Yes, I don come again.😌♥️

Oya, let's dive right into the second phase.✨

The song for this chapter- Rhythm and Blues by Ayra Starr.

             ______________𖧷______________

                           "𝐸𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑦 𝑝𝑖𝑒𝑐𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑚𝑒
                                𝑎𝑐ℎ𝑒𝑠 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑦𝑜𝑢."

             _______________𖧷_____________

             
                 ~𝚂𝙷𝙰𝙺𝙸𝚁𝙰 𝙽𝙸𝙽𝙸𝙾𝙻𝙰 𝙼𝙰𝙻𝙸𝙺~

"Ugh, come on!" I stomped my foot on the ground like a bratty child who wasn't getting what she wanted.

My occasional stomps against the ground were enough to drill a hole in it, but it was nothing compared to the death grip I had on my bag, glaring at the back of the head of my date.

Aren't basketball players supposed to have accurate hands and be able to give precise throwing? If I didn't know him well enough to know that he had a knack for accurate throws and was also a good player, I might excuse his flops right now, but I knew him!

A little too much, even.

"Come on, Stefan," I muttered under my breath but the words were directed at the boy a few feet away from me, aiming a dart at the dart board. The light-skinned boy beside him, who had his locks thrown in a man bun, was watching him with a teasing grin. It was almost mocking and it rode on my nerves. Twerked on it, even.

He has been winning since and he didn't hesitate to rub it in Stefan's face. I couldn't wait for Stefan to wipe that smug smile off his face.

My eyes drifted to the petite girl beside me, who was munching on a large pink cotton candy that was bigger than her face, occasionally throwing the light-skinned boy child-like grins while rocking on her feet that were clad in chunky Nike sneakers. It wasn't so hard to guess that they were couples—not that they made it less obvious—and I hated admitting the fact that they looked so good together.

Stefan aimed the dart at the bullseye for the umpteenth time, and it ended up in a different line far from the bull's eye, eliciting a groan from me.

"You can do it," I mouthed at him with a soft smile when his eyes met mine.

"Go show them how it's done, babe!" the small framed girl beside me cheered her boyfriend on and I have never rolled my eyes harder than I did.

If I plank you and your baby.

Stefan moved aside and the guy on dreadlocks grabbed a dart while the owner of the stand watched the two of them with his eyes glinting with curiosity. 

Now, I kind of regretted suggesting he played the dart board game. I just thought it would be fun. Yeah, leave it to someone who has eaten to their fill to make wrong decisions.

Aunty, no dey disguise. You made him play because of your teddy bear obsession!

On cue, my eyes darted to the huge powdered blue teddy bear that was slouched against one of the toy stands. The bear looked too tired to carry itself. That was how big it was. Wouldn't it be amazing to have something that huge and adorable in my room?!

They only had one more try each. If the guy won the next round, that was the end of the whole thing. The thought of not going back home with that teddy bear made me frown really hard.

My eyes were narrowed at the light-skinned boy miraculously like it was enough to make him miss his target. He shifted backwards and hauled the dart at the bull's eye.

But then, he missed.

"Fuck yes!" I screamed.

In your face, bitch!

Stefan flashed him a taunting smirk, but I knew that wasn't enough. He had to get it right this time around. My hold tightened on the strap of my bag, my nervousness heightening every second that ticked by. I watched him throw a smile in my direction before he grabbed a dart and took a step back to aim it at the bull's eye.

"Go, Stefan!" I cheered him on with a large grin.

In one swift throw, the pointed edge of the dart connected with the bull's eye, and an excited scream tore through my lips. I was as giddy as a little girl, but it was nothing compared to the pure thrill that gripped me in the guts when Stefan darted towards me and swept me off my feet, spinning me around, our shoulders quaking with laughter.

"Did you see that?!"

"Yes, you were amazing!" I responded in a tone as cheery and loud as his. 

He dropped me on my feet, gathering me in his arms and tucking my hair behind my ear while watching me with a never-ending smile that left me all red in the face and oblivious to the attention we were getting. It was as though we tuned out the rest of the world.

"Let's go get your gift," he whispered, pressing a soft kiss to my forehead and I nodded vigorously. He reluctantly let me out of his grip and sauntered over to the owner of the stand and the boy on dreadlocks. 

I peeled my eyes off his frame only to find the light-skinned girl walking towards me with a wide smile on her face. She was still clutching the pink cotton candy in her hands.

"You and your boyfriend are so cute," she threw me a compliment when she got to me and it caught me off guard so hard that I choked on air, my eyes widening in shock. It was like a huge jam against my guts. 

I didn't even see it coming.

A look of surprise flashed in her cute brown eyes and she let out a chuckle.

"He is. . ." I trailed off, still dazed.

Complete it now. Yinmu.

"He is not my boyfriend," saying it aloud felt so strange, leaving a knot hanging in my throat, but I masked it up with a smile as I clutched the strap of my bag in my palms.

"Oh," she was taken aback and she wasn't even trying to hide it. Heck, there was a twinge of disappointment hanging somewhere in her words. "I could have sworn it was the other way around. 

"You two were so. . ." She trailed off, and it appeared as though she was examining my facial expression.

I was just standing there, at a loss for words. I was still trying to wrap my head around the thought of Stefan and me being more than friends. It was—

"Intense," she completed.

"Thank you?" I really didn't know what to say to her. She shrugged my weirdness off, her bright smile coming back up and she stretched her hands forth.

"Fisayo," she introduced herself.

"Shakira," I took her hand.

"You are really pretty," she gushed and I smiled.

"You are very stunning too," 

If daring was a person, then it would be her because she was giving thorough baddie vibes in the short black skin-fitting shorts she paired with a black flimsy material that could pass for a bikini bra, which threw a cute black mesh long-sleeved jacket on and paired her outfit with black and white sneakers.

Her sleek black weave was cascading down her back with a few strands getting swayed by the breeze. She was showing a lot of skin, ranging from her cleavage and flat tummy but she looked really comfortable in it.

"Thank you," she blushed.

A large arm slipping around my waist and tugging me into a firm chest pulled me out of my thoughts and brought me back in touch with my surroundings. I eased into the warmth of his body and looked up to see the large bear in his other hand. A wide grin immediately crept up my face.

"Aww, thank you," I grabbed it from him, grinning from ear to ear.

"Your girl's really pretty," the familiar masculine voice had me snapping my head in the opposite direction and I saw the boy on dreadlocks from earlier, who had his arm around his girlfriend, grinning widely at us. Stefan, particularly.

There they go again with that word.

"Oh, she's not his girl, babe." Fisayo's tone was almost teasing.

"Thank you," Stefan interrupted gently squeezing my waist softly. I found it really weird but I was as bloated and red as a tomato.

He chuckled, and walked over to Stefan, who met him halfway, pulling him in a bro hug and they slapped each other's backs.

Wait, weren't they just playing against each other just now? Ugh, boys.

"It was nice playing against you, man," he told Stefan.

"Same here, bruh," Stefan flashed him an equally wide grin.

"It's really nice to meet you. . ." the light-skinned boy trailed off, staring at me, that smile still playing on his lips.

"Shakira," I completed.

"Seye," he introduced himself. Throwing Stefan a curt nod and a smile, he slipped his arm around his girlfriend and the duo skipped off.

"Bye, Kira!" she waved at me and I waved back.

When the duo disappeared into the crowd, it felt like I was stripped bare and the realisation of what just happened—particularly what they said—dawned on me, and my heart rammed against my chest really hard, knocking my breath right out of me for a moment.

"You alright, Reina?" I swung my gaze in Stefan's direction, and nodded slowly, my breath hitching the more I stared at him and dwelled on that word.

Boyfriend.

"Never better," I walked into his arms and did something that took me aback myself. I pressed a soft kiss to his cheek, my eyes flitting to his gleaming ones.

"So, what do you want to do next?" his voice came out a little low, his eyes roaming every inch of my face lazily, almost as if he was staring at me beneath his lashes.

Shit was sexy as fuck, flaming my cheeks.

"Well," I bit my lower lip, my eyes straying from his, clashing with the tall wheel afar. "That," I told him.

                                         •••••

"Are you sure you want to do this?" he asked me, retrieving our tickets from the man by the stand. I reluctantly dropped the teddy bear in a space beside the man, flashing him a smile before slipping my hand into Stefan's, and allowing him to lead me to the intimidatingly tall Ferris wheel.

"Yes, Stefan. I want to do it," I groaned, rolling my eyes playfully. He has been asking me this since I told him I wanted to get on the Ferris wheel. I hadn't been on it before and I wanted to try it out.

Sure, it looks a little intimidating, but I am sure it can't be that bad. 

"Are you scared?" I arched a brow at him. "Don't be a scaredy cat, Stefan." I nudged him on the shoulder and he chuckled.

"I am not scared, Reina, but make sure you keep this energy after the ride," A teasing smile played on his lips and I flashed him a playful scowl.

For someone who hadn't been on a Ferris Wheel before, the height, which was really hard to deduce, should scare me off and probably made me rethink my decision but the grandiose wheel only fascinated me with how much it beamed electric blue lights in its all-white glory. It was the highlight of our surroundings and I could see a few people stopping to stare with their mouths hanging in the air.

You people should ignore the couple in the picture, or not.😂😭♥️

I pulled Stefan by the hand, leading him to one of the booths. I slipped onto the comfy leather seats that were surrounded by iron bars and when I looked up, I was practically breathing in the same air as him. He was so close. Too close that my breath hung in my lungs for a second.

"I-I-uh, I was just going to grab the seat belt and buckle you in," his words came out in a whisper and I fleetingly caught the bobbing of his Adam apple.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah," he affirmed, his breathing coming out a little too sharp. He reached for the belt and my mind immediately went back to the moment in his car, eliciting a swift swallow from me. I thought it would be easier to keep my eyes fixated on him while he strapped me in, but it was much worse because my eyes caught every ounce of emotion that flickered across his eyes and the sheer intensity they held.

When they stopped right at his lips, for a second, maybe it wasn't even up to it, I wondered what it would feel like to have him brush them against mine. The thought made me shudder that my entire body literally ached to feel him—

"All done," his lips twitched. He was trying to conceal it but the smirk was much more stubborn.

Stefan retracted and I sucked in a harsh breath, plastering a smile on my face as I watched him tuck himself in. He slowly slipped his hand into mine, grinning at me.

"Still not scared?" he wiggled his eyebrows at me.

"Oh, please," I rolled my eyes. "What's there to be scared of—Jesus!" I practically shrieked when I felt it ascending slowly, eliciting a peal of laughter from him. 

"Relax," there were still trails of laughter hanging in his voice and I glared at him. "If it makes you feel any better, just keep your eyes on me, okay?" he said softly and I nodded.

As he suggested, I kept my eyes fixed on me and it was simply serene to just stare at him without holding back. He was so beautiful, and I knew that there was no amount of times I could stare at him that I would ever get used to him. I barely even noticed when the ride reached its peak.

"We are here," he whispered.

I averted my gaze from him, staring in the opposite direction where I could take in the entirety of the Galleria and beyond. All the view in front of me held was enchanting beauty that was enough to rob me of my breath for a second. Watching the Galleria from a close distance didn't do enough justice to its allure as much as it did from up here. It struck me as a piece of art that shone with unending lights, oozing with so much life and vibrance.

"It's perfect, Stefan," I said in awe.

"I feel like I could stay up here for eternity and just watch how beautiful it is," he mumbled in response, his voice thick with fascination.

The breeze kissed my skin, blowing my hair in different directions and I giggled, trying to push my hair backwards, but I heard the clicking of a camera, causing me to swing my head in the direction.

"What are you doing?!" I chuckled.

"The view was beautiful. I couldn't resist," he grinned at me, I took the phone from him to check the picture.

No cap, Stefan was an amazing photographer.

I knew I was pretty, but the angle at which he took the picture made me look prettier. What stood out to me the most was the glint in my eyes.

It was pure, undiluted happiness.

In truth, I couldn't remember the last time I was this happy. It awfully felt like a millennia ago. If anyone had told me I could smile this much after what went down today, I would have stared at the person like they had grown two heads. 

"Aww," I cooed, looking up to see him staring at me with a serene smile playing on his lips. I had accidentally pressed the home button when I stared back at the screen, which brought me right to his home screen.

I was staring at a picture of us in a familiar background I recognised to be the interior of Doyeen's treats. Abasi had taken the picture. It was so beautiful that it had my stomach twisting in beautiful knots, bringing a smile to my face.

"I didn't know you still had this," I spoke quietly, caressing the screen with my fingers.

"Why did you think I wouldn't keep it?" he asked.

I looked up from the screen to meet his gaze. He looked like he had been waiting for us to lock gazes. His eyes were subtly questioning, hinting at the fact that he was still waiting for an answer.

"I. . ." I breathed.

"You are very important to me, Reina, and so is any memory I make with you, no matter how small," his words shouldn't have made my heart skip this hard but they did, ramming it right against my ribcage that I feared it would come shooting out of my chest.

I struggled not to dwell on how deeper than they appear on the surface, feeling my breath hang in my throat as I tried to come up with what to say.

I dropped the phone onto his palm and he tucked it in his pocket.

It was as though the ties holding the wheels together snapped into a thousand pieces because it descended abruptly with a dizzying force that elicited an ear-splitting screech from me. 

Everything else seemed like a blur, almost like some sort of dream I didn't want to wake up from. I held onto his hand and he understood the message without me having to say anything. He held onto me right back. It was his own way of telling me that he was right here, every step of the way. 

My thoughts were all jumbled up as the Ferris wheel rotated on a three-sixty, extracting excited screams from every one of us strapped to our seats, our noises almost reaching out to the heavens.

And when I let go completely, there was nothing that could amount to the thrill, the rush of adrenaline that surged through me and engulfed me, making me feel like I was levitating as I snapped my eyes shut, shrieking like a little kid. It was simply surreal and exhilarating. It felt like my own way of connecting with nature.

Our hearty laughter echoed in the air.

"This is perfect!" I yelled at Stefan.

"I know, right!" he yelled right back.

The wind tossed my hair in different directions and we threw our enjoined hands in the air, cackling with laughter that seemed to drown out the rest of the noise. The rest of the world faded alongside and it felt like the effect of a rollercoaster ride had us drawn into a world of our own, where it was just us.

It was the most alive I have ever felt.

It was the happiest I have ever felt.

And, I wanted it to last forever. I wanted to be stuck in this reality, where all my worries dissipated into dust, for eternity.

The ride came to an end and my eyes snapped open. I found myself trying so hard to catch my breath, chuckling in between.

"That was fucking crazy," I wheezed.

Stefan only chuckled, sounding so out of breath. After catching his breath, he helped me out of my seat and slowly assisted me in getting on my feet. We had barely moved a few feet away from the wheel when it felt like the wind was sweeping me off my feet. I could have sworn my legs were about to give me away, but he held on to me.

"Whoa, whoa. I have got you, Reina. I have got you," he said softly to my hearing, and I didn't know if it was the dizziness still messing with my head, but it felt like he was stifling his laughter. 

"Just let it out," I whined, smacking his chest. 

He buried his head into my neck, laughing so loudly with his arms still wrapped around me. I was practically glaring at the back of his head.

"I can't feel my head and you are laughing!" I fumed.

"Oya, sorry, sorry," he chortled, detaching his head from my neck to meet my gaze. 

His grey orbs felt a tad bit more intense than they were earlier but I chalked it up to the dimness of the lights surrounding us.

"Are you okay now?" he inquired.

"Yeah," I smiled, bringing my fingers up to his hair to discard the whitish substance hanging on it. They seemingly developed a mind of their own as my blood-red nails brushed against his face, eliciting a wider smile from me because of how beautiful the colour looked on his golden skin. "The ride was amazing," I whispered.

"I am glad you loved it," he answered, sounding equally as breathless as I did.

"So, do you want to get ice cream?" he quirked a smile at me.

A/N

Ewooooo! Someone should hold me! These children are killing me, mhen. Who thought Stefan how to be this sleek?😪 The boy is making my heart do gbim gbim in a way I don't understand.

Abeg, make una help me find ring. I wan propose since Shakira has smacked chewing gum on her face and can't see how much this boy loves her! Mtchew!

You guys should storm the comments section, let me know what you think.♥️💫

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Love, Didi.♥️

Adiós.✨