Not more than strangers✔️

05| a p a r t

"I just don't want to be with you anymore." She rushed before she could over think the words.

Here she was putting it out on the line for something that could be more. That's exactly it, Pierce is more.

Kemi froze. "How can you not just want to be with me anymore?" He hated the fragility in his voice as he spoke. "Last year we were making preparations and looking forward to getting married and moving back to Lagos— what's all this?"

Things changed.

She watches him heave with slow rising anger, sweat rolling down his bushy brow. He lets her go, her soft skin like fire in his embrace. "So all those times you said you loved me you were lying? Did you even love me at all? Or you were just looking for who would kiss you, waiting for the opportunity to run to someone else!"

"Kemi—"

"Stop this rubbish. Come back to your senses because this—" he motioned to everything around them. "Is a joke. A big joke."

"I thought I loved you, I did. But I just can't marry you, what we are is what my parents want." She was beginning to break, her tough exterior melting away at the havoc she caused.

I changed.

"So you were just making a fool out of me." He laughs, it was cold and void of humour. He hits his chest as pained laughter follows right after without a dam for the lake. "You were using me to catch trips."

She shakes her head as her eyes glazes over, her skin crawled with guilt.

This wasn't how it was supposed to go.

She jumps at the sounds of fist making contact with the wall a number of time. His laughter is the worse thing like nails on a chalkboard.

There was nothing to say because she was certain the sound of her voice would anger him even more.

"You won't find happiness in this life."

She didn't have the time to react, everything came and went so fast as her eardrums cringes at the sound of the door slam.

She wasn't sure if she imagined it or her own vision became too blurry to make out clear images— Kemi was crying over her.

March 3rd, 1971.

Getting out of the house would be good for her.

The air wasn't the same, she just couldn't deal with anyone's input on what's been going on.

She's come to terms that she broke someone that was too good for her.

She finds herself reaching out to Pierce, a worthy distraction from the world. Her heart beats wildly as she comes to a stop in Central Park, their spot just under the lone tree by the edge.

He raises his hand and smiles and she's entranced in everything him. His hair flips in accordance with the wind. A shadow grows over his jaw but that twinkle in his iris remains, he was happy to see her.

His sits on his legs on the grass and she joins him, hugging her knees. They look at nothing particular, the sides of their heads touching. Temple to temple and then cheek to cheek.