Is it weird that I want to say something but I can't particularly find the words to express myself? Yeah, na tiredness. I am too exhausted to say something. I missed you guys as much as you missed me. So, here's a little something to mess up your Sunday a little bit.😂❤️
Sorry if you thought it was going to be something mushy. Actually, it is or is it?
I don't know, man.
It's up to you to find out.
My head was all over the place while writing this chapter and I was so disorganised while at it. I might have written part of it inside keke napep sef.😂😭 So, I couldn't figure out a song for it.

~𝙾𝙼𝙾𝙳𝚄𝙽𝙼𝙰𝙳𝙴 𝚃𝙰𝙽𝙸𝙰 𝙶𝙾𝙼𝙴𝚉~

                  ~He is the most breathtaking inconvenience and I shouldn't be wanting him this much, but I do.~

"I know you can hear me!"

In my opinion, when you are incessantly yelling after someone and they are not responding to you, it literally means they are not interested in having a conversation with you.

But the brown-eyed idiot hot on my tails thought otherwise, because if there was anything my silence had done to him, it was increasing his determination to get me to speak to him.

The tiny, scared part of me chose to believe that the reason I was practically racing out of this building was because it was close to being empty. There was a party on campus this evening and a large number of the students had filed out of this premises earlier, leaving little to no students hanging around.

But then, I could handle myself. Besides, he was a spineless bastard who wouldn't dare to cross his boundaries.

"I am not going to stop following you!" he hollered, causing me to increase my pace. "We both know you'd tire soon, so why not stop to listen to me for a few minutes?" his tone grew persuasive, earning an eye roll from me as I increased my pace.

"Dunmade."

I didn't know what made me halt abrasively. Maybe it was because he didn't use the cringe-worthy nickname he gave me-hot legs- or because I felt his strong palm grab onto my exposed forearm.

Maybe it was both.

I stiffened, slowly turning around to meet his gaze. I didn't miss the mix of relief and apprehension that flashed through his eyes, a smirk slowly forming on his lips.

"What do you think you are doing?" I queried him, the instinctive tugging of one of my brows paling in contrast to how calm I sounded.

I was pissed, alright. Irritated, even. But I didn't have the energy to keep up with him right now. I had other pressing matters to tend to. More so, I had grown to figure out that trying to match his energy with my reflexive sass will only take more toll on him than me.

If anything, he enjoyed having me go back and forth with him, because that way, I'd hang around much longer and he'd get to speak to me for as long as he wanted.

"Trying to talk to you." He grinned.

"Get your filthy hands off me, KT." I demanded through gritted teeth.

Nothing ticked me off more than his blatant audaciousness.

"I will only let you go if you listen to me." He proposed.

"And why would I do that? What do we even want to talk about? As far as I am concerned, we have nothing to talk about, so I suggest you let me go now before you take a second-time beating where it won't heal on time." I struggled to yank my arm out of his grip but his hold was stronger. I winced at the discomfort, struggling to conceal it.

"Let me go!" I snapped.

"Do you know what pisses me off the most?" his brown eyes were narrowed on me, his gaze dissolving from a canvas of unending persuasion and softness, to something more maniacal.

It sent shivers slithering through me momentarily, causing me to try and jerk my arm out of his grip for the second time this evening.

"What makes you think I give a fuck about what pisses you off, Kiitan?" I spat.

It was swift, but I saw the satisfaction that breezed through his eyes.

"I like it when you call me by my name." His voice rode low, his gaze sweeping over the brown thin-strapped Nike bodysuit that was tucked into a pair of baggy cargo pants.

I didn't miss the blatant lust that clouded his eyes when they briefly glazed over my cleavage, causing a wave of disgust to sweep through me.

"You are sick!"

"Yeah, you can consider this sick but do you know what's more disgusting? Watching you choose him over me when I have been here all along, vying for even a scrap of your attention like some Mama's boy!" the resonance of his voice took me off-guard, giving away his fury.

I didn't need a soothsayer to know who he was talking about.

Khalil.

"I don't understand why you think I should care about that. You are not my type. Get over it." I said firmly, glaring at him.

That only seemed to piss him off even more. The descent of emotions that crushed me afterwards were as intense as they were overwhelming because I could practically feel my heartbeat pick up an erratic pace. I was scared. More than I wanted to admit. It was as though I was becoming more self-aware about the fact that I was alone with him in this hallway.

"Why do you think I have been hanging around so many girls?" he asked me.

"Oh, I don't know. Maybe because you are a chronic Man whore and you have a very big problem with keeping your dick in your pants." I sassed, flashing him a sickly smile. An action that leaned more on me projecting a contrast of my waning internal confidence.

"I was doing it to get a reaction out of you! To get you jealous, hot legs!" he retorted.

I was stunned. Not to silence, but to an absolute astonishment of how deep his delusions ran. I couldn't exactly find my words on time.

We just stood there, him clinging onto my forearm like he was scared I'd vanish into thin air if he let me go, his eyes, hard, although reflecting his pain about his relentless pursuit of me, and me, stiff as rock, my eyes blinking endlessly in sheer shock.

And then, I scoffed. A nerve-grating reaction that dissolved into full blown laughter that echoed through our surroundings.

"Wait," I chuckled, catching my breath and the way his jaw ticked off in annoyance. "You-you wanted to get a reaction out of who? Me? Christ, you are so deep in your head. What makes you think I am interested in you? Have I ever given off that impression?" I promptly arched my brow at him, demanding an answer.

"I am Kiitan Lawson. Every guy in this school wants to be me. Every girl in this school wants me. Oh, and trust me when I say that I have taken down girls harder than you before. So, how hard can you be and for how long do you think you'd be able to resist me?" the raw arrogance that dripped off his words was in sync with the disgusting smirk hanging on his lips.

His stupidity struck me so hard, robbing me of my voice for a second but before I could fire back a response at him, someone else beat me to it.

"Am I interrupting something?"

The detached voice that seized the surroundings like a brewing hurricane grabbed our attention instantaneously.

If there was anything I loathed more than the idiot standing right in front of me, it was feeling like a damsel in distress. I hated having to feel like I was waiting around for some knight in shining armour to come rescue me from the hands of monsters.

Heck, I hated having to depend on anyone for help. I was always of the opinion that I was fine on my own and I could handle myself.

But right now, I couldn't have been more relieved by the interruption. Not only did it allow me to catch my breath, I was able to ease back into the thought that I'd walk away from here unhurt.

However, that feeling didn't last long. It was quick to melt into a pit of goo because I became brusquely aware of KT's proximity to me, and how intently he was holding onto me.

I was tossing my head in the direction of the all-too familiar voice in no time, my eyes clashing with an icy pair. I froze, my mind threatening to explode with the myriad of thoughts fluxing through it endlessly.

No, this wasn't even about what Khalil thought of our position right now. I knew he trusted me. He knew I'd never stoop so low or even think of hurting him that way. This was about the impending chaos that was about to descend in a matter of time that'd take a ticking time bomb to explode.

I was seized with panic just as much as the air around us was crackling with tension.

Khalil was looking at me like he wasn't looking at me. His gaze was dead. Lost, even. And, I'd be lying if I said that didn't terrify me to my bones.

"Hands off, Kiitan." He wasn't asking. He was telling KT and he was making that painfully clear in his overly authoritative yet calm voice.

I was both surprised and relieved when I heard KT scoff before letting me go. Khalil's eyes darted to me immediately, softening for a fleeting moment. It didn't take much to deduce how he was beckoning me to him with his unspoken words.

I skidded towards him like a Panda paddling towards its companion. And God, his arms were as strong as they were receptive. I instantly felt shielded from every sinister thing lurking around this hallway-Kiitan specifically-the moment he slipped an arm around me and pulled me against him.

"You okay?" he asked me, his warm gaze fixated on my face like he was scanning my face to pick up on any ounce of discomfort.

"Yeah, I am better now that you are here." I whispered, clinging onto his forearm.

"You have grown soft." Kiitan, who I had begun to grow oblivious to his presence in Khalil's arms, found a way to divert our attention back to him.

His malice-infused eyes were pinned on us intently, displaying his clear disgust towards the little show we put up earlier.

"Look at you," he scoffed, "running into the arms of a guy you barely know to save you from me. What happened to the fierce tiny-framed girl who would stand her ground even if everything around her was crumbling. It was what I loved about you, you know?" he spat.

"Get a life, and stop bothering me!" I fired.

"You have ten seconds to get out here. Whatever happens next, it's all on you. Not me." Khalil warned him.

He sounded like he was in control but the way his body went rigid against mine and his possessive hold around me was more than enough to show me that he was having so much trouble keeping it together. And for once, I desperately wished that KT would stop being such a stubborn thing and leave.

"You don't get to boss me around, Malik!" he shot at him.

I turned to the taller and muscular guy beside me, looking up at him pleadingly. The last thing I wanted was for Khalil to get in trouble because of me. I was even more scared that his grounded jaw and hardened gaze sold him away that he wasn't scared to get himself all messed up because of me.

Sure, the hallways seemed quiet right now but Whitburn students excelled at capturing juicy details from the shadows.

It might look like no one's loitering around right now but when shit hits the fan, the school's blog would be buzzing with incriminating videos. They were like wolves stalking around in the dark and waiting on their prey.

"Khalil, please," I whispered. "Let's get out of here. Please. I am begging you. Don't listen to him." I grabbed tighter onto his bicep.

He looked like he was struggling to make a decision. I could see the turmoil brewing in his eyes but the way his body succumbed to my touch showed his acceptance not to drag this further. He exhaled, nodding his head. A smile broke out on my face immediately.

"Come on," I pulled at his arm, leading him away from the tall, fuming boy standing a few feet away from us.

"Does he fuck you that good, huh?"

That question practically punched my breath out of my lungs, accompanied by a shocking gasp. My face paled in horror, my arm slipping off Khalil's arm in shock. I couldn't move. I just stood rooted in that spot, struggling to wrap my head around what I just heard.

At that point, I wasn't even worried about myself or how such vile words made me feel, I was more concerned about the stiff, light-skinned guy beside me. His silence was choking, freezing up the blood coursing through my veins. A bone-chilling terror consumed me, blanching me on the spot.

KT must be two things, either dumb or flat-out choosing to stir the hornet's nest because those words practically seized the atmosphere in a chokehold, hanging in the air like some toxin that was about to spread through every inch of this place with the speed of light.

"Is that why you won't let anyone in? I mean, for you to actually not be into any other guy-especially me-man must be pressing your buttons right and hitting that G-spot really hard." He taunted sadistically.

"KIITAN!" I yelled, whirling around in the blink of an eye, my heart thumping wildly as I beheld the sardonic expression on his face. "GET OUT! NOW! GET THE FUCK OUT OF MY SIGHT AND OUT OF MY LIFE!" I screamed like a Banshee.

"Oh, you don't get to call the shots, hot legs." He snickered, dismissing me. "What are you going to do about it, Hulk? I am sure you have had her. Don't be stingy. Let the boys have some too." He pressed further.

The whole time, Khalil just stood there wordlessly, almost like he was a statue. He and I have weirdly been in sync enough for me to feel every ounce of the rage that was seeping through him to know that KT was a dead meat.

"You are dead."

Those three words sent me closing in the distance between me and his path to crushing KT to dust. I was mentally thrown off balance at the expression on his face. I had only ever seen him out of character once. The day he beat the crap out of Alvin, nearly sending him to a hospital. It wasn't a pretty sight I wished to witness ever again because I cared about Khalil, a little too much to want to see him slip back into that petrifying side of him.

The unhinged blend of fury and determination swirling in his eyes left me on a tethering edge. I could feel the air in my lungs dissipating into something poisonous that was in synchrony with the fear trickling through my veins.

His eyes, dark, and disturbing, weren't even on me. They were zeroed right on Kiitan behind me, the rage etched in them doubling up as the seconds passed by.

"Step aside," he ordered, not sparing me a glance.

"Khalil, please. If you'd just breathe-"

"Step aside, Dunmade." The restraint he was hanging onto was actively waning, evident through his clipped tone.

I didn't give a flying fuck if he looked like he was about to convulse with anger at that point, I strode forward, grabbing onto his arm. Unlike earlier, I couldn't feel him. He was outrightly cold for someone who was burning with rage. It felt like I was touching a stranger but I didn't allow that to deter me.

"I don't want you to touch me, Dunmade. I just want you to step aside." His dismissal stung, but the fact that he wasn't brushing my touch off meant that I could still reach him.

"Khalil, baby, please, look at me." I pleaded, nearly choking on a sob. The tears I didn't know had already begun building up in my eyes came trickling down in heavy cascades, blurring my vision. "Please, please, please. I am begging you. Let it go." I let go of my hesitance, practically throwing myself against his chest and wrapping my arms around him.

"Please, Khalil. Please." I pleaded, sobbing into his chest.

He wasn't hugging me back. He was overly rigid against me but I'd take anything I could get right now. But then, he proved me wrong when he reciprocated the action, pressing a kiss against my hair.

"I give you my word. I won't do anything to him." He assured me, although I could still pick up on the underlying edge in his tone.

I sniffed against his chest, lifting my head to meet his gaze. I felt a twinge of ache in my chest, seeing as I couldn't read him. The tension coursing through him was practically visible and I knew he was still on edge but the fact that he was still with me and not driving his fist into anywhere punchable in KT's body meant something to me.

"Get out."

I knew he wasn't referring to me. His scathing tone and locked jaw hinted at that.

"This isn't over."

"You heard him, bounce!" I yelled at KT, throwing him the stink-eye. He scoffed, storming out of our presence.

I exhaled, turning to Khalil. I tiptoed, kissing his cheek gently.

"Thank you." I mumbled shyly.

He stared back at me wordlessly, his expression still unreadable.

"For listening to me," I added.

The only response he gave me was tucking me closer into him and pressing a chaste kiss on my forehead.

"I'd pretty much do anything for you."

                           •••••

The rush of emotions that left us in our feelings earlier had long faded. I was almost convinced that it was doomsday because of the choking tension that had been marching after us after we left the block, heading for the parking lot.

It got thicker, louder, and more overwhelming the farther we were away from that point of chaos. It didn't even help that I was walking at a safe distance away from him while he trailed after me.

Under normal circumstances, I was supposed to feel him-to feel his presence behind me but whenever I thought about it, all that cocooned me was a whoosh of cold air yet he was only a few feets behind me. I couldn't feel Khalil but I could feel and hear everything else.

The air laced with uneasiness descending on my skin like ice. My nervousness radiated off me in waves. The hurried echoes of the sole of my leather shoes hitting the tarred surface of the floor like I was running away from him.

They were feelings and sounds that shouldn't matter but they became agents of discord that tormented me.

I didn't even realise I had gotten to where his car was parked when I saw him walk past me and pull the door open for me to step in. I barely glanced at him. I slipped into the car and he shut the door behind him.

When he got into the car with me, it suddenly shrunk into a matchbox and I felt the air in my lungs retreat into their shell. It was bad out there to have him go so quiet and leave me all tense and wary of him but it was worse in here because the tension that lingered out there managed to spread around.

But inside the car, we were sunbathing in it.

And I hated it so much because I hated being in uncomfortable situations. It made me feel helpless. I hated feeling helpless.

He knew it too.

"I'll just play some music." I announced, swallowing harshly, seeing as my words hung delicately in the air like a bomb threatening to detonate.

He didn't say a word in return. So, I decided to help myself.

Hardly had my fingers brushed the screen of the infotainment system when I felt his long fingers brush mine. I knew he was aiming to prevent me from interrupting the uncomfortable silence but it didn't make my entire skin catch fire any less.

I gasped at the heated shudder that ran through me swiftly.

He felt it too because of how quickly he retracted his fingers. I didn't think it was going to tick me off this much because he wasn't touching me. But, it did. I was forced to do the one thing I had been desperately avoiding this whole time.

Looking at him.

My eyes darted to his. The effect of the tinted glasses of his car shrouded the space with darker shade that reflected on his eyes, rendering them a different form of Onyx stones.

Although breathtaking, I couldn't quite catch any emotion in them.

"Don't turn on the music." Khalil's voice has a way of sounding naturally husky. So, it shouldn't bother me much and I should be used to it by now.

Except it was the opposite. My skin tingled with need-with ache, to just hear him say something again.

Goddamnit.

"Oh, you can talk? I didn't know you could do that." It wasn't my intention to go off on him.

Maybe it was because I didn't understand how he could sit there, so unbothered, so unaffected, while I was here, struggling to keep my hormones in check because he sounded like an actor straight out of a rated 18 audiobook!

"I. . .I didn't mean it like that." He said calmly like he was trying to pick his next words carefully.

God, I hate it when he does this thing where he is the calm one and I am the aggravated one. It leaves me on edge.

"Well, I am sorry because I thought you suddenly went mute on our way here!" I snapped.

Why body con dey pepper you like this?

He heaved a sigh out of frustration, massaging his forehead like he was restraining himself from saying the wrong thing.

"I panicked, okay? I panicked. I didn't know what to say to you. I thought you were mad at me and...I...I didn't want to say the wrong thing that'd get you angrier." He explained, his throat bobbing swiftly.

"You thought I was angry?!" I shot at him incredulously.

I honestly couldn't believe Khalil sometimes. I sat there, my mouth opening and closing at intervals because I didn't know what to say and I was struggling to remember what part of our conversation from earlier painted me as the She-hulk.

He was going to say something but I beat him to it.

"You mean to tell me that after all this time that we have been together-that we have been hanging out, you can't tell when I am angry at you?" that question was meant to come out as an accusation but it was drawn out of me in a pained whisper.

"You barely talked to me. Scratch that, you didn't say a word to me right until we got here. Did you even see how you were in so much of a hurry to get away from me? You wouldn't even look at me!" he retorted, his whiny voice betraying his emotions.

"Jesus Christ, Khalil, I wasn't mad at you." I was exasperated at this point.

He was quiet, watching every emotion that crossed my face like he was going to point his finger at it like a three-year-old and yell, there it is!

"If anything, you are the one who's shutting me out right now." I pointed out, my shoulders sagging in defeat as I tucked the stray strand of my black fringe weave behind my ear.

"What? No!"

"Yes, Khalil. That's what you are doing right now. You do this thing every time. When I see you go out of character or get vulnerable in my presence, you pull away from me and start to conjure thoughts in your head that I automatically see you as a monster." My voice broke.

"He had it coming, baby. He deserves everything that he could have gotten from you other times but I loved that you were the better person-the bigger person. I loved that you held back and didn't give in to your rage." I told him in the gentlest way possible, reaching to place my palm over his where it was lying on the compartment between the front seats.

"I couldn't have done it without you." He spoke up. I shook my head, disagreeing with you.

"No, you did it because that tiny part of you knew he wasn't worth losing everything for. You knew that you could have gotten into trouble regardless of the fact that people weren't there at the time. You could have chosen not to listen to me but you did." I smiled softly at him, watching his eyes brighten up slowly.

"You are not a monster. You'll never be but I will never see you as one. Your anger is always justified." I whispered, squeezing our enjoined hands.

The corners of his lips tugged gently in a smile that made my cheeks burn. He noticed the effect it had on me and that made him squeeze our hands back in response, laughing lightly.

"Come here."

The softness of his voice didn't diminish the authoritativeness etched in those words. It grabbed my attention like the budget of my bike's monthly upkeep, widening my eyes slightly.

"What?"

I asked dumbly.

"You are too far away. I don't like it. Get over here." Khalil was openly-more like shamelessly-asking me to get onto his lap and straddle him.

And what did I do?

I lurched off the passenger's seat like I had been seated on hot coal, obliging to his request in a heartbeat. His arms were more than eager to draw me into his embrace, meeting me halfway and guiding me right onto his lap. In the blink of an eye, he was controlling the seat into a reclining position for a better sense of convenience.

My heartbeat spiked when his palms dipped below my waist, resting right beneath my ass. And then, he tugged me forward, my eyes fixed on the movement of his palms the whole time and how they seemed to be blatantly staking their claim.

It didn't appear to me like Khalil was unconscious about what he was doing. He was doing it with a consciousness that made my heart pound with excitement against my chest, leaving my skin roaring to life at his touch.

"You are not looking at me." He spoke up, a hint of tease underlying his tone.

I gulped audibly, looking up to meet his expectant gaze. Although an equally taunting smile began forming on my lips, my breath caught in my throat as my eyes greedily soaked in his strong, flawless features.

"I am," I whispered. I didn't know where the courage came from but it didn't particularly feel like I was in control anymore-more like my hormones had more control over me. I intentionally pushed my weight forward, a sigh escaping me. "Better?" my voice sounded smoky, barely counting as something above a whisper.

"Perfect. Fuck, it's perfect." He answered huskily, his hold on my ass growing slightly possessive.

I fought back a smirk.

Gently throwing my arms around his neck, I tucked my lower glossed lip between my teeth, muttering to him, "hey,"

"Hey, baby." He muttered right back at me, the deepness of his voice gaining a chill-inducing resonance to it.

I was so tempted to completely lean into him, bury my head into his chest and squeal into it. Not only because of how he sounded but because his voice bodied the intended effect that pet name ought to have on me.

I was a grinning mess.

It just felt so right. Us seated here in his car, me straddling him as we gazed at each other in soothing silence like we were just seeing each other for the time.

From his glowing light skin, to his perfectly trimmed stubble beard, gorgeously thick, dark brows, equally thick and long lashes, slightly pointed nose, a pair of tempting pink lips, ranging down to his sharp, strong jawline, Khalil stole every ounce of my breath away.

A mix of satisfaction and pride trickled through my veins when I allowed myself to notice his outfit for the day-a perfectly crafted black two-piece Kaftan paired with a black dominated embroidered Kanuri Cap. He didn't just look regal. He looked like a proper Arewa man.

"I think I should style you more often."

My voice was thick with amusement and pride, my lips stretching in a grin that threatened to falter at the sight of the smirk crawling up to his lips.

Kam's Mom was back in town and she was hosting some sort of luxurious owambe-themed dinner that she had her son invite his friends to. We spent most of last night on video call and he was confused about what to wear to the party. I knew the man looked good in anything but my curiosity to see him rock a kaftan made me jump at the opportunity to style him.

And dare I say, it was a hit.

He asked me to be his plus one to the dinner but I had an infuriating deadline to meet. There was also my shift at the Café. Besides, I felt like he hasn't been hanging out with his friends as much as he should these days. So, I considered it a guy thing that he had to attend alone.

"I couldn't agree more." He rasped. "I was too distracted the other time to tell you how stunning you look today." the gentle trail of his fingers on my exposed arm, slowly tilting upward to my upper arm made my breath hitch.

"You can tell me now." I sounded so out of breath.

The little proximity between my neck and his face was crushed to dust when his hot breath hit the shell of my ear, sending shivers down my spine. A sense of anticipation mixed with impatience seized me in a flash, quickening the pace of my heartbeat.

"Why don't I show you?"

His request wasn't particularly a request because he nuzzled his face against my neck, his lips connecting with the tender surface in a gentle suck, causing heat to sear my skin like he was branding me as his. He secured me possessively in place by returning his palms to my ass, cupping them without any display of shame.

I grabbed onto his shoulder, releasing a loud moan that echoed through the car. I pushed my frame forward against him, catching on to the husky groan that left his lips. The sexy sound thrummed against my skin like an addictive vibration, coursing through me like shockwaves that made my toes curl.

His tongue darted out skillfully, grazing the surface he just nipped before he took it back in with his lips again.

"Khalil!" I gasped sharply, my eyes rolling back in their sockets, fluttering shut like they were subjected to an unheard command.

His continuous assaults against my neck wrenched out dirty, desperate sounds from me. My skin tightened with need, exploding with goosebumps in the anticipation to feel his hands all over them. The thin cotton material that snuggled against my upper body felt like my bare skin because my arousal was starting to get the better of me.

His mouth dipped lower, hanging above my exposed cleavage that was all in his face. I could feel his hesitance mixed with a fast waning restraint. Although he was clearly still holding back, he didn't even have to do too much. The warm breath that emitted from him brushed my skin tentatively, tightening my breasts to a point of ache.

When he squeezed my ass, I arched my body against him, my tender breasts crushed against his chest, my buds hardened to their peaks, causing a thrilling zap-like sensation to course through me.

I moaned, hard.

"The sounds you make drive me insane!" he dragged out those words in a husky growl.

I bit back a moan, suppressing a shiver.

With one of his hands holding me steady in place, his knuckles connected with my cheek, grazing it fondly. My lips parted in pleasure, my skin flaming hot as my desires rushed up to the surface, rendering them a shade of beet red because of the blood that pooled beneath it.

"I want you so bad that it hurts." The sheer frustration in his voice made me gulp audibly.

My eyes flew open on their accord.

His eyes were dark and hungry, thick with frustration mixed with lust, pure devotion and other emotions I could hardly decode because of how hard they stalled my breath.

"I want you just as much and it is as consuming as it is scary." I confessed in a whisper, a lump settling in my throat when it dawned on me that I just admitted that out loud.

I didn't understand how I could meet him in such a short time and my whole world was so quick to start revolving around him. I was so sure that the only thing I ever wanted was for my siblings to be happy, but then, he came into the picture and made me realise that I could be happy too. It wasn't something I have always had but a taste of it with him in my world left me craving for more.

A few weeks ago, I could have sworn that he was just a fleeting distraction, but with each passing day, he found a way to etch his essence into me like a stubborn piece of gum that wouldn't come off. And now, it terrified me to even think of weeding him out of my life because I had grown so addicted to him.

The soft chime of my phone pierced through the thick silence, grabbing both our attention.

"Sorry," I muttered shyly.

"You should check it." He smiled, tucking my hair behind my ear.

I nodded, whipping my phone out of my pocket. The screen lit up with a message notification from Meg.

Meg.💞
Come home. Now.
5:30pm.

I furrowed my brows in confusion.

Meg would never text me if it weren't for something that was overly important-something that she couldn't handle on her own and was out of her control. My heartbeat spiked and another message came in immediately.

Meg.💞
The twins are fine. Just get here as soon as you can.
5:30pm.

I exhaled in relief, brushing my fingers over my hair.

"What is it?" Khalil asked, his worried expression coming into view when I looked up.

"It's the twins' nanny. She wants me to come home urgently." I answered, chewing my lips absentmindedly.

"Are they okay?" he grew alarmed.

Khalil was no stranger to the fact that I had two siblings but he just hadn't met them. Something always came up, hindering their first meeting. I was so sure that we'd find our way around it later on.

"They are fine." I assured him with a smile that didn't reach my eyes in any way.

He could sense how distressed I was and saw through my lie.

He nodded slowly.

"Let's get you home then." He leaned in and pressed a gentle kiss to my forehead.

                             •••••

"I don't feel so good about letting you head in alone." Khalil made his discomfort clear the moment he pulled over at a safe distance from my gate.

I forced a smile onto my face, unbuckling my seat belt. And then, I turned to him, maintaining the faux smile and hoping it was as convincing as it ought to be while my insides twisted into dreadful knots.

I reached for his forearm, massaging the pad of my thumb gently against it. I was hoping it'd make him loosen up a little and it worked because I felt him ease into my touch. His eyes softened, his shoulders slumping in defeat.

"Everything is fine, Khalil. I am sure it's not a big deal." I wanted to buy that lie myself but it wasn't working.

"Are you sure Meg didn't text you after the first text she sent to you? Maybe she decided to tell you what's going on. I don't know-"

"Hey," I slowed down his rambling, my voice drawn into a whisper. "I am fine. I promise. It's probably just the twins troubling her a little too much. I don't particularly trust those two not to drive her nuts when I am not around." I rolled my eyes.

He exhaled. His larger palm encased my small one that was placed on his arm, squeezing them for comfort. Then, he brought the back of my palm to his lips, giving it a soft kiss.

"Call me, okay?"

"I will." I grinned.

I leaped off my seat a little, my lips meeting his cheek in an appreciative kiss. I caught a whiff of his smell before I retreated, reluctantly pulling my hand out of his.

I could see the conflict engraved in his eyes and he was almost holding my hand in place to prevent me from leaving. But, he knew I had to leave. Sadness drifts over his features, clenching my heart. I peeled my eyes off him sharply and exited the car.

Throwing him a curt wave and a stiff smile, I retreated backwards and spun around.

I struggled not to turn around to see if it was still there as I stiffly approached the gate but I gave in to the burning urge at some point to see his car driving away from the parking spot.

My heart sank to the pit of my stomach and realisation washed over me in chilling waves. I suddenly became brusquely aware of the fact that his presence was managing to shield me from dealing with my problems because when he left, I couldn't ignore the gaping hole in my heart.

I sucked in a harsh breath, wrapping my arms around myself, hoping it'd control the way goosebumps uncontrollably unfurled on my skin. When I turned around, my heart skipped, not in a way that left butterflies in my belly, but in a way that tightened my abdomen.

My house suddenly wore the facade of a haunted castle from a dark fairytale and I couldn't bring myself to move from the spot my feet were glued in. My mind wanted to seize control over me and start rummaging with the thoughts of what could be going on but I shut it down, pushing my weave backwards with a straight face.

I might as well prepare myself for the worse.

The long strides I took towards the gate only projected the confidence I was trying to replicate on the inside. I pushed through the see-through iron bars, my footsteps echoing with a deafening crunch when I set foot into the compound.

My heart began racing, thumping wildly in my chest. I squeezed my eyes shut, pumping myself full of mental pep talks. The air around me was suffocating but I didn't allow that to deter me from making my way into the house.

I was going to knock but I ditched that formality and let myself in. Maybe that one moment between knocking and stepping in afterwards would have prepared me for the shocking discovery that barrelled into my life like a wrecking force.

I whirled around, stiffening in posture, my lungs failing me momentarily.

"Are you so dumb that you can't do anything right?" the thick British accent drifted through the room, the silky voice oozing with condescension and effortlessly multitasking as it maintained a soft pitch.

Cold sweat broke out on my skin, my muscles rigidly locking in place.

The slender female in front of her instinctively slid her gaze over to me. The relief that washed through her manifested on her expression, causing her shoulders to slump tiredly like they have been rocking with tension all day.

Meg's sudden concentration gripped her attention. Her lush dark waves were thrown to the side by the sharp motion of her head to my direction. My breath hung in my lungs, irritation simmering beneath the surface of my skin as my fists willed themselves into tight fists when her dark brown eyes locked on me.

It was like looking into a mirror and it sickened me to my guts.

"Oh, there you are." She didn't seem fazed to see me.

I didn't even know what pissed me off more. Her showing her face to me or cradling a sleeping Raquel to her side like she belonged to her.

"Dunms!" Riven's elated voice cut through the tension in the air.

My eyes darted to his small frame running towards me from the entrance leading to the kitchen. The pent-up anger within me dissolved into nothingness and a hearty laughter spilled from my lips. I crouched to his level and scooped him into my arms.

"Hi, baby." I grinned.

He flashed me a wider grin, tugging at my cheeks.

"You said you were going to be home early." He poured, folding his arms across his chest.

Well, let's blame a certain light-skinned man for that.

"I know. I am sorry but I am here now." I tweaked his nose.

"Dunms," Raquel's sleepy voice caught my attention. She lifted her head off her chest and the woman looking like the devil's spawn tried to secure her back in place, a sparkle glinting off her wedding ring in the process when it caught the lights directly.

"Hey, beautiful." I muttered quietly. I didn't want to wake her.

I had no reason to be mad at her because a sleepy Raquel equates a Raquel that's detached from her surroundings. She probably didn't recognise whose arms she was in and I was perfectly fine with that.

"Riven, honey. Will you go with Meg and get ready for your night bath? Dunms wants to have a big girl talk. Can you do that for me?" I turned to my baby brother.

He frowned momentarily.

"I don't like her." He huffed, sliding out of my arms when I dropped him to his feet.

My lips almost twitched in an amused smile but I held back.

"Meg, please get Raquel out of her hands and be careful not to wake her up." The emphasis I laid on her gender pronoun was thick with raw contempt.

Meg swiftly adhered to my request and she surprisingly let her go. Riven trailed behind her as she carried a sleeping Raquel out of the room, leaving us alone.

"What the fuck are you doing here?" I shot venomously at her the moment they were out of earshot.

She snobbishly flipped her ridiculously expensive weave off her shoulder, and gave me an eye roll. Her light skin had a smooth, soft buttery finish. Her nude matte glam was highlighted by a bold edge because of her blood red lipstick. She blatantly ignored my question, whirling around and sashaying to the bar in long, elegant strides.

Her fluid movements in those death traps called heels zhooshed her simple outfit; a black baggy knitted long sleeved turtleneck top which was loosely tucked into her baggy knee-ripped washed blue Zara Mom Jeans that hardly concealed her hourglass figure.

I glared intently at her figure, my heated gaze drilling holes into her back as I watched her grab my champagne flute, filled it up with my champagne and took a swift sip from it in front of me, in my house.

There was no disputing the fact that Cassandra Nnamani was ageing like fine wine.

She knew that and she never hesitated to flaunt it.

"You haven't answered my question." I almost puffed out a breath of relief because of how I managed to sound put together. "What are you doing here?" I demanded.

The room was thick with silence and the tension was outrightly cutting.

She had a bored look etched on her face, her manicured fingers drumming on the wooden surface beside her champagne flute that she set down already.

"We might be estranged," she paused, casually tossing her hair over her shoulders, her facial expression impassive, "but I am going to go up a notch here and tell you that I deserve an atom of respect from you, Tania. So, get in line."

I didn't know which was more revolting. How stress-timed her native speaker's accent sounded or the blatant audaciousness embedded in every one of her words.

I stared at her, one of my brows instinctively coming up as if to ask her if she hit her head on something on her way here.

"Are you being serious?" I was amused. It didn't matter that her presence disgusted me to the core of my bones. I took a step forward from the spot my feet were glued in.

"I didn't pay for a business class ticket all the way from Abuja to Lagos to come here and have you questioning my intentions about my children." Her swift response was like a slap to my face and it took me a while to recover from her sass.

"Your children?" I repeated derisively, suppressing a scoff.

"Yes," she answered with a straight face, gliding away from the bar towards me like a model sashaying on the runway. "Do you have a problem with that?"she asked me like she was daring me, her head twitching with a soft tilt to the side.

"So," I chuckled, tucking my ear behind my ear, "let me get this straight. The four walls of your politician husband's ridiculously expensive mansion in Asokoro is not enough for you anymore. You now have plenty of time on your hands that your luncheons and charity events with the real housewives all over the world don't matter anymore but playing "mom of the year" is suddenly your top priority?" I made an air-quote, laying emphasis on the phrase, mom of the year.

"Don't play with me like that, Cassandra." I shook my head, my voice lacking my intended humour.

"Don't do that." She cautioned me, the silkiness of her and fixed pitch of her voice grating on my nerves. She sounded like she had rehearsed her lines for some movie scripts while I was struggling to keep it together.

"Don't do what?" I feigned innocence.

"Don't disrespect my husband because he is not here. If you can't respect the fact that he is your father or the fact that he is my husband. You should, without any hesitation, respect the fact he is the one paying your bills." She fired back, her unaffected mask faltering.

"Oh, spare me that bullshit." I retorted sharply. "Hell would freeze over, pigs would start flying, I'll actively munch on jeans, and chew on my own tongue before I acknowledge Senator Nnamani as my father or my stepfather, before I accept the fact that he means shit to me!" I was so worked up, my rage boiling to its peak.

My estranged ties to the sly, powerful politician and businessman only reminded me that somehow, I was tied to the selfish old crooks in power who cared more about the next private Jet they planned on buying than the wellbeing of the citizens of the country they swore to look after before they got to the post.

"If there wasn't already a registered account name that pays Riven and Raquel's school fees, do you think I won't find a way to foot the bills myself? I don't need anything from you. We do not need anything from you. Not your money. Not your time. And certainly NOT YOUR PRESENCE." I laid a burning emphasis on my last words so it could sink in and she could get the message that she wasn't needed here.

Cassandra stared at me, not batting an eyelid. She elegantly pushed a strand of her hair behind her hair, approaching the edge of the sofa and taking a seat with her legs crossed.

She leaned leisurely against it, amusement creeping up her face before dancing around her brown orbs. She picked up a throw pillow, tossing it on her legs. Her lips twitched into a full blown smile and I found myself furrowing my brows.

"I am impressed," she said softly. A lump formed in my throat and I pushed it down with a swallow that left a pit in my stomach. "Looks like someone got the hang of motherhood while I was away." It sounded like a mix of amusement and sarcasm but I wasn't about to allow her to tear me down.

"No thanks to you, obviously. I wouldn't say I learnt from the best because nothing about you embodies the starting letter of the word mother, not to talk of ending it. Looking back at it now, I couldn't have been more grateful that you left. Let's skip to the part where I ask you why the hell you have come crawling out of the shadows, Cassandra." I marched forward, clenching my hands in tight fists.

"Stop addressing me by my first name." She stated matter-of-factly, a smile playing on her lips.

"You lost the right to be addressed as a mother the moment you walked out on me, on us, that night." I jabbed my index-finger in her direction, my chest heaving harshly. "After I begged you to stay, after I begged you not to get into that car, after I begged you not choose him over us, after I fucking begged you to stay with me!" the sharpness of my voice reverberated through the living-room.

"I DID WHAT WAS BEST FOR YOU." It was the first time she allowed her emotions to get the better of her since we started this conversation from hell. She shot up from her seat, her eyes blazing with fury.

The words I was hoping to get out crushed themselves in my throat. I staggered backwards, my lips trembling slightly in disbelief because I couldn't even wrap my head around what she just said. I couldn't believe the crap that just came out of her mouth.

The more I stared at her, the harder I was hit with a foggy memory of how incredibly naive I was.

The blurry image of a seventeen-year-old me conjured itself in my mind in a flash. Perfectly suited up in a peach-coloured pants-suit, my graduation gown and cap hanging on my arm while I clutched my broken heel on the other, limping helplessly on the other one as I obsessively dialled her number under the rain that smeared make-up.

It was my graduation and I had texted her obsessively for weeks begging her not to miss it. It was one of the most important days of my life and the only thing I wanted that day was my mother.

I waited when the event started. I waited even after I got announced as the valedictorian and went up the stage to get my award. I waited even after the event ended, calling and texting her like a teenage girl begging for the attention of her crush. I convinced myself that she was probably held up with something important and refused rides from acquaintances at school, telling that my mother was on her way. I waited even when the rain started and my heel broke. I waited even when I broke down in tears and smeared my mascara and eyeliner all over my face. I was still waiting even when she didn't pick up my calls.

I fucking waited.

And what did I get in return?

A text in two sentences.

I'm having dinner with my friends. I'll text you later.

I felt like a fucking joke. What was I expecting from a materialistic bitch-mom who walked out on her teenage daughter when she was just fifteen, leaving her to shoulder the responsibility of two toddlers? All for what? To chase after glitz, glamour and affluence.

"No," I smiled humorlessly through my tears, "You did what you had to do for. You chose yourself, not us!" I yelled.

My chest was burning so badly. My lungs were closing up and I was feeling like I was about to combust from rage.

"You haven't been picking up my calls. You have shown absolutely no appreciation for the money I have been sending you. Have you even been feeding my kids? They look lean!" she tossed the pillow aside, a crossed look marring her features.

"No!" I responded vehemently. "They are my kids. Not yours. They became my kids the moment you abandoned us. I became their Mom, their Dad, their sister and their best friend. I raised them well enough not to even feel your absence because I became everything to them!" my voice rose higher, more tears building up in my eyes.

My insides wisted in suffocating knots because I could barely stomach the sight of her. Every inch of me burned with contempt for this woman and I couldn't believe that she birthed me. I couldn't believe that I convinced myself that she was going to come back for me-for us.

I was sickened to the very core of my being.

"Did you know how hard it was to be a highschooler, maintain my reputation as a scholarship student and also raise two kids without slacking off? There were days when I cried myself to sleep, when I was so exhausted because I didn't know how to deal with your absence. I was terrified of navigating such a huge responsibility on my own. There were days when all I wanted was my mom. I had to be my own cheerleader. I had to be my own mom. I had to grow up so fast. There was no chance for me to screw up. I was fifteen and fucking terrified. I needed you but you weren't here." Every word I uttered dripped with venom, my burning, teary gaze fixated on her like I wanted her to feel every ounce of pain I was feeling.

"I WAS MORE OF A MOTHER TO RIVEN AND RAQUEL GOMEZ THAN YOU EVER WERE. SO, DEAL WITH IT, CASSANDRA." I was wheezing by the time I was done, my shoulders slumping in defeat as my body failed me, dropping me on the nearest couch like a sack of bones.

"Are you done?" she asked calmly.

I was too immobilised to speak, horrified that was the only thing she could bring herself to say to me after everything I just got off my chest.

"Are you done whining about how much of a shitty mother I am?" she cocked her head to the side. "Because, like it or not. I am doing this for you, for Riven, and for Raquel. For all of you. I am perfectly content with you hating me, knowing that I have secured a future for you all and opened doors for you in the next ten, twenty years to come." She spoke without remorse, her eyes glinting with defiance and determination.

"Get out of my house, Cassandra." I exhaled, pushing my hair off my face tiredly.

"I had the driver offload the things I brought in the kitchen before he left. I'll send you some money before I get back to Abuja." She sounded so cold and dismissive, picking up her Versace handbag where she dropped it when she came in.

"I'll come visiting when I can." Those were the last words she said to me, puncturing my chest like an arrow before she eased out of the house and shut the door behind her.

Fresh tears brimmed in my eyes, but I bit down my lips harshly, drawing blood from them to prevent them from falling. I wasn't going to cry because of her. Not in this world or the next or the ones to come. She wasn't worth it. She made that clear on the night of my graduation and killed every ounce of hope I had for our fractured relationship.

"Are you okay?" Meg's voice eased into the room soothingly.

I looked up to see her standing by the tears. It irked me to the bones to catch the sight of her glassy orbs. I hated being pitied and she was doing that right now.

"Are the twins asleep?" I evaded her question, rising to my feet.

"Yes,"

"Thank you, Meg," I said without looking at her, strutting towards the staircase and was going to drift past her without uttering a word but her fingers brushed my arm like she was trying to cling to me. "Please, don't touch me." I pleaded, my voice laced with an edge.

It was just one of those days. I'd sleep it off and everything would be back to normal by tomorrow.

A/N

Omoooooooo!
How did this chapter go from tense to mushy and back to tense?😂😂😭
What advise do you people have for Khalil, abeg? There has to be something you guys want to say to him after what he just read.
But, on the bright side-okay, maybe not so bright side.💀You guys have met Cassandra Nnamani. What do you guys have to say about her?
I don't have words, honestly.
So, over to y'all!
Don't forget to vote, comment and share.
I'll see you whenever, fam.
I hope it doesn't take long too.

Love, Didi.❤️

Adiós.✨