Maxine's Pov:
I watched him speechlessly, my heart pounding, unable to even move as confusion and fear overwhelmed me. What's he talking about?
Under his protection? And how did he know I was the Crazy dancer?
Oh my God! How did this happen?
"Maxine", he called, snapping me out of my thoughts.
"What do you think? I only wanna be of help".
I stared at him for a while, then took my eyes to the floor.
"How did you know I'm the Crazy dancer?" I asked
"Well... from a reliable source", he replied, and my mind reflected to Pablo.
He was the only one who knew my secret. Could it be possible he had revealed it to Noah?
"I...I wouldn't want to say no to you. But my family, they'll never approve of me staying here," I told him.
"Your family?" He scoffed.
"Do you still consider those people your family? They turned you into an enslaved person, Maxine! Treated you like a piece of rag, and you still refer to them as your family?"
I bent my head in shame.
"I know everything", he continued.
"I know how they've made you suffer, and I'm here to put an end to it. Well, let's say you got my attention with your dancing skills, and I can't just stand by and watch you suffer.
"So, let me know, Maxine - are you with me on this? Are you willing to stay with me? You don't need to worry about your family. The most important thing is your opinion. Just tell me you're okay with it and I'll take care of every other thing," he explained, leaving me speechless.
Oh, God! Is this a dream or what? Living alone with Noah? Good lord! I never planned that. How am I supposed to do it?
Noah Sigmund? I mean...Noah of all people!!
Gosh!
"Maxine..." he called, and I gulped nervously and looked at him.
"What do you think?"
I thought about it again. My first fear was my family - they were definitely gonna cause a fight, and that was certain.
And Noah - what would people say when they get to know I'm living with him?
I sighed dolefully.
But on the other hand, this could be an answer to my prayers.
I mean, I've always prayed to be liberated from my family. And this could be it! Why am I having second thoughts about it?
Or... is it because it's someone like Noah?
I lifted my head and found him staring at me, and slowly, I nodded in agreement.
"Thank you", I said shyly.
"Come with me", he said and started walking away, and of course, I followed.
We got to the entrance, and he pushed the door open and went in.
Gosh! The entire place was so neat and sparkling!
I gasped when we got into the sitting room. Oh my gee! It was indescribable!
So big and beautiful..
Everything was classic and looked overly expensive. I can't believe Noah owns this. So, why was he living with his parents all along?
Three ladies rushed out immediately in spiffy dresses.
"Welcome home, sir Noah", they greeted with a bow and looked surprised to see me.
"Yeah - don't worry; I'll call you when I need you," he dismissed them, and they bowed and left.
Wow! They were obviously the maids.
Hm. We don't even have maids at home - and that's because they prefer me doing all the chores!
I kept following Noah naively as he took the stairs and continued walking until he reached a closed door.
He took a key from his pocket, inserted it into the keyhole, and opened the door.
"This will be your room", he announced as we walked in.
Oh my God!
My lips dropped open in shock.
What??
I scoffed in disbelief. No; this is probably a dream!
My room???
It was 10 times prettier than the one I had back there at home.
It was so big, dazzling and comfy.
The bed was big and looked really soft. And that was a big flat-screen TV and decoder - something I never had.
"I didn't plan on your coming", he said from behind.
"So, we're short of clothes and the rest. But by tomorrow, we'll be going shopping as soon as you're back from school".
I turned to face him, tears threatening to drop from my eyes.
"Why are you doing all these?" I asked ruefully.
"You...You barely even know me".
He smiled and touched his forehead.
"Well...I just fell in love with your dancing skills. And let's say I hate seeing someone maltreated," he replied, and a tear finally dropped.
"Thank you", I muttered, wiping it off, and he smiled.
"You're welcome. I'll ask the maids to bring you some food immediately. You can bathe, freshen up and get ready for the evening contest. I need to hurry somewhere, but I'll be back in a short time". He said, and all I did was nod.
And he left afterwards.
I plonked myself on the bed and burst into tears. Oh God! What have I done to deserve this?
What?
Within the twinkle of an eye, my life's changed? Everything changed?
How did this even happen? How did Noah develop an interest in me?
How?
I wept for a long time and only stopped when I heard a knock on the door.
I sniffed and dried my face with the tip of my shirt before going to check it out.
I opened the door slightly, and it revealed one of the maids I had seen earlier.
"Good morning, ma'am", she greeted me with a bow.
Oh my God! I couldn't believe someone was actually calling me ma'am.
"Um...good morning", I replied with a little sniff.
"Sorry to disturb, but I came to know what you would like to eat. Just make a choice, please, so the chef can get to work," she said politely, and I bit my lower lip to prevent myself from crying more.
"Um...anything nice would do. Maybe some pasta and eggs," I replied shyly.
"Okay, ma'am" She bowed and left.
I shut the door and leaned my back on it.
Gosh! Is this really happening? I'm being treated with so much respect??
I scoffed and sat on the floor, thinking about it.
I fingered my chin to be sure I wasn't dreaming.
It was real! Damn real!
I was with Noah!
Goodness!
*
I sat on the floor for a long time, thinking about the whole thing. After a while, I decided to take a look around to prevent me from shedding more tears.
I dried my face properly and left the room, going downstairs.
Even the stairs looked royal.
But really...if Noah owned something like this, why then was he living with his parents?
I shook my head in amusement and finally got to the sitting room. The TV was on, displaying a Nigerian program.
Hmm. I couldn't even recall the last time I watched movies.
I smiled and was about to take a seat when I heard a knock on the door and wondered who it could be.
Maybe it was one of Noah's visitors.
I sat down and looked at the door, and the knock came again.
Oh God! Who could it be? I felt scared going to check it out. Where were the maids?
Immediately, the door opened, and I turned to see Rex coming in - looking like he wanted to eat up someone.
What?
I sprang to my feet in shock immediately.
What's he doing here?