A HEART REPLACED chapter Twenty Four
NONHLAKANIPHO ’S POV
His phone won't stop ringing, and he's deliberately ignoring it, rejecting every call. They're in the middle of a Netflix movie night, munching on snacks. When his phone rings again, she turns to him.
“Please, just answer it,” she says.
“It's not worth it, love. Let's just ignore it,” he replies.
“If it wasn't important, they wouldn't keep calling. Just hear them out,” she insists. He hesitates, shaking his head.
“Trust me, it's someone I don't need to talk to.” She nods, focusing on the TV again.
But after a few minutes, Menzi's phone rings once more. She's getting frustrated now.
“Menzi, for goodness' sake, answer your phone!”
“Okay, okay, I'll answer it. Sorry,” he says, getting up to take the call.
He returns about 30 minutes later, sits back down, and they continue their movie night, chatting occasionally.
As they continue watching TV, she can't help but wonder who was on the phone.
“Who was it?” she asks, trying to sound nonchalant.
“Just a friend from work,” Menzi replies, not looking at her.
“A friend who calls you constantly and you avoid them?” she presses, raising an eyebrow. Menzi sighs, “It’s complicated, okay? Let’s just drop it.” She nods, but her mind is racing. Who is this person that Menzi is trying to avoid? And why is he being so secretive about it? She tries to focus on the movie, but her curiosity is piqued. After a while, she gets up to get more snacks, and Menzi follows her to the kitchen.
“Hey, I’m sorry about earlier,” he says, putting his arms around her.
“I know you’re curious, but trust me, it’s not important.” She looks up at him, searching his eyes for answers.
“Okay, I trust you,” she says, but her mind is still wondering.
“I love you,” he whispers, pulling her into a tender embrace.
“Me too,”she replies, her cheeks flushing as she gazes up at him. He leans in, his lips brushing against hers, and she closes her eyes, surrendering to the gentle kiss. She kisses him back, their lips moving in sync, until they both pull away, breathless. As she catches her breath, she feels Menzi's arousal pressing against her stomach.
“Are you staying over?” he asks, his voice low and husky. She hesitates for a moment before nodding her consent.
“Yeah, I'm staying over,”she says, her voice barely above a whisper. He smiles, his eyes sparkling with delight, and takes her hand, leading her back to the living room to finish their movie.
.
.
.
She glances at her phone and notices Mkhuseli's message inquiring about her whereabouts. She quickly types a response, assuring him ”I'm safe, see you tomorrow”, before turning off her phone. Just then, Menzi walks into the room, his chiseled physique wrapped in a towel, leaving her momentarily speechless.
“Want a taste of your man's delicious body?” he teases, snapping her back to reality. ”You're crazy, finish getting ready and come to bed, I'm tired,” she replies, her cheeks flushed with embarrassment.
”I adore your innocence, sweetheart,” he says, smiling, as he puts on his shorts, his chest still bare. He joins her in bed, where she's wearing his oversized shirt like a nightdress.
“Come closer,” he whispers, pulling her into a warm embrace. They engage in gentle pillow talk before drifting off to sleep, wrapped in each other's arms.
“The best feeling in the world is waking up in your man's arms,” every girl says, and today she can finally relate to that. She wakes up wrapped in Menzi's arms, but he's still fast asleep, so she carefully gets out of bed and heads to the bathroom. After finishing her business there , she returns to bed, and Menzi instinctively pulls her closer, making her chuckle to herself. She dozes off again, only to wake up alone in bed, hearing the sound of the shower running. Menzi's phone rings, and she ignores it, but the phone persists in ringing, and this time she picks it up, noticing the caller ID “MAMA KABOY”. Her heart skips a beat, racing , as she answers and puts the call on speaker.
“Baby, please come home, Boy's condition has deteriorated,” the voice on the other end says, making her heart pound fast. Just then, the bathroom door swings open, and Menzi starts to say, “Baby, where's my...” but his voice trails off as he sees her having the phone on her hand. He freezes, his gaze fixed on hers, as she looks up at him with tear-filled eyes, a lump forming in her throat...
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MKHUSELI ’POV
Qhawe's medication is showing positive effects; after taking some yesterday, he slept soundly and woke up feeling improved, as if the flu was no longer threatening to take hold. He arrives at the company and heads to the elevator that takes him to his office. Stepping out, he makes his way to his workspace, letting out a sigh as he glances at Nonhlakanipho's office, struggling to resist the temptation to visit her. However, he restrains himself, closing his office door instead. He can't help but hope that his confession to Nonhlakanipho yesterday didn't push her away, as he knows he'll go mad if that's the case. It's ironic, considering just a few months ago he vowed not to fall for Nonhlakanipho, yet now he's clearly broken that rule. As the saying goes, the heart knows better.
He immerses himself in work until lunchtime, then gets up and heads to Nonhlakanipho's office. After knocking twice with no response, he enters to find the office empty. He frowns, noticing no signs of her presence that day. He dials her number, but it rings unanswered. Assuming she's with her boyfriend, he sighs and returns to his office, losing his appetite for lunch.
After work, he meets his brothers for drinks, but drives home sober. Upon arrival, he finds the house dark, indicating Nonhlakanipho is still with her boyfriend. However, upon entering, he's startled to see her on the couch.
“You scared me,” he says, approaching her. Noticing her pale appearance and hearing her sniffle, he asks, “Hey, are you okay?” She claims to be fine, but he detects otherwise.
“I'm fine,” she says, but he knows it's a lie. He feels her temperature, finding her burning hot.
“You're burning up, Nipho, what's happening to you?”
He asks, his voice laced with concern. She gazes at him, her eyes welling up, but says nothing. He studies her, sensing something is amiss, but quickly dismisses the notion that she might be pregnant.
“Can you please hold me?” she asks, her voice barely above a whisper.
“Sure…” he replies, hesitant, but she’s already nestled in his arms before he can finish speaking. He wraps his arms around her, stroking her back, as she breaks into sobs.
“He has a wife and a baby,” she chokes out between sobs.
“I don’t understand?” he asks, confusion etched on his face. “He lied to me,” she explains, her words laced with pain.
“He was just passing time with me, because he was lonely here, but he has a wife and baby back home.”
“Oh, sweetheart, I’m sorry,” he offers, unsure how to comfort her. “It hurts,” she whispers, “I love him, Mkhuseli.”
He holds her tighter, trying to offer some comfort. She continues to sob, her body shaking with each cry. He lets her cry, knowing that she needs to release her emotions,a few moments, she starts to calm down, her sobs becoming less frequent.
“I'm so sorry, for making your shirt wet,” she says, her voice still shaking.
“I feel so stupid for trusting him.”
“Don't apologize, Nipho,” he replies.
“You didn't do anything wrong. He's the one who lied to you.” She nods, taking a deep breath.
“I need to get over him,” she says, determination in her voice. “I need to move on.”
“I'm here to help you,” Mkhuseli says, smiling.
“We'll get through this together.”
“Thank you,,” she says, smiling slightly.
“Just being here for me means a lot.”
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.
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Nonhlakanipho shared every detail with him, and he couldn't believe the audacity of her ex. But as long as she no longer has to sneak around to spend time with him, Mkhuseli is relieved. Right now, he's tempted to confront the guy for causing Nonhlakanipho so much pain, especially since it's her first heartbreak. He hopes this experience will make her wary of relationships, because he can't bear the thought of losing her to another guy. He helped her into her pyjamas and tucked her into bed. She asked him to cuddle her, and he agreed. Now, she's sleeping peacefully, and Mkhuseli is watching over her.
As he holds her, he whispers softly, “Goodnight ,I love you ” She stirs slightly, smiling in her sleep. He smiles back, feeling a sense of peace wash over him. He'll do whatever it takes to keep her safe, to keep her happy.
To be continued…
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