VILE

Chapter 25: The Past

After months of consistent pursuit, the only thing King could get out of Tomike was friendship. He had gotten weary of wooing her. He tried everything in the book but to no avail.

She'd give him her attention sometimes, and when he thought he was making headway, he'd meet a roadblock. At first it was fun, but later it just became too hectic. So he settled for being her friend, getting to know her, meeting her friends, taking her out to 'friendly lunch' every once in a while and making her laugh.

Still King didn't completely give up, he'd get her, he was sure. Soon enough his reasons changed though. It wasn't really about winning a bet or another conquest to stroke his ego, he just enjoyed being with Tomike. He wanted to protect her, help her, be there for her.

King noticed Tomike was not all she seemed. She wore a mask almost all the time, and with the more time he spent with her, he got glimpses of the times her mask fell off.

On the exterior she was tough and your typical 'hard girl', but King saw through that to see a girl that was badly hurt and afraid of getting hurt again.

Tomike had never really been in a romantic relationship before, and to have a guy like King who was every girl's dream so persistently after her, she was under a lot of pressure to give in. But more than she distrusted his intentions, she looked down on herself.

Was she enough?
Could she possibly be able to keep a relationship afloat?
Was her past not too much baggage?

She enjoyed her friendship with him but it made her uncomfortable to have someone so close. He was "Too close for comfort..." the first words she spoke to him. So whenever she felt he was getting too close, she'd move away by giving him attitude or avoiding him completely.

After months of back and forth in their friendship, flirting, fighting, laughing, going for parties and nagging each other, they became an official couple.

Tomike found herself in a surge of emotions whenever her boyfriend was around her. She felt what she believed was love, she felt passion, happiness, desire and all the feelings she had never felt before.

King showed her "the life." Party after party, clubs, drinking and the likes. Tomike took her first smoke right in front of her boyfriend, her legs around his waist as they both sat on a bed in one of the rooms in his plush two bedroom apartment that he shared with a friend. He laughed at her as she coughed, almost choking and told her she would get better at it, and she did.

With all he introduced to Tomike he was not nearly a bad influence on her as he was a good one. King was indeed a spoilt child who got whatever he wanted, but somehow was still very responsible. Tomike never really understood the dynamics of his character. One of the reasons she was attracted to him was because of his ironic personality.

He was the guy who clubed and partied, but was also the guy with one of the highest CGPA in his class. According to him he picked a course he enjoyed and was a natural at and that was why he didn't have to put in so much work to be so good.

Although he did have a time in the semester that his friends called his 'hibernation period' Three to four weeks before exams began, King would disappear for days without a word. In this times he'd be cooked up somewhere reading, but still found time to send Tomike text messages to let her know he was fine.

Hey babe, how's your day? I hope you're studying as hard as I am. In fact I know you are, my smarty pants. I miss you and I can't wait to see you. Have a day as awesome as you are. Okay, I'm not sure if that's possible because you are way too awesome. Kisses.

King was so encouraging of Tomike's academics that when he realized her grades were dropping because she couldn't handle the partying and clubing, he quite it. They'd spend their time reading together and studying instead.

Tomike was sure this guy was love struck by her because even after finding out about her abuse he was still there, so it really hurt her when she found out she was a bet.

"A bet Kingsley, a bet! That was all I was to you. My God I can't believe I was so stupid!" Tomike felt tears filling up in her eyes but she promised herself she wouldn't shed a single tear.

"Baby I can explain, it's not what you think. How did you find out?" King felt cornered, like he was just ambushed. He wasn't sure what to say.

Apparently one of King's 'not so close' friends was after Tomike and she tried keeping him off by stating she was already in a relationship, but he busted out in laughter.

"Babe, is that what you call a relationship? King is using you to catch cruise and everybody knows it. You are a bet now, abi you don't know ni. King and his friend Kunle bet 400k on you. My dear you are not in a relationship oo" he laughed again and Tomike nearly slapped him. She felt her muscles tense up and she quickly headed to her boyfriend's place, anger swelling up in her.

"It's not what it seems? So what was it then Kingsley, what was it? You must have narrated to them how you got me into bed right? Did you tell them I was molested too? Did you tell them I have a son? Of course, I bet you spilled everything to them"

"You know I'd never do that, I love you and I care for Dayo too much to do that"

He was right about one thing, his fondness for Dayo. It was so much, Tomike feared her son was stealing yet another person from her life.

"Well I don't know King, I no longer know you. I thought I did but I was wrong!" She walked out of his house and didn't look back as the 'baby' he shouted behind her soon became distant.

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After some weeks of begging and cajoling, they were back together. It's not as if Tomike could stay away from King that long. They grew much closer and King promised himself he would never take Tomike for granted again. They became so close they knew each other's family.

King visited Iya Bose's house often and everyone in King's family knew Tomike well. They were so much more accepting of her when they realised she had an Igbo mother and understood their language just fine.

After King graduated, a lot changed. He was posted to Abuja for his Youth service. At first he had Tomike fly in almost every weekend to see him. Later, it got tiring, especially for Tomike and they didn't see each other for months. This was the beginning of the end of their relationship.

Tomike who was now in her final year, felt like she was no longer living in the shadow of her boyfriend. People could see her now and she was more approachable. She had spent so much of her time with King she really didn't have any friends, especially male friends. But now he was gone, she could socialise freely, and soon out of sight became out of mind.

After bearly getting through the last months of their third year together, their fourth year wasn't any better. Tomike was now the one on her Youth Service in Akwa Ibom while King was back in Lagos working for his father. The long distance didn't do them any good and trouble was slowly but surely looming.

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This one took a while, Lol.
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Xoxo💕
Val 💓