PANTY RAID

86| Ctrl X

Eniola sat on her bed, her phone clutched tightly in her hand. Her thumb hovered over the voicemail icon, her heart torn between the longing to hear his voice and the anger that consumed her. She couldn't fight the urge any longer. Her fingers trembled as she tapped the screen, revealing a notification that her voicemail was full.

She missed him, she couldn't deny it. Despite the betrayal, she longed for the familiar comfort of his voice. With a mix of hesitation and desperation, she pressed play on the first voicemail.

"Babe, it's me..."

His voice, filled with remorse, echoed in the silent room. Her heart skipped a beat, a rush of conflicting emotions flooding her senses. She hated how his words still had the power to affect her, to stir up the love she felt buried beneath the pain.

"I made a terrible mistake and I can't even begin to express how sorry I am. I love you more than anything, and I never meant to hurt you. Please, give me a chance to make things right."

His voice, tinged with regret, echoed through the space. It was followed by another message.

"Doll face, it's me again. I can't sleep, thinking about the pain I've caused you. I know 'sorry' doesn't cut it, but I promise you, I'll do whatever it takes to earn back your trust. You mean the world to me."

She hesitated before playing the third voicemail, her heart pounding in her chest.

"Babe, I'm drowning in guilt here. I hate myself for hurting you like this. You're my everything, and I can't bear the thought of losing you. Please, give me a chance to show how much you mean to me. I'm willing to put everything on the line for us."

He sounded sincere.
She knew him.
She loved him.
But...

Eniola wiped away her tears and steeled herself to listen to the remaining voicemails. With a trembling hand, she tapped on the next message.

"Eniola, I don't know if you'll ever forgive me..."

His voice crackled through the phone, heavy with emotion. She could almost feel the depth of his regret, the genuine desire to make things right.

"...but I have to keep trying. I'm not making excuses for what I did; I just want you to know how much I love you. I'll spend every day making it up to you if you let me."

The sincerity in his voice pierced through her, reigniting the memories of their shared moments, their laughter, and their promises.

Her finger hovered over the screen for a moment before tapping on the next message.

"I've made a lot of mistakes, but you were never one of them. You're the most beautiful thing that's ever happened to me and I ruined it."

His voice wavered, the rawness in his tone cutting through the air. She felt a pang in her heart but chose to ignore it. He lied to her. He broke her.

The silence that followed the last voicemail hung heavy in the room. Eniola's tears fell freely, the anger and hurt raging inside her staining her cheeks.

The sound of keys jingled outside, followed by the familiar scrape of a key slipping into the lock. Eniola quickly brushed away her tears with the back of her hand. She didn't want her friends to see her like this, with those pitying looks that made her feel even more vulnerable.

She took a deep breath as the door swung and Fareedah walked in with a Domino's Pizza bag in her hand.

Fareedah glanced at Eniola with a sympathetic gaze as she entered. "Your eyes are swollen again," Fareedah said softly.

Eniola sniffled. "I think it's the cold," she said, forcing a smile.

Fareedah raised an eyebrow, unconvinced. "Sure doesn't seem like a cold," she said, setting the pizza down and sitting beside Eniola. "Are you ready to talk about it?"