Happy weekend, fam!♥️ I hope this meets you well?😌💫 We are just a few chapters away from the middle of the book and oh well...things are bound to get really, really ugly. Without further ado, let's dive in!

________________𖧷________________

"𝐼 𝑐𝑟𝑎𝑣𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑠𝑖𝑑𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑦𝑜𝑢
𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑑𝑜𝑛'𝑡 𝑠ℎ𝑜𝑤
𝑡𝑜 𝑎𝑛𝑦𝑜𝑛𝑒 𝑒𝑙𝑠𝑒."

_________________𖧷_________________

          ~𝙺𝙷𝙰𝙻𝙸𝙻 𝙾𝙻𝙰𝙼𝙸𝙻𝙴𝙺𝙰𝙽 𝙼𝙰𝙻𝙸𝙺~

"Doctor Laura called,"

Maybe I shouldn't have said that.

Maybe I should have stuck to the cheery energy I had been getting back to back from her because the minute I diverted, the transition that occured was uncomfortable and so glaring. It disturbed me and rattled me to the core of my soul.

But then, I couldn't ignore the way it niggled at the back of my mind. I couldn't resist spewing it out. Heck, I couldn't help the spark of hope that brewed within me when I saw Doctor Laura's call. There was no doubt that she was the only person that could save Niniola…

The only person capable of saving Nini is herself, Lekan. A tiny voice echoed in my mind.

A very loud silence ensued.

More deafening silence.

Those three words were enough to render her silent. She went completely still over the phone. It was like her presence faded.

The tension that hung in the air was boggled with uncertainty and had fear creeping into me. It was so thick and sharp, enough to split a rock into halves. Her soft and steady breaths flowed through the speakers of my phone and reverberated across the walls of my ears.

It was gentle…yet, it told me a lot.

She didn't have to say anything. I knew what that silence meant. The heard, yet unspoken words it held. I understood it. It was very triggering for her. It always has been. 

I heard slight rustlings and her occasional breaths. It was as clear as day the effect the message I just relayed had on her. She went from being chatty to being downright cold over the phone. Her silence kept me on edge, and I knew I had to choose my next words carefully. 

"Nini?" I called, my tone firm, yet soft with enough warmth to hint at the fact that I wasn't trying to pick up a fight with her. I was just worried about her. I was worried about her.

Beep!

The line went dead.

Nini hung up on me.

Wow.

It was how I knew my baby sister so well and was still surprised at the dramatic turn of our conversation for me. I mean, I should have known this was bound to happen the moment I brought her name up. 

I brought my phone to my face, puzzled and wondering if I hadn't mistakenly dialled another number.

I know I should be giving her the space she needs right now but I couldn't bring myself to. It was really hard and I was failing miserably at it. I was keeping my promise this minute and breaking it the next minute. I didn't even know it would be this tough.

The whole thing made me feel weary…

Did she really think I'd judge her if she let me in?

Did she think I wouldn't understand?

I wanted to fix this but she wouldn't let me. I was tired. I was exhausted and at a loss for options. I wanted to be there for her. I wanted her to know I was here for her and that I wasn't going anywhere. I was willing to see this ride through with her till the very end.

Why was I her brother if I couldn't be the shoulder for her to lean on?

I exhaled and re-dialled her number on my phone. It rang for a while but she didn't pick up. I did it again the second time and repeated the action over and over until she finally switched her phone off.

Of course…

"You have to allow her to figure this out on her own..."

"Let her breathe..."

Those were her exact words. It begged the question if I was doing too much. If I was being some sort of leech? If I was hovering and perched on her neck like some bird, refusing to allow her to breathe and denying her the space she seemed to need.

How did she grow so cold? So distant? When did it all get like this?

The memories I could cling to were the ones I had from a few years ago. The ones I had from when she was a kid. The little girl with the world in her eyes. The little girl who was a ball of sunshine. A warm glass of rainbows. The little girl whose smile was enough to melt a block of ice. The little girl who was a ball of sunshine, whose presence was enough to illuminate the room with so much positivity.

But then, it was too painful to hold onto without the devastating and heart-wrenching ones creeping back in and trying to dominate my thoughts. They clawed and thrashed around wildly, struggling to let themselves back in.

I knew I could only repress them for so long and as much as I hated to admit it, the possibility of them rushing back in scared me. I was scared of what it would do to me. I was scared of how broken it'd leave me. Those dark, dark memories haunted me. 

I could only hold on for so long before they came bursting through the doors of my consciousness, tearing me apart.

That little girl was long gone, replaced by a girl I barely knew. A girl with ice in her eyes. A girl whose eyes scared me with the emptiness I saw in them each day I set my eyes on her. All that was left were shells of who she used to be. Even those shells she has managed to break and ground them to dust. All that was left were shards...

And whenever I looked into Niniola's eyes, they were completely, entirely and utterly void. I could never bring myself to decipher anything. It couldn't leave me more broken than I was. It couldn't leave me more powerless and helpless than I was.

How do you piece shards back in whole?

And to the question that I have been so terrified to ask myself. Was that little girl still in there and would I ever get her back?

I sank into my chair with my eyes closed, breathing softly. The consecutive shuffling of feet and the flipping of pages on a book, alongside the occasional side talks and snickers that belonged to my coursemates had my insides twisting into knots of displeasure.

I grunted and pushed myself off my chair, my eyes took in the familiar white walls of the lecture theatre. Lectures had ended a few minutes ago and Professor Dawson had left for his office. A few of my coursemates were still hanging around the enormous space in twos and threes, chattering loudly.

I turned to my system and shut it down, arranging my materials in a pile before shoving them into my backpack. I slung it over my shoulder. I took my phone and got off my seat, strolling out of the theatre. The day couldn't get any shittier. I was exhausted, moody and super hungry. I don't think I have had a decent meal in days.

I have been too busy preparing for tests and presentations and barely had time to take care of myself. This school was slowly sucking the life out of me. 

The crowded hallway I stumbled into had me exhaling softly. Engineering students hung around anywhere they could find, in twos, threes and more. Their overly loud chatters sounded like a broken record to my ears. I glanced at the air watch strapped to my wrists, my eyes settling on the time. It was just noon. I knew I had to find the nearest cafe and stuff myself with some food else, I was going to collapse.

My vision was slowly turning hazy.

I had barely taken the last stairs that led to the parking lot when I got ambushed by two girls. They basically popped out of nowhere, large grins plastered on their faces. It legit looked like their lips were going to stretch to the back of their heads with the way they were smiling so hard at me. Wasn't their cheeks hurting them?

I nearly choked on the smell of the harsh perfume I believed belonged to them. 

My eyes widened slightly in shock, causing me to veer backwards a bit, taking slow cautious steps. I arched a brow at them, eyeing them with uncertainty.

"Hey, Khalil!!" The duo chorused, giggling loudly.

I tilted my head back a bit, squinting my eyes at them with one of my eyebrows tugged up instinctively. They were beaming with creepy smiles. At some point, I started searching my brain if I knew them from somewhere. They weren't in the least familiar. 

The taller and darker girl had a weird blonde weave on her head. Her makeup was a little too pronounced, almost as if she soaked her face in a bowl of foundation. Maybe, if she toned it down a little, she might still look a bit presentable. Her palm kept patting her weave to keep it in place, probably, showcasing her inches-long artificial nails.

How does she eat with those?

The other girl was a shade lighter, she was on ginger red braids. Her lips were coated in bright red lipstick. Her makeup was a tad bit more subtle than the darker girl, but what was creeping me out was the way she maintained her creepy smile. It didn't falter for a second.

"Hey girls," I answered in a small voice.

"We have been waiting all day for you," The dark girl chirped, passing me a flirty smile.

Okay…

"We thought you had left at some point." The girl on braids chipped in, in excitement, pouting a little. I legit cringed at the look on her face. Sure, some girls look really good when they pout, but she? God, please. I can't deal with this right now.

"We__

I cut her off gently, not wanting to seem rude. Though I was holding onto a thin thread of patience right now, I was still going to be a gentleman and hear them out.

"Girls, I'm in a hurry. How can I be of help?" I sighed tiredly, tucking my hands into my pocket. The darker girl was bolder because I was taken aback by the next thing she did. She inched forward, stretching her palm in an attempt to touch my exposed chest through the material of my dark red long-sleeved shirt. I stepped aside abruptly, evading her touch.

Heaven knows I might throw up if she succeeded.

Intimate touches were quite a big deal for me. I wasn't just going to stand here and allow her to harass me. I was irritated to the core by her appalling behaviour.

"Stop it," I warned her coldly and her smile faltered, a light frown gracing her cake-baked face.

"My friend here__" I rolled my eyes and walked past them, descending the stairs. I wasn't going to last a minute if I stood there and accommodated their miserable attempt to flirt with me. The dark-skinned girl obviously didn't know what boundaries meant.

I fought the urge to puke and I shuddered gently when I remembered her attempt to touch me. And with that, I didn't waste a second sauntering out of the building. The universe was against me today because the sight of the figure that obstructed my path from moving over to the lot had a muscle ticking in my jaw.

Heaven knows I couldn't stand this guy.

For even a second.

I adjusted the strap of my backpack on my shoulder, my face utterly impassive and my head tilted to the side a little bit.

The darker guy scoffed.

"You really think you can get away with embarrassing me, isn't it?" He queried, a smirk playing on his lips with his hands tucked into the pocket of his Jean trousers.

I couldn't resist chuckling.

"So, you stopped me from leaving because you want to tell me about how I'm not going to get away with embarrassing you?" I quizzed, one of my brows arched at him in disbelief.

He opened his mouth to speak but I raised my hands in his face to silence him. I wasn't done talking and he wasn't going to interrupt me.

"I didn't embarrass you, Kiitan. You embarrassed yourself. It's pretty low of you, don't you think? Harassing a girl! But pfft, what was I expecting from someone like you?" I snickered, maintaining a poker face afterwards.

I seem to have struck a nerve, judging by how a muscle in his jaw twitched in annoyance.

I was trying so hard not to let myself think about the fact that this might have been going on for so long. He has been harassing my my girl for so long and if I hadn't stepped in that day, only God knows what would have happened. I knew Dunmade could handle herself but that didn't make me less worried.

Your girl?

"You shouldn't get too confident, Malik. I always get what I want and don't, and don't poke me. This is me still being reasonable with you. Trust me, you don't want to see the unreasonable side of me." He threatened. I threw my head back, guffawing loudly. I couldn't contain my laughter.

"Ode," I hissed once my laughter had subsided. Then, I took a step forward, standing in front of the glaring boy. He was legit shooting laser beams and lava at me through his eyes that burned and darkened with rage. I wasn't even fazed in the smallest bit.

"Let me see you anywhere near her again and then, You will see the unreasonable side of me. Mark my words." I told him and eyed him in disdain before brushing past him like he was never there in the first place, heading to the lot.

I unlocked my car with my keys and threw my backpack, slamming the door shut with a bang. My eyes scoured the lot before narrowing on Kam's Ash Range. I rolled my eyes and stopped short, approaching his car.

The front doors were wide open, soft music blasting from the stereo. Ola was sprawled on the passenger's seat, typing away on his phone. Non-stop. While Kam, being Kam, was moving from one place to another, with his phone in his hands. I could see his mouth moving. He was probably making a video.

On cue, Ola lifted his gaze from his phone and it settled on me. A warm smile crept onto his face, one which I reciprocated.

"Hey, bruh!" I greeted, sliding into the driver's seat. We exchanged bro handshakes and I engulfed him in a bro hug.

"You have been scarce," He said with a smile and I rolled my eyes.

"Like we don't know how stressful this school is." I snorted.

"Baby, wear the red dress. It looks really good on you." I whisked my head in Kam's direction. It was then it hit me that he was on a call with… Nymeria.

I huffed.

"Nymeria?" I asked Ola, to be sure. I turned to face him and he nodded.

"Yes,"

"I don't know but this one feels different. He might like her for real. What's not to like? Nymeria is a nice girl." Ola explained, giving a half-shrug, which elicited a snort from me.

"You have said that about the last three girls." I mocked him, sizing him up with my eyes. The darker guy chuckled, punching me on the arm.

"For real, Ola. Girl wey go change Kamsi go try." I chuckled.

"Where are you heading to though?" He arched one of his brows at me, a teasing smirk gracing his lips. I furrowed my brows at him.

"What?" I frowned lightly.

"You are going to see her, shey?" He teased me, wiggling his eyebrows at me. I stared back at him, utterly bemused and then, it clicked, eliciting a loud guffaw from him.

I turned crimson.

"Guy, you are blushing!" He exclaimed, eyes as wide as saucers.

I jabbed him on the shoulder.

"I'm not going to see Dunmade. I just want to stop by Gray Cafe to pick up some snacks before going home to eat, abeg." I chortled. Although, the thought of seeing her was so appealing. It had an unconscious smile spreading across my face. I didn't want to keep getting into her space, every time. I didn't want to appear clingy.

Besides, I could always text her.

"Bruhhhhhh!" Kam yelled, engulfing me in a hug that threatened to squash me into two. I patted his back, gently, chuckling softly.

"When did you get here?" He asked once I got out of his death grip. He stretched his palm forward for a bro handshake.

"Not quite long," I answered.

"Are you okay though? You look…stressed. Geez." Kam inquired, furrowing his brows.

"I was just about to say that," Ola chipped in.

"I'm alright, guys. I have to go now. I haven't had a decent meal in days. We'll talk on the phone." I told them, smiling softly. The duo nodded and I got off the seat, swatting Kam on his arm, who chuckled in return before I approached my car.

I got into my car and drove out of the lot.

                                         •••••

Although I had already taken a different route that led to the Café I was heading to.

But then, I couldn't help but remember that Nini had told me about one Café she went to with her friends.

She wouldn't stop gushing about their services being top-notch and how cosy the place was. If there was anything I loved to do at times, it was to check out the things she hyped so much and just see if it was worth the hype, even though I always turn out to be impressed in the end.

It still doesn't change my routine.

So, I reversed and started driving to the Café. I was there in no time, I drove into the building, reduced my pace and found an empty spot in the parking lot, pulling over and turning the engine off. I tucked my keys and phone into my pocket and let myself out of the car.

I could not hide my surprise, when I pushed through the black glass doors that had the inscription of the Café name on it, setting foot into the Café. I chuckled, nodding my head impressively, as though Niniola could see me.

She wasn't even lying when she told me the place looked like another world on its own. Her words didn't do justice to the room that was coated in three neon colours I didn't know could form such a beautiful blend. Along the line of Lilac, blush-pink and white.

The painting, the setting of the room and every other thing were just breathtaking. My eyes wouldn't stop wandering around the Café in astonishment until I collected myself and found myself a seat in one of the booths. I dug my hand into the bouquet and picked up the snow globe on the white table, utterly fascinated.

"Hey, handsome,"

I can't do this right now.

I exhaled and dropped the snow globe on the table, looking up to meet her eyes. The flirty smile on her face was so irritating and I couldn't fight the urge to roll my eyes. I gave in to it and rolled my eyes so cold, then I looked away from her.

"I'll take it, Katherine," 

The all-too-familiar voice had me whipping my head up, my eyes zeroing in on the small-framed girl sauntering over to us with a notepad in her hands.

Wait, she works here?

Wow!

"I was here first," The Katherine girl frowned.

"Besides, you aren't even on duty anymore! Shouldn't you be on your way home?" 

Dunmade didn't look so pleased with her tone and I watched her scoff, prancing forward and tilting her head to the side.

"I said, I will take his order, Katherine." She repeated firmly, enunciating every word she spoke and I couldn't help but notice how she stressed the "His." The Katherine girl huffed and spared me a glance before strutting off.

And there she was...

My badass.

She had her eyes trained on her retreating figure before turning to me and rolling her eyes. She folded her arms across her chest, frowning at me and I couldn't help the smile tugging at the corner of my lips, stretching into a full-blown smile as my eyes moved from her face, resting on her attire.

Was she aware of how good her legs looked in shorts?

The flawless pair looked like a walking distraction in the blue shorts she was wearing that clung to her curves like a second skin. She had the Café's T-shirt styled like a crop top, showing off her belly ring.

The thought of other guys checking her out the way I just did suddenly didn't sit so well with me.

It had my face scrunching in a deep frown. She was wearing a straight blonde weave today. The lush hair went past her shoulder, dropping to her waist. Her nose ring and ear piercings sitting so pretty on both ears.

"Khalil, are you going to order or what?" She spoke, drawing her words softly in a way that had so much effect on me and made my heart skip multiple times.

I grinned.

"I don't think what I want is on the menu," I answered and she chuckled, pushing a strand of her hair backwards.

"You know you are wasting my time, yeah?" She arched one of those beautiful brows at me and I chortled.

"Oh come on," I pouted.

"I was going to order but then, you just swooped in and went all Jackie Chan on the waitress." I reminded her and she huffed.

"Well, she was flirting with you and you let her!" I knew she didn't mean to snap at me but she suddenly grew uncomfortable maintaining eye contact with me after what she said, patting her weave lightly and shifting on her feet while I stared at her with my lips twitching in a smirk, thoroughly amused.

"She flirted with me, yes but I didn't give her the chance to go further. I would never do that to you, Dunmade." I said softly, keeping my eyes fixated on her frame. 

"Khalil__"

"Please, don't say you have other customers to attend to. Katherine said you are not on duty anymore." I was grinning from ear to ear at the thought of spending time with her. She shook her head and slid into the seat in front of me, dropped her notepad on the table, placed her forearms on the table and propped her face in her palms.

"Are we now going to stare at each other or what?" She rolled her eyes.

"I just want to talk to you," I whined, eliciting a giggle from her.

"Fine, fine. We can talk." She snickered.

"I didn't know you worked here." I expressed my surprise, still unable to wrap my head around the fact that she works as a waiter in this Cafe.

Dunmade's lips twitched in a soft smile and she pushed her hair off her shoulders, allowing me to catch a glimpse of her artificial nails and how neat they looked. 

Dunmade never keeps rough nails. They were always so cute and on fleek.

"Well, Khalil," She drew her words in a sugary tone.

"I work here and I write too." She uttered those last words casually, earning a light gasp from me and leaving me unable to conceal my surprise.

"Wait, you write?!" My voice rose a notch and I watched as her hazel eyes swirled with amusement and a hint of pride. Somewhere behind those green-brown essence, I could read the adoration that came with speaking about what she does.

"Yes, Khalil. I write. I am a freelance writer. I write on a few reading platforms and I ghost write once in a while too." She elaborated, a light smile playing on her lips. I couldn't help the surge of pride that shot through me. I was so proud of her and I couldn't hide it.

"That's beautiful…Dunmade. Really." 

"I would love to check out your works someday. If that's okay with you." My words caught her by surprise. Her eyes lit up in shock, eliciting a chuckle from me. I was interested in Dunmade and I didn't have it in me to hide it. I didn't want to. I wanted her to know how immersed I was in anything that has to do with her.

I wanted to be involved in her life in any way I could.

"Uh…sure," She mumbled shyly. 

"My sister wouldn't stop talking about this place. I had to come to check it out myself. You might have met her," I told her, speaking up to brush off her awkwardness. I watched as her eyes lit up at the mention of my sister. She seemed genuinely interested like she wanted to get to know more about her.

"A lot of people come in here every day, it's so hard to keep track," She answered, sadness evident in her tone.

"She's very easy to notice. Tall, brown-skinned and has one hell of an attitude." I added, trying to see if she could remember anything. She went quiet for a while, pondering. And then, she gasped, her eyes widening and sparkling so brightly with amusement.

"Oh, my God!"

"Oh, my God!"

"You are right! I have met her. She came here one evening with her friends. Three guys and one other bubbly girl. She wouldn't stop staring at me and at some point, I found it creepy. She was so amused and couldn't hide it." She chortled, brushing away a strand of her weave off her face.

"And yes, you are right. She has one hell of an attitude," She continued and I broke into soft laughs.

"Yeah, she does," I buttressed what she just said.

"I came up with a name for her because of her skin tone, Brownie," She added, her voice filled with so much admiration that made my heart swell with pride. Then, she sat up and gently took my hand in her small ones, squeezing them with reassurance written all over her face.

"She's so beautiful, Khalil. So beautiful, so strong and I am so sure she will be fine. God, you should have seen her here with her friends that day. She barely looked like someone that had a dark cloud hanging over her head. Her smiles and laughter were so genuine." She told me, her eyes not leaving mine and I exhaled.

"She will get through this," She smiled at me.

"She has the right people surrounding her, so she will be just fine. All she needs is time and just…give her space to do this her way." She concluded, brushing her thumb over the skin of my hands, leaving a tingling sensation everywhere she touched. It made me want to hold her hands like this and not let go anymore.

"Thank you," 

She grinned at me, the genuineness of her smile and the warmth that radiated off those beautiful hazel eyes left me tongue-tied at how beautiful she looked. I couldn't bring myself to stop staring at her and she didn't look like she was about to break eye contact.

But then, her phone rang, cutting our moment shut. She groaned and took out one of her hands from mine, dipping it into her back pocket and taking out her phone.

Every ounce of emotion in her eyes completely dissolved into something blank, which I couldn't read as she stared at the screen of her phone. Her hand went cold in mine and she dropped the phone on the table, the screen meets the smooth surface of the table.

She turned to me, and I could see how hard she was trying to keep up the happy facade, sending me smiles that didn't reach her eyes and that broke my heart. Something was wrong and she was trying to hide it.

"Dun__"

"It's just my mechanic telling me I can't get my bike today. I have to take a cab home." She cut me off in a dismissive tone that made me feel a pang in my chest, my heart dropping to the pit of my stomach. 

"Will you drop me off at my place?"

                                      •••••

She didn't have to say it.

It was written all over her face how disturbed and distraught the call made her. She was so lost in thought and wouldn't stop shifting uncomfortably in her seat, sighing occasionally, leaving me to glance at her with each passing second.

Each time she caught me staring at her, she would flash me a stiff smile to assure me that everything was fine and it hurts so much that something was wrong and she was trying to cover it up.

The glow in her eyes had gone dim, her lips pursed in a frown. The words were at the tip of my tongue and all I had to do was open my mouth to speak but I couldn't say anything because I was scared of her reaction.

It wasn't everyone that loved being probed, whenever something was wrong with them. But the fact that Dunmade who was all chirpy and sassy earlier was now as cold as ice. It didn't sit well with me. It made me so worried.

"Are you…okay?" I asked, my voice coming out so low, filled with concern and a hint of fear. She turned to me, blinking and sending me that overly faux smile that made me want to scream out in frustration and tell her to stop lying.

"I am fine, Khalil."

"Aww, you worried about me?" She pouted and I chuckled at how cute she looked.

"Of course, I am worried about you, Dunmade. You were so happy the other time and then…you got this phone call and just…" I didn't even know I was starting to stutter.

"Hey," She called out to me and then reached for my hand that was positioned on the compartment behind the automatic gear. She gently placed her hand over mine, squeezing it softly and tracing circles on it with her thumb. I spared her a glance and saw her smile at me.

Her holding my hand just became my favourite thing. I loved the comfort it brought me and not to mention how her hands fit perfectly in mine like it was meant to be there. It was ironic because I was the one who was supposed to be providing comfort to her right now but she was the one doing that to me.

It was crazy how my body anticipated the slightest touch from her, whenever she was near me. I didn't know I was this clingy until she came into the picture.

"I wouldn't lie to you, Khalil. I am fine." She assured me and I exhaled, nodding my head. I was going to trust her. I was going to believe her and just stick to proving to her that I was worth opening up to. She didn't pull away and I didn't make the move to either. Instead, I held onto her even more.

The sight of her house coming into view had my face falling. I exhaled and pulled over, reluctantly letting go of her hand before stepping out of the car to open the door for her. She giggled and got out of the car, then I shut the door.

She kept her eyes fixated on me and bit her lip. An action that had my eyes lingering on her lips. I barely had the chance to catch my breath, when she closed in on me, wrapping her tiny arms around me.

I pulled her closer, immediately, my hands resting on her bare waist. I couldn't have been more grateful for the way she styled her shirt. It gave me the room to feel her in my arms.

I heard a breath escape her and she stood on her tiptoes, burying her face in the crook of my neck. I knew that if my hands moved below her unclothed back, they would be resting on her ass. I was struggling to hold onto my sanity and trying not to give into the overwhelming urge, when I felt her seemingly hot breath on my neck that left my senses nullified and my step almost wavering backwards. 

My hold on her waist tightened, my breathing sounding so ragged and uneven, which pushed me to move my fingers in circles on the skin of her waist, eliciting a soft sigh from her that stirred something up. 

"Fuck, Dunmade," I groaned when her lips brushed my neck. My voice sounded so gruff and husky, almost like I had been out of breath for a very long time. I squeezed my eyes shut, my fingers brushing against her skin.

It earned me multiple soft sounds that had goosebumps sprouting all over my skin. It drove me mad, shattering me into pieces and moulding me back in whole. I loved that I was making her sound that way and was the only one making her sound that way.

I knew I had to let her go before the restraint I was struggling to hold onto finally snapped. My hold on her waist went lax and she detached her face from my neck, meeting my gaze.

God…

I couldn't resist. I cupped her face and pressed a soft kiss on her forehead, causing her to sigh.

"Good night, Dunmade," I whispered.

"Good night, Khalil." She answered, smiling and placing her hand over mine that was on her face. She chuckled and moved away from me, my body feeling the loss of her warmth. She stared at me one her last time and twirled on her heels, heading into the house.

I watched her until she got into the confines of her home and knew she was safe before getting into my car and driving out of her estate.

A/N

Le sigh!😌

Funny how just one date led to them grabbing each other now. Everybody in this book is an ashawo!!! Ahn ahn!!!😂🤣😭

So yes, for those who haven't been able to pick it up that she's a writer. Yes, she writes.🌚 She works two jobs to take care of herself and her siblings.♥️

Not your regular baddie.😌

Shaaaaa, let me know what you all think of the events in this chapter. I will be waiting in the comments section. Don't forget to vote, comment and share.💫

Adiós ✨

Love, Didi.♥️