Hi lovelies!!

ENJOY!!

***

Seating in the heated Range rover whose owner is Timi, I rub my hands furiously against each other—partly because of the cold and the other half because I am nervous.

Yes, I am nervous.

Donned up in my ₦20,000 ’Nuchwu short gown and my ₦15,000 Ochika sandal heels, I still feel incredibly edgy.

My hands are still shaking in my thighs when Timi grabs my left hand and hold unto it.

“You don’t have to be scared, I’ve told my family about you and they love you already,” he says convincingly, “Aly especially,” he adds with a smile that lit up his warm cocoa eyes.

“Now that scares me even more! What if I don’t live up to her expectations?” I cry out with a little frown, my tight braids giving me a bit of headache.

“It’ll be fine Jade, just relax,” he whispers, his eyes staring deeply into mine.

“And if you still feel uncomfortable on getting there, we can always turn back home, okay?” he assures with a small smile.

Home. I totally love the sound of that. It is my new favorite word.

Growing up, I never felt a sense of togetherness with my family, I never called father’s house a home. It was more of a horror to me.

However, it is a different case with Timi. I found a home with him. In him. And the past weeks have definitely felt like home with him.

Most of the times, I sleep over at his place. For a week or two or three. I lost count after two. And it has been wonderful all through. We do most things together and that has helped in solidifying our connection on a very deep level.

But I am still scared of how good things are going, because life always has a way of ruining every good thing that happens to me. Everything is just too good to be real.

“Oh! No, we’ve come this far for that to happen,” I reassure him.

Indeed, we’ve come this far to let that happen. His warm smile sends a shot of awareness to my certain body parts reminding me of our early morning romping.

Shaking my head furiously, I tell myself this is so not the time and place for that as Timi starts the car engine, revving it and we head out.

*

“Wake up babe,” I hear from far away. “Wake up Jade,” he repeats again with a slight shake of my body. I don’t know when and how my face was plastered to the window.

Fluttering my eyes open, I raise my head slowly towards his voice.

“Timi?” I ask, rubbing my eyes clear. Thank God for adhesive mascara.

“Yes Jade,” he laughs, “We are here.”

Upon hearing that, I turn back and look out through the car window that is now wound down.

Lo and behold, we are in a rich and private estate. The atmosphere is very calm and quiet.

“Wow! Your house is so beautiful,” I exclaim in absolute wonder, gazing at the storey-building which is his.

It is painted in a lovely shade of cream and the carpet grass is lusciously green. I think this is only a section of his house as the land is so big I cannot see the gates.

“Technically it’s my dad’s house,” he corrects with a small frown.

“It doesn’t matter,” I reply adamantly.

“Is your family like wealthy?” I ask, scratching my scalp awkwardly before turning to look at him in the car.

“Maybe? Maybe not?” he answers cryptically, “Let’s get down and find out,” he says with a wink that raise his hotness level to a burning degree.

Swallowing nervously, I send Timi a weak smile as he opens the car door for me. I am getting nervous again. I was not expecting this image when I envisioned his parent’s house. I never knew his father is wealthy enough to have an estate. Wiping my sweaty palms on my dress, I decide to get my head straight and shoulder on. Counting 50-1 in my head, I give myself a mental pat on the back.

“Let’s do this Timi,” I say confidently with my head high.

“That is the spirit darling,” he assures with twinkling merry, eyes as he hold my hands till we got to the door.

*

“Ta-da,” a really soft voice screams before Timi could press the bell. It shocks me to the core, ruining my composure making me scream bloody murder.

“What the hell!” I shriek, scowling hard. I am scared shitless. I swear that scream took twenty years off my life.

On the other hand, Timi looks composed and unfazed by this sudden act. It seems like he is used to it. Either that, or he is simply a man of steel.

The owner of the voice finally appears in the door way. She is the opposite of Timi—body wise. She is so small. And cute. Every part of her is cute. I am amazed at this. I used to think I am short, but she blows my mind.

“Hi!” she greets, blinking her eyes innocently. I think that is the only similarity between them.

“I told you Aly that I was bringing a very important guest”—I blush furiously at this—“But you still had to scare her to death! I don’t understand you,” Timi says with a playful grin on his face.

“Please brother, I had to see if she could survive my tests unlike that last bitch,” she laughs, her face young and small and I wonder what her age would be.

However, one word sticks with me. The last bitch? Meaning I’m not the first girl in Timi’s life to meet his family? Meaning there is nothing special about this? My heart tighten painfully at this thought, I almost had to clutch it. Almost had to. But I don’t. I choose to plaster a small smile on my face instead and act like I am unbothered.

“Hi Jade, It’s nice to meet you finally since Timi won’t stop talking about you over the phone,” she snickers.

My heart regains its normal beat at this and I decide that I would have to talk to Timi about his ex. It isn’t supposed to bother me but I have a nagging feeling about it that I cannot shake off.

“It’s nice to meet you too,” I reply with a smile, “You’re so cute,” I squeal out, not able keep it in anymore.

Timi shakes with laughter at my statement while Aly gives me a weird look.

“Nobody calls me cute, but I’ll let it go because it’s you,” she shrugs with a big smile. “Now come give me a hug,” she says before throwing herself at me. I never knew I am that hot.

She clings unto me with so much strength I didn’t know her small frame possesses. She is worse than a spider monkey. And Adisa.

“You smell good,” I mutter, reaching down to pat her on the back. It is awkward. She is that short.

“Thank you honey,” she replies with a big smile.

“Would you let our guest in Aly?” a voice booms from the house.

That is definitely Timi’s father. Prof. Boni.

“Yes old man,” she screams. My eyes are wide open at this. Who knew there is someone on Earth that can call ‘Prof. Boni’ an old man and get away with it?

Timi laughs at my expression before pulling me into a hug.

“I’m really glad that you are here Jade,” he mumbles, “Honestly, I’m more than glad,” he repeats, his brown eyes twinkling and a smile pulls at his cheeks.

He looks so handsome and beautiful in that moment, it becomes difficult to control my slowly, but surely awakening senses around him.

“I’m glad I’m here too,” I reply with a big smile, wrapping my hands around his waist line.

Together, we walk down the hallway into his sitting room. It is double—definitely quadruple—of my whole apartment.

The silk curtains are draped majestically, the chairs arranged in a circular manner with a glass table in the middle. What intrigues me most are the artistic designs plastered here and there against the wall. The art designs are surely Aly's works as Timi told me of her pursuits as an artist some time ago.

“Your home is so beautiful!” I gush uncontrollably in utter awe.

“Thank you Jade,” that booming voice reply causing me to scream out in shock. This whole family is sent to scare the daylight out of me.

Turning backwards, from whence the voice sounded from, I see Prof. Boni in the life and flesh up close. It is really strange when the father of the man you are seeing is your lecturer in school.

Is there a rule against that?

“Good afternoon Sir,” I greet with a bend of my knees in respect. I really do not know how to act around here.

“Oh please! You make me sound like a military general,” he says with a roll of his eyes.

A roll of his eyes?!

“Please have a seat sweetheart,” he adds with a bow. A laugh erupts out of me at this.

“I told you he’s a real charmer,” Timi mouths at me with a wide smile.

Aly comes back into the kitchen with a tray of food placed strategically on a palm, exactly like all those professional waitresses.

“Well I’ve prepared coconut rice and salmon, my special delicacy,” Timi’s father says upon seeing my glance at Aly, “And I can assure you that you will totally love it,” he adds with a flawless wink.

I think this is definitely where Timi gets his charm from.

“Dad, if only you can flirt with Mama Tina this way,” Timi groans out.

His father lets out a loud laugh at this. “I’m too old for dating stuffs, that’s for you youngies,” he says with a lazy shrug.

The smell of the special dish wafts into the air taking control of my nostrils. It smells yummy and delicious. I mouth a ‘thank you’ when Aly placed the tray on the polished shining table that smells faintly of turpentine.

“Wow!” I exclaim with wonder, “Now I know where Timi got his cooking skills from,” I beam at his father.

“I know, I know,” his father replies with a proud smile that had all of us laughing.

Digging into my food, I realize how comfortable and natural it feels sitting down with total strangers. They make life easy and breezy.

Timi’s gaze on me is very intent, and I look up to see him with a very pleased smile on his face. I roll my eyes playfully at his expression only to find his father’s gaze on me already.

“How’s your family Jade?” he asks seriously. I don’t know how to answer that question.

“They are fine,” I answer with a forced smile, my hands shake slightly.

“Dad!” Timi says with an undiscernible expression as if pleading with his father.

“You did not tell her?” his father asks in a shocked tone. Aly stares hard at him too like she cannot believe her brother.

“Why did you not tell her?” he asks again with a bit of anger in his eyes. Now I am getting scared and nervous. What is happening?

“I was going to,” he replies, scratching his neck nervously.

Timi only scratch his neck when he is nervous about something.

And that is hardly never.

“What is happening here?” I ask finally. They all turn towards me with—fear in Timi’s eyes, embarrassment in Aly’s face and despair in their father’s face.

“Can somebody explain to me what is happening?” I ask again with my eyes pointed at Timi.

“Ohm, there’s something I have to tell you,” he stutters looking everywhere but me.

“I raised you better than this Timi,” his father booms angrily, “You need to man the fuck up!” he continues with angry eyes directed at Timi.

My palms are getting sweaty, I am terribly nervous, what Timi has done must have been really terrible for his father to shout at him that way.

“I apologize in advance for what he is done,” his father turns to me with a sad smile, a dramatic change from the anger that was on his face seconds ago.

“I’m sorry Jade, you deserve better than his façade,” Aly says with a sad smile too.

What has Timi done? It is hard and incredibly difficult for me to control my shivers and shudders now.

“Thank you all very much but I think I need to talk to Timi,” I glare at Timi as he takes a visible gulp of saliva. His father and sister leaves the dining room to give us some privacy.

“Speak,” I command as I hold myself together, willing my tears not to fall out. I can feel it, he has done something bad. He stands up from his position opposite me and sit beside me.

“I’m Timi, 29 years old, an undercover agent,” he starts gazing at me with so much guilt, “I was sent to investigate your father, Mr. Oluwasegun, there were reports that he assaulted girls and that he was into human trafficking and rituals,” he pauses, “So, my superiors at work asked me to get close to you as you are his daughter and see if I could find additional evidences from you,” he stops at this his eyes blinking rapidly as he folds and unfolds his hands.

“You used me,” I whisper as understanding dawn on me. My tears are now falling fast, swiftly obeying the law of gravity.

“You used me Timi,” I mumble out, holding my hands against my mouth to muffle my cries.

"I swear I did not, Jade, I fell for you,” he answers, pleading with me to understand him, “I love you,” he says. However, they all fall on deaf ears.

“What I told you about my father, did you reveal it to your superiors?” I sneer wiping my tears from my face.

“I did not Jade, I didn’t, I gathered more than enough evidences, I will never reveal your personal experiences without your permission,” he responds, with a sense of bewilderment.

“Please stop crying Jade, I’m so sorry I did not tell you earlier,” he pleads, reaching out to hold my hands.

However, I move away from him and I see his face fall at this, well, good for him. I realize that all those weird phone calls and those secretive places he ran to in the morning was related to his work.

He was not a student.

He is a sham.

“Take me home,” I answer finally, braving a strong look, “My apartment.”

*

I cry.

Harder than I have ever.

It is so difficult to accept that Timi could not trust me enough. What if we had not gone to his father’s house? What if his father did not bring it up? I’m sure I would have still been in the dark about it. Timi.

My heart clench sorrowfully as new batch of tears streamed down my cheeks. It is with embarrassment that I pack my few belongings from his apartment.

The tears in his eyes are still fresh in my memory, he pleads and begs but I knew that I just could not accept him like that. So I return his promise ring.

Moreover, the reveal of father’s evil deeds added to the apprehension I have concerning Timi.

Maama took the news with such bravery and un-fazement I was shocked. She finally got her divorce from father. At least I have one thing to be happy for.

But I am not.

My life is jumbled up. My heart is like an open wound that is festering and decaying with blood spilling out—I really don’t know what that will look like, but I hope you get the picture.

It is more than painful. Maama and Adisa are disturbed with how I am as my exams are starting next week and this is my final semester in university. They are scared for me. I am not. The only thing I can feel is bitterness and raw pain. And this is all because of Timi.

“You can’t go on like this Jade,” Adisa says, glaring at me from her position on my chair.

“Watch how you talk to me young lady,” I bit back, “This is my apartment the last time I checked,” I add glaring back at her, pulling my fluffy pillow closer to me.

“You are such a bitch Jade,” she shouts, throwing stuffs at me. I am unmoved. “There are dead girls out there, girls that were trafficked by your bastard of a father. Those girls are dead. Their dreams and hopes are gone, while you are here alive, sulking and moping because of a boy,” she screams, coming around to my bed to point at my face, “When did this happen? When did you start to allow a boy’s stupid action to define who you are?” she adds in a low voice.
“This is not you Jade.”

"That’s because you don’t know how it feels stupid,” I yell sitting up on my mattress, “You don’t know how it feels to have someone you love hurt you,” I whisper crying desperately.

“Oh Jade!” Adisa murmurs before pulling me in a tight hug, “I’m so sorry I came at you like that, thought you needed some hard core love or something,” she mumbles into my unwashed and unkempt hair.

“Apology accepted,” I reply with a slight smile.

“You stink by the way,” she observes, wrinkling her cute nose and moving far away from me, “Go bath,” she admonishes, covering her nose dramatically.

“You are so mean,” I fake gasp holding my hands to my chest.

“Can we Netflix and chill today?” she pouts.

“But we have just two days to exam,” I shot back, “I can’t afford to,” I add thoughtfully.

“Now that’s the spirit sweetheart,” Adisa shouts happily, “Welcome back Jade!”

I really doubt that.

****

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