself talking to God like am talking to a friend. It has kept me moving all this time. Having very few friends, I never talk much about myself. It is either am talking to Aimmy, Vins or God, nobody else. That is how much private my life is.

Having been brought up in fame, the eyes of the public was something that made me have a different perspective about being social.

When I moved to Blue view, I wanted to get far away from home and avoid the eyes of the public as much as I could. I never used my sir name much to avoid raising unnecessary alarms. Nobody had discovered I was his daughter yet, and I wanted to keep it that way as long as I could.

I avoided calling home, or even visiting. It was not easy at first but I had to be patient. I could never risk drawing any public attention to myself.

It is in the middle of the night. Sleep have become a luxury to me lately. I barely sleep, always thinking of the worst-case scenario. Sometimes I wonder what would happen if my savings got wiped off before finding a new job. The Manager's deal of going back to work at the diner whenever I am ready is still on the table. I am not interested though; I rather feel like I want a job with less customer contact. Am afraid of dealing with people.

It has been a week since KINSEF and I have not set foot outside my apartment. Soaking myself in movies and series all day has become my new hobby. Most nights, I stand by my bedroom window and count the stars. With a clear sky, I stare into space or watch the glittering of the street lights.

Understanding why life can be so harsh is something that keeps running through my mind.

The falls are here, am supposed to go home for the weekend like I promised and the fact that it has all collided with the falls is making me nervous.

These falls, I have no idea what to do. Getting a new job is not easy.

Most employers keep asking for qualifications and it really pisses me off. I have working hands, able feet, a thinking head, is that not enough proof that I can be employed? Give me some credit, at least am human not a robot!

I find it impressive how pigeons can recognize hundreds of images even after several years. A skill that makes them quite good messengers. Do they have a degree? Do they own any qualifications? Any education papers? But they can deliver letters even more perfectly than qualified humans.

I can be quite an overthinker, especially with the fact that I've been curled up on the coach for an entire week following The Iron Mask series.

********************************************

PS; Am damn serious about employment. Some young people are out here with great skills but no employment. Just because someone could not afford to attend college and get themselves a degree doesn't make them any less humans. If you are a Manager, a C.E.O or any kind of an employer, give that person who came begging for a job without papers at your company a chance. They might lack certificates but their self-learned skills and determination might surprise you.

Sorry, everyone for the short chapter, it has been really cold here and am dealing with a cold😔.