I dare you to comment on each paragraph for an update tonight...

KANO STATE, NIGERIA.

"Damnation!" Lateefa banged the door of her car and hit the tire in annoyance. The car just won't start when she desperately needs it to.

"Are you alright there?" She jumped away from the car and turn to see Jabir staring at her, looking thoroughly amused of the situation she's in. She almost lashed out on him then decide that he is a nice man from the beginning and cool down.

She rolled her eyes though, she couldn't stop herself from doing so. "I'm obviously not alright. I have so many things to do but the damn car decided to fail me." She hit the car again, she cannot stop herself from doing so.

Jabir nodded his head in understanding when he didn't understand, he just wants to reassure her that he does. Lateefa have it in her to keep rambling on and on when she is angry or nervous but this time it is definitely anger.

"How about I drop you wherever it is you want to go?" He offered, wiggling his keys in his hands since he was supposed to see his friend but that could wait.

"Ah, you are a lifesaver." She opened the door again, removed her tote handbag and close the door back slowly this time around. She locked the car and followed him to his Lexus LX570 and swooned. That is the latest Lexus in town but the guy already changed to it? Wow, money good!

"Where to now?"

"Uh, Amirah's house. You know where she lives right?" She turn around to look at him, totally forgetting to take her gum from the car and she feels uncomfortable with her breath now. She hasn't eaten a thing since breakfast and it is already twelve in the afternoon.

"Yes I do. The wedding is tomorrow, huh?" He drummed his fingers against the steering wheel while curiously waiting for her to talk about the so called wedding he doesn't want to happen.

He's been with Imad this whole time and has been waiting for the guy to throw a tantrum but he didn't. He is as cool as a cucumber which made him believe that the guy have something off his sleeve or he has really moved on and don't want to avenge his broken heart. From what they've talked about though, Imad was not willing to back out from this plan of his. He desperately wanted to join so he could save the duo but Imad is too secretive nowadays especially with Amirah concerned.

The guy could make a terrible mistake that he will forever regret and Jabir is just looking out for his brother and friend. He might think what he is doing is what he should and supposed to at times like this but you never know without merging someone in your problems. That is where Imad is still immature! He thinks he knows it all when that is not the reality of it, he makes mistakes only to find it out when it is too late.

"Yeah, we are going to rock that wedding and make sure some people regret their decision. You know, you always have people watching your moves especially when they cannot move on." She shrugged her riddles off but he knows what she is talking about, who wouldn't?

He smiled at that. "Yeah, people are always watching and I would want them to see what they are missing too."

At that moment, she pivoted her attention away from the windshield to stare at him and he did the same thing, their eyes clashing with unknowing force that both triggered and galvanised them. What was that that just happened seconds ago? Are they bonding a connection after everything they've been through in the past? Is there even a connection between them that could ever sprout out giving their lives and the circle they have?

She was first to look away but he didn't, it is the traffic in front of them and the light won't change until fifty seconds more. He didn't know he could make her feel uneasy but he did, she is looking at anywhere but at him. He grinned widely, he's had that effect on her the minute they met but they are all brushing it off like it never happened. She cannot escape this sort of connection even if she's wants to, he also wants to be trapped inside even if she doesn't want to be.

"Don't be nervous on me now, Lateefa." On God, the way he says her name always makes her knees weaken no matter where she is. Why would she genuflect all the time he says her name? It is not as if she is his slave, is she?

She decided to play it the most Lateefa way she knows how to. "Who says I am nervous? And the real question here, why would I be nervous on you?"

He gave a chortle this time and there is no way he didn't hear the intake of her breath. For goodness sake stupid heart, he is Salim's best friends, she chided her chest mentally. How could she be supporting that old crush she's had on him during Amirah's wedding three years ago? Is it happening again because Amirah is getting married too and it'll disappear once they stop meeting all the time? She hopes so.

Who knows, he might be like his best friend. Birds of the same feather, flock together. She is not about to jeopardize her heart when she's promised her mother to fall in love and marry the next man she ever jumps into a relationship with. Whether Jabir is her dream man or not, she won't be in a relationship with him just because of the fun of it. It is no fun anyway, your heart suffers the aftermath of the situation.

"Because you still have a crush on me." The damn man had to be straightforward and she had to confess her stupid crush on him those years ago through social media.

He was doing that Q&A on Instagram when he asked people to say something and she confessed her crush on him like bunch of other girls did. He didn't reply her there but did privately and said he likes her too but he wasn't ready for puppy love and wants to focus on studying. She was so happy but when Salim asked her out a year later, she jumped into him promiscuously and now regrets it tremendously.

Why didn't she wait for Jabir? Why did she fall for those fake charms Salim graced her with? Their relationship was toxic at one point but she managed to push that all aside to make it work because girl was in love for the first time.

Back to the issue at hand, the past needs to remain there. "I don't have any crush on you now. Can't you see I've grown older and more beautiful?" She flaunts, trying to hide her blush but the thing is ferocious against her dark skin.

He laughed loudly, the sound echoing throughout the confines of the car as he jerked it forward away from the traffic light. He smiled and shook his head, clearly knowing she is lying about not having a crush on him. Is that possible? There is no way all the jumpiness she elicits whenever they meet would mean anything but her crush for him. And he won't get her off the hook so easily... or ever.

Not when he is fully ready to be committed to her.

"That is a lie, sweetheart." She almost cursed at him when he used the endearment, it makes her heart palpitate for no freaking reason. Normally, she hated those endearments but when he said it like that in something close to a lazy drawl, she clenched her legs.

"Don't call me sweetheart. And believe it or not, I don't have any crush on you." She defensively crossed her arms over her chest, shutting him out by looking out the window. He wasn't having it though.

"Well, I believe that you don't have a crush on me. But I have this colossal crush on you that I couldn't get rid of. What can we do about it?" He gave her that flirty look she had the luck to pivot around to see.

Her eyes rounded a bit but she composed herself again, she don't want that again. "Well, I don't know what we should do about that. You tell me?" She dropped her right hand elbow on her thigh and propped her head on it.

He didn't turn to look at her again but gave a smile still. "How about we take it to something like this you are going to?"

She huffed, he is trying to trick her into agreeing with their relationship but she is smarter than that. He thinks she is a fool or she can be fooled again after the hit Salim threw on her? Never!

"I don't know what you are implying but you should go and erase those geriatric moves from your head. Your friend used it once upon a time. Maybe a little change will do?" She raised her brow his way, sitting back on the passenger's seat to wipe off all jeer in her tone and stance.

She won't be fooled again like she had been by his very own best friend. He wants to act like he doesn't know about it but he does, she knew he does. Why else didn't he make a move when she was in a relationship with Salim till after they've broken up thoroughly?

His expression immediately hardened, she almost shrink back but being the mutinous person she's always been, she stood her ground. "I know what has happened between you two and I want you to know that I was against him. He didn't know about the crush we had on each other so he made the move first. But just because he's messed up doesn't mean I would too! We are different and even you could tell that. He fucked up big time, but I'm going to try making us work even with the past you both had. The past is meant to be where it should but sadly, not everyone knows that. All I need now is your approval and I'll be the best man out there. I promise."

She heard the promise in his voice, the devotion that he definitely will have lying in their relationship if they ever have one that is.

"I'm never going into another relationship that won't lead to marriage. I've planned my life from this place forth. My relationship will last six month and marriage will follow, no more shenanigans. And I bet you ain't ready to throw away your freedom at such a young age, do you?" She is serious about what she's said though, dead serious too.

She is just twenty but she's always loved marriage ever since she was young so her mother plotted more love of it in her head with the relationship she had with her father before he died. They were so close, their relationship so perfect that any daughter would wish for. Then came Amirah and Imad's young love that spurt out of nowhere. God, she's loved the idea of getting married at the age of eighteen, nineteen, twenty. Young and happy.

Get married and give birth once and for all then take care of your babies, yourself and your husband alongside your career.

"I am ready if you are. Less than those months too if you want."

She kept quiet, thinking and mulling over so many things. On the other hand, there is Salim and on this, there is Jabir.

*~*

Nazir made it to the down floor of the hospital and search around for this friend of his that called only to narrow his eyes when he saw Imad sitting on one of the chairs there in the waiting room. He didn't expect to see the guy and since it looks like Imad hadn't seen him yet, he turned around to look for his friend but didn't find any. He was about to go back inside the hospital when Imad stood and started making his way to where he is.

"Hey, man!" Imad greeted, his hands stuck inside the pockets of his sweatpants.

"Hey, what's up?" Nazir placed a huge fake suave smile upon his face. When all he wants to do is fulminate and vituperate.

He doesn't want to give him the chance of seeing how furious he is about the man in front of him who's caused nothing but pain to his wife to be. He's avoided him in every way he can only to see him the day before their wedding coincidentally in the hospital after he was called by his friend. What does this mean? He is an attorney who knows what he is doing albeit not a detective, he understands situations. It makes his head hurt at the trick.

Why does Imad want to see him and how did he know where he is and so much about his wedding? The hotel? The hospital? What is all these Imad is playing at? He has no doubt that this is about Amirah and whatever Imad is going to say right now will break him. The man have this satanic sinister look on his face and his eyes are ladened with same thing.

"Nothing much. Congratulations on your wedding!" The smile is gargantuan on Imad's face but even the blind could see that it has no thought of euthanasia.

Nazir formed an apologetic smile on his face, contingency shining behind the smile. He couldn't look as vicious as he wanted to but that has to do. "Ah, thanks, man. I didn't get to give you the invitation card. Too busy!"

Imad bit back a harsh remark and snort then smirked with wide stance of his legs. He has the upper hand, Nazir could see that from the way he is looking so scorn and smug. The way he deliberately raise a brow and tilt his head mockingly to the side. The ugly twist of his mouth is also a dead giveaway so Nazir just stopped to listen to this. What is going to happen now? Is he going to ruin them both now? What does he have planned for them the eve of their wedding?

"I got it the minute it got printed, my personal assistant made sure of that." He flapped his hand in dismissal, all pompous and arrogant.

Nazir gave out a laugh but it is clearly restrained. "Oh right, she's your personal assistant after all." He pressed on the word personal assistant to make sure the hidden news delivered and Imad inundate and inculcates the words.

Imad bounced on the balls of his feet. "She is and more." Imad played with his brows before gesturing to one of the waiting chairs that they should sit down.

Nazir did albeit reluctantly, he is now wary of Imad and his moves. This visit is not just to congratulate him about his marriage or shit like that, he is there for something that will definitely ruin him. It will terminate their marriage since he couldn't wait until tomorrow where they'd get married around eleven in the morning. Why come for the fandango the eve of their wedding? This is a charade.

"What do you mean?"

Imad pulled this sympathetic fake look that won't play the trick on Nazir. The adrenaline is rushing through Imad's veins because he can't wait to say this out to this man who thinks all this while he was quiet because he had nothing under him.

He almost miss this chance because of the rumours that their marriage is postponed then got the news last minute that the marriage is taking place tomorrow, he changed into the first set of sweats he came across and left the chamber in a hurry. The thing kept haranguing him the whole way there. He's thought about how to break the news to the husband to-be and he went through the same thing of calling him.

Just never thought it was going to be in a hospital.

"I've been meaning to tell you this but I was too busy. You understand how being busy works?" He threw the question, limiting his verbals responses to not make the man too nervous and intimidated. "Amirah won't be able to marry you."

Nazir stood up from his seat in hysterics, loss of words. His expression yelling out 'Are you kidding me? This is impossible' but he could only let out a Susurrus sound. "Why?"

Imad bathed on this expression of his before gesturing that he sits back down on the chair which he did. "Because..." He trailed off, the suspense rolling Nazir to precipice. "She is still my wife and marriage between you two is going to be baseless and unscientific."

I can only say one thing, Allah ya shirya Imad.😹

The guy is giving me headache talk less of Amirah. Ha, just wait for more chapters and he shall get what he deserves *rubs hand wickedly*