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Fearlessness is like a muscle. I know from my own life that the more I exercise it the more natural it becomes to not let your fears run me.
                  – Arianna Huffington.

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I sprint out of the club. Unfortunately, the hungry pervert isn't willing to give up and runs after me. I get to the parking lot and hide among cars. He spots me and runs to my direction. That's when I notice an individual step out of his car. He looks decent and when I get a clear view of his face, I smile. We meet again! This is the man I met yesterday. The one who destroyed my pride and made me pick muddy naira note. He is wearing a black suit handsomely tailored, white dress shirt within and a pair of slacks. His tall figure makes him more intimidating and his face, gravely authoritative.

Nevertheless, I rush to his side and hide behind his towering body.

"Come here, my darling!" The pervert calls as he staggers to us. He hiccups and beat his chest. "It's me and you tonight".

The suit man glares at me. He grasp my arm and pushs me to the pervert. "Don't touch me!" he growls in disgust.

"Please save me!" I whine.

"Why? It's your job!" He snaps and eyes me.

"No! I'm a woman of intregrity. I am not like that. This man wants to rape me," I exclaim.

"Am I the one that said you should dress like that?" he waves me off and turn his gaze to the club.

The pervert grips my hand and pulls me towards the club. I remember the smile on my parents' face and seeing it slowly fade away forces me to grip the shirt of the suit man. As the pervert pulls, so does my grip tighten. His dress shirt rips and his buttons flies around the place. He is rendered speechless and presses his lip into a firm, thin line. A security man comes. He's huge with thick muscles and easily holds the drunk man in place. He bows and frigtenedly, apologizes to the suit man as if he was a god.

When they both leave, I am still holding onto his shirt. I meet his gaze and yelp. Why is he staring like he wants to rip me apart and shove me into a furnace?

"I'm so sorry!" I wail. "I know how to sew. Give me the dress. I'll sew the buttons back". I go down, bending my knees less than ninety degrees as I pick the buttons I can find.

"I don't need that," he takes off his suit. I gawp at how fitted his dress shirt is. I also smile as I see his biceps flex as he takes it off. He stands with only his vest on and narrow his eyes at me. His dress shirt comes flying to me when he tosses it. "You can sell the shirt after you've sewn it. I know your type. Always after money! Shameless".

"I'm not shameless," my brows snap together.

"Shameless! Gold-digger! I'm so unfortunate to have your filthy hand on me,"

"I'm not shameless!" I yell and clench my fists at my side.

He eyes me, swings his suit on his shoulder and takes steps away from me.

"Wait! Take your shirt. Since you don't want me to repair it and you are calling me shameless, take your shirt. I don't care," I bellow.

He pauses, pulls some naira notes from his pocket and extends them to me. "Take and be silent!"

I see a total of five thousand naira and gulp. This man believes money solves life problems. Well.....Who cares! I'll take it and be silent.

"Take it! I know your type! I know you want it"

I bite my bottom lip. My heart bleeds as I take the money from him.

He scoffs and take large strides away from me. My brows rise when I see him heading into the club. See him! He is also shameless. Nonsense! What is he doing in a nightclub? Shameless!

Just when he is about to enter the building, Rita pops out. She eyes him lustfully as he enter the place. A mischievous grin plays on her face as she peers into the building. She turns around and our eyes meet. She narrow her eyes to slit and stomps towards me.

I have to fight for my principle and believe. There is no shorcut to great success. So I stand firm, waiting for her. She stops before me and hisses.

"What's wrong with you?" she snorts. "Don't you want money? Don't you care about your shop? That man was willing to pay you well".

"I'm sorry but I believe there is no shortcut to success. I don't want to sell myself to any man. I don't also want to depend on them. If I can't pay for the shop, I'll look for another one that works with my budget," I say.

"What rubbish are you saying? Aren't you seeing how the economy of this country is? It is better to use shortcut or this country will frustrate you," she snaps and places her hands on her hip.

"Hmm...." I trail off. That's when I remember what helped my parents to overcome Nigeria and its economy. "God will help me!"

A sarcastic laughter escape her red glossed lips and she rolls her eyes. "Good luck with that"

"Thanks" I smile. She raises her perfectly carved brows at my response. "Just watch! By the end of this year, I'll conquer the world".

Her eyes go wide. She burst into laughter and grips her belly. "You're crazy!"

"I mean I will conquer the world, Nigeria and its economy. I will be successful and....happy. That's my goal. My dream. God will help me. I know I am not a saint but I will still have faith in Him," I remark.

She purse her lips and regards me. "If you say so"

"Hmm..." I pout. "Can I still stay at your place for now? I'll pay my share of the rent".

She rolls her eyes.

"See!" I extend the five thousand naira in my hand to her. She eyes it and the corner of her lips quirk up.

"It's not enough though," she says and takes them from me. She counts the note and smiles. "I'll give it to Donald so he won't have to ask about you again. The money is small sha. Make sure you pay your rent".

"I will"

"Bye!" she waves and strut back to the club. The sound of her heels slamming the concrete floor echoes.

Good news! I'm broke again. 5k just disappeared. My eyes are still on the entrance door of the club. The huge security man comes out and stands at its side. He mumbles some words I can't hear from the distance I'm in. The door swings open and a young man flounders out of the building. He spins around and eventually falls to the ground. The suit man appears by his side and helps lift him up. They move into the parking lot, where I am too. I bend and hide behind a car.

"You are a fool!" The suit man's voice echoes in the night.  Curiosity gets the better of me and I sneak to the closest car to them.

"You're the fool," the young man holler.

"You're high on drugs, you fool. Do you want to kill yourself?" he yells and slams his arm.

"Ouch! Fuck you! I don't care. I don't want to go home," he thunders and stomps his feet.

"What about mum? She's worried sick about you," he says with a sigh.

His brother? I scan the young man and then, the suit man. They don't really look related. The suit man is a tall, dark-skinned man with muscles at the right places while his brother is fairer in complexion and has this lean figure and his average in height.

"Am I the one that told her to worry?" His brother snarls.

"You are a big shame, do you know that?"

"Fuck you!" he sneers. "I don't give a shit. I don't want to ever model in mum's stupid fashion company. I don't want to model. You can do it if you wish but I don't want to be around you. You all are just controlling my life. Get out! I want my freedom. I deserve it. I am old enough to take care of myself".

Did he just say fashion company? My ears are now standing like antennas as I stare at them.

"Shameless!" the suitman says his favorite word. "You're taking care of yourself? Really? With what? Harmful drugs? Worthless friends? Alright! Get into the car now".

"I have my own car, Aaron" his brother pushes him and staggers away. The suit man grabs his shoulder and pulls him to his black car.

Aaron? Hmm...

"Get in now," Aaron growls.

"No!"

"Aargh!" he groans as he control himself from punching his brother. His fists are clenched, veins popping at his wrist. "Ekene!"

"What?"

He sighs, "You're killing yourself".

Ekene rolls his eyes. "It's my life not yours". He shoves his hand in his pocket and pulls out a cigarette. Aaron frowns and tries to snatch it. Ekene pushes him aside and jogs to the road.

"Ekene! Don't even dare to smoke," he yells and runs after him.

A bitter laughter escape from Ekene's lips and he increases his pace. He runs out the iron gate. That's when we hear a loud cry and the screeching of tyres.

"Ah!" Ekene's voice echoes with the sound of clashes and tumbling.

I rise from my hiding place.

"Ekene!" Aaron howls. He dashs to that gate and he is shocked to see me running beside him.

We rush to the road and see Ekene lying lifeless, blood gushing profusely from his arm and a motorcycle beside him. The motorist rise in fear. He lifts his bike, hops in and races out of the scene.

Aaron freezes at his spot. I go closer and check his pulse. "He is still alive. We need to stop the bleeding".

I rise and look around me. What can I use to do that? I look down at my dress and with its length, I know there is nothing to tear out. That's when I remember Aaron's dress shirt. I run to the parking lot in search of it. I am actually surprised by my speed. I find it and rush back to them. Aaron is like a statue as he stands still. I quickly tie the deep cut on Ekene's arm. "We need to take him to the hospital....Fast!" I yell to Aaron.

He snaps to action and he comes to his brother. He scoops him into his arms and runs to the car. My eyes settle on my palms. They are bloody now. Someone can easily frame me for murder. I won't be able to clear myself. They'll did say I am caught red-handed, since my palms look kinda red. I blame the thriller novels I read. It's all their fault that my mind is going in that direction. I hop to my feet and race to Aaron's car. "Will you need my help?" I ask him.

He paces back and forth for a moment, his fingers raking down his scar. He is too confused to answer and hops into the car. "Get in!" he orders and ignites the car's engine.

I nod and go to the back seat where his unconscious brother lay. We ride in silence and I place my hand on Ekene's arm to see if I can cease the bleeding.

We get to the hospital and he is taken into the theatre for operation. It feel uncomfortable with what's happening around me. Sadly, I feel this kind of de ja vu. Not that it has happened to me before. No! I feel like this because my parents died in a car accident and I was in the hospital praying my mom will survive since my dad was already dead. I hate hospital. I dislike the sight of blood. However, I've gotten used to both since my aunt and uncle will injure me so severely that I'll find myself in a hospital bed. It's sad though.

My restless gaze falls on Aaron who is sitting on a bench. I'm standing a few steps away from him. I don't know what to do. I can see he is scared and worried. His legs keeps shaking and he rubs his hands together every passing minutes. I decide to talk to him. Maybe I can cheer him up. I'm not against the act of being selfless. Sometimes it pays. I swallow the distance between us with just four steps and sit beside him. He is deep in his thoughts as his eyes glides back and forth in the hallway.

I gulp and clear my throat to get his attention. His eyes are still moving aimlessly. I cough and that's when he dragged them to me. He raises a brow as he regards me. "You are still here?"

I nod.

He rise, his shoulders rigid and lips pressed to a thin line. "Thanks for your help," he says and stretches his hand to me. I don't shake him. I don't want to touch any man. I don't trust.

He is offended by this and narrows his eyes at me. He looks at his hand and sees blood. I guess he assumes it's because of that and strides away. I look down at my dress. Blood everywhere! Today is bloody.

The red material of my dress is now looking darker because of the red blood. I go in search of the bathroom. I am only able to wash my hands, legs and face. The dress, I leave it as it is. I can't get it soaked with water. When I return to the bench, Aaron is there. His hands are clean but the blood stains are still on his vest and suit. We reek of fresh blood. My thought goes to vampire and I laugh at the fact that I read fantasies too.

"Aren't you going home?" he asks, a brow arched in disapproval.

"I just want to be sure the operation is successful. I'll go after that," I say and shrug.

Truly, I care. I just want to be sure he makes it alive.

He sighs and pulls out his phone. "I've got to tell Dad about this," he mumbles to himself. He dials a number and moves far away from me. I roll my eyes. As if I'm interested in his family drama! He should scoot away.

"Your son is stupid and drugs are making him more stupid. I'm tired," he screams and it echoes in the hallway. He stays silent and comes back to the bench. He sits and sighs aloud, his phone still against his ear. "I'm tired, dad. I'm scared because Ekene is throwing his life away. Tell Mom about this accident. Please, be gentle. You know he is her favorite son. We don't want her to have heart attack," he explains. He nods and stays silence. "Sure, dad!"

Silence falls again. "The fact is that Ekene is mom's favorite," he chuckles. "I already know na. I've accepted it like that".

My eyes are on him as he nods to whatever his dad is saying at the other end of the line. "Okay! Bye dad"

The call ends and I'm frightened when he glares at me. I turn my gaze to the wall and whistle. A wrong move, I know.

"I'm not a movie. You shouldn't stare so much," he sneers.

"I wasn't staring"

"You were and you are nosy. Why should you listen to my conversation?"

"You were loud," I hiss.

He huffs and prop up his head with his arms on his knees. A tensed silence trickles by.

"I don't know where I went wrong," he mumbles.

I glance at him and see the sadness on his face. His gloomy eyes are fix on the floor.

"I've been a good brother," he sighs and runs his fingers down his curly dark hair.

"You seem like a good brother," I chirp in. "You are a good brother".

He raises his head and his eyes meet mine. Sadness clouds them and he asks, "You sure? Because I doubt that. I let my brother fall into the hands of bad peers and now his life is ruined. I don't know what to do. If he continues like this, he may die".

"It's not your fault! It is not time to blame yourself. It's time to save him before it is too late"

"Save him? How? I don't know what to do"

"Hmmm...." I trail off.

"Aargh," he groans and clench his hair in his fists. His veins are visible as his jaw tightens.

"You can...ummmm...."

I frown. Why is my brain failing me? A voice in my head replies, Because you don't have siblings and can't relate to his situation.

I sigh and just watch as he mumbles incoherent words to himself. The doctor walks to us and Aaron springs to his feet.

"How....H...How is he, doctor?" Aaron stutters.

"The operation was successful. The cut was deep but we have stitched it," he answers with a satisfied smile. "We should have gotten the police involved. Your brother is using harmful drugs. But since I know you, I did the operation immediately. I hope you will do something regarding this".

Aaron nods his head so hard more than lizards do. He clasps his hands and presses them to his broad chest. I just have to note that his chest is broad. Hmm...

"Thank you, doctor! God bless you. Thank you. Thank you," he says and bows his head in appreciation.

"But...." The doctor sighs and his brows slopes downward.

"But what? But what, doctor?" Aaron cries in panic.

I smirk. It's funny to see this rude big head in panic and anguish. He looks so vulnerable. His brother must really be his weakness.

"He lost a lot of blood," the doctor replies and my smirk washes away.

"Okay! Give him blood," Aaron answers in a it's-so-obvious voice.

"That's the problem. We don't have the blood that's compatible with his. We ran out of them recently in our blood bank," he responds.

"Are you fucking kidding me?" he barks.

"Calm down"

"How can I calm down? What should we do now?"

"Your brother is B positive," he tell him. "What's your blood group?"

"AB negative!" he replies in a heartbeat. "Can I donate to him?"

The doctor pinches the bridge of his nose and shakes his head. "You can't"

"What are we going to do then?"

"I'll look for a donor"

"Aargh!" Aaron groans and falls to the bench with a loud thud. "He needs to live".

"He will"

Silence hovers for a whole minute. Surprisingly how I feel choked by it. Maybe it's because I am aware of something.

"Sorry!" I cut in. "What's the blood group you said?"

"Huh? What do you mean?" The doctor questions.

"What is Ekene's blood group?" I probe.

"B positive"

I nod.

The men have their eyes on me now. I force a smile at them.

"What's with the smile?" Aaron snaps.

"Actually...." I rub my arms. Fearlessness is like a muscle. I need to flex it. "Um....I'm actually B positive".

Aaron jumps to his feet. "Are you sure?"

"Yes! I'm sure"

I know this because whenever my aunt invites the doctor to the house for check up, I'm always reminded that I'm B positive. I am the only one that is B positive among them all. To me, it just points out that I don't belong in their family.

"Can you please donate? I can pay you any amount you wish. Please"

I cross my arms against my chest. "Do you think I'm shameless or a Gold-digger?" I snarl.

"No ma! I'm sorry," he says in desperation.

"I don't need your money. I will donate....for free!" I say with a bob of my head.

"Yes!" He exclaims and pulls me into a hug. "Thank you!"

I freeze. I can feel his arm on my back but instead of pushing him off, I'm just shocked on how he is so fit. I mean....He's made of steel! Workout gives you this rocky abs. I should workout more often.

Let me not point out that it has been long since I was hugged like this. The joy in this hug is different from any I've felt for years. My eyes get moisty.

He leans away and turns to the doctor. "Please, let's get this done".

I can't control the smile on my face. For the first time, I feel valuable. I'm saving a life....Like a hero.

A/N: What do you think of Aaron? Can a girl with her past experience ever like a man? I want to know your opinion. To be sincere, I have not ever experienced child abuse and if you notice anything off about the character, please inform me. You can share you thought on how a girl who is abused should act.

Thanks for reading.