Chapter 52: An Extravagant Suite

                                    

                                          
With James gone, Nina sat back on the couch besides Kaila sighing as she flipped the television on softly trying to relax her mind.
That was until she remembered Lain was still in the house with her. "You didn't just do what I think you did." Her friend said re-emerging from the kitchen with an unimpressed look on her face. With her arms crossed over her chest, Lain was tapping her foot as she stared disappointingly at Nina. 
"Nice to know you eavesdropped on all of that." Nina said undeterred from her show.
"Come on N I'm serious." Lain rolled her eyes as she stood in front of the screen blocking Nina's view. "Tell me I didn't just hear what I think I did."
Groaning as she inhaled deeply, Nina looked at her friend pointedly. "We're not doing this here Lain." She said dragging her friend by the wrist into her bedroom where they would be able to talk without interrupting Kaila's sleep.
Once the door was shut, Nina felt the air in the room thicken as she caught wind of her friends displeased facial expression.
"Tell me you didn't just invite him to come over again Nina?! What we're you thinking?!" Lain said pacing around Nina's bedroom.
"I was thinking that it was the least I could do considering what he's done for me." The woman said defensively sitting down on her bed. 
"The least you could do? Nina no." Lain shook her head before giving her friend a firm, almost scolding stare. "I get you guys had something in the past but come on now think rationally. Not putting him on a restraining order is the least you can do."
"He saved Kaila!" Nina mentioned standing her ground.
"One thing Nina. That's one thing! Do you remember what else he's done?! How he's harassed us, threatened us, and oh yeah dumped you! How does one good deed make up for all the bad ones he's committed?!"
"It's not like that Lain and you know it!" Nina stood going face-to-face with her friend.
"Then please explain it to me cause I'm having a hard time right now wrapping my finger around why he deserves to be apart of your lives." Lain said sitting on the woman's bed with her hand to her chin ready to listen intently.
"Seriously Lain, he saved Kaila from those punks today! That's not the same as arguing over buying the boutique!" Nina defended trying her best not to get aggressively loud considering Kaila was only in the next room. "You heard what he said happened while Kaila was gone! She nearly..." Nina had to stop herself from vomiting at the thought, "...she nearly got raped! The only reason she's home safe right now is because of him!"
"The only reason?" Lain scoffed offended. "Who showed up because she had a gut feeling that something was wrong? Who cancelled work this morning to check on her best friend?!" 
"So what Lain! How was that going to help Kaila! All we did was panic together, meanwhile he was out there getting her away from those sickos!"
Chuckling to herself in disbelief over her friends persistent defending of him, Lain finally had enough. Standing as she shook her head the tan woman turned to her friend wanting to say her peace. "You know how I feel about him Nina, after everything he's done to us, I hate him. But I love you Nina, you're the closest thing I have to a sister and I don't want to see you hurt. Don't come crying to me when he breaks your heart again. I helped put you together once, I don't know if I can do it again." Lain said softly before seeing herself out.
"Lain wait." Nina tried to go after her but as she stepped out of her room, a sleepy Kaila wrapped in her blanket stood holding her arms up. 
"Mama." Kaila called quietly in place lazily looking up at the woman with her drowsy eyes.