Seven thousand reads? Bruhhhhh!!!😂😂😂🔥😭🤲 Omo, I don't even know the English to spoke to all of you.😂🤲 But fr, I love you guys and thank you so much!🥺♥️

So, this is the second part to the last chapter before y'all shred me to bits.😂

The song for this chapter is- Running (To You) by Chike ft Simi.

         ________________𖧷_____________

                        "𝐼 𝑛𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑟 𝑐𝑟𝑎𝑣𝑒𝑑 𝑎𝑡𝑡𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛
                                       𝑢𝑛𝑡𝑖𝑙
                                𝐼 𝑡𝑎𝑠𝑡𝑒𝑑 𝑦𝑜𝑢𝑟𝑠."

       ________________𖧷_______________

         ~𝙾𝙼𝙾𝙳𝚄𝙽𝙼𝙰𝙳𝙴 𝚃𝙰𝙽𝙸𝙰 𝙶𝙾𝙼𝙴𝚉~

It couldn't be termed an exaggeration if I compared myself to The Flash.

I didn't even know how I got here. The last thing I remembered was hopping on my bike and riding out of the compound, the rest was just a blurry, shitty mess that I didn't even want to dwell on. My heart was a pounding mess against my chest. I pulled over in the overly scanty lot that barely even housed up to four cars, taking off my helmet. 

I hung it around the handle of the bike, retrieving my phone from my pocket. I proceeded to dial his number but paused mid-way when I heard loud snickering not too far away from where I stood. I swung my head in that direction, casting a bored glance at the two girls, who seemed to be going over to where their car was parked. They sounded like an old hag from an animated movie. I rolled my eyes and spun on my heels, heading for the staircase.

"What's she wearing?"

My ears caught that question but I dismissed it, racing up the staircase that led to the rooftop. It wasn't until I had almost gotten to the door that I realised I had never been here before. And frankly, I wouldn't have chosen different circumstances for me to be able to see it. There was something about what was happening that just made my lips twitch. I twisted the knob of the metal door, stepping into the space and certainly wasn't ready for the impact of the chilly breeze on my skin. 

If I didn't come here myself, I'd have stuck to thinking that Whitburn students just loved to over-hype things that turn out not to be worth it. But come on, I take my words back. The view was captivating. It wasn't much but I couldn't take my eyes off my surroundings. It felt like I could see the whole world from where I stood, a sense of tranquillity washing over me.

No, fuck that. I felt on top of the world. The beauty of this place seemed surreal and the fact that it was nightfall enhanced it, even more.

The cool breeze sank into my pores, blowing my hair in different directions. I giggled softly and couldn't resist squealing. I think I have finally found a favourite spot in this school.

"Beautiful, right?"

My body grew still, my legs rooted to the spot I was standing in. I had heard him speak several times but there was something about his voice tonight. It flowed from his mouth like honey, coming off so sleek. It was richly deep but still managed to hold a certain amount of softness in it. I have never heard a guy sound so sexy. The baritone sound flowed into my ears, sinking into its walls and melting into a pool of butter. It left this inexplicable pleasure surging through me.

I tried to swallow my spit but nothing was coming up because my throat had completely gone dry. So, I blinked, trying to grasp the rest of my senses that were still lurking around, spinning around to face his frame that was leaning against the rails, his arms folded across his chest. The spot he stood seemed darker and the bulb attached to the wall couldn't cover every inch of the vast space. 

As though he could read my mind, he took a step forward, and another and another until he closed in on me. I sucked in some breath, and my eyes, on their accord and against my will, strayed to his eyes. They were bloodshot, the lifelessness in them shattering me into a thousand pieces. I didn't need to take a second glance to know that he was so tired. I could tell from the way his shoulders were slumping, even though he was tucking his hands in his pocket. 

He was still in the outfit he was wearing in the afternoon, the slight difference being the fact that his sleeves were rolled to his elbow and his top buttons were undone. Fuck, I didn't need to see that. Then, he blinked. His lazy eyes swept over my frame and I could swear I had the worst kind of memory because since I left home, it didn't even occur to me that I was clad in satin shorts and a thin-strapped top that was barely covering my belly button.

Oh, and let's not forget the fact that you are practically naked underneath the top.

Jesus Christ, I didn't need your help painting the perfect picture! 

Fuck, it made so much sense why Meg asked me if I was going out dressed like this and then, the girls. God, I was just so carried away. I didn't even think twice before hopping on my bike. My cheeks completely Judased my ass and chose to rat me out at that moment. I blinked, looking away from him.

"Uh…I didn't…I didn't get the chance to change." Maybe it sounded better in my head because by the time those words tumbled out of my mouth, my voice sounded so small and I was a stuttering mess.

"You look beautiful,"

His voice was soft with affection and I didn't miss how he spoke with a strong conviction that convinced me that he meant what he said. I wasn't even expecting that and it caught me off guard, leaving me unsure of what to say.

"I didn't think you would come." His tone conveyed his shock perfectly. I didn't miss the surprise those words held, yet they seemed to reek of exhaustion. 

"Why?" I queried him, keeping my voice soft. I tilted my head to the side, a subtle way of urging him to answer my question but when he didn't, I retreated, prancing forward to take a seat on the concrete bench. I half-expected him to come to take a seat beside me but he seemed pretty insistent on stretching his legs, so I let him.

"I put up quite the show earlier and you looked like you were mad at me." He voiced out his worries, remorse dripping off his tone. I couldn't resist the urge to chuckle.

"So, that's why you won't sit down? Fine, stand there and let's stargaze. By the time your legs start aching, you will sit down." My tone came out a little stern, housing a hint of admonishment to it.

I heard him sigh behind me, a soft sound that was accompanied by his footsteps, which as they drew closer, made my heartbeat pick up a faster pace. He slid into the seat next to me, his soft scent cocooning me. A deafening silence ensued between us but I didn't make the move to break it. I just had my eyes fixed ahead, staring into nothingness while I waited for his voice to cut through the loud silence.

"You are not mad at me but you won't look at me. How convenient?" He was unabashed with the way he sounded. He was like a sulking child, his voice coated in sarcasm that had me chuckling against my will.

I wanted to tell him, so badly, that I couldn't look at him, not because I was mad at him but because his eyes did things to me. They sparked up some unwanted feelings in me that made me feel alive but shouldn't. I wanted so badly, to tell him that he stared at me as though he could see right through me in a way that made me feel so bare, so vulnerable.

I didn't like that.

I didn't want that.

But it feels so good, so rejuvenating.

I wanted to tell him all this but I couldn't.

"I am not mad at you, Khalil. Is there a reason I should be?" I asked him because I was genuinely interested in knowing if there was a reason why I had to be mad at him.

Then, my eyes drifted from the emptiness ahead of me to his waiting eyes. He looked like he had been waiting for me to glance at him. 

"I messed up, God!" He admitted, whispering.

"I was just so angry. I couldn't control it. All I could think of was to make him feel even a quarter of the pain he caused her. The pain she went through every day. The ones she wouldn't open up to me about or let me in on. I just…" His quiet voice cracked, revealing the vulnerability those words held.

He didn't sound like he wanted to hide from me. He wanted me to listen. He wanted to let me in on his pain. And in a way, it had warmth spreading through me that he WANTED me to be involved in his life.

"Yes, I was terrified but I was nowhere near being mad at you. Seeing you like that? It scared me. I was just shaken up, I guess that was what you mistook for anger. I have no reason to be mad at you." I clarified, my eyes fixated on his.

"Your sister?" I took a wild guess and heard him sigh.

"Yeah…" His voice trailed off.

"I don't even know how to help. Some days, she's fine and other days, she's just there. She just became so cold and withdrawn. I don't even know who she is anymore. She won't open up to me or let me help." He chuckled, bitterly.

"It's all my fault." He spat out those words like they burned his throat. Like he was spitting out some toxic chemicals. And God, the self-loathe in his voice? It scared the crap out of me. He was blaming himself for what went down and he was very thorough with it.

"If I had been there enough for her, she wouldn't have sought solace in his arms. If I had tried harder and broken the walls she built around herself, she wouldn't have had any reason to get involved with him in the first place…" His voice held a crumbling edge to it. He shot up from his seat, striding forward, then backwards and he soon started pacing around in circles, muttering incorrigibles under his breath.

I just sat there, in silence, listening to him vent his anger. He needed all the space he could get right now. There was no need to be all up in his face.

"She wouldn't have fallen prey to his games! She'd still be fine and all this could have been prevented from happening if I had just done my fucking job! I AM GOING TO KILL THAT BASTARD!" He growled out. That edge that hung in his tone earlier? It was completely broken. There was no self-control to hold onto anymore. Before I could say, Jack Robinson, he was charging towards the staircase and I got up from where I sat, bolting towards him.

I was standing right in front of him and if I hadn't seen this look on his face earlier today. I wouldn't have thought twice about taking to my heels but I didn't. Instead, I took slow, cautious steps towards him, closing in on him. I reached out, slowly, my hands settling on his clenched ones. I was grateful that he didn't recoil from my touch, so I took it up a notch, bringing my hands up to his face. He was like a brewing storm that completely stilled when I cupped his face, my hands cradling the sides of his face.

I didn't shy away from eye contact.

"Khalil, listen__" I coaxed him, my voice oozing with softness but his next action stunned me, although I managed to stand my ground.

"Let me go!" He snapped.

"LISTEN TO ME, GODDAMNIT!" My voice boomed, thick with assertiveness and echoing throughout the vast space.

"You are going to calm the fuck down and let me say my piece, so do not cut me off when I am speaking with you. I am not asking. I am TELLING you." I made myself clear, trying to be as succinct as I could, as I enunciated every word I spoke.

"Got it?" I queried, just to be sure he grasped my message.

"Yes," He answered, his stiff muscles growing lax against my touch. He heaved a sigh and I took that as my cue, letting him go and taking a step backwards, so he could get some air in. He brought his fingers to his temples, massaging them softly.

"As crazy as this is going to sound, beating him up won't solve anything. It will only complicate things further. What you should be thinking of right now is the way forward, not planning to murder him for hurting your sister. It won't solve anything, Khalil." I exhaled, digging my fingers into my hair.

"You shouldn't even be around me right now." He voiced out dismissively, peeling his eyes off me. I squinted my eyes at him in disbelief, tilting my head backwards and staring at him as though he had grown two heads.

Was he kidding me right now?

"You are going to play that game? You really want to do that? Huh, Khalil?" I queried him, scoffing. I couldn't believe he just said that to my face!

"You think I would be here if I didn't want to?" I demanded, striding forward and poking him in the chest with my index finger. 

"You think I would abandon my meal halfway, drive all the way from my house at 8 pm in the night, dressed in fucking PJs if I didn't fucking care about you? Bruh, am I a joke to you? Abi, I resemble Mr Bean for your eyes?!" I was shouting at him, but I didn't even give a flying Flapdoodles.

"Answer me!" I demanded, my voice rising an octave higher than it was.

"I am sorry," He apologised but I didn't know which one of my words hit him in the guts because he seemed so surprised. He wasn't even trying to hide it but I was way too concerned with pressing matters, so I dismissed it.

"That's what I thought," I said sternly. I puffed out air through my cheeks, brushing my hair backwards in a bid to calm myself. I looked away from him, resorting to gathering my thoughts before I spoke again.

"I will tell you something though," I announced, my eyes straying to his frame.

"Your sister," I began, sighing.

"You have to allow her to figure this out on her own. Yes, it's difficult and I am asking you to do the impossible but it's the truth," I paused, my eyes surveying his features and I saw his tense muscles relax. I took that as my cue and I continued.

"Probing her won't work. You can't be all up in her space and expect her to open up to you. Let her do it of her volition. She'll only feel more suffocated if you are trying so hard to get her to open up to you. It never works. It doesn't,"

"Trust me when I say she will come to you when she's ready. Just give her time, Khalil. The bottom line is letting her heal at her pace. Don't force things. Let it happen naturally,"

"Yes, I know it seems so impossible and things are so hard right now but you know one thing about tough times? They never last. She will get over it. She will but let do it on her afford. Let her breathe, Khalil. Just let her breathe." I didn't know why but I could feel my eyes growing misty and before I could wrap my head around what was going on, a tear rolled down my cheek.

"Stop pushing her so hard to open up to you. She will when she wants to. You just have to trust her and give her time to heal," I sucked in some breath and quickly wiped my tears.

"I know you love her and you want the best for her but don't push her to the edge."

"God, I feel like a fool right now." He admitted, and I chuckled through my tears.

"He put her through hell, Dunmade. He took advantage of her and then, dumped her like she meant nothing to him,"

"He broke her. I nearly ran mad during the holidays. She nearly lost it. I mean, this was a guy that meant everything to her. Her whole life revolves around him. She was like a whole different person. She almost died, Dunmade! God!" He lamented, pain evident in his voice.  Tears dropped rapidly from my eyes. I couldn't hold them back.

He was hurting so badly and my heart broke to see him this way. It left me wondering, if he was hurting this much, how was the girl in question feeling? How was she coping? How was she getting through it? Only God knows the amount of pain she was in.

"I am so sorry," I choked out, approaching him and enveloping him in a tight embrace. It was like he had been waiting for it all day because he broke down and bawled his eyes out in my arms, wailing like a little child.

I allowed him.

I didn't say anything to him. 

I allowed him to pour his heart out through his tears.

"I just want her to be okay. I want her to be fine." He whimpered, and I squeezed my eyes shut, allowing my tears to drop.

"She'll be fine. She will figure it out." I assured him, running my arms through the length of his broad back. He didn't respond to me but I understood his exhaustion. The only thing I could hear was just the soft sound of his soft breaths and occasional hiccups. We just stood there, in each other's arms, in silence.

And it was enough.

Nothing else mattered.

The silence that echoed between us was comforting. It was refreshing and I loved every bit of it.

"Thank you, Dunmade." He uttered softly, his voice hoarse.

"You don't have to thank me. I am doing this because I want to. What are friends for?" I queried, patting his shoulder.

"Friends, huh?" He spoke up, trying to tease me. I smacked him on the back and he burst into laughter. His breathy laughter sounded like my favourite music on repeat. It was exhilarating to hear him laugh.

"I hate you," I whined and he chuckled.

He pulled away lightly, wanting to soak in the view in front of him. His gaze was soft, yet piercing, causing my cheeks to heat up in flames. I couldn't suppress the grin that crawled up my face afterwards and God, I watched an ardent smile descend upon his face and he looked so breathtaking. The smile on his face made me want to melt into a puddle. Heck, it could melt ice back to water.

I barely got the chance to reel from what he offloaded on me, all at once, when he tugged me forward, his lips coming in contact with my forehead, and then he pressed a gentle kiss to it, causing me to freeze. That single action had a burning sensation coursing through my veins, engulfing me in flames.

"Are you okay?" He whispered, a line appearing between his brows. He looked so worried.

"Yeah, never better," I answered with a faux smile and stood on my tip-toes, burying my face in the crook of his neck to hide the tears that were starting to brim in my eyes. I could have sworn I heard a sharp intake of breath from him, his hands tightening on my waist as he pulled me, even closer.

I didn't understand how it got to this. It was only meant to be one date and then, he would get out of my face and stop bothering me but how did it grow from that hatred I felt when I first saw him? There was this truth, however, lying somewhere between my conscious and unconscious self, waiting for me to poke it but I couldn't. I knew I didn't see him as just my friend. 

It was painfully clear that I felt something for Khalil. I shouldn't be wanting him in ways that I wanted him but I had no idea how to make it stop.

And it hurts, 

It hurts so much because it was beginning to consume me.

A/N

Alexa, please help me to increase the volume of this song!!😂🤲 So, Dunmade rode all the way from her house to her school, dressed in PJs to meet man. Chai, God.😂 It is well.😂

This two are so cute!😩

Anyhoo, y'all tell me what you think in the comments section! Do not forget to vote, comment and share.

Adiós✨

Love, Didi.♥️