Tada! The third part is here!😂 I am so excited to share it with you guys but oh well,💀 I don't know if you guys are going to be happy about the turn of events in this chapter. Amma give y'all a heads up though. There's a high chance that you guys are going to be so annoyed with Kira boo boo, and I tell you what, it's only just the beginning.💀
Alrightyyyy!
Let's get to it.
The song for this chapter is- Don't Let Me Down by The Chainsmokers featuring Daya.
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"𝑅𝑜𝑠𝑒𝑠 𝑎𝑟𝑒 𝑟𝑒𝑑,
𝑉𝑖𝑜𝑙𝑒𝑡𝑠 𝑎𝑟𝑒 𝑏𝑙𝑢𝑒.
𝑌𝑜𝑢 𝑚𝑎𝑘𝑒 𝑚𝑒 𝑣𝑢𝑙𝑛𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑏𝑙𝑒
𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑖𝑡 ℎ𝑎𝑠 𝑡𝑜
𝑠𝑡𝑜𝑝. 𝑁𝑂𝑊."
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~𝚂𝙷𝙰𝙺𝙸𝚁𝙰 𝙽𝙸𝙽𝙸𝙾𝙻𝙰 𝙼𝙰𝙻𝙸𝙺~
The moment the Grey-eyed boy's arms slipped off my waist, I was dashing right out of his presence but I guess being an athlete had its own perks because he picked up the same pace I did, sprinting right after me.
I kicked the door to the restroom open, proceeding to slam it shut, but it was as though my strength was nothing compared to his, he pried the door open and shut it behind him.
My punctured and agonising breaths filled up the room, which was enveloped by the despair that oozed off me in waves. Angry tears wouldn't stop welling up in my eyes and my body system felt like it was working in overdrive, heightening every one of my emotions and rendering me so restless.
I didn't spare him a glance.
I couldn't bring myself to.
I didn't even want anyone around me right now.
I marched towards the sink through my blurred vision, gripping the edge tightly and without holding back, I released a frustrated scream that seemed to surge out of me like explosives, nearly ripping the building off its foundation.
"Fuck!"
"Fuck!"
"Fuck!"
"This is bullshit!"
"Fuck!"
Numerous curse words flew out of my mouth, non-stop, dripping with rage and heavy with frustration. The thought of looking up from the sink where I had my eyes pinned on, unwaveringly, had dread creeping into me and it spiked my heart rate, making it come out in pants.
The air in the bathroom grew thinner and everywhere suddenly felt so stuffy. My hands that were gripping the edge of the counter began getting slippery, my heart pounding terrifically in my chest.
What exactly scares you, Shakira? The tiny voice questioned with subtlety.
"Leave me alone! Get out of my head!"
"I don't want you! Just go away!"
I was screaming at the voice in my head as though it was present, and I didn't know what more could give thorough psychotic vibes. I was filled with rage and resentment for myself—for how I was acting.
This isn't about the whole school finding out, is it? It pressed further, ripping off what was left of my walls.
"Get out of my head!" My screams were choked with sobs as tears streamed down my face, blurring my vision.
Heck, you don't even care if everyone finds out. It went on, determined to get the truth out of me.
"Please, just stop…" My voice trailed off, so exhausted, so strained.
Chizaram, Jeremy and Abasi. It doesn't matter how they see you. I was losing my shit, going out of my mind and was on the verge of ripping every strand of my hair out of my scalp but the voice was soft, yet it was striking really hard where it hurts.
"Fuck," I whispered.
You are terrified because he knows now. The realisation—not-so-realisation, had my breath stalling for a second and then it was knocked right out of me, poking my tear ducts and pooling hot liquid in my eyes.
Tears that I was struggling to hold back because I didn't want to cry anymore.
He knows. But that wasn't the scariest part because this was just a fraction of my demons. He knows about this now but the thought of him seeing all the monsters beneath this facade that was now cracking so badly was enough to make me feel like I couldn't breathe.
It was enough to make me want to find a different way out aside from the door, bolt out of the room and never come back.
My eyes snapped shut and I sucked in a breath to control my laboured breathing. I drew it out as slowly as I could, and when they fluttered open, they darted right to my hands and I felt my breath seize.
I froze, staring right back at the bloodstains that blended with my red artificial nails. They were like blood splatters, on my knuckles and palms. I breathed shakily, a fresh round of tears welling up in my eyes. My fingers rocked with tremors like they have a mind of their own, shaking terribly and I couldn't make it stop.
As much as I didn't regret disfiguring her face, I hated how her blood was on my hands. It made me feel so dirty, so disgusted. My thoughts that were running haywire weren't helping matters. They only fell in sync with my shaky hands.
"Reina…" His soft voice broke into my thoughts, pulling me out of my head and snapping me back to reality where my entire body went still at the sound of his voice.
"Get out," I whispered.
We both fell silent. The atmosphere thickened, not because of what I had said earlier, but because of the glaring, underlying edge that hung in my voice, right after I uttered those two words. And the fact that both of us knew what was coming after that even made the air much more charged with toxicity.
"GET. THE. FUCK. OUT. OF. MY. SIGHT." My voice boomed thunderously, striking every nook and cranny of the massive bathroom and echoed throughout the space in waves.
"NOW!" I fired harshly.
He was supposed to leave. He was supposed to turn around and head out of the bathroom but I didn't hear the movement of his footsteps. It was almost like he was turning deaf ears to what I was saying.
I didn't throw a glance in his direction. I didn't want to. I just stood there with my chest heaving up and down.
At first, when I heard his footsteps, relief washed over me and I expected to hear the sound of the door opening but the reverse was the case. Stefan was walking towards me and the sheer impulse to run out of this place tripled in folds but I couldn't bring myself to move.
"Stefan, don't come close to me," The confidence my voice held at first was slowly being stripped off, overshadowed by the strain that was so evident in my voice. My words were coming out in a squeak, thick with sobs.
He didn't listen to me.
"Stefan, get out, now!"
"I don't want you here!"
"I don't want to see you!"
"Just fucking leave me alone!"
My tone was aggressive, my voice was cracking so badly and my throat was clogged with sobs. My breath came out in short puffs and my eyes were beginning to sting so badly because of how watery they had become for the umpteenth time.
"Stay back. I don't want to hurt you, please!" I yelled.
"You won't," His words were soothing, drawn into a whisper.
The familiar scent I had gotten so used to wafted into my nostrils and I found myself releasing a soft breath. My eyes snapped shut. The next thing I felt was his arms slipping around my waist from behind, drawing me closer. The warmth of his embrace cocooned me and had me all snuggled up like a woolly blanket was thrown over me, shielding me from the cold.
His hold was so familiar, so comforting, so soothing. It felt like my body had been programmed to bend to his will, even at the slightest brush of his breath. My stiff muscles grew limp and a wave of exhaustion washed over me but somehow, I still felt so safe having him hold me in his arms.
Stefan held me like he wasn't afraid of holding me. He held me like he was trying to pass a silent message across. Like he was trying to tell me he was here with me every step of the way. He held me, protectively in a way that was so delicate and intense at the same time.
"Open your eyes, Reina." His words were audaciously soft, punctuated with a soft sigh that skimmed the skin of my neck. The breathless sound pierced my skin, reaching out to the deepest part of me and acting like a balm for my aching soul.
"No," I refused.
I didn't want him to see me like this. I didn't want him to see this helpless and vulnerable, nor did I want to see the unwavering disgust in his eyes after witnessing me falter, after witnessing me fight dirty. Like a bitch. Like a predator. Like a monster.
After realising that I was broken, psychotic and damaged. I wasn't the innocent little flower he always saw me as. I was dirty and unhinged.
"Look at me, Reina." He was pleading now.
"Please," He added, and I could have sworn I heard his voice crack. The crack was punctuated with a shaky breath as he squeezed my waist in an attempt to reassure me that he was still here with me.
"Please, don't make me look at you."
"I can't,"
"I don't want to." My words were reeking of desperacy.
"I am here, Reina. I am here," he assured me. "Now, do it with me, breathe in and breathe out as slowly as you can. Take your time. Don't rush. I am here." He added and he detached his arms around me. I felt his strong hands brush the side of my arm and I sucked in a breath.
They travelled down to my palm and he slowly placed his palms on the back of my hand, holding them in place. My shaky hands eased at his touch and he slipped his fingers into mine, entwining our fingers and not caring if I had blood on my hands.
"Inhale,"
His fingers massaged mine softly and I slowly drew in a breath. The tension that hung in his chest, which I could feel from behind me, was enough to tell me that he was doing it with me.
"Exhale," He muttered.
The stiffness in his chest dispelled, syncing with mine. The hot breath that emitted from him kissed the skin of my neck so swiftly, leaving goosebumps all over my skin.
"Now, look at me." Those four words and the soft pitch of his voice felt like hypnotism, compelling me to heed his request. My eyes fluttered open immediately, darting to our reflection in the mirror.
There was nothing that prepared me for the sight of sheer perfection staring right back at me. It reminded me of a flawless painting trapped in an artist's canvas.
The reflection of us was breathtaking.
However, the dimness of his eyes seized me in a chokehold for a moment. The captivating pool of silver felt like storm clouds, swirling with worry that he couldn't conceal. The spark they always held that tugged at my heartstrings whenever he stared at me was nowhere to be found.
In a way, they shimmered with soft hues that revealed his vulnerability. It was like he was trying to show me how vulnerable he was willing to be with me, and somehow, I still searched frantically, hoping to pick up on any flicker of disgust or disappointment but I saw none.
His lax posture behind me further proved that he was here with me, both on the surface and emotionally.
"I am here," His voice was filled with reassurance and the conviction his words held divulged how he didn't limit that phrase to what was happening right now. It was like he was promising me that he was always going to be here.
"Talk to me," He pleaded, squeezing our entwined fingers as gently as he could.
"There is nothing to talk about." I suddenly got combative. The shakiness in my voice made my insides churn with disgust at how much of a weakling I was.
"We both know there's a lot to talk about." He countered gently.
"No!" I snapped, prying my hands out of his. I spun around, facing him with a glare, which hardened even more when I saw how his calm composure didn't falter. It matched the soft glow that now twinkled in his eyes.
"You weren't supposed to come after me," I said coldly.
"Heck, if I were you, I would be turning around and heading out that door right now." I pressed further, reaching forward to jab my index finger at his chest.
"I am not leaving you." He disagreed, keeping his eyes fixated on me. The frown on my face deepened when he didn't break eye contact and it was beginning to get uncomfortable.
This boy might have stared at me a thousand times, yet I still couldn't bring myself to get used to it.
But there was something about the way he stared at me today. It made me feel so vulnerable, more than I have ever felt with him.
He was stripping me of my walls and I wanted that to stop now. I didn't want that anymore. I wanted him away from me and out of here.
I scoffed when he didn't make any attempt to leave.
"Stefan, what do you even want from me?" I cried out in frustration, throwing my hands up in the air in exasperation. They slumped tiredly and angry tears streamed down my face.
I didn't want him invading my space. Was that too much to ask for?
"I just want you to talk to me, Reina." He answered softly, tucking his hands into the pockets of his trousers.
"Well, I don't want to talk!" I fired, walking away from him.
"What's there to talk about?"
"Nothing!" I responded to the question I posed to him.
I spun around to face him, my chest heaving with every laboured breath I took.
"Can you really not see it? Can you not? Can you not even see half of how fucked up I am? Jesus Christ, stop lying to yourself and trying to create an image of what I am not in your head! Stop it!" I was screaming, directing all the anger I felt towards him, and hoping that would scare him off.
Stefan Oluyide stared right back at him, unflinchingly, blinking softly, like what I just said flew past his ears like a breeze, and then, he strode forward, stopping a few feet away from me.
I breathed shakily.
"No, I don't." He responded, point-blank.
"But—" He paused, moving closer. "I think it's you who is terrified of me seeing the things you do not want me to see…" His words trailed off in a whisper.
"The things I am seeing right now," He added, and his words struck a nerve, jamming me in the guts.
"Get out, Stefan." I breathed.
"Do you think I wouldn't understand?" He inquired, squinting his eyes at me in disbelief.
"GET OUT!" I bellowed, teary-eyed.
"You have had a stressful morning, Reina. It's okay to be angry and it's okay to want to vent, but please don't shut me out. Let me help." His voice still maintained that hint of calmness, which was starting to get on my nerves.
I averted my eyes off him and stormed over to the sink, gripping the edge tightly and releasing my pent-up anger in the form of a scream.
"Fuck!" I cursed aloud.
I snapped my eyes shut, breathing through my mouth. I wanted him out of here and I had no idea how to do that.
Do you really want him out of here? The tiny voice in my head queried. It was as though it strongly disagreed that I wanted him out of there.
Maybe—Maybe I could tell him everything. I could tell him everything. That would make him leave. No one in their right senses would stay after hearing something that twisted.
He wouldn't stay.
He can't.
I whirled around, wrapping my arms around myself and looking everywhere else but him.
"Jasmine wasn't lying," I began, spitting out her name like it was acerbic.
"I left Pensworth because my ex-boyfriend dumped me for another girl—" I paused, releasing a breath.
"I met Alvin at a point in my life where I was about to fall apart. I was like a ticking time bomb and when I met him, he withheld me from blowing apart. It was so easy to become attached to him. It was like I had been waiting for him to waltz into my life to keep me in check. In a short time, I needed him like the air I needed to breathe—" There was a subtle realisation that hit me. There was always this kind of searing ache in my chest whenever I spoke about him, but right now, even though it was still there, it was somewhat mild.
A huge part of me wanted to look up from the ground I had my eyes fixated on and hold his gaze but I was so terrified that I wouldn't like what I would see.
It was easy to guess, judging by his silence that I found so unnerving.
I still went on regardless, trying my hardest to push back the tears that were beginning to well up in my eyes.
"There is a fine line between love and obsession. I clearly crossed that line when I began tolerating his excesses and making excuses for him. He was a serial cheat and I couldn't bring myself to walk away. Not even when the cycle was never-ending and became so toxic. I was so scared of going back to that dark place that I clung on to him when every inch of my subconscious yelled at me to run—
I wasn't in love with him. Maybe I was at first but I was obsessed with him. It was unhealthy and I was willing to do anything to keep him with me. He kept me sane in an insane way." I didn't know how I got the courage but I looked up to face him, letting out a humourless chuckle.
"Do you want to know the craziest part?" I whispered, a cold smile crawling up to my lips. I couldn't keep it together for long because a sob tore through my lips.
"He fell in love with another girl and he fell hard. I saw the signs right there, Stefan. I fucking saw it but I still chose to stay. I was obsessed with Alvin that it blurred my ability to differentiate between reality and delusions,"
"It fucked me up and it did so hard!" I fired.
"What's more twisted than that?" I queried, staring back at him with my eyes brimming with so much liquid.
"What's sicker than that? Answer me, Stefan Bibitayo Oluyide!"
"Answer me, fuck it!" I was screaming at the top of my lungs and the burning sensation in my chest intensified.
He stared back at me, wordlessly. His eyes shimmered with so many tears under the lights, and their watery essence made me avert my gaze from him. It just spiked the burning sensation in my chest.
"And when someone eventually realised how toxic the cycle was and decided to walk away, it was him! It wasn't me! I was so in my head that I couldn't bring myself to walk away from what was ruining me!" I shouted.
"Do you know what I did after he left?" I chuckled, and the pain-induced sound morphed into a humourless laughter.
"I fucking spiralled," I looked him dead in the eye and uttered those words without blinking.
"That dark place I was so scared of going back to? I found myself back there, and this time it was mind-shattering. I didn't know how to live without him. I didn't know how to live alone. I slipped into depression and started looking for distractions,"
"I was taking pills to help me sleep, Stefan. I would take pills and inject myself with numerous substances, all in an attempt to get away from all that pain and have a moment of peace,"
"I overdosed and nearly died at some point!" I fired.
"So, yes! That's why I came to Blue Cove! Yes, she was right! I ran like a fucking coward! So, wipe those tears and stop looking at me like an object of pity!" I snapped at him.
My last words got a reaction out of him and he breathed out softly.
"I am crying because it's hurting me how much you are willing to sabotage yourself so that I can walk away," He began, still maintaining the softness in his voice but this time, it was choked with so much hurt that I could see it all over his face.
"You are not opening up to me so that you can get it off your chest, you are opening up to me to push me away." He scoffed.
His words caught me by surprise and I found myself releasing a gasp, moving backwards as more tears streamed down my face. My back hit the sink and I breathed shakily as my shoulders slumped in defeat.
"Is that really what you think of me?"
"You think all these are enough to scare me off?"
His posture didn't falter as he threw those questions at me, expecting an answer.
"You think they are enough to make me stop caring about you? I—fuck! How much more do I have to do to make you see that I am here to stay?" He queried, squinting his eyes at me in disbelief.
I was tongue-tied. I didn't know what to say to him.
"God, Reina…" His words trailed, housing a crack in them.
Stefan didn't waste any more seconds before he walked over to where I was and gathered me in his arms, hoisting me on the sink surface. I wrapped my arms around him and broke into loud sobs, burying my face in his chest.
"Let it all out, I am here."
He drew me closer, flushing my body against his.
"He doesn't deserve you, Reina. He never did." He whispered, pressing a kiss to my temple while I bawled my eyes out in his arms, soaking up his shirt for the umpteenth time.
"Don't let me go, Stefan." I croaked, clinging to his shirt amidst hiccups.
"Never, Reina."
"Never."
A/N
So, with all these, Shakira Niniola Malik can't still see that this boy is her soulmate?😪 It's alright. Until I thief him! Nonsense and rubbishhhhhh!
Omo, Shakira's mind is...
Bruh, I don't even know what to think. Omo, I don't know o. My head dey pain me. Eh.💀
On a lighter note, Stefan is so sweettttttt. I want to marry this boy. Shakira's stubbornness still dey learn from where Stefan's own dey!😂👍
Keep in mind that it gets harder. That's all I'll say. And I hope this chapter can highlight the depth of the circumstances surrounding her issue.
Anyhoo! Y'all know it goes. Don't forget to vote, comment and share.
Adiós.✨
Love, Didi.♥️