CHAPTER THREE

"What the fuck are you saying, Samuel? You're breaking up with me?!"

"Yes, Nita! I am sick and tired of you acting like you own me!"

"What?!"

"Yes! It's over!"

❣**********❣

"Where do you think you're going?" Fiery eyeballs rolled like angry bowling balls.

I was on my way back home that day when I saw Anita and the cute boy talking at the same place Mum and me had seen them before.

I found it hard to swallow, trying not to make eye contact with her. I still couldn't fathom out why my sister would get furious at me at every chance-it made no sense!

I was starting to suspect the two were dating-that would explain the roadside kissing.

Gross!

*********

"You shouldn't have acted that way!"

"I'm sorry? What was I supposed to do?"

"You made a scene, Nita! For what reason?"

"What reason?"

"Oh, don't play dumb with me. You know what I'm talking about!"

Nita looked in disbelief. "Why are you such a party spoiler?" her lips pulled into a smile. "I was only having fun..."

Sammy growled. "By pulling her hair? How's that any fun??" he moved closer to her, clenching his fist.

"Whoo, muscle man!" Nita held him still. "What's gotten into you?" she observed, "You're so sweaty-"

He wiped the sweat off his forehead with the back of his hand. "Anne," he called.

"What?" she raised anxious brows at him. "Don't tell me we're gonna go over what happened again?"

Sammy shook his head in annoyance. "You're such a kid!" he spat.

Nita gasped, "Babe!"

"Yes, Nita! You're always doing this. Always getting jealous... not knowing when to stop!"

"Oh, I'm sorry. I can see you wanted me to watch while you two talked. Is that it?"

Sammy sighed. "Oh, Nita. When are you going to stop?"

Nita gave her lower lip a lick, then exhaled. "Look. I'm sorry. I'm sorry, okay? I know I acted like a jerk. A total jerk!" she admitted. "I shouldn't have at all. I shouldn't have acted the way I did," she spoke calmly "I just... I just thought maybe..."

"Maybe what?" Sammy looked at her. "For Christ's sake, Nita, why can't you just trust me? You're always making silly assumptions and it's not right!"

"Baby, I said I'm sorry! Okay? Let's... let's just forget about this," she said as she moved into his arms.

She hated the moments when she and Sammy had a fight. She disliked the fact that it was happening again-the fight she hadn't foreseen. She hated the fact that Sammy wasn't always on her side. He didn't know Lucy and yet he was acting as though he knew her quite well.

Are they seeing each other? She thought inside. What if they are?

Anita didn't want to believe what her mind was telling her. She couldn't think of the day her precious Sam wouldn't be hers-the day she'd end up losing him-her first love; her Mio, like she called him. She couldn't think of anyone but Sammy, and wouldn't risk losing him to anyone... especially not to her sister.

Sammy, on the other hand was thinking of how to let go without hurting the girl he loved-or was he sure if he did. He and Nita have been very good friends right from when the latter and her family moved to Streeterville. Sammy was yet to break the news to her, and wasn't so sure how she'd take it if he did.

~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~

Lucille was lying on the floor when Anita walked in from the front door. It was half past eight, and Nita knew she was way past her curfew. She knew her Mum was going to yell her head off, but seeing just Lucille made her relax.

"What' you looking at?"

Lucille quickly averted her gaze.

Tiptoeing towards the stairs, she made to climb as familiar footsteps made her freeze.

"Going somewhere?"

Nita turned on recognizing the voice. "Oh, mother!" she breathed.

"Mm-hmm? What's the time, Nita?" Mrs. MacKenny asked, akimbo, with brows shot up at her.

"Mum, I can explain,"

Her Mum released her hands from her waist and pointed at her watch. "10 seconds!"

"I, um... um, um..."

"Yeah?"

"Honey, I'm home!" Mr. MacKenny's voice rang from the door as Nita heaved a sigh of relief.

"Will take care of you later," whispered her Mum as she left.

Nita didn't wait to greet her Dad as she hurried upstairs before her parents started again. They were just too extreme, she thought. They wouldn't let her live her life the way she wanted. She'd give anything just to have normal, less overprotective parents, who wouldn't fret at anything she did.

*****

"Anita? Anita, open the door-"

Anita got up reluctantly and made for the door. She got it open in no time and walked back to the bed, not giving her mother a chance to go about her usual greetings.

"Baby, are you okay?"

"Okay?" she gruffed. "Are you kidding me?"

Her mother sighed. "You know you can talk to me when something's not right..."

Anita cut in. "Well, that's the point, mother. Nothing is!"

Mrs. MacKenny grew worried on hearing her, and she wondered what would make her daughter say so. She sat down beside her and with one hand placed on her shoulder, said, "Anita, I really want you to open up to me,"

Anita looked up at her. "Seriously?"

Her Mum nodded. "Yes. Baby, this recent attitude of yours is getting me worried. Why don't you tell me what's bugging you?"

Nita scoffed. "Like you're not gonna tell Dad-"

Mrs. MacKenny shook her head. "You can trust me on this one, honey." her mother assured, and she felt relaxed.

Anita felt she could trust her Mum with this. "It's Sammy, Mum-" she stopped to study her expression. "Sammy's been having this big dream about college,"

"Really?" her Mum positioned herself in a bid to listen better. "Well, what about this dream. I thought he was in college already?" her mother asked.

"Mm, yeah. But then he's talking about marriage... and stuff. Mum, I don't think I'm ready," Anita spoke with doubt. "What if I mess things up in the process? Or make things worse... just like I do all the time-" she got stuck saying.

Her mother understood exactly how she felt. Nita was just a replica of her, no doubt. She didn't want Nita making the same mistake she made, this she hoped. Tricia wanted her daughters to be better-better than she ever was. But now, it seemed her daughter was on the path where she would have to decide for herself.

"What do you really want, baby?" she asked her daughter.

"All I want is to have the perfect relationship with him," she replied truthfully. "And for me not to lose him," she spoke with a heavy heart.

Her mother could tell how unhappy she was. "This boy," she said. "Do you love him?"

Anita was unsure of what to say. Did she really love this guy? she thought for a second. Or was their relationship based on mere infatuation? she couldn't say. She did love him... in her heart... or so she thought. But did he feel the same way for her? This she wished to know.

"Anita?"

"Y-yes," she answered shakily.

"Baby, you need to be sure of how you feel before you..."

"Mum, can we just, um, talk about something else?" Anita cut her short. She didn't want to go talking about Sammy again, until she was sure of her feelings for him.

This game she was playing was a deadly one. What if Sammy didn't feel the same way? Anita didn't want to think about it. This insecurity... this constant worry, they shouldn't be there, she said to herself. She wanted Sammy all to herself. And was determined to make him see her just the way she did.

❣ Sammy's P.O.V ❣

I was ready to tell Anita the truth. I was ready to let go now; to let go of everything and to be far away. I knew the more we were together, the more danger I'd put her in. I couldn't live with the fact that she was going to end up hurt because of me. But I had to do this. I knew walking away would be better, even if I didn't have to tell her what reason I had in mind. This secret I had fought to keep, was so hard to leave buried inside. If it meant leaving, I'd have no better choice but to do so. But one thing's for sure... I'd see her again!

*******💌💌💌*******

✍Make love to me-Nita's words-once upon a starry night ☪.