Rugged To The Core

Chapter 83

Song for chapter: Love Riddim By Rotimi

Lucky

"Alright, alright... Spill it." I said the minute we entered my bedroom.

     Moustapha smirked as he sat down on my bed, I sat next to him and playfully shoved him. He began to laugh, I simply eyed him, waiting for him to stop his nonsense and reply me.

     Surprisingly, Dad had agreed to Moustapha staying here. Initially, he was against it, but he had caved. What ever agreement he and Grandpa made, it must've be rock solid. Since Mum was occupying the guest bedroom, Moustapha would be sleeping downstairs, on the sofa. His things would be kept in the storeroom downstairs. There was a bathroom downstairs for visitors and that's what he would be using. Mum had offered to move into Bukky's room so he could have the guest bedroom but Dad had strongly protested and Moustapha being the gentleman had politely declined too.

"Okay fine... " Moustapha finally got serious. "It was all Abel's idea. We talked about it at the barber's. The minute I heard the plan, there was no way I was going to turn it down. All I had to do was convince Grandpa. And that wasn't hard at all. I mentioned it and his eyes lit up!"

I chuckled. "Having you here will make things different."

"It's only till I have to leave for school again though. And that's about two months from now."

I gave him a small smile. "Regardless, I'm happy you're here."

He smiled back, reaching out to lightly caress my cheek. Suddenly, his gaze shifted to the side and I turned to see what he was looking at — what was left of my standing mirror, the frame.

Moustapha rose to his feet, he took slow strides to the frame. It was amazing how his boots were almost soundless against the tiles as he walked.

Soldier's stealth...

He stopped before the frame and simply stared at it.

"He did this?"

I didn't answer, I figured it was pretty much a rhetorical question.

"Hey, I'm surprised though...why did Dad give in so easily?" I asked in an attempt to change the atmosphere.

He turned around and I drank him in. He was dressed stylishly from head to toe. Jeans on jeans, a plaid shirt underneath, nearly tucked in and his combat boots that was covered by the cuff of his trousers.

"When your father was facing that lawsuit after beating up his employee, Grandpa made him a deal. It wasn't a deal per se, it was more like he told him to simply start following his orders. Your father was and still is desperate so he accepted. Then in return, Grandpa used his connections to dissipate all the charges." Moustapha finally finished his long explanation.

"Wow..." I breathed out.

~*~*~*~

     Having Moustapha around was so much better, he was the best catalyst. Dad couldn't stand him though, right from day one. Technically speaking, they would be brothers but Dad hated and treated both Moustapha and his brother like outsiders. Now that he was here, he would always throw glares at him, grumbling to himself. Sometimes, he would catch us getting chummy and would instantly scold us. I didn't care though, that was his business.

    One afternoon, my girls came over for a hangout and the sight that welcomed them was a shirtless, sweaty, disoriented Moustapha. He'd left his workout to open the door. Standing at the bottom of the stairs, I had the perfect view of his naked, glistening, sculpted back. His waist, his broad shoulders. One hand was up against the frame of the door, causing his bicep to arch. I could see the veins bulging around his arms from where I stood. He looked like he could be the cover of a men's fitness magazine.