Hidden Passion
Chapter 8

"Yes, I do. She's Zeece, Dorcas's friend."

All glimmers of hope went down the drain for Grace. Even Lillian buried her face in her palms. Shocked, Grace exclaimed, "What! What did you just call her name?" She looked from Nath to Lillian, who was quiet, and she could tell Lillian understood what was going on.

"Zinc, or what did he just call you, Lillian?" She was getting angry. The smoke of anger that was coming from her ears filled the room and almost choked those in the room.

"It's a misunderstanding, Mum. He just-" Her palms were beginning to sweat as she explained.

"Just forgot?" her mother chipped in. "Nath, how could you forget the person-"

"Mum, stop!" Lillian cut her in. "Please, okay? No more words," Lillian blurted and went outside.

Nathaniel was lost. He did not have any idea of what was going on. What were they talking about? He started wracking his brain.

"I will get back to you, Mr. Sosanya. Thank you." She couldn't bear talking to him any longer, so it would be best for him to leave. Otherwise, she would spill everything Lillian was trying to hide. She gave him a handshake and he left. But what was wrong with her daughter? Why would she suddenly not want to tell him who she was? She had even lied about her name.

And Nath, how could he not remember her daughter? Must he see the tattoo before he recognizes her? The more she thought about it, the more ludicrous it seemed.

Nathaniel ran after Zeece, or rather Lillian. He met her in the garage as she was about to open the door to her black Lexus 350. He had been calling her from the hallway, but she didn't answer.

"What do you want? You should have known I don't want to listen to anything you have to say since I was not answering you," Lillian muttered with an unfriendly expression. She did not want that, of course. Just looking at him made her knees weak. She really ached to be with him, but what could she do? He was in love with her best friend.

Case closed. Game over.

She just had to try and get over him. And being hostile to him was the only alternative that was the best in taking him off her mind. Maybe, if she pretended to hate him, she would eventually hate him. But it did not seem to be working. Perhaps, it would still work. She just had to try harder and give it some time.

"Zeece-No, I mean Lillian. Why did you lie to me about your name?" He sounded hurt and worried. Why had he not been told her real name? So many questions and assumptions roamed his mind, but he was too occupied to pay attention to any of them.

"The last time I checked, I was not the one who told you my name. Now you know my name." Her tone was belligerent.

Nath could sense her anger and hostility toward him, but why? Why did she seem to hate him so much when they barely knew each other? He could not answer that.

"If you have nothing more to say," she said, opening her door widely, "Then I will take my leave." What was the point of staying there with him and engaging in meaningless conversation? But within her heart she would not mind looking at his face all day without saying a word. She loved him that much.

She was about to sit in the driver's seat when he grabbed her arm. She met eyes burning with the fire of curiosity. Their gaze stilled and it lasted a lifetime before his eyes shifted to her sleeved arm.

"Please, show me your arm. I know this..." he was saying.

Although his touch gave her goosebumps and awakened some butterflies she didn't know existed in her stomach, she maintained her cold attitude. "How could you be so polite about such an absurd request? Are you-" She wanted to say crazy but couldn't bring herself to call him that, so she changed her choice of word. "Are you okay?"

"Lilly, I know I am acting crazy, but-"

You're not crazy, you fool! How could he call himself crazy when she had just refrained from doing so? "I can't grant that request. That's just...impolite. And please, don't call me Lilly. Lillian will be just fine." The boy who called her Lilly was gone. He had grown to love someone else and thus, lost the right to call her that. The man standing before her now was a stranger and nothing more.

With that, she entered her car and closed the door, but received a sincere apology from him. She did not reply but drove out of the garage, leaving him. If she stayed any longer than that, she would burst into tears. She would not be able to control herself from telling him who she really was and that could jeopardize the relationship between him and her best friend. It could also ruin her friendship with Dorcas.

She did not want that to happen. Her friend loved him. She met him first too and was now together with him. She should not be selfish and ruin that.

If she had to hide her passion to save her best friend from another heartbreak, she would painfully do that. She just prayed her friend was serious about Nath or that would ruin her life.