What Tears Us Apart

Chapter 37



December 30, 2007, Kibera—Leda

THEIR LIPS SLAMMED into each other, seeking, licking, sucking. While Chege cupped one hand behind Leda’s head, protecting it from touching the ground, the other roved over her skin, her breasts, grasped the curve of her hip, smeared orange dust across her thighs. Her back arched as Chege kissed her throat, sucked at her nipples.

It wasn’t like the searing happiness when Ita kissed her. It wasn’t the enveloping sense of safety. No, the heat between Chege and her was dark and licked at her like fire, flooded through her like a drug, dangerous but addictive.

She heard the undoing of Chege’s pants, felt his bare thighs, felt him hard against her underwear. Then he tugged them down, pulled her panties off.

No, wait, Leda heard a little voice say somewhere inside her soul.

But the fire paid no mind, and it climbed and climbed through her limbs, unfurling and curling like a vine, exploding between her legs, wrapping tight around her hips, setting her stomach aflame—

“Stop.”

She wasn’t sure she said it aloud, until Chege’s head rose from her neck like a lion pausing as it devours its kill. His hands stopped pawing, his nakedness pulled away. With inches between them, Chege panted, waiting. Waiting for what Leda would say next.

“No, Chege. I can’t do this to him.”

The door banged open and fell from its hinges. Chege dropped down on top of Leda like a shield, his head in her neck and dust everywhere.

Over his shoulder, silhouetted in the doorway, Leda saw Ita’s face, carved by horror.