Suicide Watch

Chapter 13

Temi POV

I wake up before Isa. I'm sitting up in bed, watching her large form hidden in the blankets beside my bed. I know it can't be comfortable sleeping on the floor, but I know Isa is so strong headed and insists on doing so in case I 'sneak off' in the middle of the night.

Even though she can't see me, I roll my eyes. I'm awake. Isa's asleep. Realistically, I could just sneak off right now if I want to. I deliberate the thought for a moment. It would be really nice to get away from Isa for sometime, especially as she has been extra overbearing lately. But there's a part of me that still remembers the events of the night I had done so. As much as I wouldn't like to admit it, there is a part of me that fears Isa's anger.

For a moment, I watch Isa as she sleeps. Her back is turned to me and she is basically just a breathing lump under all the blankets, and my mind immediately flashes back to last night. My ears heat up as a feeling of embarrassment passes through me as I remember tripping, and Isa catching me. In a strange way, I wish she had just let me fall, rather than catch me like we're in some romance book.

The only other time I have been that close to Isa is the night I had snuck off. And from the events of last night, I have concluded that I did not enjoy it. I ignore the voice in my head that seems to tell me otherwise, busying myself instead with trying to stand up as quietly as possible.

I rise from my bed and quietly exit my room. A part of my brain tells me to slam the door behind me in order to disrupt Isa's sleep. But the more dominant part of me values the alone time I have right now, so I shut my room door quietly behind me as I bring my phone out of my pocket and call my mom.

She doesn't pick up the first time I call her and it takes me calling her two more times before she answers.

"Mom," I say.

"Temi, honey-," my mom begins, interrupted by the sound of her whispering to someone in the background, "how are you?"

I bite down on my lip.

"Fine," I lie.

"That's good, honey," comes my mom's reply, followed by more chattering in the background. It's clear that she's only half paying attention to our phone call.

"I could be better," I say, which is an understatement. I could be alot better. "I need Isa gone."

There's a silence on the other end of the line, then there's more whispering and my mom's voice comes back clear.

"Isabella? She's your bodyguard. Why do you want her gone?"

"She's more of a babysitter," I reply, rolling my eyes even though I know my mom can't see me. "And I do not need or want a babysitter."

"That's absurd, Temilola. She's only looking out for you."

I cringe internally. I do so anytime my mom uses my full name. She does it when she wants to sound stern.

"Besides, it's good that you have her," my mom continues, "I've decided to run for New York City Governor this year, isn't that exciting?"

I cannot think of anything less exciting, but my mom does not wait for me to say so. Her question is purely rhetorical, and she carries on unbothered.

"I think that it's good for you to have Isabella for extra protection, especially during this election period. You don't know who might try to target you."

"Nobody is going to 'target' me mom, this is not the 1900s," I reply.

"Temilola, I really do not like your tone. I think you could do with being a bit more optimistic."