Moon Returns

"What did you say?" Daphne whipped her head back to face her best friend who had been the only person she could rely on for years. Her fingers were shaking, she felt a sudden cold envelop her body. That name alone did many things to her. Things she didn't want and would never admit. "He's back, Daphne. Moon is back" the dark, beautiful woman said.

"How? Why?" Daphne asked as she grabbed the kitchen counter to support her weak legs. Moon was back. The son of a bitch who ruined her life. The bastard who had succeeded in making her life miserable. "I can't say sweetheart, I can't." Liza replied. She grabbed a chair and made Daphne sit on it. "Give me that" she said to Daphne, collecting the glass of wine from her shaking hands.

"Damn it! After three years Daphne, he still has this effect on you?" she sighed as she lifted her body to sit on the counter herself. She could see her friend was in her own world, she kept quiet and sat still looking at Daphne, wondering what to say to her. While trying to figure out what Daphne was thinking about, she saw it all. She saw the hurt, the fear, the detest, the disappointment, most importantly, the love. One that she knew Daphne had tried to hide from her and from herself in an effort to forget Moon and the memories they had shared.

After the silence had prevailed for a while and Daphne was done rummaging through her thoughts over and over again, she was lost. She looked up at Liza sitting on the counter who was swirling the wine in her glass absentmindedly while staring into space. And with tears welling up in her eyes. "what do I do?" She asked with a trembling voice. "Jesus Christ Daphne!"- Liza started and jumped down from the kitchen counter in a second and crouched before her, holding Daphne's knees for support. "The last time I saw you like this was years ago. I don't want to see you like that again, it was difficult for me watch. Now, wipe those tears and let's talk about this without you breaking down." Daphne wiped her face and reached for glass of wine from the table and gulped it down and reached for the half-empty bottle and turned it's content into her glass and downed it again.

"Better?" Liza asked. "Yeah. Tell me, where did you see him? What did he look like? What is he in Nigeria for?" Daphne asked almost hysterically.

"Down, girl! One at a time okay? There's only so much I can take." Lisa said in mock anger. She stood up and leaned with her back to the counter, folding her arms.

"Sorry."

"I saw him at the company. Apparently, he had a meeting with my boss. It seemed they signed a contract of some sort, I can't really tell. He looked very good to me, he was all smiles too. You remember right? His signature smile?"

"How can I forget? His famous lopsided smile. I know it very well." Daphne replied with a small wistful smile at the side of her mouth.

"Yeah, that one. He remembered my name too. Hugged me and asked how I was. I was too dazed and in shock because he was being so nice. I realized later that I shouldn't smile back at him, not after what he did."

"Yeah, he was always that charming."

"I struggled with how to tell you about it yesterday but I knew I had to eventually in case he pops up in front of you. I'm telling you to prepare."

"Oh, come on Elizabeth. I doubt he'd dare to show his face his front of me. He is not crazy!"

" Its Moon we are talking about. No one stops Moon. You seem to have forgotten the man you dated for four years. That guy is formidable! He'll do whatever the hell he wants!"

"Yeah, he is formidable. That's why he didn't show up at our wedding! Because he didn't want to be there! Nobody could have stopped Moon if he was damn sure that he wanted to marry me! Damn it!" she angrily threw the glass to the floor and the empty wine bottle followed suit as she basked at the sound of shattering glass. "See that? You see that Elizabeth?" she said to her best friend pointing to the shattered glass on the tiles. " That's how I felt! Broken! Shattered like this! In pieces! That's how he left me!" She wrapped her hands around her head, her breathing uneven, her body shaking with anger.

"Daphne! No! I won't have it! No temper tantrums! Look at me!" Lisa ordered and Daphne gently lifted her head from her hands. "I have personally put in so much work to make sure that you stopped the crying and the temper tantrums over the years and so have you. I will not let the mere mention of that man's return ruin all of that. Even if he appears in front of you, I need you to be in full composure. Do not show that man how much he broke you when he left you. Do you understand me?"

Daphne looked at her friend, her support system. The only one she could rely on. She would have been long gone without Elizabeth. She gave a her a small smile. " Yes, I understand. Why do you sound so sure he'll come looking for me?"

"Because it's Moon. It would be very weird if he doesn't come looking for you. I believe, he once loved you. There is no way anyone can fake that kind of love, Daphne."

"I don't know anything anymore. Look, I'm done thinking about this" Daphne sighed in resignation.

"No, you are not. You'll continue thinking about Moon even after I leave" she walked out of the kitchen to the sitting room and picked her bag. Daphne followed her. "Where are you going to?" she asked Lisa.

"Oh, honey. Did you forget? I have a date with Matt. It's almost time. I have to hurry, traffic in Abuja gets crazy at night and I also need to go home and prepare to look good and who knows, maybe in a few months, you'll hear wedding bells." Liza announced and was out of the house in a flash. The house was silent again. She was alone again with her thoughts. Thoughts of Moon. Thoughts of the only man she'd ever loved. Thoughts of how deeply he hurt her.

Her mom would laugh maniacally in her face if she knew was still hurting. In her gruff, no-nonsense voice, she'd have said "I warned you about that white boy. I told you Daphne, I told you that man would break your heart. After all these years, you are still pining for him like a fool. You are so stupid." And she was right. The man did break her heart by abandoning her on their wedding day without any explanation. She had had to bear the murmuring and snickering of their guests, her mom's bickering, the shame and pain that tore at her soul, all by herself. She hated him. Hated him for leaving her when she needed him the most. She had sensed the uneasiness in him, she had thought it was normal. Just wedding jitters, she had presumed. She never once thought that he could be getting cold feet. She knew he loved her. Liza was right. A love like the one he had for her could not be faked. After all these time, she was left wondering what she had done wrong. Did their four years of being together not mean anything to him? she had wondered.

She remembered him. Remembered the first day she'd met him at a bar in New York. She and Lisa were sophomore students at Queen's University studying computer engineering. Lisa had just broken up with her Nigerian boyfriend, Tola, who she had caught cheating on her. She had taken Liza to a bar to unwind. That was when she saw him. He sat alone. Dark and brooding. Swirling the contents of his glass from side to side while looking at it the whole time with furrowed eyebrows and with a lost look on his face. His dark full hair was loose and it looked like he'd raked his hands through them so many times. She remembered how he had looked up and had caught her staring. She remembered how she had wanted to peel her eyes away from him but couldn't. So they sat, far from each other exchanging flirtatious looks and smiles. When he had finally stood up to walk towards her. He was glorious. He was a large man. She had immediately spotted the undone buttons of his shirt that exposed the sleek outline of his chest. She had noticed his forearms. At his left wrist, he had worn a practical watch that looked like it cost a fortune but on his right wrist, he had a black band which she had guessed was for his hair the moment he raked his right fingers through it. She had fallen hard for that man and she was convinced that he'd fallen for her too.

Liza was right again. She should be prepared. If it was indeed true that Moon was back, then she'd have to brace herself. She felt a sudden coolness envelope her body and hugged herself. She shivered. But she knew it wasn't because she was cold, it was because of her fear of the unknown that was bound to happen soon. The unknown that was Moon Gillies and his intentions. She said a quick, silent prayer to the heavens but she knew. She would never be ready to face that man. Ever.

Moon was exasperated. He angrily shut down his laptop, grabbed his drink and headed to the balcony facing the beach. He had to see her again. He'd spent three years looking for a way to see her again. He had to apologize to her. He had held on to the memories they created together, her pictures had stayed with him. Stalking her on social media was already a routine for him. She would never look at him with love again with those innocent eyes. He knew that. He knew she now hated him but he had to try to make her forgive him. He had to let her know that three years ago, he had been looking forward to spending the rest of his life with her. He had to let her know that more than anything he wanted to make her his wife, to have his children with her. And it is for this reason that he came to Nigeria, her country.

The last time he visited Nigeria was with her. She had wanted to see her dad so badly, so he accompanied her. Her parents divorce destroyed her so much and he made sure he was there for her. It was at this same beach house, on this very soil, that he had asked sweet, innocent Daphne to be his and she had shyly accepted, giving him a quick kiss on the lips and running off towards the beach, expecting him to run after her which, he did. He remembered all of it like it happened only yesterday. Then, he'd only began to work at his Grandfather's Technology company and she was a sophomore student at queen's university. How beautiful she looked!

If only he'd been careful around Yvonne, the slimy bitch who ruined his life and his dead Grandfather, who also couldn't see Yvonne's schemes, his life wouldn't be in such mess and he'd probably be having a good life with Daphne. He knew that if he failed to get Daphne back into his life, he'd be doomed and he knew this because he had had to spend three years without her in his life. Three years without her, a shadow of himself, burying himself with hard work that eventually turned his late grandfather's company into the conglomerate it was now but draining life and happiness out of him at the same time. On top of all that, he had had to deal with losing his grandfather. He became lonely. After losing everyone he had and every source of happiness, only Cole's existence gladdened his heart but Yvonne had manage to take even that away from him. She was a nightmare he wouldn't wish his enemy.

He exhaled deeply. The sound of the overlapping wave of sea water enveloped his ears. This place brought peace to his soul but also pain to his heart. He'd bought this beach house because of the memories it held that were very dear to him. He'd see her again. He had her mobile number and her address, courtesy of the private investigator he had hired. He'd given up on ever seeing or being with her again, he was aware of the pain she went through. Again, courtesy of the private investigator. But when he found out that he could rid himself of the web that Yvonne had meticulously spun, he knew he had to make her his again. He'd at least try and even if she refused, he'd know that he had tried at least.

Like all the problems and obstacles that he had encountered with his clients and his work, he had no plan in place, no strategy. He'd go to the address he had, knock on her door, bags in hand and confront her, like a man. Business had never intimidated him before, neither would matters of the heart. He was the intimidator. He was a man on a mission. He was the predator, she was the prey. He'd go to her and make her his. Caveman style.

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

"I don't know what kind of men exists these days. The nerve of that beast to stand me up!" Liza lamented, almost hysterically.

"Take a breather Elizabeth. Why are you surprised though? You know how these men are. You've been in the dating game long enough to know how mannerless they tend to be." Daphne sighed. It was a lazy attempt to comfort her friend. She had had to deal with Liza's constant complaint about men for years.

"Yeah. But me? Elizabeth Coker? Being stood up? It has never happened before. The history books would quaver!"

"Quit being overly dramatic now Elizabeth. May be something came up."

"Something came up? Is that it? Well, guess why cell phones were invented Daphne? For incidents like this!"

"Okay. You should relax. You are a beautiful woman inside out. Won't be long before you find someone befitting for you. Forget Matthew. He is a bastard." Daphne said trying to comfort her friend who had been pacing the room from the moment she returned."

"True. You have a point." Liza slumps on the couch in resignation.

"Let's change the subject then." Daphne suggested.

"Yeah, I know what we can talk about." Liza enthusiastically.

"What is it?"

"Well, Daphne, there's a-

"I am not going."

"What?" Liza asked in feign confusion.

"You know what. I'm not going to that thing you were about to invite me to."

"How did you know I was going to invite you to a thing? I wasn't going to invite you to anything." Liza scoffed.

"Belgrave is having a small party for it's employees. That means we are both going. Tomorrow night."

"I'd rather not, Liza. I work from home anyways. You go to work everyday. You should go alone. I won't be going to that party." Daphne was aware that she wasn't about to get out of that conversation that easily.

"Daphne, my love." Liza started. Damn! The witch had switched to emotional blackmail. There was no way in hell that she was getting out of it. Liza's attempt to guilt trip her was one she was conversant with. One she was never able to slither away from. God help her.

"You used to drag me to parties back at New York, no matter how long I protested against it. We went everywhere together, had fun together. You were full of life and laughter but since we got back to Nigeria, you have detached yourself from everything just because Moon left you. He's not the only one in your life, remember? I am here too and I refuse to go to any more parties or positive gatherings without my best friend in tow." Liza lamented out breath.

"But I can't though. I-

"No buts! You are wearing that red dress I got you for your birthday last year and that's final." Liza interrupted impatiently.

"Fine. I'll go." Daphne exhaled in sheer resignation.

"Great! Daphne! Great! Was it so hard to say yes? Jeez!"

"Whatever. I'll go to this party but there's no way in hell that I'm going to be wearing that flimsy dress."

"I am hurt, Daphne. I got you a dress as a present but you haven't even worn it. Not once. You'll wear that dress and the red bottoms I got you last week. And you my friend, will make many heads turn tomorrow evening with your perfect body in that dress and that's final. I'm not having this conversation with you again." With that she grabbed her bag and was headed to inner rooms but stopped short. "I won't be going home today. Be a sweetheart and order me a pizza. I'm famished. Domino's is just around the corner, the delivery guy should be here in 15 minutes. Bring out the orange juice from the refrigerator. I'm going to take a shower okay?"

"Yes ma'am" Daphne replied as Liza disappeared from the sitting room. There was no dull moment with her around. She was just so full of life and vigor. She envied that. She used to be like that. Positive and optimistic but after Moon, that part of her just went away. Liza seemed to think that she was now incapable of having a good time. Well, she'd show her at tomorrow event. She'd drink, dance and socialize. A little fun wouldn't hurt her. She'd show Liza that she could still be happy and maybe, just maybe, she'd start dating again. She'd have to put thoughts of Moon behind her. She'd no longer give him the reigns to control her life anymore. She deserved better. She deserved more. Moon may have left her but she'd make sure the next man wouldn't.