“Journalists have been calling me and the agency non-stop. Have you received any calls yet?” That was the first thing Veronica said when August opened the door for her. She only glanced at him and then her head went to her cellphone when it buzzed.

“No,” he said, closing the door after she walked in. She walked to the counter, her yellow high heels echoing throughout the house.

“Good, good.” She sat on the barstool, putting the phone away as she looked up at him. “You read the articles, right?” August nodded and she frowned. “Since you were so quiet, I was thinking that maybe you haven’t. Now I have one question for you, and I think you know what it is, right?”

“I didn’t steal his designs.”

“Great. So how are we going to prove this?”

August chuckled, “Isn’t it your job to figure it out?” After a long silent look from Veronica, he cleared his throat. “I don’t know, what can we do? We lived together for nearly three years. Of course he’s seen most of my designs. Can’t we talk to him? Ask him to retract his statement.”

“That’s the thing. When has talking to someone ever worked?” Veronica sighed. Her phone buzzed again and she only glanced at it before she looked back at August, scrunching up her eyebrows. “I’ll trust you, and I’ll release a statement telling the public that this guy—this… What’s his name even?”

“Manelisi Thabethe.”

“Yes, Mane—Mane…lis?” She turned to him for approval.

“Close enough.”

“Great. He was your roommate and this is what? Him just trying to ruin your career? Do you have the original sketches?”

“I don’t know, maybe.”

Veronica groaned, annoyedly glaring at August. “I hate your answers. I hate all of them.”

~*~

"Kholwa!" Kholwa smiled when hyper August greeted her from the door.

She opened the door and allowed him to enter. "I thought you weren't coming." She didn't let the excitement show in her voice.

After reading the article, she knew that he probably also saw it. She knew that he probably had to do some damage control. It’s only been a couple of days since they last saw each other, but they also texted a few times. She never directly asked about the situation, feeling like asking through text would be a bit insensitive.

She was okay with him not coming that day. She was okay with him not coming again, ever. She just wanted their relationship to end. She was becoming desperate to end the relationship that she started out of selfishness. The relationship with the man that she just couldn’t stop thinking of.

"I couldn't stay away." He giggled as she closed the door. He took out a USB stick from his trouser pocket. "I have some of my favourite movies here, let's watch together." He saw her sombre expression, and his also deflated. "Are you okay? Are you sick again?"

Kholwa chuckled, waving her hand in front of her. "I just didn't sleep well last night." Her smile stayed. That looked more like her. "Let's see what movies you brought with you." She took the stick from him and went to connect it with the TV.

August watched her. She seemed off, but he couldn't understand why. He brushed it off and decided to go prepare some snacks. Kholwa allowed him to do so. She went through the movie list, smiling at how similar their taste was. Not even Mzamo could stand her taste in movies.

"Gus, are these really your favourite movies?" She asked staring at him in the kitchen. He looked at her, their eyes meeting and then he smiled.

"Yeah. Don't you like them? We can always watch whatever you have." He nervously laughed, remembering that he had a peculiar taste in movies. He should have asked first.

"That won't help at all." She grinned. "We have the same type of movies, it seems."

"Really?"

She hummed a reply as she pressed one of the movies and paused. She then walked to help August prepare the snacks.

"What are the odds?" He said, smiling as she took one of the cut fruit pieces.

"Right?" She smiled as she popped a grape in her mouth. She looked up at him. "You shouldn't work when you get to someone else's house."

"You're not just someone else."

"Who am I then?"

August hummed thoughtfully. "You're the pretty girl who stole my heart."

She laughed, patting his chest. "Don't be silly." She walked to take out the microwave popcorn, an easier snack to make. "I'm not pretty."

"Of course you are."

She was about to decline, but when she turned around, August was right in front of her. The popcorn in her hand fell. She liked how close they were. It took a while for her to finally look up at him, but when she did, he was gently smiling at her.

"You're the most beautiful woman I've ever seen." He continued.

"Gus…"

"Let me love you, Kholwa," he leant closer towards her but didn't kiss her. He couldn't, not without her permission. He didn't want to risk whatever relationship they had. She nodded, her mind clouded with only thoughts of her and August. She wanted it just as much as August did. She wanted it and was willing to be selfish for one more day just to get what she wanted. She liked to believe that she deserved it. She deserved happiness too, even if it would be for only a little while.

August kissed her. He kissed her as his life depended on it. The kiss just showed how needy he had been to be intimate with her. He was needy to have her in his arms. He lifted her onto the counter so that they would be on the same level. She smiled, looking at him.

"Gus, August, I'm sorry." She said, confusing him.

"Why..." She did not let him finish. She kissed him again, hoping the moment would last forever. August deserved that much.