Hi, guys!

    OMG, I'm so sorry for leaving you guys
hanging.  I thought I was going to finish the chapter that evening and update it. Unfortunately, I wasn't ready for how draining it was.

You guys will get my point by the time you read it. I really hope it's worth it though.

Anyway, how are you? I hope you will be better at the end of this chapter 💀

Song for this chapter: Paint the town red by Doja Cat.

And we have a new POV. 🤭 Finally, my husband y'all. 🥺

         ————————★————————

       “When you have experienced people

          Greater than monsters, maybe a 

              Little game don't scare you. 

            Unless it was made to ruin what 

                        You never had.”

        ————————★———————— 

             ~Frederick Enioluwa Eyitouyo~

They were following me.

I'd just gotten off work but of course, Axel and his guys hadn't wasted a minute before tailing me. I had seen them before I hopped on my bike but I chose to ignore them because sincerely, I wasn't in the mood to talk to anyone.

When are you ever in the mood?

Choosing to ignore my subconscious teasing remark, I had completely ignored them and rode off. I hadn't lasted a second before I saw them speeding behind me on their bikes. All I wanted was to get away from Swan Island nightlife scene and escape to my home in Bluebird as soon as possible. If Swan Island didn't have a no-driving beyond the bike speed limit rule, especially at night, I would have ditched those fuckers and gotten home by now.

But I didn't want to cause any complications for myself. At least, not tonight. I didn't want to do that.

I parked at the intersection between Swan Island and Bluebird. Even though the two estates were different in size, one thing connected them: the vast expanse of water that spread from the Swan Island beach to the Bluebird shore. 

I turned off my bike and took off my helmet, ready to talk without drama, but when Axel got off his bike, his mocking glare made my blood boil. He stood in a provocative stance, daring me to run while his other guys hovered around him.

 “I thought you were running,” Axel's voice was taunting as he stared at me. 

When I didn't say anything to him, he scoffed and took two steps closer.

“That's a dangerous game to play,” Axel said, stepping closer to me. “Phantom is only giving you so many chances. Don't take him for granted.”

I studied his eyes, searching for what he was really thinking. I knew he had been studying me the moment he laid eyes on me. Even though we had been a biker community for a while, he was still suspicious of me. I had proven myself over and over again. At this point, his suspicions were just baseless and annoying. I didn't want to be dealing with them.

“You haven't been attending meetings. Do you want Phantom to visit you?” he nodded his head at me.

“And if he does?” I tilted my head to the side as I looked him directly in the eye. I respected Phantom a lot. He was the leader of our young Outlaw bikers community and sometimes, his position always got into his head. If he wanted to visit me because I hadn't attended meetings in a while then he should get right with it.

I wasn't afraid of him. Never has, never been.

Axel scoffed, hiding the furious grin that was associated with him. It was so and always easy to rile him up and the funniest part was that he didn't even know that.

“Your pride and position are getting into your head too much.” 

He snapped, all of a sudden.

“I wonder why,” I smirked as I flexed my fingers around the handle of my Suzuki GSX-R750 which I won in a game a year before.

I could feel the anger radiating off him as his face turned red, but before he could reach for me, Laura jumped off her bike and came to stand in front of me, her ponytail swishing in front of him. Her mouth turned up at the corners, the charming smile giving way to that teasing flirtatious grin she always had for me. My smirk widened. I leaned back to enjoy the show. I knew she had a trick up her sleeve, as usual.

The biracial girl knew how pretty she was and she never failed to flaunt it at all times.

“That's alright, Axel. I'll take it from here,” she said. Laura smiled sweetly at him, batting her eyelashes. The effect was instantaneous. He deflated before our eyes, rolling his eyes at her obvious manipulation. She ignored him and winked at me.

Turning to me, she started to talk.

“Phantom is getting mad, Derrick,” she began, playing with the tip of her hair. She was the only one that always called me Derick and she had stuck to it. “We have a match tomorrow. Find the time and be there, come win this race for him and you will be good.” She explained softly.

I nodded twice.

“That was the line he should have given you, instead of always causing trouble,” she said, glowering at Axel. He shot her a sour look.

“You think you're helping by flirting with him?” he asked.

“Oh, shuh!” She gave him a withering look, and then she was all smiles again when she turned to me. “Just behave, okay?”

“Yeah,” I said. “Thanks, Laura.”

She took a step back while I hopped on my bike again. While I strapped my helmet back on, she turned around and went back to her bike. Laura was the only female member we had in our team and she was the best female rider I had ever seen. She didn't care what anyone thought about her when she went about her day riding.

She was also the member I was closest to on the team. Not because she was interested in me but because she wasn't. Laura enjoys flirting with any guy she terms handsome or in her words, anyone that tops the list. So, if anybody got their hopes up because she was choosing to flirt with them, they must be deeply mistaken. 

I swung my leg over the seat and started my bike. I revved the engine and drove away, without turning to look back at them. When I pulled up in front of my apartment, I knew immediately that someone was inside...

I leaned against the locked doors, groaning. I shouldn't have given Shamsi a key to my apartment when she'd asked.

Up until a month ago, during the holidays, I lived with Aunty Rachel and Shamsi in her apartment house. We were doing okay but I wanted out. I wanted to live on my own and Aunty Rachel knowing how unrelenting I was hadn't bothered to turn me down. She helped with the whole process of securing me an apartment in this building in Bluebird Estate.

She had offered to pay me for all my expenses but I wouldn't let her. She finally purchased the house of her dreams at this estate and I just knew how much she had to spend to finish the whole process. I couldn't let her fund my lifestyle when I was more than capable of taking care of myself.

So, I worked hard on my own to gather all the money I needed to rent my apartment. A space that belonged to no one but me.

Yet ever since I moved in, Shamsi and the Macaulay girls had dominated the place like it was theirs. The hardest part was that I had no way of shooing them off. There was practically nothing I could do to make them stay away.

Exhaling, I pulled my key into the locks and turned it twice. The door unlocked and I placed my hand on the handle to push it open. I walked into my living room and shut the door behind me. I had barely gotten back to turning the locks on the door when something hit my face.

I bit back the words I wanted to say to my half-sister as I picked up the throw pillow she had thrown at me from the floor. She laughed when she saw my face deriving joy where I found none. Ignoring her, I turned around and pulled back the locks. When I turned around, three similar yet so different faces were staring at me.

The Macaulay Triplets.

These adorable triplet girls Shamsi had befriended when we were younger and had brought into our lives. Well, at that time when they first came into our lives, I thought they were adorable. 

Now, not so much.

“Enioluwa!” 

Annette Macaulay yelled as she rushed at me. Her excitement couldn't be mistaken, plunging at me and throwing her hands around me in a hug. I let out a defeated groan while allowing her to hug me the way she wanted and it wasn't until she pulled back that I realized what she was wearing.

“What are we doing?” I asked, eyeing her carefully. Not many people could tell Andrea, Annette, and Ariana apart but I and Shamsi could. We knew them long enough. Besides, Annette was the goofy, childish one.

Andrea was the typical I don't give a damn who you are girl and her whole demeanor and aura always scream it. Even the makeup she had on only highlighted her resting bitch face the more. She was all trouble and chaos.

Ariana though was the quiet of the three. She barely ever speaks, like me. And when she does, it's so gentle and soft like if she allowed herself to talk more often, she would break. We were the closest of the three.

“Going to Kambili's party,” it was Shamsi who responded from the couch. My half-sister stood up and that was when I noticed the wine dress she was donning. 

“Okay, great.” I smiled because they could finally leave. “Help yourself out,” I started to go to my room when Andrea pulled me back by the sleeves of my shirt.

“Oga, come back here.” She called, eyeing me. Her British accent had slipped in when she spoke which made her words a bit funny. While her blue eyes beheld mine, I sensed what was coming.

“We need someone to drive us to the party, to and fro. No questions asked or needed. Don't argue with us because you and I both know that we will always win. Just go into your room and change into the outfit we selected for you, and then we will leave.” She ordered in a stern voice.

I just wanted to do one thing tonight. One freaking thing. Was that too much to ask?

“Period!” Shamsi screamed like the mad woman she was. I glared at her and she laughed, finding joy in my situation. “Besides, we didn't get to celebrate your birthday yesterday. Allow us to use tonight,” she pouted.

Ari giggled when I frowned at them. They had all planned this. They knew what time I would get off work, they knew exactly what I would want to do when I get off work yet they still chose to do this to me. Without a word at them, because they had called it and I had no choice, I walked into my room and slammed the door shut in annoyance.

The sounds of their giggles and laughter seconds later made my skin burn and all I could think were;

These girls.

We got to the party at exactly fifteen minutes past nine. Before they let their excitement get to me because I had yet to understand what Kambili's party was all about, I told them to meet me back at the car in exactly two hours. If I wanted to go home and come back to pick them up because I didn't want to hang around the party, I would but that would just be me stressing myself and I didn't like stress.

Shoving my hands into my pocket, I stood staring at the large space that housed the numerous cars in the building. EHS students loved every chance they could get to show off and they did that effortlessly. I'd never really understood the whole hierarchy or social oppression shit EHS was shrouded in.

Maybe because I'd never fully allowed my mind to believe where I came from because as far as I was concerned, I was a struggling person like everybody out there.

Letting out a deep sigh, I strolled into the house, passing the different people scattered around the entryway doing their own thing. They barely glanced my way, too engrossed in their discussions, and made out to check out who was passing by. My eyes scanned the first room I walked into when I walked in, taking in the scene before me. 

Just as I'd expected, it was noisy.

Way too noisy.

Hella noisy.

I grimaced, ready to get the fuck out of the place already. My skin prickled and I ran my fingers through my small crew cut. Exhaling bitterly about why I had to be here to do this, I searched around for the girls who had jumped out of my car the second I pulled into the driveway. They were not in sight.

I started to walk further into the house, walking around the large couch still housing a few familiar faces I recognized as I walked past the bar to get away from all the noise. A loud giggle caught my attention before I made it into the kitchen, catching my attention.

Turning around, I spared the host of the party a glance. A glass of liquid was in her hands as she laughed loudly, not giving a fuck about how much attention she was drawing that second. Her hands were draped around the highly respected prefect of my school. Trying to hide my eye roll which didn't matter anyway, I stepped into the kitchen and immediately regretted it.

A lot, a lot was going on in this large space.

And when I meant a lot, I meant a lot of PDA. Phones were in the air and people were screaming, videoing a kind of sick game I thought was going on. The jokers of our set were in a sort of drinking competition that made them down their drinks hurriedly while the others cheered for them, mostly females.

“This people never see hangover,”  

My head whipped to the side as Chidozie Carlton stopped beside me, a deep frown settled on his face as he took in the scene with me. Chidozie was one of those guys at school that had sense.

And I meant that in the most rational way.

He didn't go about flaunting his father's money, unlike some people. He didn't also openly make himself a big deal as most guys in my set did. The dude was a hot cake yet he had so much control. Control is so rare. He was also one of the very few people I talked to.

“What's your antisocial ass doing at a party?” he asked, elbowing me in the stomach as his frown slowly straightened into a smile. He wasn't even bothered that I hadn't said a word back to him. 

Because he was a good person.

“I could ask you the same thing,” I mumbled, my voice loud enough for only his ears. His smile widened and I watched him shove his hand into his pocket to get something out.

“Don't go talking shit, Eyitouyo. I'm the social prefect for a reason.” He teased me and I rolled my eyes.

Between me and this dude, we both know he hates parties. And that was rare, so very rare. Ever seen a social prefect who didn't throw parties at every opportunity they got? That was him, Chidozie.

Sometimes, I still wondered how he landed the position of the male social prefect because it just didn't make sense. Although he seemed to be adjusting to the position quite well, it wasn't for him. Onyedika should have probably gotten the position but then again, he was the star boy of our set.

Our school and their baseless laws.

“That's why I would always think that the school authorities made a mistake, Carlton.” I made a jab back at him and his lips stretched further. I couldn't help my smile too and I smiled back at him.

“But seriously, why are you here?” he prodded. “I never would have guessed,”

I opened my mouth to speak when the door opened and someone walked in, catching my eye. My pretty sister winked in my direction before rolling her ass to the freezer located in the room to grab something. Frowning, I didn't take my eyes off her for a set of my boys standing in the corner where the freezer was located and they were watching her too.

Shamsi barely acknowledged them as she pulled the freezer open to grab what she needed. Dozie noticed my attention was no longer on him and followed my line of sight to her. He let out a curse that didn't go unheard by me.

Yeah, he had the hots for her.

Shamsi grabbed what she needed from the freezer and turned to walk away. I was still looking when someone I hadn't seen coming stepped forward and patted her ass.

Bloody hell?

Dozie let out a stream of profanity.

Knowing Shamsi wouldn't let that slide, I rushed forward, my blood boiling. Just before I could make it there, Shamsi slapped the pervert across the face. 

All eyes turned to watch the sound of the slap.

So damn dirty and loud.

Saheed's eyes darted around the room, his pupils dilating. At first, I thought it was fear that clouded his eyes but when he let out a huff of breath, laughing, I feared what would happen next. Shamsi's body was shaking, eyes blazed with a dangerous intensity as she stared Saheed down.

“A nut must have gone loose in your head if you thought I would let that slide,” thankfully, her voice had a grip when she spoke. I stepped in front of her to handle the situation before she lost it.

She stepped right back in front of me, angry.

“Okay, pretty girl.” Saheed, one of the tech students in my set stared at her, the expression in his eyes not far from amusement. The other boys laughed, clearly amused too.

“Don't you dare call me that!”

For some reason that wasn't unknown to me, Shamsi's fair skin went beet red at the endearment. She hated it when anyone called her that. She hated being addressed as beautiful too.

Shamsi was very beautiful. She by far outranked all the other pretty girls in my set. It was the first thing people noticed when they looked at her—how beautiful she was. She was stunning and she knew it. But a lot of people made her feel like that was all there was to it about her; Being beautiful and it always got on her nerves.

“Easy there, tiger.” Saheed laughed, mocking her. He stepped forward and tried to touch her and that was when I lost it.

Grabbing him by the collar of his vintage shirt, I pulled him forward until our faces were inches apart. My grip on his collar tightened and I glared heavily at him. Shamsi hissed as she sidestepped me and walked away, muttering obscenities. I looked at Dozie silently and he nodded, going after her.

As soon as they were gone, I wrapped my hand around Saheed's neck while the smirk on his face grew.

“Now, listen here stupid boy,” I began, fighting with everything in me not to slam his damn head on the wall now. “Surely, if you want to be stupid, you should know your limits. Talking to my sister that way is asking for trouble. I'm sure you don't want your balls to end up on the chopping block,” His smirk froze.

For Shamsi, I would do all that and more. 

Maybe I wasn't a killer and I might not have the balls to do it but I certainly would make sure he regrets ever going near her.

“Didn't know Eyitouyo male could speak his actual mouth,” Seyi Johnson retorted as he looked between me and Saheed who I still had in check.

I shut my eyes for a few seconds as I tried to drown the sound of his voice from my mind. I hated that dude and I would honestly not like to look at him right now.

“He is a surprise.” Someone else said with a laugh.

“I bet he is all talk and bite,”

Suppressing the groan inside of me, I tucked Saheed even closer than he already was. I was aware that his biggest friend was watching me closely, accessing me to see what I would really do. But I didn't have to do anything. Shamsi had taken care of herself.

“Touch her again and I will make sure all your fingers break,” I swore, keeping my eyes on his cobalt blue ones. “Breathe the same air as her and you will be dead. Although, I doubt that I will have to do anything. It seems like she can handle herself just fine.” 

I taunted him as the color drained out of his face, leaving me stuck to my stomach at the fear that immediately took over his face. The fact that I rarely ever spoke at school was what made the whole thing believable to him. And as I said, Saheed was stupid.

I released him and he staggered back, almost collapsing into Seyi who didn't even bother to hold him back from crashing to the floor.

“I'm impressed,” 

My head whisked around on its own accord and my eyes met the eyes of the boy standing a few inches from me. With a can in his left hand, Kingsley Anayo stared back at me in the face, his lifeless eyes boring holes into me. 

That should be a problem, right?

The guy had the most dead eyes I had ever seen. It didn't matter that he smiled occasionally, his eyes always appeared dead to me. Soulless, lifeless like a thousand and one things had died in them and would never be resurrected. Chills went down my spine as I stared back into those eyes, trying to see something.

Anything.

But as always, not even a tiny flick of emotion passed through those orbs as I stared at them. He was one of those people I never succeeded in reading no matter how much I tried. And that was saying a lot because I was a good profiler by nature.

“Although, I doubt that if I hand you a knife, you would actually go through with it.” His smile was grim as he eyed me, that challenge rising in his eyes. 

Okay, I was seeing something new.

I almost caught myself in time for saying something stupid when I opened my mouth. Lotanna and Shedrack laughed, mixing drinks into a red cup on the counter. I ignored their taunting laughs and focused on their self-acclaimed leader.

“You are all talk and no action. You don't have the guts to actually go through with it.” He leaned against the kitchen island as he talked. 

“Why don't you touch her first?” I crossed my arms over the other, silently daring him. “Why don't you just try to go near her? Do that if you really want to see what I can do.” I told him.

I was surprised at how smoothly the word rolled off my lips. They weren't lies in any way because I would do exactly as I'd said but the fact that I wasn't angry when I said them.

“Nah,” he dismissed with a laugh. “Your sister is fine as fuck—”

“With a very great ass,” Lotanna chipped in.

“—But I have a very hot girlfriend as well.” He completed and this time, I snickered. “Maybe when we break up, yeah.” He shrugged like it was something he would truly consider if they ever broke up.

His girlfriend has attachment issues, they would never break up.

Deciding that this conversation was done, I turned around to walk away when someone's words had me halting in my tracks.

“It would be nice to know how she tastes though,” Zachary, another of Seyi's friends said as he smacked his lips.

“Dude, I've been fantasizing about it since she left.” Another of them said with a goofy grin.

They were taunting me, trying to rile me up. Too bad I had learned control over myself. I didn't want to come to this stupid party and here I was, having to deal with this shit. This time when I turned away to leave, I didn't say a word. My steps were light with a sway I knew they wouldn't miss because they were watching me.

It was a silent dare because I knew they would never make the move. They could only talk about it like they were doing.

I grabbed the door handle and pushed it open, just in time to collide with someone on the other side. Frowning, I took a step back and allowed the fair-skinned girl to brush past me. It took me only a second to figure out who she was and once I did, I didn't hesitate to step out of the kitchen and slam the door back in place before she caught on.

Shalom Wellington had been a pest in my life since we resumed and the last thing I wanted was for her annoying ass to start following me about the party, hounding me for a stupid meeting I was in no way interested in.

She was persistent and maybe a little persuasive, I would give her that. But she could also be a pain in the ass when she wanted something from you.

Snorting, I looked around me and immediately agreed with my mind that I couldn't stand around in the living room. I was going to lose my goddamn mind. So, I took the steps up the house in hopes of finding a quiet place. I found one within a very few seconds and I stepped onto the balcony.

Absent-mindedly, I reached for the packet of cigarettes I had in my shirt pocket. My fingers fiddled with the lighter too as I lighted myself with a stick. My fingers burned with the familiar smell of the smoke while I destroyed my lungs.

Smoking was one of those habits I picked up a while back. Aunty Rachel wouldn't stop me. Probably because she knew I would lose my goddamn mind if she tried to. Shamsi didn't like that I smoked but she couldn't exactly stop me either. It was either that or nothing at all, and they wouldn't risk it.

Within seconds, the familiar sense of peace lighting and smoking a cigarette filled me. It was as peaceful as I would ever be and I accepted it. My eyes fluttered close while I counted the seconds in my head, to keep my mind from straying. I wished more than ever that time would run out quickly so we could head back home.

At the sound of the light footsteps approaching, my eyelids snapped back open. My eyes connected with a pair of warm brown eyes that were anything but filled with warmth. She stopped at the sight of me, the corners of her lips lifting briefly. 

“I thought you'd be here,” she smiled as she came to settle down on the floor beside me, enjoying the night breeze.

I didn't know she was looking for me.

Ignoring her existence, I shut my eyes and continued with what I was doing. I felt her watching me and my skin prickled, wondering what exactly she wanted. When she'd accidentally found me in school on my birthday, I had thought nothing of it. But she was seeking me out, she just made that clear.

But why?

“You are not going to ask why I'm here?” she pushed, her shoulders brushing against mine briefly. My eyes snapped open at that as I stared at her, incredulous.

She let out a low huff at my reaction to her touch. Like she was aiming at taunting me, she reached for my hand where the name bracelet my friends and sister had gifted me was strapped. Again, her fingers ran over the letterings like she was trying to embed them into her mind.

“I need your help,” her voice was barely above a whisper but I caught onto them just before they could fade into the night. Finishing with my smoke, I blew on my hand and kept it at my side.

Her eyes snapped toward me when she realized that I had yet to say a word. Was I curious to know what she wanted with me? Definitely. Was I going to ask her? Absolutely not.

Her brown eyes read mine, probably trying to understand why I was this way. Why I was this difficult and I held her gaze back. She started drawing back to the wall, ready to hit her back against it when she raised her right leg to cross it over the left one.

My eyes fell to her legs, widening at their length. I couldn't help but curse in my head. Why didn't I notice how long her legs were?

Her skin, like melted chocolate, popped against the bright lights, making her look striking. I barely noticed what she wore, her beauty captivating me as it always did. When I realized I was staring, I forced myself to look away, trying not to smile. I failed when I saw the smug smile gracing her lips.  

“I could break you if I want, Enny.” She teased. My back stiffened momentarily, the sound of my middle name rolling from her lips catching me off guard. She did say she was going to keep to it.

“I'd love to see you try,” I told her when I looked back at her, clearing my throat.

“Challenge accepted,” that gleam in her eyes intensified for a few seconds before she turned serious.

“What do you want?” I asked her before she could say a word.

And she replied to me with two fucking words that had my blood freezing for a second.

“Oluwaseyi Johnson,” she stated. 

When I continued to stare at her like she was fucking mad or something, she leaned close and uttered words that should never come from a girl like her. A young, free-spirited person like her. But I guess things were different now. Dara was different now.

“Why do you need me?” I asked her before she could say more than I wanted to hear.

“Because I told him I would give him a reason to cry soon and I have to make good on my promises.” She wasn't backing down.

I stared at her for a few seconds, my thoughts running. I was on the verge of panicking. Very close to panicking because she looked so deadly serious. But rather than panic, I maintained my stance to address her.

“You really came back to scorn him? Revenge? Seriously? So you want me to be your fucking partner. Because I'm what?” And I was starting to get pissed.

I might get to do what I didn't do to Saheed and Axel. She shouldn't fucking press my buttons.

She didn't back away as I expected because the bite in my words should have gotten to her. She remained as she stared at me, her eyes turning cold and distant by the second.

“You know what they do to me? You understand the levity of what he did to me, don't you?” She met my eyes briefly. I still didn't understand why she was involving me in this. But yes, I knew exactly what had been done to her. And it was in no way good.

Oluwaseyi Johnson and many other students in EHS shouldn't even be given the liberty to roam about. Because there was a darkness in them that nobody ever noticed.

 “Help me and after that, we can dance.” She added.

“You are sick. You want to hurt him?!” I couldn't believe how calm I was despite the anger in my voice.

“Just a little mind game.” Dara scoffed like it was nothing. I mean, Seyi Johnson was nowhere in my good books but…This was messed up.

“And you think he will fall?” I asked, watching her. 

Her smile was double the size of what she had come in with which meant that she was sure. She was sure of what she was saying and she knew what she wanted.

Damn it!

“He would have to. I spent a month with him, Frederick. I dated that bastard for a fucking month. I just had my relationship with him thrown in my face by that Bitch. Not complaining.” She chuckled, humorless as she moved even closer to me. 

“Every moment I spent with him has been evaluated. I swear, I was going to forget about this but fate just has a way of opening ways for me. He scorned me and I'm not letting that go.” She raised her head to meet my gaze and chills ran down my spine for a second because she was about to play a dangerous game.

 “Ever.”

I saw it in her there.

 The anger, simmering beneath that neat facade she had tucked in under the layer of brightness she wore proudly. I had been sure that she was up to no good the moment she threw the auditorium doors open and waltzed in like nobody's business.

Now, it was confirmed.

She wanted revenge. She wanted him to bleed like she had. She wanted to destroy him, take what he loves most from him and she would stop at nothing until she achieved that. With or without my help. But there was only so much I could do if I was with her.

I had no idea why she had sought me out of all the people around but it didn't matter. She wanted to get her honor back. Dara was going to walk through the path—walls of our hallway on Monday with pride shimmering in her eyes because she would win. 

Or maybe she just got started.

The girl who lost her dignity almost two years ago was going to get it back with or without my help. It was up to me to see that she didn't become a monster while at it.

She looked at me. She knew I'd agreed with her and she didn't hide her smile. Just a little mind fuck game was what I promised her. What harm could it possibly do?

When Dara had mentioned that we were going to dance, I thought that she was joking. But I was quick to learn that Dara fucking Ambrose didn't joke about something like that. 

She was holding my hand tightly and as oddly as that felt, it didn't make me want to recoil into my shell. Physical touch sometimes sickens me. A lot of times. But here we were, Dara holding me and practically pulling—trying to pull me because I could snatch my hand out of her grip—down the stairs so we could go dance.

As if we didn't just make Queen B a little mad with that shitshow we just did. 

That shitshow she must have bewitched my mind into doing for her because I would never, on a normal day.

Or maybe I would.

“Do we really have to—”

I was saying, crumbling over and over about how there was no way she was going to use me as her rebound one last time for the night when someone crashed into her, making her lose her balance.

My hands caught her swiftly by her waist before she could tumble down the stairs, her eyes widened as her body rose and fell in shorts and pants at what had almost happened. I felt tempted to laugh at how wide her eyes were.

“Shit!”

And then the liquid was dripping off her clothes as I steadied her to stand properly on her own. She gripped the rails of the stairs, looking down at the large wet splotch on her black dress.

“I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry.” Someone who took me squinting my eyes a little to recognize what was said as she tried to rub the drink off Dara, thereby causing another larger mess. “I'm so sorry,” she rushed, almost swaying on her feet.

She could have tumbled down if Dara hadn't caught her by her wrist. A short snort-huff, sounding like a cry and laugh at the same time escaped her as she continued to touch Dara. 

“Shit!” I hissed when my eyes connected with Dara's impatient ones simply because Eloise wouldn't stop and she had also ruined her pretty orange dress. 

“Just stop,” Dara must have not meant to sound harsh but the irritation on her face was glaring as she caught Eloise's wrist tightly and stepped to the side, away from her. “You are making things worse,” she glared at her, obviously annoyed.

“I'm sorry,” Eloise trembled as she covered her face with her palm.

 I regarded the petite girl closely, noting that she was a lot more shaky than she usually was. She was probably drunk, that would explain the swaying and unbalance.

“It's okay, Eloise,” I told her just to put her at ease and she nodded, almost too immediately. Dara hissed, fuming as she turned around, facing me.

“I have to clean myself up.” She was glaring at me while I was trying hard not to laugh. Guess who won? Not that I would have danced with her anyway, I had my plans. “Guess you are out. Good night, Enny.”

She didn't waste a second more before she climbed up the stairs, practically sprinting to get away from me or most probably Eloise. Eloise mumbled slews of profanities I didn't catch as she slid down and settled down right there on the stairs, picking up the red cup she had dropped.

I was tempted to ask if she was okay or if she needed help but she placed her head on her thighs and looked just about ready to take a nap. I started to climb down the stairs when I noticed the man standing a few inches away, watching us. 

My brows furrowed as my eyes did a quick rake on his huge frame, trying to decipher what exactly he was looking for at the party. Choosing to ignore him when he looked away, I climbed down the stairs while shooting a quick text to my sister and the triplets to meet at the car. It was already past eleven and since I had no intention of staying back at the party, I had to get us all home to avoid getting arrested by Swan Island patrol men for late-night driving.

Not like I wasn't of age.

I didn't fail to add that I would leave without them if they didn't meet me at the car in exactly five minutes. Shamsi shot back a reply, asking me to wait for twenty minutes. I snorted and didn't reply to her.

Deciding to have a drink while giving them time to gather themselves, I walked to the bar and took on the empty bar stool available. My eyes guarded the bar attendant whom I didn't know as he fixed me a drink, non-alcoholic. 

As I brought the cup to my lips to take a sip, I noted with great displeasure as Kambili strutted toward me. At first, I hadn't been sure that it was me she was staring at when she stepped away from her clique but as she got closer, I realized that it was me.

Putting the cup away, I stared to hear what she had to say. We had never spoken before, this was going to be a first.

“Frederick Eyitouyo,” were her first words when she got to me, her eyes taking me all in as she leaned against the counter. There was a gleam—an annoyed one, I saw—in her eyes as she regarded me closely, watching me like I wasn't worth her attention.

“Never thought I'd see you at a gathering like this,” she picked up my filled cup and took a sip from it without minding that it was my drink. I just watched her, wondering what she was up to.

She had been known to play sick games.

“Is there a point to all this?” I decided to cut through the chase, looking her over like she wasn't worth my attention.

To be honest, she wasn't.

Her easy grin took me by surprise. Startled me most uncomfortably. “Relax,” she patted my shoulders and I grimaced.

Do not touch me.

“I just came to say hello. There is a reason why I'm the host,” her left brow lifted, reminding me that this was her party and she didn't give a damn.

“Okay,” I nodded.

And like she wasn't standing there, watching me with that grin, I took out my phone and started to play one of the games Andrea had downloaded on my phone. I noticed the moment her lips parted as she stared at me in utter disbelief.

She shouldn't be shocked. We both had our history. 

I must have been so engrossed in the game that I didn't realize when she walked away. Although I still felt her eyes on me, I ended the game and tucked my phone back into my pocket. More than twenty minutes had passed and I needed to find those girls.

Like fate would have it, when I scanned the room, I caught the swift movement of Drea as she pulled someone with her through a door I realized led to the back of the house. She had gotten my text and had just simply flipped me the bird.

Sighing, I got out of my seat and decided to follow her. Maybe I could get her to find the others and then we could leave. Kambili was still watching me until she wasn't and when I turned to look back at her, I noticed that she was now in a deep conversation with her cousin. Good riddance.

I found Drea by the poolside, laughing loudly with one of the girls from our set that I didn't know. She noticed me almost immediately and once I told her that I was going to leave without them, she took me seriously and sprinted off to get the others.

She probably wouldn't have taken me seriously if she hadn't watched me start to leave, passing through the open path that I knew would lead to the front part of the building where our cars were packed. 

I didn't know what stopped me in my tracks. I hadn't even realized I'd stopped walking. I was too distracted by the message on the wall. I looked closer at the words, scrawled in a messy cursive as if written in a rush. And then I noticed something else. The letters were smeared with a dark liquid. Something was trickling down the wall.

‘Two can keep a secret if one of them is DEAD!’

That's when I noticed the body lying a few inches away from me. I almost tripped over it but stopped myself in time.

The sight in front of me was gruesome. Blood soaked the body, visible through the slashes on the clothes. The head was nearly severed. My stomach turned. I had to look away for a moment, but when I looked back, I saw the eyes staring at me, wide and empty. I had seen that face a thousand times before.

My heart stopped. 

It was…

…It was Grace.

Grace Mofe.

                                        A/N

Guys, I don't even know what to say in this author's note. I'm as shocked as you.

And I know that Grace Mofe is/was not our favorite person but please, show some sympathy and don't speak trash.

I can't process my thoughts properly but just know that everything happened under your noses. And if you figure it out now, it means that I had failed anyway.

So, just sit tight and hang on cos we still have a very long way to go.

See you guys soon, I hope.

Love you all.❤