Lust in Ecstasy: Love, Lies and Revenge
Chapter 38: All In.

Chapter 38: All In.

The drive back home was quiet for me again. Faith, too, seemed preoccupied, her eyes glued to her phone, while Daniel was deep in conversation with Abu. If only he knew that Joyce was cheating on him with his so-called friend.

I cleared my throat and shifted in my seat, just loud enough to get their attention.

Faith broke the silence first, asking Daniel to drop her off at a friend’s place before we got to the estate. When we finally reached the gate, my uncle turned to me.

"Get down and grab some supplies from the supermarket," he said.

Weird. I could’ve sworn we already had everything at home. But I didn’t argue. A walk home might do me some good.

At the store, I picked up the items he asked for, paid without thinking much, and stepped back into the midday air. My mind drifted. I considered texting Eric, thanking him, and telling him I was out. But I couldn’t. Eric had a motive for doing this beyond just the money. He was after something, and I knew he wasn’t going to let this go easily. Backing out now would make me a coward, wouldn’t it?

---

When I got home, I immediately noticed something was off. The gate was unlocked.

Joyce’s car was missing, so she wasn’t home. That meant only my uncle was inside.

I hesitated before heading in, climbing the stairs slowly. A thought crept into my mind. Daniel had been oddly tense earlier. I hadn’t paid much attention at the time, but now... I was curious.

I stopped in front of his room. Instead of knocking, I leaned in, pressing my ear to the door.

Nothing.

"What the hell are you doing?"

I flinched at the voice behind me.

Ah, shit. Daniel.

I straightened up immediately, scrambling for an excuse. "Uh... I was... I knocked but no one answered so I..."

Daniel scoffed, his expression twisted with irritation. "And the next thing you could think off was to eavesdrop, fool"

He held out his hand. "Where’s the stuff I sent you?"

I handed him the bag, and without another word, he turned and walked back to the living room.

"We’re going to have a conversation when I get back," he added over his shoulder.

I let out a breath, watching him go. Relieved but then, my stomach dropped.

He had just walked out of Esther’s room.

I was too stunned to process it at first.

What the hell was he doing in there? I muttered under my breath. I wonder what he wants to talk about.

I stood there for a moment, frozen, listening as his car pulled out of the driveway. Then, before I could overthink it, I walked up to Esther’s door and knocked.

"Come in!" her voice called from inside.

I pushed the door open and stopped at the entrance.

Esther was sitting up in bed, a book in her lap. She was wearing a thin spaghetti-strap top, the fabric barely concealing her nipples, and a pair of shorts that left her thighs fully exposed. My eyes flickered over her body, and for a brief second, I felt a twitch in my pants before forcing myself to look away.

She glanced up at me, setting the book aside.

"Hi," she said, her voice soft but unreadable.

"Hey... Uh, what’s up?" I asked, leaning against the doorframe.

Before she could answer, I folded my arms and added, "What was Daniel doing in your room?"

Esther’s expression shifted... just for a second. A flash of guilt, maybe irritation, crossed her face before she scoffed.

"What’s that supposed to mean?" she shot back, her tone defensive. "Boy, just because we’re fucking each other doesn’t mean you get to be all up in my business."

I expected her to get defensive, so I didn’t push. The last thing I needed was to start an argument. Instead, I let out a slow breath and shrugged.

"Relax, I was just asking," I said, keeping my tone light. "No need to bite my head off."

"I have to say though, you look even cuter when you’re annoyed," I teased, hoping to lighten the mood.

It worked, she smiled, shaking her head. "You dummy. How are you so good with words?"

I shrugged, grinning. "I don’t know. Just happens, I guess."

Turning to leave, I barely made it a step before she asked, "Where are you going?"

"My room," I said over my shoulder.

She tilted her head, eyes dropping slightly before smirking. "Need help with that?"

"With what?" I asked, confused.

"That." She said gesturing toward my lower.

I glanced down and let out a silent sigh.

Oh, for God’s sake. How was I getting hard with everything going on right now? Then again, considering the fact that a very attractive woman was sitting on the bed, barely covered by her clothes... maybe this was just a normal reaction.

"She asked if you needed help, dummy," my mind taunted.

To be honest, I wouldn’t have minded letting Esther take care of that, but I just couldn’t bring myself to go through with it.

"Uh... no, not really," I muttered, rubbing the back of my head. "It’s just a reaction... you know, seeing you dressed like that." I swallowed, looking anywhere but at her. "Ma... maybe later, though."

Esther smirked, tilting her head as she looked me over. "Oh, I see how it is," she said, crossing her arms. "You don’t want me anymore, huh? Or am I just not good enough for you now?"

My eyes widened. "What? No, that’s not it at all!" I quickly defended. "It’s just... I’ve got a lot on my mind right now, and—"

She burst into laughter, shaking her head. "Relax, baby. I’m just messing with you."

I exhaled, running a hand through my hair. "Jesus, you almost gave me a heart attack."

Still grinning, she waved me off. "Go to your room before I make you regret turning me down."

Not needing to be told twice, I nodded and left, heading straight for my room.

---

Once inside, I shut the door and leaned against it, exhaling sharply. My thoughts swirled as I sat on the edge of my bed, staring at my phone.

I couldn’t back out now. The fear, the doubt, all the negative thoughts about the next day... it was all still there, but at least if things went south, I wouldn’t be alone.

I picked up my phone and dialed Eric’s number.

As the line rang, I made my decision.

I was all in.