Between 2 Hearts – Episode 87

Days later, Alex and his father sat in the veranda, sipping their red wine and discussing various topics.

 “Dad, there’s something I want to ask you,” Alex said, his curiously.

“Okay, what’s it?” King Luke asked, his eyes sparkling with interest.

“It’s about Naomi’s mother,” Alex said. “Do you know her before?” King Luke sighed.

“Yes, I do,” he replied, taking a sip of his wine.

“Really?” He asked, his eyes widening with intrigue. “I want to know everything.”

King Luke smiled, settling back into his chair. “Well, Elena and I were course mates in university. I met her in the first semester, and we became close…”

“You became close to her because she was beautiful or what?” Alex teased.

“At first, it was because of her beauty. Her dark skin was very attractive. She wasn’t the only dark-skinned lady, but hers was the best. She wasn’t only beautiful but also very brilliant.”

“Hmm, now I see where Naomi gets her intelligence from,” he said, and they both chuckled.

“You’re right, son,” He said, smiling. “As I was saying, we became fond of each other and started to develop feelings for each other.”

Alex’s eyes widened in surprise. “You fell for her?” he asked.

 “Yes, I did. Who wouldn’t fall for Elena? She was down-to-earth, and everyone loved her.”

   

“What happened after that?” Alex asked.

“We didn’t happen,” 

“Why? Did she reject you?” Alex asked, his eyes wide with interest.

“No, I didn’t show my feelings for her, although she knew I liked her,” King Luke replied. “But she was scared because I am royalty, and your mother was already betrothed to me then.”

“Oh, she knew about it?” Alex asked, his brow furrowed in surprise.

“Yes, because she and your mother were friends until they had a misunderstanding that ended their friendship,” 

“Was it because of you?” He asked.

“Yes, your mom and her grumpy attitude. She thought I was into Elena, and she also thought Elena was trying to take her position.”

“Oh, I see,” Alex said. “So that’s why Mom hates dark-skinned ladies.”

“I guess she has this mentality that they use their innocence to take things for themselves.” 

They both fell quiet for a moment, lost in thought.

“Can I ask you another question?” He asked, breaking the silence.King Luke nodded. “Do you ever wish it was Elena you ended up with and not Mom?” 

“I love your mom at first sight when she was introduced as my betrothed. But the deep feelings I have for Elena were more than the ones I have for your mom then. But now, everything is fine.”

“It’s a good thing you went for Mom,” he said. “I wonder how my life would have turned out without Naomi in my life.”

“Exactly, God has a plan for everything.”

“You’re right, Dad,” Alex replied, smiling.

“Now, my advice to you is never trade your happiness to please others,” he said. “Stick with what you want.”

“Sure, Dad,” he said, nodding in agreement.

 “That’s good to know. Invite your fiancée to dinner this weekend.”

“Okay,” Alex said, grinning. “I’ll do that.” They continued chatting, enjoying each other’s company.

  _______

   

The next day, Naomi and Mia were cooking in the kitchen when Philip strolled in.

“Philip, what are you doing here?” Mia asked.

“Well, I’m just curious why His Royal Highness hasn’t come over,” Philip replied. “It’s been three days now, and I haven’t seen him.”

“Why do you want to see him?” Naomi asked, her eyes narrowing slightly.

“Why wouldn’t I want to see him?” He retorted. “He’s going to be my soon-to-be brother-in-law.”

Naomi and Mia exchanged a tired look.

“Philip, he’s busy with work,” Naomi explained patiently. “He’ll come when he has a chance.”

“I can’t wait that long,” he said, his face lighting up with mischief. He quickly snatched Naomi’s phone from the kitchen cabinet.

“What are you doing?” Naomi asked, trying to grab the phone back from him.

“Calling him, of course,” Philip replied, already dialing the number. Naomi chased after him, trying to stop him.

The two of them tore around the living room, laughing and chasing each other. The others in the room watched with amusement, enjoying the lighthearted moment.Mia smiled and rolled her eyes good-naturedly.

 “Philip, let me have my phone back,” 

“No way,” He said, holding the phone out of her reach.

 The chase continued, with Philip teasing Naomi and Naomi trying to catch him.

   

Just then, the bell rang, and Jimmy stood up to answer the door. He opened it and was surprised to see Alex and Nathan standing in front of the door.

They exchanged pleasantries, and Jimmy moved aside to let them in. Everyone was surprised to see them, but they were amused by the scene unfolding before them.

Philip and Naomi were chasing each other around the living room, completely oblivious to Alex and Nathan’s presence. Naomi finally managed to grab the phone from Philip, and Alex moved quietly towards them.

He stood behind Naomi, and Philip, sensing his presence, tried to speak. But Alex gave him a subtle signal to remain silent, and Philip understood. He let go of the phone, 

     “I told you he’s busy, when he has a chance, he’ll come”. She said,  turned to leave, bumping into Alex, who quickly held her by the waist. She was taken aback by his presence. “Alex, you’re here,” she sputtered.

“Yes,” Alex smiled, pulling her into a warm hug. “I missed you,” he said.

Everyone in the room was amused by the tender moment, their faces lighting up with smiles.

Meanwhile, Nathan had slipped away to the kitchen, where he found Mia chopping vegetables with focus. He stood staring at her, his eyes filled with love and adoration.

“Do you need help with that?” he asked, 

Mia was startled by the familiar voice and turned quickly to face him. 

“Nat…” she called out happily, rushing to hug him tightly.

“Do you miss me this much?” Nathan teased, holding her close.

“You were away for days,” Mia replied, her voice muffled against his shoulder.

“But I called and did video calls with you,” Nathan said, smiling.

“That’s different,” she said, pulling away slightly. “I miss your hugs.”

“I miss yours too,” he said, holding her close again.

  

“I miss you more,” he said, caressing Mia’s face as they smiled at each other.

 Their lips collided softly as they leaned in for a kiss. Mia wrapped her arms around Nathan’s neck as the kiss deepened, their love and affection for each other palpable. After a while, they pulled away, resting their heads together.

“I have a surprise for you this weekend,” he said, his eyes sparkling with excitement. “Get prepared.”

“What’s the surprise?”

“I’m not telling you,” Nathan replied, chuckling. They both laughed, the anticipation building.

Meanwhile, Alex and Naomi strolled hand in hand to the poolside, enjoying the serene atmosphere.

“You didn’t tell me you were coming,” Naomi said, looking up at Alex with a smile.

“Nah, I just wanted to surprise you,” Alex replied, and they stop facing each other.

“I’ve missed you,” she said, pouting. “You weren’t around for days, it’s like torture.”

“I’m sorry, I was kinda tight with work,” he said, pulling her into a warm hug.

“I miss you more,” he whispered, kissing her neck. Naomi flinched, her skin tingling with pleasure. “I love your smell,” he said, sniffing her hair. Naomi held him firmly, her heart racing with excitement.

He began caressing and placing kisses on her neck, making her moan softly. He traced his kisses from her neck to her face, down to her lips.

They kissed passionately, forgetting their surroundings. After some moments, they pulled away slowly, still wrapped in each other’s arms.

“Get prepared this weekend,” he said, pulling away from her. “It’s just going to be you and me.” He winked and walked away, leaving Naomi wondering.

“Prepare for what?” She wondered, confusion on her face.

    

TBC