Good morning, people!

I was supposed to drop the last part yesternight, but there was no light and by the time I charged my phone, I was so exhausted and I went to bed immediately.

But I am here now, and I am back with the most intense part of this date. Yeah, if I do say so myself. It's packed with everything and more, so strap your seatbelts on, people. You are in for a ride!😌

The song for this chapter- Young and beautiful by Lana Del Rey.

 
               ______________𖧷_____________

                        "𝐼 𝑐𝑜𝑢𝑙𝑑 𝑏𝑒 𝑏𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑖𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒
                        𝑠𝑎𝑚𝑒 𝑎𝑖𝑟 𝑎𝑠 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑎𝑛𝑑 ℎ𝑎𝑣𝑒
                         𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑏𝑜𝑑𝑖𝑒𝑠 𝑏𝑒 𝑠𝑘𝑖𝑛 𝑡𝑜
                           𝑠𝑘𝑖𝑛 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝐼'𝑙𝑙 𝑠𝑡𝑖𝑙𝑙
                                    𝑦𝑒𝑎𝑟𝑛 𝑡𝑜
                            𝑓𝑒𝑒𝑙 𝑚𝑜𝑟𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑦𝑜𝑢."

            ______________𖧷_______________

                ~𝚂𝙷𝙰𝙺𝙸𝚁𝙰 𝙽𝙸𝙽𝙸𝙾𝙻𝙰 𝙼𝙰𝙻𝙸𝙺~

I had my face all propped on my teddy bear, watching every one of his moves like a mother hen from where I leaned on the empty stand that was attached to the ice-cream truck with an unconscious smile playing on my lips.

He looked regal doing the littlest things. He had his pearly white teeth on display, engrossed in the conversation the truck owner was having with him as he whipped up his order. At first, I was struggling so hard not to allow the smile on my face to widen into a large grin, and I was failing miserably at it. So, I allowed it to widen because there was nothing compared to the feelings accompanied by watching him. 

They were kind of hard to place because they were always over the place, but I do know they always made me feel so light. Quite warm, even, and giddy like a little girl.

When he grabbed the two paper cups that were filled to the brim with a blend of vanilla and chocolate with two plastic spoons sticking out at the top and turned to me, my heart skipped and I turned crimson. 

He strolled elegantly over to where I was, handing me a cup.

"Here you go,"

"Thank you," I picked up my teddy bear with one hand and wrapped my arm around its neck conveniently, so I could balance the cup properly in my hands. I dug in immediately, and I momentarily shut my eyes in bliss at how amazing it tasted.

"Oh, my God," I said through a mouthful of ice cream. I was gobbling it all up without caring that I was being watched.

It was that good.

Stefan chuckled. "Come on, let's find somewhere to sit," he told me, and I trailed after him. 

The environment grew more tranquil as we moved away from all the noise and the crowd. I could make out the chirping of birds in the distance because we were surrounded by a clearing in no time. My eyes darted towards the cosy tree couch in the distance.

"Come on," I grinned at him, pulling him by his hand while he struggled to catch up with me because I was skipping to the shed.

It looked like the former occupants left not quite long ago, but it was still well put together enough for us to sit on it. The encased lantern illuminated the comfy space, giving it that aesthetical glow that made it look like a scene straight out of a fairytale book.

                Isn't it just perfect?😭♥️🥺

I dumped the teddy bear on the couch, hopping on it. The dipping of the space beside me indicated that Stefan had settled right beside me but I was far too immersed with my ice cream to spare him a glance.

When my head shot up from the cup, my spoon hung in my mouth. I couldn't bring myself to move it because he was watching me, a look of utter amusement etched on his face. I grew all red in the face.

"Sorry," I mumbled shyly.

"There's nothing to be sorry about, Reina. You are so adorable and it's so cute to watch," his words rolled off his tongue, sounding almost breathy and making my breath hitch.

I slowly removed the spoon from my mouth, digging it back to the ice cream. The amusement that clouded his grey eyes, heightening their sparkle, slowly dissipated, morphing into something that was quite hard to pin, but darkened his eyes in a way that had my breath stalling.

His eyes were pinned on my lips.

"What?" I queried in a whisper.

"You-uh-you have ice cream on your lips," he answered, the huskiness of his voice striking the core of my soul.

"Oh," my voice came out in a breathy mumble. 

I brought my hands to my lips to wipe it off, but he halted my movement when he grabbed my hand gently. I shivered at the contact, his touch burning through the sleeve of my dress that the fabric suddenly felt thinner than it was because I was practically feeling his hand on my skin.

"Let me," it seemed reflexive because his voice flat-out came out in an order.

He inched forward and I sucked in a breath, my brain slowly processing the fact that we were all alone in these surroundings. The awareness left a surge of strange excitement coursing through me. I completely tuned everything else out when he loomed further, leaving just a few inches hanging between us.

An unnerving heat radiated off his body, rubbing off on mine and causing me to release a harsh sigh. Our breaths were practically mingling with each other right now, the little air that hung between us was charged with so much tension that left goosebumps sprouting on my skin, almost tearing through the fabric of my dress.

I breathed shakily, gripped by the intensity of his eyes that thickened with every passing second. There was a certain emotion that unabashedly stood out in his eyes. 

A breath-seizing want that dried up every ounce of liquid in my mouth.

His fingers reached up to my face, brushing my jaw and I couldn't help the shaky sigh that eluded me. I yearned to feel his fingers against my lips and I found myself moving even closer, gulping so hard that it almost hurt.

It was just a single graze, a feathery touch and I literally went up in flames beneath his touch, nudging my lips, so it would meet his fingers, but it was as if he was teasing me. He was painstakingly slow in wiping it off and I could tell by the raw emotions that were engraved in his eyes that he was enjoying this.

A little too much, even.

When Stefan swept the pad of his thumb against my bottom lip, I moaned.

A loud, shameless sound that I knew affected him more than I deduced. He didn't break eye contact with me. He wanted me to see how much it affected him and the way his eyes flamed up with desire was so consuming, liquidising what was left of my senses.

I was a restless and breathless mess where I was seated and every single bone in my body literally ached to feel his fingers on my lips again. He was staring back at me with a want that felt so restrained and it made me so frustrated because as crazy as it sounded, he was holding back. 

It was glaring.

His thumb moved sensually against my lips for the second time. And this time, it felt like he was intentional about wrenching out every sound I was capable of making because I was louder than the first time. His eyes were devoid of the brightness they always held. The emotions in them were completely overridden by a striking intensity that was so raw.

"Fuck," 

That one word came out in a whisper, sounding almost painful, dripping with sensuality and huskiness.

He reluctantly peeled his thumb off my lips, and they travelled down my jaw, skimming my neck so softly in a way that made me exhale harshly, watching him brush my hair off my shoulder.

I leaned in, my hand sweeping away the cup of melted ice cream I couldn't bring myself to give a fuck about anymore, onto the ground. Stefan's lips parted slowly, his hot breath turning up the heat within me. The heat between us only amplified in folds and it was almost painful because the frustration that accompanied it thickened as well.

The soft flesh was almost brushing mine tentatively but the shrill ringtone of my phone broke us apart. I was more than willing to ignore it.

"Your phone," he whispered.

"Screw the phone," I mumbled right back, equally as breathless as he was.

But then, the phone refused to be screwed because it continued ringing incessantly, causing me to hiss. I pulled back, retrieving my phone from my bag. The caller ID flashed in my face and a bitter taste exploded in the back of my throat. I  glared intently at the screen, wishing for once, that somehow, she'd just disappear off the face of the earth and I wouldn't have to put up with her anymore.

Why the hell was Ameera Malik calling me?

I was going to hang up but it felt like my phone was hanging and her name wouldn't stop flashing on the screen incessantly, spiking my irritation and stroking my nerves.

"Just get out!" I screamed, not caring that he was right beside me, watching me quietly. I tossed the phone beside me, bringing my palm to my face and rubbing my forehead gently.

I didn't owe her anything. If it was so important, she could have fucking texted me. 

She could rot in Italy for all I cared.

"Hey," it wasn't until he called out to me that I noticed that my hands were a little shaky. I didn't look up to face him. I just hurriedly tried to tuck my hands where he wouldn't see them.

His larger palms covered my hands, the pad of his thumb slowly trailing a circle on them, eliciting a sigh from me. I looked up to see him staring at me with utmost softness. Even though I was unconsciously searching for it, I didn't see any hint of anger in his eyes. His eyes mirrored the calmness coursing through him.

"Come here," he urged, slipping his arm around me and pulling me into his chest. We got into a comfortable position and I was all snuggled up against him.

Sorry, teddy bear. He smells and feels better.

I inhaled his scent and I knew I didn't want to be anywhere else that wasn't with him. I didn't want to hold anyone that wasn't him. His body warmth softened my rigid muscles, his calmness rubbing off on me. He dropped a dainty kiss to my hair and my eyes fluttered shut immediately as he began tracing circles on my waist.

"That feels good," I murmured sleepily.

He hummed back in response.

There was a comfortable silence that hung between us but it told me so many things. Stefan's silence was his own way of telling me he was listening to me. It was his own way of telling me I could trust him with anything. He didn't even have to say it. It was so obvious in his actions.

"She could have fucking texted," I began. He didn't utter a word. He only held me against him. "She knows—no, scratch that. We both know she's the last person I would speak with on a phone call. And I bet it with you, she has nothing relevant to say," I gritted my teeth, staring into the night.

"It's very hilarious how she thinks that her once-in-a-blue-moon phone calls are enough to fix everything she broke, how she thinks it would miraculously give me back all those years of my life that she was absent, how it would erase all the hurtful and cruel things she said to me, how it would fix her crappy ways of being a mother—.

That bitch isn't even making efforts and she thinks she has a right to call me? She lost all that right when I had to grow up really fast and mother myself. She lost all that right when I went down that dark road and came out more broken than I have ever been. So, screw her and her bullshit!" I hated how quickly my eyes were getting filled with tears. I hated how anything regarding Ameera was so triggering that it always left this burning sensation in my chest and a heavy knot in my throat, making me feel like I couldn't breathe.

I was supposed to be a Malik.

I wasn't supposed to be vulnerable.

But here I was, bawling my eyes out against a boy's shirt and it was so sickening.

"I am fine without her. I grew up without her. I don't need her. I never will. I have myself and that's enough," I sniffed. "I think what's more appalling is how Khalil is willing to turn a blind eye to all these, giving me that bullshit about, how do you hate someone you have loved half your life?—

The question should be, how do you not hate a woman who's been absent half your life?" I posed the question to no one in particular, my chest constricting really hard as angry tears welled up in my eyes.

"I am very, very mad at him for saying that," I whispered. "But then, I don't think I can stay mad at him for so long. Granted, I subtly blamed him for my break-up with Alvin then, but Khalil has been there for me more than she has ever been. He has been there every step of the way. He has been present for all the darkness and ugliness, even when I pushed him away and shut him out." I said softly with a sad smile playing on my lips.

"I think that's one of the reasons I couldn't bring myself to say no to him when he coaxed me into attending Blue Cove, just the same way I agreed to see Dr. Laura because of him," my voice morphed into something strained and tiny at the end, my throat tightening a little.

I tuned out the voices in my head that were about to start chipping in unwanted suggestions at the mention of her name.

I wanted to stop. I really wanted to, but it felt like there was an invisible force wrenching the words out of my throat. 

"I only went there once," I choked out in a whisper. "It's kind of blurry now that I think about it. Heck, I don't think I remember our conversation. I was in a really bad space and that phase of my life feels so vague at times. That day, I had a lot of doubts stringing up in me, but one thing weirdly stood out," I mumbled, burying my face into his chest.

"I stared at her that day. I think I did that all through and I was absolutely fascinated by the way her mind works. Watching her trying to make those analyses, watching her listen to every word I said with that unending warmth in her eyes, I knew something was absolutely clear to me. I knew that somehow, if I ever found myself out of that dark place, if I somehow managed to fix myself—.

I wanted to be a psychologist," it felt odd saying it out. I had only thought about it that day and I knew it wasn't meant for someone like me, so I shoved that thought at the back of my mind and never thought of it anymore until today.

"It's fascinating," I continued, smiling against his chest. "The thought of diving into that field sparked something within me that day. I wanted to help people. I wanted to help them figure out the things they had no idea had been right in front of them all along. I wanted to help them face their fears. I wanted to help them discover and re-discover themselves. . ." I trailed off, my eyes burning with so many tears.

"But that dream died when I walked out of that room and never went back," I scoffed.

"You can be anything you want to be, Reina." Stefan voiced out, squeezing my waist softly.

For the first time since I began talking, I looked up from his chest to meet his gaze. His eyes were soft, warm and sparkled with hints of smiles that mirrored the light smile on his lips.

"What about you?" I smiled at him.

"What about me?" he quizzed and I giggled.

"What do you want to be, silly?" I chortled, nudging him.

"The plan has always been to get a law degree and I may or may not practise. Although I think with how much interest I have in it, chances lean more on me practising it. But then, I am still going to allow myself to explore. I don't want to limit myself. I have all the time in the world to figure it out," he divulged.

"Actually, if you ask me, Stefan Bibitayo Oluyide, Esq. does have a nice ring to it," I wiggled my eyebrows at him.

He laughed and I felt the knot in my chest loosen like it was never there.

"I don't believe it," he said after his laughter subsided.

"What?" I blinked.

He leaned closer, his muscular frame almost eating up all the space surrounding me. He gently took my hands in his, kissing the back of my palm softly with his eyes trained on me. 

"That the dream died," he told me, and I sighed, proceeding to defend myself, but he cut me off gently. "A dream born out of such circumstance doesn't die. It only grows stronger and the reason you feel it's dead is because you shut it out. If you really believe that it's dead, then let it back in and see how that works," his words came out in a whisper but they gave me a mental whiplash, reaching out to strike the core of my soul.

"And no, you are not broken. You have just been really scarred by the people you love," he said softly and the tears I didn't know were lodging somewhere in my eyes came pouring. "Do you know one thing about scars? They all heal, eventually, and if you truly want them to heal, then you need to do a better job at feeling." His thumb caressed the back of my palm. He said those words with such softness that was a contrast to the spots they were hitting within me.

"Stefan," I choked out.

He wasn't even done. 

"I am so sorry I didn't say this earlier," he swallowed. "But now that I think of it, the time couldn't have been more right." He chuckled, his eyes shimmering with tears. "One day, you are going to love without restrictions, without fears, without holding back and it's going to be so beautiful. It's going to be the realest thing you have ever felt and it'll make you feel the most alive you have ever been." His words were laced with promises and convictions.

Hot tears trickled down my face and I didn't even make any effort to stop it.

"Can I ask you something?" I asked hoarsely, sniffing.

"Ask me anything, Reina," he urged me.

"Have you ever been in love?" the words tumbled out of my mouth casually, but nothing could have prepared me for the way his eyes went dim, flashing with a surprise that was so hard to miss.

It was so obvious my question took him off guard. It threw off him and it did so badly that I felt a twinge of guilt settle within me for asking him that kind of question. Stefan's expression rarely faltered but I watched him waver. It was so rattling. He opened his mouth to speak but it snapped shut.

I shifted closer, taking his hand gently in mine.

"Forget I asked," I whispered, wrapping my arms around him and placing my head on his chest. The silence that hung between us had me picking up on the erratic pumping of his heart, causing me to furrow my brows.

"Why is your heart beating so fast?" I asked him.

"I am okay," his arms came around my waist, flushing my body against his. "God, you feel so soft and you smell so fucking good," he murmured against me, his voice thick with satisfaction.

I just hid my face in his chest, biting down on my lips to prevent myself from smiling too hard as my cheeks turned red.

                                        •••••

"Boring, boring, boring," I barely scanned the perfumes as I tossed them aside. I had come across them on one of my shopping sprees with Zee. I wanted something new. I wanted something fresh. These scents were kind of boring. I couldn't pin anything so special about it.

They were just there.

Stefan and I decided to go on a tour around the interior of the Galleria and we had stumbled upon this cosy perfume store and decided to check it out, after parading the length and breadth of the building. He was here with me some minutes ago, but he stepped out to pick up a call. His mom called earlier. I guess he was also trying to drop my teddy bear in the car too. It was a real hassle trying to carry that huge thing around.

I moved away from the aisle, strutting over to the huge glass compartment beside it. I was totally in love with the setting of the rose-gold-themed space. The glass confines housed different brands of perfumes and there were some bottles right on the surface of the glass. I recognised one of the boxed perfumes to be from the Lattafa brand.

"Khamrah," I mused, unboxing it. It sounded so familiar and when the elegant bottle came in sight, I understood why. It's the new perfume Zee was obsessing over. 

I pulled the cover open and grabbed a tester, spritzing some on it. I brought it to my nose and inhaled. 

It was perfect, exuding vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg as its base notes. There were other notes I couldn't quite place but the little I smelt, I knew I had what I was looking for.

"Kira?"

The bottle of perfume in my hands connected harshly with the surface of the glass, and I could have sworn I heard a crack. The familiar masculine voice had my body stiffening. My muscles locked tightly and my blood ran cold.

"No, he is not here," I whispered shakily to myself, shutting my eyes, and hoping that this was just some bad dream that would go away.

"Shakira?"

No, no, no, no.

I didn't want to turn around. I wanted to stay glued to the glass counter, but the huge part of me that was willing to chalk up all this to some sick form of my imagination and wanted so badly, for this not to be true, overpowered my senses and I found myself spinning around.

My heart dropped and my blood morphed to ice, freezing me from the inside out.

His green-grey eyes bore into mine softly filled with uncertainty. It was as though he knew he was making a bad decision by approaching me. My eyes caught the feminine hands that were wrapped around his bicep and the perfectly polished manicured nude nails made my throat tighten.

With the speed of light, my eyes clashed with soft brown ones and my breath hitched a little because not only did my emotions splatter across the room like paint on an artist's canvas, but her beauty was a huge slap across my face. 

Tomiwa Ajibade easily ranked one of the top three prettiest girls in our set, back at Pensworth, without having to bat so much as an eyelid. She didn't even have to try. Her beauty announced itself wherever she walked into before she could say a word. The tall, slim girl had always been a sight to behold. 

And right now, it was no different.

The midi strapless red dress she wore was clinging to her skin so tightly, making her soft curves so pronounced. The dress was like a second skin and the colour made her look like seduction wrapped in clothes, intensifying the sex appeal she has always possessed. 

She had fair skin that could suffer a mark if she was held too tightly. That was how fair she was and the colour of her dress blending with her skin was just the perfect definition of a sinful combination. Her long curly wig had its edges laid to perfection and the only form of make-up she had on her face was the clear lipgloss that made her lips shimmer under the lights.

She was one ridiculously gorgeous bitch. I wasn't a fan of her, but I could admit that.

The way she was latching on to him, the occasional shifting of her weight on her other feet and the incessant flickers of emotions in her eyes that made me feel like she was struggling to hold my gaze, further highlighted one fact that has always been established. 

Tomiwa was intimidated by me and she sucked at hiding it. She always has.

"I thought it was you," my eyes slowly reverted to Alvin, and I swallowed hard, unsure of what to say. 

My hands were balled in tight fists and I could feel my nails digging so hard into my palms. It was a miserable attempt at controlling the anger that flooded me. I didn't even know where it came from, but it was hot, and consuming and made the store feel stuffy.

"Alvin," his name shot through my mouth like I had munched on vermin and was spitting it out.

"Shakira, hey," Tomiwa said quietly and I was tempted to scoff in her face.

I didn't know what I was supposed to say to her. I couldn't even stand her. The same way it was hard to come up with what to say was the same way my throat burned whenever I attempted to speak. 

"What are you doing here?" I asked grimly, my eyes fixated on his face even though I could feel Tomiwa's eyes boring holes into the side of my face.

"We came here on a date and Tomiwa wanted to check out the perfume to see if they have her favourite perfume, and-uh-I saw you and suggested we come say hi," Alvin explained.

His explanation allowed my eyes linger on his face a little. Even though they were already fading, he had some scars on his face and they dented his almond skin. It didn't in anyway ruin his beauty because somehow, the bastard has always been so fine.

I hated how much he looked so amazing in his simple vintage two-piece: Black shirt and matching black pants.

"Reina?" 

My eyes snapped in the opposite direction, where Stefan was standing. If he was shocked, he certainly didn't look like it because his eyes were practically dead. Tomiwa and Alvin turned in his direction but he didn't even throw as much as a glance in their directions. He just sauntered over to where I was, his arm slipping around me immediately.

His hold was assuring, but flat-out possessive. His eyes softened a little.

"Is everything okay?" he asked.

"Everything is fine," my voice came out weak and a little strained. 

It felt like my resolve was slowly shattering with every word I uttered and I didn't know how long I could hoard the watery sensation gathering at the back of my eyes.

The tension that loomed in the atmosphere only thickened.

"Stefan, meet Alvin and Tomiwa," my tone was scathing. "Meet Stefan," my words were directed at them, my cold look not faltering.

Alvin took a step forward, stretching his hand forth for a handshake. 

I had known Stefan to be warm and accommodating, but I had never witnessed his cold side. And God, it was so terrifying. The two sides felt like two different personalities that belonged to two different people. Not in my wildest dream did I imagine that Stefan Oluyide would cast a blank stare at his outstretched hand, blatantly ignoring it.

He only squeezed my waist even more.

"It's-uh-it's nice to meet you," Alvin masked his embarrassment with a smile.

"I can't say the same for you," Stefan deadpanned. "So no, it's so not nice to meet you," he added with a grimace.

Alvin felt so attacked, muttering a wow under his breath and retreating backwards with his hands tucked in his pockets. His eyes flitted to mine and he held my gaze for a while. I didn't miss the sheer hurt, sadness and guilt that were splayed in his eyes. 

The knot in my throat grew heavier and the burning sensation in my chest increased, blurring my vision, and elicited a cuss word from me.

I didn't think about it twice. I didn't even want to be around him or in this store anymore. Everything felt so suffocating, and I was dashing out of Stefan's grip in no time, bolting out of the store with tears streaming down my face.                           

The floor felt like it would sink and crumble beneath my legs and it felt like everywhere was spinning endlessly, making my head bang really hard. It was hard to make out anything and I had bumped into a few people I didn't bother apologizing to, on my way to the parking lot.

My breath came out in short puffs and fresh tears wouldn't stop pooling in my eyes, causing me to push my hair backwards. I tried doing the breathing exercise but it only amplified how overwhelmed I was with my emotions, causing me to scream, not caring if people were stopping to stare at me.

"Fuck!" 

I thought I was over him. I thought I was finally getting used to his absence. Heck, I could even say his name without feeling the usual hurt attached to it. Everything was fine again. I had it all under control, but he just had to show his stupid face again, shattering everything I had managed to piece together. 

The anger that coursed through my bloodstream was hard to pinpoint because I didn't even know where it was coming from. It felt like someone had finally pushed off the veil I had on my face and I could finally see everything, feel everything and it was driving me insane.

Irritation simmered through my veins when I remembered the last time I saw him and how desperate I had been to get just an ounce of his attention. I told myself I wasn't going to settle anymore and I did exactly just that, not to mention the numerous times I had been so tempted to call him and tell him I couldn't do it without him.

I was so disgusted with myself that I could barely breathe. I was so pissed at myself for stooping so low and I was enraged for allowing him to get to me again.

"Reina," his voice came up behind me and I swallowed harshly, wrapping my arms around myself.

"Stefan, don't start," I was so tired.

"I am not starting anything. I just want you to look at me," he pleaded.

I spun around harshly at his words.

"I looked at you. Now, what?! Do you want to tell me how I embarrassed myself in there? You want to tell me about how I was supposed to be over him, to be healing, yet I was falling apart at the slightest encounter with him? Newsflash, Stefan. I know!" I shouted.

He exhaled, walking towards me.

"You know I wouldn't do that to you. I wouldn't put you in that kind of position. You are being so hard on yourself, Reina. No one said the road to healing is linear. You haven't seen him in a long time and it's totally normal to react this way, considering the kind of history you two had," Stefan explained, countering me gently.

"It's not all just going to go away. You have to give it time," he said quietly.

I had my teary eyes pinned on him, at a loss for words because I didn't know what to say to him anymore. He was so stubborn. There was no amount of yelling I was going to do that would make him go away.

"Why can't you go away?" I asked tiredly, wiping my tears. "I hate it when you see me like this. It's so embarrassing. I hate it. I hate it so much. I hate how vulnerable you make me feel and I want it to—" He was gathering me in his arms in no time, and my bones went weak. 

It felt like I could finally let everything out and that was exactly what I did. I allowed him to hold me, the same way he allowed me to soak his sweater with my tears. I sniffed, releasing hiccups and he gently cupped my face, so I would hold his gaze.

His eyes were soft, and piercing and had an unnerving determination etched in them.

"I told you that you are going to have to put up a better fight if you want to push me away, and even when you do, I'll still find a way to stick around," he told me, caressing my cheeks softly.

"Why?" I croaked.

"Because you have all of me, Reina," his words knocked my breath right out of my lungs, watering my eyes and he wasn't even done. "You have all of me, every step of the way and that's why I am so sure that we'd figure this out. I promise," He kept his eyes trained on me the whole time, so I could see how much he meant every word he said.

"You are just going to make me cry again and I already look like a chipmunk," I sniffed.

"Well," he kissed my forehead. "I still think you are the most beautiful girl here," he smiled at me, his words filling me up with so much warmth that settled in my cheeks and heated them.

The boy had a way with words and he had a fantastic way of reminding me of that.

I dropped my head on his chest, sighing softly.

"You are tired. Come on, let's get you home," he muttered. I almost didn't want to let him go anymore. I wanted to stay like this forever. It was so comfortable.

I slowly detached my head from his chest, and with my arms still tucked securely around him, I pressed a soft kiss to his jaw, feeling him shiver beneath my touch. 

"Thank you for a perfect evening."

A/N

Haew, chim.😭 God, please.😭 It's not as if I am asking you people to choose oh, because every single phase hit for me, so what was your favourite part of the date?💫

Sorry, please, what did Ruger say about Yoruba boys again?!😂

Who saw that last part coming? Alvin showing up.😂😂 That boy is an idiot. I feel like planking him.😂 And about Tomiwa Ajibade,🌝 We'll only be seeing more of her in a different book. Pensworth.

But please, make we no lie. Tomiwa is hot.😪

Fun fact: This is my first time writing a date chapter this detailed and I am quite proud of how well it turned out.

So yeah, you guys know how we roll. Let me know what you think in the comments section.

Oh, and I am not so sure when the next update will be. These chapters drained me, ngl. So, I kind of have to take a little break to process my thoughts. But don't worry, I will communicate with you guys when I have made a decision.

Do not forget to vote, comment and share.

Love, Didi.♥️

Adiós✨