Comment on each paragraph for update tomorrow🤍
ADAMAWA STATE, NIGERIA.
Layla watched with disinterest as Fatima Musa Babagana trudged into the police station like she owned the place. Oh, she does actually. Her husband is the inspector general of police so all the police stations in Nigeria are way beneath them. Layla sighed, no wonder Zayd thinks he can do everything he wants. He is a Captain himself and his father is the IG of police even his grandfather is a respectable man all over Europe so what else does he need now for his head to swell some more?
Her eyes jumped from Mrs. Babagana to Lana's figure that's currently with one of the police officers talking about her bail. She refused to talk to anyone in the station and Zayd left immediately after he's explained her offense to the officers. She recalled how their bodies were shaking at the sight of him. A soldier and the son of inspector general of police, just what he needs to show her he's gone far. Well, it's not like she'd ever doubt that now but that doesn't mean she will sit back and watch, not her drill.
Fatima Musa Babagana talked to the senior inspector in charge and the bail was given instantly which causes Lana to glare at the Officer she's been begging for thirty minutes straight, even buying him Maltena outside with her money. Layla wanted to laugh but she is filled with too much rage to think about smiling. He's degraded her like no other person has the first day of their meeting after many years. He really should watch his back from now on because just like he's changed, she has too.
Maybe far more worse than he'd ever think.
She blinked when she felt someone's presence looming over her and she frowned. The perfume smells awfully familiar and only one person she knows uses it, Fatima Babagana, Chanel No. 5 perfume. Layla sighed, she cannot apologize to the woman and she better not expect anything from her or she'd end up terribly disappointed. She's never been used to those words having grown up independent, doing everything for herself without anyone's help.
"Why did you take my car?" Fatima questioned, her hands akimbo as if she is scolding her child instead of an employee.
Layla shrugged her shoulders. "I thought I should get the feel of it since you clearly are the one who's cut off that part of my life in the garage." She blamed her instead of accepting that she is wrong.
Fatima raised a brow, not believing the girl actually yawed the table on her face. "You are blaming me now?"
"I'm not. Just stating the fact." Layla deadpanned, swallowed thickly because the apology is right there in her throat but getting it to come out is trouble.
Still looking incredulously at the young adult in front of her, Fatima shook her head. She can't believe this girl, she's always taken her by surprise. "Why didn't you ask for it? I would've borrowed you without you going through so much hassle."
Layla rolled her eyes, looking anywhere but at Fatima in front of her. "That wouldn't have been fun. The thrill of knowing the owner of the car doesn't know I'm using it is different from the owner giving it to me willingly."
"But how did you get the keys? They were right in front of me on the desk?" The question that's been nagging her head. If she could recall, the key was even beneath her fingers.
Lana chirped in at that moment, she's been staring at them from left to right. "Are you asking Layyah that? You don't know how sneaky this girl is, that's why. She can still necklace from your neck and you won't even know, that sneaky. I think she is not really human but what supernatural creature can she be? A vampire? Nah, too bloodlusty. Wolf? Yuck, they are so gross. But what?" A glare shoot to her from Layla shut her up.
Fatima sighed and stood up from the waiting chair beside Layla who did the same. "Hand over the keys and for your punishment since you couldn't even apologize, you are coming to my house for dinner today. We are having a feast and Teems said you wouldn't agree if she invites you so I'm passing it myself. Lana, you should come too." She intentionally hid the fact that the feast is for Zayd knowing Layla won't even think about it before rejecting.
"I'll think about it." Layla gave her the remote then left the station first with Lana hot on her tail.
"Where should we go to now? Yours or mine to get ready for the dinner?" Lana asked, walking beside her quietly as they continue to stroll by the side of the curb without any destination in their minds.
"You can go ahead to yours, I'll be fine by myself." Layla shoot her a small smile, grateful that Lana isn't being her forced humorous self at the moment. She is thinking about so many things.
"But I want us to get ready together so you won't ditch me. I have some clothes in your place or can easily borrow yours." Lana batted her eyelashes. She doesn't want to cook and this is free food, she won't miss any feast made in Babagana x Al-Hakim estate. Their feasts will forever be her favorite.
Layla sighed, there is no going back if Lana is this adamant. "Make sure you bring back whatever you are going to borrow. I don't trust you with my clothes anymore." She warned, hailed a cab for them to her new home.
It's just a two bedroom apartment, one living room and adjoined dining with small garden at the back and good kitchen for her to flex in. All that was possible because of R&F clothing brand.
"Great that you are here. Now come and help me get things sorted here. I don't want anyone to think we aren't good enough." Fatima Musa Babagana dragged her son, totally forgetting that he is now a man and she cannot drag him around like she'd done before. She breathed through her nose and let go of his fingers, he chortled at her feigned exhaustion. "You are so huge now. I can't believe I gave birth to you."
Zayd laughed at that, kissed her forehead. "What should I do for you, My lady? I'm always at your service whether huge or small."
Fatima smiled, her heart aching with love. God, who would've thought? "Let's go get those grilled chicken and cheese from the kitchen. I asked Teems to get some ice cream on her way since we don't have much now. Benazir is trying to make me go crazy with the amount of sugar she is consuming..."
Zayd helped with everything before going to his side of the estate where his three friends are currently lounging in. He's invited them for the small evening dinner his mother decided to throw on behalf of him. He told her it wasn't necessary but she refused to acknowledge that saying he is now a Captain and not a lieutenant so he should know what that means. There is no winning with his mother so he stopped trying after few attempts.
"Are you really still into her?" Zayd stopped dead on his tracks upon hearing Faizan's serious voice asking whoever it is that is inside the room with him. One of them is in the bathroom so there are only two people in the room.
Susurrus and more susurrus came from the room before Kareem's voice took over the quiet room, his voice deeper and more serious than Faizan's. "I don't even know. I don't want to see her today just in case I still have more unhealthy feelings. Damn it, I hate what I'm feeling to be very honest. I am definitely not her type, she isn't mine either but things just keep happening. I hope to God I don't react to her presence today, I shouldn't."
Zayd's brows came together in wonder. Who is Kareem talking about with such seriousness? It sounds like he is in love with whoever this girl is and that girl happens to be in his family. What is Kareem hiding away from him? He's always confided in him in whatever is going on with him so why not this? Because he is after his family member and the bro code? Well, that is good reason enough but he is so curious now and can't wait to see who Kareem is in love with.
That girl should be freaking lucky to have Kareem this confused about her. The guy never gave a flying fuck about women, always focusing on getting better all the time that the woman he is supposed to marry got tired and married someone else. He's told them the day he falls in love, the world will know and the blind will definitely start seeing that day. Zayd knows that. Kareem is going to love fiercely and this girl already has him wrapped around her finger.
The funniest part is she doesn't know about it yet.
The door to the bathroom opened behind him and quiet footsteps of Qadir followed eliciting such quietness in the room that if a pin were to fall, they'd here the sound of it hitting the tiled ground. Zayd composed himself and entered the room that looks extremely neat for rough soldiers like themselves. They are all neat freaks, a trait he's slowly got himself used to that shocked his mother. He was really not into neatness then but army taught him a lot.
"What's up? Ready to go?" He asked, a smile carved on his face as though he just traipsed into the room instead of being there for a few minutes.
The two men are dressed in casuals. Both of them with straight slim denim jeans, one distressed and the other whiskers then polo shirts, Kareem in spruce and Faizan in Dijon. He should also dress in something similar to avoid staring at his closet for hours. He hates dressing up which is why he always looks up to working days where only uniform works and nothing more.
"Good to go except you and Qadir obviously. We'll wait for you outside." Faizan dragged Kareem out of the room without giving him a chance to say anything which only piqued Zayd's curiosity. What are they going to talk about now? Continue on about the girl?
Zayd got dressed quickly alongside Qadir who keeps on talking about his mother's food even after Zayd told him his mother never cooks, the guy just likes trouble. Plain porcelain button up shirt, regular jeans and jean sneakers wrapped him up and he hastily left the room, Qadir shouting at him to wait up but he wants to eavesdrop some more. Unfortunately, the duo were only staring far ahead with their minds occupied when he arrived.
Few minutes after he's joined them, Qadir came running and walking at the same time dressed in similar outfit and together they made their way to the main house while talking about everything and nothing. Zayd tried bringing up the topic but both Faizan and Kareem all glued their mouths which irritates Zayd. Why are they hiding so many things away from him? Seriously? What are friends for?
"Ugh..." Zayd grunted and hissed beneath his breath at the unexpected pressure on his chest with something that awfully feels like wood or an entire tree.
All the men yawed their attention forward to see where the mule shoe came from and they beheld the sight of a girl walking ahead of them, no, two girls. And it looks like they don't know what is happening. The sun is slowly falling down the horizon, the sky darkening a little but they could see the fiery red hair that's tied in a high ponytail and it bounces with each step she takes and that is when they noticed that one of her foot have no shoe. That explains the sudden hit on Zayd's chest!
It was also intentional.
"Hey!" Kareem yelled out running with full speed to reach the girls but they didn't stop, continue with their relaxed gait like no one is shouting behind them at the top of their lungs.
Kareem reached them in no time and stood right in front of the one with red hair and one shoe. Layla raised a relaxed brow at him and made a face to question why the heck is he in front of her. Kareem stared for a long time, taking in her entire features from her hairline down to her jaw before taking a deep breath.
"Why did you throw your shoe off at Zayd? Looks like something you did intentionally from this angle." He gestured to her barefoot then back at Zayd who's coming with the other guys and the shoe held by Qadir.
"Oh? I'm in a hurry now, bye." She sidestepped him and walked inside the house through the back door and he stared after her with mouth agape.
"Bruh, she looks hot from behind, what's up?" Qadir asked the minute they reached Kareem whose mouth is still hanging open.
He blinked then looked at his friends. "Who the hell is that girl?"
Zayd has a hunch who that person is but he stared behind Kareem in question. "What does she look like?"
"She is beautiful with scary but mysterious eyes and red hair and she is really tall and she is fair and looks like a foreigner or half cast." He explained, his words failing him because all he wanted to say flew out of the window. By Allah, he has never seen someone that beautiful in his life. Was she human or fallen angel? He will have to find out once inside the house, it can't be.
Zayd scowled at that, Layla is here. He knew from the height and the hair, that person could be no one but Layla but why the heck is she here? She obviously got bailed out by his mother but who invited her? Gosh, what is his mother trying to do now? Why on earth isn't he allowed to get rid of Layla once and for all? First it was Teems and now even his mother? Seriously?!
"Do you know her?" Qadir pressed, his eyes too excited to hide the pools of them in his pupils which deepened Zayd's scowl.
"That is Layla." He answered seeing as he won't be let off with all their eyes on him.
"Layla? You mean the one from your high school? The one we got fired from her..." Faizan was cut short with a glare from Zayd knowing the next words that were going to leave his mouth are going to make him topple over in fury.
"Busted! You never told us she was this beautiful! You only said pretty." Kareem kvetched, his eyes following the door then he started walking towards it. He cannot wait to see that creature again whether his friend is going to turn blue with wrath or not.
The night is going to be much more fun after all.