I sat with my legs crossed on Iyanu's bed as I watched her paint my nails. It was the next day after prom and we were both in her room blending nail polishes. Peter had dropped us home that morning and had stayed for a while before leaving for his house.

All through his stay, I had just moped around like a depressed housewife, dropping little or no comments in the conversation. Peter had asked countless times what was wrong but I had defiantly stated nothing was wrong when I was indeed dying from hurt and curiosity.

It was eating me up and I just couldn't stop thinking why he hadn't kissed me that night. Didn't he want to - like I badly wanted?

"Iyanu." I couldn't take it anymore. "Can I ask you a question?"

"Sure!" She replied curtly without sparing me a glance.

"Well. . ."I didn't know how to ask my question. "I. . .what I want to ask is. . ."

"Madam!" She finally looked at me. "What is it?"

I let out a sigh and then narrated all that happened the previous night to her. All through my narration, she had looked excited, her smile growing bigger with each sentence.

"I still don't understand why he didn't kiss me. Could it be he doesn't like me as much as I thought he did?" I felt embarrassed talking about such things but I really wanted to find an answer to my hanging questions. I really hoped it wasn't what I was thinking.

"Hmm." Iyanu held her jaw in deep thought. "Well, I think you're getting it all wrong."

"How do you mean?" I sat up.

"Well, I feel Peter wanted to kiss you but just couldn't." She nodded like she had made a point when in reality she had only succeeded in confusing me further.

"How do you mean?" I frowned.

"Perhaps, he doesn't want to scare you away." She added and my brow furrowed.

"Iyanu, can you please speak in a language I understand? I really don't get you." I stressed and she sighed.

"Okay. What I mean is. . ." She seemed to be having difficulty in saying whatever she wished to say and that only probed more curiosity.

"Considering how you were trained, grandma had told you several false things about boys and has so instilled some wrong ideology in your head."

She paused when she saw the look on my face. "What I'm saying is, Peter doesn't want you to see him like those boys that want to destroy you. He doesn't want you seeing him as one of those boys that want to use you. I'm very sure that's the reason he didn't kiss you. He didn't want to destroy whatsoever relationship you two have and lose you. Do you understand?" She asked and I nodded slowly, things now dawning on me bit by bits.

"So if you want to kiss him, you have to make a move. Show him that you want it too." She concluded, grinning from ear to ear in pride. I rolled my eyes at her, hating the fact that she was right. I didn't want to give her that satisfaction.

But she was. She really made sense and now I knew why Peter had looked so tensed, trying to stabilize his breathing. He had simply tried to control himself because he didn't want to scare me away.

My heart swelled with so much love for that full haired boy with dark brown eyes and slightly pink lips. I loved him. I was suddenly not unsure anymore. I loved Peter Ndubisi!

The noise from downstairs jolted me from my thought as Iyanu jumped up from the bed in a speed I never knew she possessed.

"That must be Uncle Afolabi and his family. Remember they are coming today." She squealed as she held me by the wrist and pulled me out of the room with her.

She had said a lot about this Uncle Afolabi being her favourite uncle so I could tell why she was so excited. She had also informed that he bought all manner of gifts for her each time he came.

Beautiful how she maintained a sweet relationship with her uncle. I was just so envious of her. Though her father died when she was quite young, she still had other relatives to rely on. Something in me told me I would love Uncle Afolabi too. Not just because of all that Iyanu had said about him, but because he bore the same name as my father. Dramatic much? Yeah, I knew but couldn't help it.

Truly, Uncle Afolabi and his curvy wife had arrived when we got down to the sitting room. Adedoyin was just about going up to inform us. I watched happily as Iyanu ran into the arms of her uncle, embracing his tall figure tightly.

He laughed with ease; his handsome face brightening up with a genuine smile as his pointed nose buried at the side of her neck. His wife was standing by Mrs Adeyemi, with a small smile on her face, probably waiting for Iyanu to hug her too.

However, Iyanu stayed in her uncle's arms longer than normal before kneeling to greet her aunt. Iyanu had told me earlier how she disliked her aunt; she had called her a nag.

I didn't know how true it was but I was determined to tread softly since they would be staying for the weekend. It wasn't my house so I didn't want to get into trouble with anyone.

My attention shifted to the two boys sitting at each side of Adedoyin's body on the couch. The first boy looked about thirteen while the second looked ten - I really couldn't tell their ages but they were quite grown with a lovely haircut.

They were just as handsome as their father even when they had most of their mother's features. Iyanu walked to them and drew their cheeks, only for the elder boy to swat her hand away; his face contorting to a frown.

I was sure he was the one Iyanu said was full of himself and wished to break his head someday. He looked like he would grow to be those bad guys I had always read about in romance books: guys that derived joy in sleeping around instead of committing to one person.

He had the looks. At that young age, he was already snubbing people. I wondered how I would deal with him.

His brother was quite the opposite. He hugged Iyanu fiercely immediately she held his cheek and I couldn't help but smile at the sweet boy's cuteness.

All eyes fell on me finally after all the exchange of pleasantries. I stood by the stairs watching quietly only for the elder son to ask in his intoxicating accent, who I was. It was then everyone turned to my direction and I felt like disappearing.

"Oh! My bad! This is Beatrice, Iyanu's friend. She has been staying with us for some days now." Mrs Adeyemi smiled whilst looking at me.

I didn't know what to do so I smiled and Uncle Afolabi walked to me, extending his hand with a broad smile on his face. I looked him over before summoning the courage to shake his hand and he grinned broadly at me.

"Nice to meet you, Beatrice." He had an accent too and I was slowly drowning in his mellifluous voice. His wife waved and younger son waved to me while the elder boy looked indifferent.

"Can you show me my room? I need to take a quick shower." He spoke out like he had not just asked who I was.

"Oh, Iyanu! Take your cousins to their rooms while I take your uncle and aunt to theirs. Every one of you should freshen up while we set the table." Mrs Adeyemi said and Iyanu nodded.

From the look on Adedoyin's face, I couldn't tell if she was comfortable with the newfound development. We had been asked to move into her room while the boys occupied Iyanu's room.

This we had done that morning but had only stayed in the room to talk. I'd be leaving soon, same with the Afolabis, so she would have her privacy soon - if she wasn't comfortable.

Not knowing what to do, I left to stay in Doyin's room, waiting for Iyanu to meet me there before dinner. I laid on the bed, staring at the ceiling only to be shaken a bit by my shoulder by no one else but Iyanu.

"Wake up, sleepy sleepy. It's dinner time." She smiled broadly and I rubbed my eyes.

"I never intended to fall asleep. I was waiting for you." I yawned and she nodded.

"I decided to help with the meal."

"You should have called me. I would have joined." I nudged her by the arm.

"There's no need for that, jare. Let's get going before we keep the rest waiting." She held my arm and we both walked to the dining where everyone had taken their position.

Uncle Afolabi had changed his expensive clothing to something casual, same with his wife and kids and I just couldn't help but admire this beautiful family.