*****
Liz

Love is stupid.

Love is blind, Love must be dumb.

Right now the love of my life must be all of these things. I sat at dinner listening to the two catch up and holding on my last thread of sanity. I didn't want to embarrass him so I showed up for the stupid dinner.

He even dared to cook for her.

Dinner finally ended. It was a tense affair the tension so thick you could cut it with a knife. It continued to annoy me as she made moaning sounds over the food, clearly enjoying it but irritating me to no small end.

Like sis can't you shut up and just chew. Save your foodgasms to yourself.

Jason tried to include me in small talk with her and they finally found out I wasnt in the mood and left me be when I gave them curt answers.

"Thanks for dinner. You have a lovely home" Tiara said to me as she finally got up to leave.

Thanks for coming without warning. Bye never come back!

I muttered a clipped "thanks" as we saw her off. She took turns hugging us then drove off in her car.

The door barely closed when he went off on me, like he had the rights to. Again Love must be mad, because this man must be mad to be thinking he had the rights to be angry.

"Did you have to be so rude to her, Elizabeth." Elizabeth! My full name, the shock and incredulity left me rooted to the spot.

All the events of the day erupted and I snapped, "In what alternate dimension, do you get to be angry? You invited her to my home without talking to me about it and you expect me to be gracious towards her. I wasnt rude I was closed off, there's a difference."

I remembered Pamela; my best friend run with Nina and how the lady almost destroyed her marriage and I wasnt even ready for that level of drama.

I continued quickly before he got a word in, "You bring her to my house and you cook for her like I dont have a say in it. You haven't even explained your relationship to me, you think I didn't deserve to come home tired and not have to host anyone unprepared."

Jason stared at me confused, "Why are blowing this thing out of proportion" he waved his hand in the air probably trying to prove a point then added, "You didn't even make dinner Liz, all you had to do was sit and be nice to her "

That did it for me. Its official Love must have lost his brains.

Love must have had his working brain replaced with that of a baboon or a stupid idiot for all I cared.

"Will you listen to yourself for one minute. Would you like it if I invited someone to our home without talking to you about it, Uhn?" I shouted. He still couldn't get what the fuss was about and he went to ruin the entire conversation by saying "She's like family Liz."

I stared at him like I couldn't believe the rubbish he was spewing. Whose family; His or ours?

A picture of Pamela filtered into my mind again and I let out a harsh breathe before stating clearly. "I dont know her. I'm not obligated to know or like her, in fact I dont even like her around you. Lastly this is our home emphasis on OUR, we make decisions regarding guests together."

"Lizzy____" Jason started and I raised my hand to cut him sharply tired of this mess already, "I'm going to bed, I really dont want any more stress today. You're really dumb if what all this your genius hacker brain you can't figure out what's wrong and you can't see she likes you. You're really really dumb!" I finished and walked back upstairs making sure the door slammed hard.

Leo our giant, cute, fur baby bounded into bed and I scratched his fur and stroke him gently. "Off to bed Leo" I commanded. The dog whined a little and finally left.

For the first time in our 6months of marriage I was sleeping on my own side of the bed and I put on my blindfold and let myself feel the emotions seeing that girl brought back. Now will be a good time to talk to my husband and get his words of advise or support.

I wasnt asleep when Jason came to bed but I didn't say a single word to him as I lay on my side, listening to him move about in the room and finally come to bed.

His weight dipped the bed and he finally asked, "So we are not going to cuddle tonight because of this issue?"

I let out a hiss and made sure my ramrod straight back was his answer.

"But babe na!" He whined, "You know we always cuddle before bed."

Go and meet your sister in-law.

"I'm sorry okay. I guess I didn't really think it through before inviting her over. Every inch of this place is our home, me and you okay." He said behind me, I couldn't really make out his expression.

I huffed out again and hissed. "You guess, so you are still guessing?"

Jason chuckled probably at my response and I felt like turning back and pulling off that his beard or shaving one of his eyebrow.

"Are you jealous of her?" He asked instead.

Albert Einstein, John Darwin, smart Idiot. Of course I am. Instead I hissed so loudly again.

"Its okay stop sulking, come and cuddle with your hot sweet husband." He lay on his side and hugged me from behind.

Stay strong sis! Remember the reason for your anger. Jason was always clouding my emotions whenever he starts sweet talking and hugging me. Not tonight though, tonight I stay strong against my weak self, especially for all the women folk out there whose husbands think they can just kiss them and get away with anything.

"Move to your side of the bed Jason Tolulope Matthews" I warned, eyes shut so as not to relax in his arms.

"Wow Ife, you're really that mad at me. I'm sorry okay," he kissed my cheeks slowly now and I really wanted to give in.

Stay strong sis! You can make it, Ordinary peck shouldn't turn your brain to jelly.

"Talk to me baby" he begged this time massaging my shoulder gently and increasing the numbers of the kisses. I finally turned to face him because no amount of willpower was left.

I pulled off my blindfold and stared into his mismatched eyes suddenly feeling all the anger and tension leave my body. "I'm sorry okay." He called gently and stroke my face.

Sorry women folk. This girl is weak for this sweet man.

"You even cooked for her. Who told you to be cooking for ladies when I'm not around and she sat there moaning like she was in her fathers house" I shouted and pulled his beard.

"Ouch babe! That hurts" he whined and rubbed the soft spot. "I won't cook for any lady again okay, only you my Queen."

My heart did a flip flop right here. Love was sweet sometimes; real mushy and sweet.

I told him about Pamela and Chris story and how I didn't want that to be our story and he listened with rapt attention

"Your Zaddy is sorry OK. There is nothing to be jealous  and I can never cheat on you. I'll not hang out with her without you also. Just never forget that you're my whole heart right now. Only you matter." Jason kissed me when he finished speaking and just like that all was right in my world again.

There was still this niggling fear in me so before my imaginations started spinning out of control or I lost the boldness to I asked, "Babe, has anything ever happened between you guys?"

Jason stopped his ministrations on my face and I felt his entire body go rigid, cold fear seeped into my bones replacing the earlier warmth. He struggled with himself for a while then said, "Ife , I need you to know that this was a long time ago okay. Way before you and I ever met and we were both in a bad place after Tiana died." He held my face to his as he spoke and I already saw the answer in their mismatched depths before he spoke.

"You were sexually involved with her." I completed his answer for him.

He nodded gently and I pulled out of his arm. So technically he just invited his Ex to my house.

Screw all that Love is Sweet rubbish. Love right now felt sour!

I got up from the bed and pulled the blanket with my blindfold. I didn't even know why his revelation stung that much. It was the past right? We've never met when they had sex right?

All will have been fair if that same past wasnt sitting at my dining table an hour ago eating jollof rice my husband lovingly cooked.

"Liz, come on." He begged and tousled his hand into his hair in obvious frustration.

"I swear to you, it was a long time ago okay. Like five years long, a year after Tiana died and it didn't mean anything we haven't even seen each other since then." He implored again gently. My answer was a resounding slam of our bedroom door.

I dont care how childish it felt or sounded right now. Love can gently leave me be.

*****

NO POV

Tiara sat in front of her small bungalow, still in her car. Dinner was a tense affair. She had left Los Angeles five years ago after her twins death to start over.

She recently got a Job and moved to San Fran but she didn't expect to run into him. The weight of the lie and how much have changed in Jason Matthews life was so glaring, how could she dare step back into his life right now.

His new wife was beautiful and looked wary of her as was her right. She didn't wasnt to come and spoil their marriage but he was still so kind and good.

Still the man who fell with her twin even though she treated him like trash.

Tears fell out of her eyes as she remembered her choice, 5 years ago. She must be five years late now right.

How else was she supposed to tell him now that their one night of pleasure had made a baby?

How do you tell a married man, whose happiness you craved more than anything that you tried to tell him when you saw the pregnancy result but couldn't reach him. And so for the first time you wanted something alone to yourself, not to be the wild Tiana's twin or the good sensible daughter. That you didn't want to be the lady that slept with her dead sisters husband.

How will she explain that it was in that heated moment when he moaned her dead Twins name instead of hers that  she knew he would never love her like Tiana and being co parents was never going to be enough. Because like the first time he collided into her in college she who didn't believe in love at first sight knew fate pulled a huge stunt on her.

That she was selfish and scared so she denied her daughter and Jason the right to be in each others life.

Tiara wiped her tears quickly and went inside to where her daughter was playing with her baby sitter.

"Mama!" Her five year old bundled into her arm with a smile that made all her mothers pain and fear disappear into thin air.

"Mama, look what we painted" Joey said in her sweet singsong voice. What squeezed Tiara's heart gently was the blue-greyed eyes staring back at her shining brightly. A true replica of the man she had dinner with.

Mismatched eyes that shone with excitement like father and daughter.

****

*Peeps from behind the door* is everywhere safe? Can I come out? 😂😂😂😂

So someone recently told me that they thought this book was ending soon and I was like end keh! We never even start rough play o .

So Jason has a daughter and HeraScribbles guessed it first, that girl na creative winch😂

Chai sweet turns are coming the child is the least of our problems right now. But let's discuss in the comments what you think sha.

At least Jason was honest with her right!

Love ya
Orex