𝐁𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐡 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐮𝐫𝐟𝐚𝐜𝐞 (𝙱𝚃𝚂 𝙵𝙰𝙼𝙸𝙻𝚈 𝚂𝙴𝚁𝙸𝙴𝚂 #𝟷)

Chapter 18

Zaria's POV

I dug my phone into my back pocket and connected my AirPods to the Bluetooth. It began to play some music. I descended the stairs and raced out of the house before anyone could wake up. I was going for a run, to clear my head.

Christmas had come and gone and we were moving closer to new year. Christmas in my house was like every other day, except for the dinner party my parents throw with their politician friends. I don't engage myself in such so, I stayed up in my room behind closed doors, watching The Originals and stuffing my face with junks.

My friends were doing different things with their families. Ada and her parents had travelled out of the country. Lyla and her parents were in Ogun state with her grandparents. Joel wasn't online only to text me that it was a family tradition to keep their phones off during Christmas.

I felt somehow. I felt empty. I just decided to stay off social media because everyone had something to post on their status. Everyone, except me. To worsen the matter,  my nightmares haven't stopped.

I raced down the tarred road of the estate, breathing heavily as perspiration ran down my forehead and my arm, music blasting in my ear. I kept running just as the voices in my head began to increase their volume, shutting down the volume of the music.

You are weak.

No! I'm strong.

You are weak. If you are not weak, you'd not be hiding behind the facade of perfection every time.

I'm perfect. I'm beautiful and perfect!

Yeah right. Tell that to your demons.

I stopped abruptly and yanked my AirPods out of my ear furiously. I was panting, trying to catch my breath and the same time, I was trying to remove the effect of those words from my head. But I couldn't.

I can't keep doing this. I can't.

My thoughts were interrupted when I heard the sound of ball hitting the floor. I looked around, realizing where I was. The Estate was created with a recreational centre and that was where I was. The sound of ball the floor called my attention again and I followed the sound all the way to the basketball court.

Who would be playing basket ball this early?

I got close and I saw a figure bouncing the ball repeatedly before dunking it into the net. I moved closer, trying to squint my eyes to see who it was without getting close. It was still pretty dark so it was hard to see and whoever it was, didn't put on the flood lights. Looking closely, I realized who it was.

Joel

An unconscious smile spread across my lips as I stood to watch him for a while. My eyes involuntarily went to his body. He was in an armless tank top that clung to his body because of the sweat.

I bit against my lower lip as I watched his muscles rip while bouncing the ball and running around. His muscles were well defined for an eighteen year old. Not too much, just perfect.

As if feeling that someone was watching him, he stopped playing and looked back immediately catching my eyes. He looked surprised but his lips spread in a smile. I found myself grinning.

"Zaria, wow. How long have you been standing there?" He asked me. I chuckled and moved further into the court.

"Long enough." I replied and his smile widened.

"I had no idea you come here." He said. I saw his eyes not so subtly gaze down my body. He was checking me out.

And I liked it.