The ORION Project | ✔

chapter 17

Joshua clenched his fists tightly and reminded himself to breath in and out before he did something drastic, something he could not take back. He watched them for a few more seconds before rapping his knuckles on the open door.

They startled and Nina quickly slid away from Fire's laps and attempted to put on her usual mask of disdain she wore whenever he was in her presence. Joshua used to despise that look before he discovered that he wasn't a very pleasant person, and Nina knew how deep that unpleasantness ran so he supposed she had the right to scowl at him.

"That could have been someone else walking in on the both of you," Joshua said through gritted teeth. "Maybe they'd even take a few pictures before you realized."

Fire snorted, he was one of the only few people that showed his intense dislike for Joshua and got away with it. Joshua actually liked Firepemi, like with Amina, he had been practically raised with Fire, except that the latter was a few years older than Joshua was, Fire was blunt, he said the things Amina refused to say out of respect. Fire called him out on his bullshit, sometimes it was welcome, other times it wasn't.

Fire was also dating his girlfriend. It would probably appear twisted to many people that both boys shared the same girl but Joshua didn't care, he didn't love Nina like Firepemi did, in fact, he didn't want her — something that always irked Nina — and if he could break things off with her then he would, kings didn't always need queens. However things weren't so simple.

Nina was the love child of a British supermodel and the current president of the country, Joshua's father was his vice, it was natural that their parents decided to put both their youngest children together and in a few years, they'd become the disgustingly perfect married couple who were always destined to end up together but now, Joshua let Nina have her ways, even if she wanted to be with Fire, even if she knew it wouldn't last.

Sometimes he found them disgustingly cute, like one would look at little puppies. They could do whatever the hell they wanted with each other as long as they did it out of the sight of the public. Nina was his when it came to public appearances, it was most likely why she hated him.

"C'mon, no one but you has spare keys to my apartment, this is a perfectly safe place to make out." Fire said with a shrug that was anything but innocent.

Nina ignored Joshua — he would be lying if he said he cared that she seemed to hate him for no reason — as she slipped on her top and rolled over to the other side of the bed to slip on her jewelries on the nightstand. 

Joshua watched her, hating that she had returned to country without warning. Nina lived with her raucous mother abroad and schooled there too, it was easier that way, since he never got to see her for up to a year sometimes. He pocketed both fists and felt fury well up in him, sudden appearances irked him, especially with the way everything seemed to be falling apart.

"Popola and his dogs were at the gala, Amina just called me." He deadpanned.

Firepemi perked instantly, slipping on a shirt and motioning to Joshua that they move to the living room. Joshua had once looked up to Firepemi once, after all, before he was leader, Fire had been temporarily even though he had hated every second of it.

In the brightly lit living room, Fire was quick to head to the bar, pouring himself a bottle of tequila.

"Tell me everything,"

"He danced with her," Joshua said slowly, they both knew that by her he meant Grace. "I don't want her knowing anything before the time."

Firepemi clenched his jaw and Joshua knew well that Fire wanted nothing do with anything that had to do with Grace, not because he hated her but because his loyalties were shaky — after all, blood was thicker — and Joshua knew better than to tell him too much.