It had been an entire week and I hadn't seen Derrek's break light. Not a single call, not even a text, nothing. I'd been pissed the first few days, thinking about calling just to tell him off. I hadn't done anything wrong, so, I had no idea why he had decided to cut me off. In the space of a few more days, I went from angry to worried to freaking out, especially when my mom started asking about him and our wedding plans. She didn't want a long engagement and she definitely didn't want a long wait until she could hold her grandkids.
Tosin, on the other hand, had hit me up countless times to ask when we were going on the double date Derrek and I had promised but I obviously had to ignore her since I didn't even know if my fake fiancé was still breathing.
It was a Saturday morning and it was pretty cold after it had rained heavily all through the night. I wasn't complaining anyway. I'd always preferred cold whether to hot ones, that was why I loved the rainy season, although, it could get annoying with the unexpected outbursts of rain.
I couldn't forget how I'd been caught out in the rain last month. I'd taken a jog early that morning and in all of my cleverness, I had decided it was a good idea to take a route I was unfamiliar with. It wasn't at all shocking that I'd ended up getting lost in a strange neighborhood.
I was working on finding my way out when suddenly, the rain had began to fall heavily. I'd been soaked in rain water by the time I found a shelter to shield me from the violent showers and I'd caught a cold the next day. It was a horrifying experience I never liked to remember but thankfully, my love for the rain was never dampened.
There was just something so peaceful and relaxing about rain. From the scent of wet sand to the sound of the rain drops hitting the roof and the ground to the cool breeze that embraced everything in its path. I couldn't help but feel at ease anytime it begun to rain.
The sound of rain droplets on my roof pulled me out from my thoughts and I turned towards the window to see droplets of rain flow down the glass. I'd forgotten to open it up after the rain last night and I was thankful I hadn't. I was way too lazy to walk over to shut it if it had been open.
"Tiara! Tiara!" The sound of Adiola's screaming and banging on my door caused me to groan. Was it too much to ask for a morning to myself? "Tiara, mommy said you should come and make breakfast! We're all starving!"
I let out a cry as this information reached my ears. It was just a little past six and I was too tired and too lazy to cook. Why couldn't Adiola make breakfast? She wasn't a kid anymore and she needed to take up more responsibilities but no one would've listened if I said that. She was the baby of the house and everyone had to treat her like a Princess or face the wrath of our mother.
"Tiaraaaaa!!!"
"I'm coming jor! Ah ah! Do you want to break my door down!" I yelled and the banging seized. I didn't hear anything for a couple of seconds so I assumed she had gone away and I gave a sigh of relief. Maybe I could rest my eyes for a few seconds before getting up. "Yeah. That sounds-"
"Tiaraoluwa! I will break this door down and drag you out by the hair if you don't come out now!" Mom threatened from the other side of the door and my eyes snapped open.
Wasting no more time, I hurried to the door and unlocked it before turning the door knob to open it.
"Good morning mom." I smiled at her and she just eyed me with her arms crossed over her chest. Adiola was standing right behind her, sticking her tongue out at me. I was provoked in the moment and I reached over my mom's shoulder to strangle her.
"Mommy! Mommy!" She cried as I grabbed a hold of her pyjama shirt.
"Tiara! Are you crazy!?" Mom yelled. "You have the right to play this nonsense play in my presence, abi? Let your sister go before I break your hand!" She warned and I retracted my hands immediately. "You will not act your age now. Don't you remember you'll soon be a married woman?"
I gave a sigh and slouched my shoulders in defeat. I could never win in this house. Maybe I should've considered moving into Derrek's apartment.
I let out a loud cry as I remembered my situation with Derrek. I really could never win.
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I stared at the large door, hoping I was at the right place. Derrek had only brought me to his apartment twice and both times had been late at night. I was shocked that I could even still find it-at least I hoped I had.
I took in a deep breath as I lifted my fist to knock on the door. It was a risk coming all the way to Derrek's apartment but I wasn't going to give him the pleasure of ignoring my calls-if I ever tried to call him, that is. I decided that a face to face talk would've been much better and because he hadn't been expecting me, he couldn't pretend to not be home.
I knocked on the door three times and took a step back, clasping onto the hand of my Louis Vuitton purse as I waited for Derrek to open up. I reached out to knock once again a few seconds of silence later and just as my knuckles tapped the door, it swung open. Behind it was the most annoying teenager I'd ever come across.
"Tiara." Luke smirked as his eyes fell on me. He didn't look at all surprised to see me but I was more than terrified seeing him here. Why was he here again? He was going to make my life difficult.
"Don't you have a house, Luke? Why are you always here?" I glared at him and he arched an eyebrow at me.
"And you know I'm always here because you have the DSS surveying the place?" He said sarcastically. I rolled my eyes before pushing him aside and striding into the apartment.
"Where's the one who owns the place?" I asked as my eyes skimmed through the empty living room. "What's his name again?" I snapped my fingers as I pretended to not recall Derrek's name.
"You mean your fiancé Derrek?" He answered in an unsure tone and I nodded, turning around to face him. "He's out right now. You're going to have to come back. Sorry."
"No, thanks." I declined, taking a seat on the couch opposite the TV. There was no way I was leaving now after convincing myself to come over in the first place. I was going to wait all day if I had to for Derrek to return.
"Derrek told me not to let anyone in. He'll kill me if he finds someone in his house." Luke walked up to me with a pleading look in his eyes which I ignored.
"I'm not just anyone, sweetheart. I'm his fiancée." I reminded him. "This is my apartment as well." I kicked off my shoes, crossed my ankles and rested my feet on the coffee table. I gave a sigh of relief, feeling relaxed as my killer heels were off. Those things were death traps. They were pretty but deadly.
"There's a 'fake' missing from that sentence, Tiara. Can you guess where it goes?" Luke smirked as he stared down at me and I glared hard.
"No but I can guess where my fist goes if you don't get the hell out of my sight!" I bit back, raising my fist.
Luke frowned as I waved my fist at him but he started walking away immediately after.
"Also, be a darling and get me a cool drink!" I called after him and I heard him grumble. "What was that, Luke?"
"Would you prefer coke or poison?" He called back and I turned in his direction and threw one of the throw pillows at him. "Tiara!"
"That's Aunty Tiara to you, kid!"
"Aunty Tia-You're kidding, right?" Luke gave into a fit of laughs and I stared at him a lot annoyed and unimpressed.
"You could at least pretend to respect me."
"I should, shouldn't I?"
I was about to speak again when I spotted a petite looking, pretty caramel skinned girl with blonde box braids walk into the living room. She was dressed in a black Nirvana t-shirt that stopped mid thigh and looked like she had just woken up, rubbing her eyes and yawning every half second.
"Ah! I see what's happening here." I smirked as it all clicked. Luke had a girl over, that was why he wanted me to leave. He stared at me in confusion as he hadn't yet seen the girl and I nodded in her direction.
"What are you-oh shit!" He cussed as he spotted her and my smirk grew even wider.
"Who's your new houseguest, Luke?"
"Uhh, she's... Uhh-" Luke stammered as he glanced from me to the blonde who had just noticed my presence. Her eyes widened immediately.
"Luke, you said it would just be the two of us here." The girl whispered to Luke who scratched the side of his head in reply.
"Luke!" I feigned a gasp. "How could you lie to this poor girl? You're such a bad child." I tch-ed, shaking my head in disappointment and the boy actually had the guts to roll his eyes.
I got up to my feet and rounded the couch before sitting on the top. I smiled as they seemed even more nervous. I was going to have so much fun.
"It's okay. You don't have to be scared of me, I'm harmless." I laughed in an attempt to make them at ease and they glanced at each other before smiling.
"Really? You're not upset?" Luke questioned and I nodded. "You do know we're up to no good right? Like some PG18 no good shit, right?" He said further and I shrugged.
"It's your life. Who am I to judge?"
Luke glanced at the girl once again and smiled, wrapping his arm around the girl's shoulders. I chuckled on inside, thinking how much of an idiot he was.
"You go ahead with your shenanigans." I shooed them off. "I'll just call Derrek and ask him to get something for your girlfriend to eat as well. I already called him to buy lunch." I reached over the couch and fished my phone out of my purse.
"What!?" Luke screamed, letting go of the girl. "You can't do that!"
"Why not? Derrek must surely be okay with-what's your name, sweetheart?" I turned to the girl who swallowed before answering.
"Cassidy."
"Derrek must be okay with Cassidy being here." I continued my statement. "He must be if you let her in after Derrek had instructed you not to let anyone but his gorgeous fiancée in of course."
"Tiara, please!" Luke put his palms together as he begged. "Please, you can't tell him! He'll kill me in seconds!"
"That's not possible. You know he would torture you for like a year and a half, then, kill you in seconds."
"Tiara, please!" He pleaded and a smirk grew on my face. He looked really frightened. "Cassie, beg her na!"
"Please, Tiara! Please!" Cassidy joined in the begging and I was having the time of my life.
"Aunty Tiara. It's please Aunty Tiara." I corrected and they stared at me like I'd grown two heads. I unlocked my phone and when to my phone book. "Oh, look! I've got Derrek on speed dial."
"Okay. Okay! Aunty Tiara, please!" Luke said immediately and I couldn't help but laugh out loud. I'd never thought I'd see the day when Luke begged me. Sure, I'd met him only once before this but he had been a real pain the last time, it was only right that he paid for his bad behavior.
I was about to tell him to kneel and beg when a knock sounded. Everyone froze, including myself.
I'd been joking the entire time about calling Derrek. I had no idea how he was going to react if he saw me here and for some reason, I was scared to find out. Maybe even as scared as Luke and Cassidy.
"Oh my God! He's back!" Luke almost screamed, placing his arms on his head. He knew it was all over for him.
"What do we do!?" I panicked.
"What do you mean we?"
"Oh, right." I said as I remembered I'd been the one doing all the threatening. "I-I'll unlock the door." Slowly, I walked in the direction of the door.
"The door's not locked." Luke informed and I froze.
"The door's not locked?" I turned around with eyes wide and suddenly, the door opened.
"The door's not locked." Came Derrek's voice. "Why's the door not-What in the hell is going on in here?"
"Run." I whisper-yelled to the teenagers. All we had to do was run into the closest room and lock it from the inside. Derrek would've never been able to get us then.
"Tiara? Is that you?"
"Run." I repeated.
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I had so much fun writing this chapter. Luke is really something else😂
Thanks for reading
❤️