3.1 | Undead

9

February 22, 2020.
Victoria island, Lagos.

Forty eight hours were gone, just like that, and I was still stuck with a raging mind. Sure, we had packed up and had booked a flight the moment we got the chance, by I couldn't help the sinking feeling. Everything felt too easy.

Not even once within the two day waiting period had something strange happened. No sudden appearances from Bukola, not even a flickering lightbulb like in the horror movies. Everything was okay, too okay. It made a paranoia develop within me.

I almost jumped out of my skin when I felt a pair of arms make their way around my torso, all my muscles tensing up with alertness. Lara sat up behind me, studying my form.

"You've been unusually jumpy," she commented with concern lacing her tone. I exhaled with relief.

I'd already told her everything about Bukola, from that night at Le Food Court to almost three days ago. Lara had laughed, strangely, after I'd told her of the threat. She didn't believe that ghosts could hurt people. According to her, all they did was haunt a person with a supernatural presence–whatever she meant by that.

"I'm okay," I replied gruffly. With a hand supporting my side, I faced her and planted a kiss on her forehead, more for my sake than hers. It was relieving to know that she was with me in this. "I just can't wait to leave here."

Her eyes glimmered. "Me too."

I wasn't sure she meant that.

When we'd informed her parents of our getaway, they'd seemed thrilled for us. Saying that I deserved a break from work. Little did they know: it wasn't just work that had me stressed out.

"I'm sorry," I told Lara, causing her smile to drop and her eyebrow to raise with questioning. I bit the inside of my cheek, an imaginary cloud hovering over my head. "I'm sorry you have to go through this."

She pouted, giving me a look. "I didn't ask for your apologies, Jacob." She exhaled and chuckled lightly. "I feel very special, as a matter of fact. It's heartwarming that your willing to drop everything and run off to Paris with me, just for my wellbeing."

My heart swelled with emotion and when she bit her lip, looking down the the plaid pattern on the sheets underneath us, I made another promise to protect her with everything I had. "I love you."

She looked up, into my eyes, and laid a hand against my cheek. I heard her breath a small laughter. "I love you more." I couldn't argue with that, not now. She'd proven it by staying through this chaos. "Bukola is going to have to try a lot harder if she wants me to let go."

Right then, I couldn't really think of something to say to her. It felt like words weren't enough to express myself. So I leaned in, ready to use my actions instead. Her eyes fluttered shut just when our lips were inches away from each other.

My phone rang.

Our moment ended with my frustrated groan and Lara's laughter as she fell back onto the bed, face up. I plucked the phone off the bedside table and stared at the screen.

Yemi had been trying to talk us out of leaving Nigeria for the past two days, even though he's said it wasn't his business. I got that he didn't want me to make any mistakes and he was just looking out for my best interest, but he was being blind. And blindness led to mistakes, not away from them. I had made up my mind to leave, and with Lara by my side, I wasn't changing that decision.