For all the supports and all the reads, i send all my love.
❤

We only really fall apart in front of the people we know can piece us back together - Anonymous.

______________<3______________

The bed smelt of cinnamon and a Victoria secrets perfume. Nonso turned to the sleeping beauty beside him. She'd cried all night, he'd been scared. She'd called him to pick her up in front of the elegushi beach. She'd sounded urgent. He'd driven over there and picked her up. She'd been silent through the ride. And all of a sudden, she broke down.

Whatever had happened last night broke her. And it broke her real bad

Psquares bring it on blasted from the speakers of a phone. He jolted from the bed and searched around for it. It rang from Derin's bag. He brought it.

The caller Id was Ify. He turned to Derin, as the phone rang. He shook her lightly. She didn't budge.

He sighed and swiped the phone to answer, after deciding not to bother her.

"Hello," Ify's voice rang out through the speakers. "Derin, we need to talk. Lola told me what happened. We really need to talk. When do we meet?"

His throat closed up. He wanted to speak up but for some reason, he just couldn't. Could it be that they had hurt Derin? That they were the reason she'd cried the whole night.

"Hi, Ify. Can you call back, Derin is asleep now." He finally found his voice.

"Uh.. Oh. Nonso, ok sure."

He cut the call immediately. Derin stirred. Lifting her right leg, she tucked it under her left and turned to the side. Her eyes fluttered open.

"Hey,"

Her brows scrunched. She jolted up immediately. "Nonso?"

He moved towards her. "Hey, calm-"

She sighed. "Oh. I'm sorry, I totally forgot."

She sat down on the bed. Her butt sank in perfectly as she sat down. The red t shirt he had given her yesterday was oversized but she looked hot in it.

He moved close and sat down beside her. She shifted uncomfortably, like she didn't want to be near him.

"Ify called," he spoke up.

Derin snapped her gaze to his. Then she looked away. Standing up, she walked towards the bathroom.

"I'll just clean up and leave."

He watched her close the door behind her and with a huff, he stood up and headed to the bathroom in the other room to clean up.

Minutes later, he was done, he had dressed up in a yellow suit pants, with a yellow inner shirt and an Ankara jacket. He'd started to get hold of his fashion sense after Mimi had bought him an Ankara two months ago.

He walked towards his room, to use his deodorant. He stopped when he heard light sobs. Peeked into the room. Seated on the bed, wrapped in a red towel was Derin. Staring into her palms and crying. She looked hurt, as though the she carried a heavy burden on her shoulders.

His heart wrenched at the sight of the only woman he'd deemed strong, breaking gradually. Whatever had hurt her had cut a deep wound in her, he wondered if she'd cried like this after she'd seen him with Yemi.

Opening the door a jar, he walked into it. Making his way over to the woman seated on his king sized bed crying her heart out. He plopped down beside her.

"Derin,"

He didn't touch her.

"Yeah?" She replied between sobs.

"What's wrong? You can talk to me,"

She sighed. "Funny thing is I really don't know, it's either the fact that Lola and Ify have been my best friends for the past seven years yet I really don't know them, know them enough to tell when they needed me or my support. Or it might be the fact that I called My sister yesterday, in an attempt to crash at her place, only for her to tell me she was at a family dinner with her family at eight o'clock."

She tightened the red towel around her chest.

He didn't want to touch her initially, so she wouldn't get the wrong idea but he couldn't resist the urge to give her a reassuring squeeze.

"Hey," he squeezed her hand. "I'm here, I can be your everything,"

She turned to look at him. The blazing red colour of her eyes would forever haunt him.

"Nonso-"

"Shh, I want to be your friend, above anything else, I want to be there for you. I'm serious."

She sucked in a breathe. "Wow. So you are done with trying to get me to be your woman."

She raised a brow. He chuckled at how blunt she always was.

"I think we have a long way to go before that." He wiped her tears with his palm. "You have a lot of things you need to think about. And you also need to heal."

Casting her lashes down, she stared at her thighs. "Nonso, I want you to know that I... That I want an us, but there are things I've hidden so far away in my memory that you should know but... But I'm really not ready to let it out. Like you said, I do need to heal."

He cocked his head to the side. Her teeth bit down gently on her lower lip. All he could think of was how it would feel to kiss her at that moment.

"Nonso!" She called him harshly.

He snapped out of his thoughts. "Huh?"

"Did you hear what I said?" She had a fearful expression, like she feared his reply.

He took both her hands in his. "I heard. All I care is you healing from all the wounds the closest people to you have created. Whenever you are ready to open up, that's fine. But let me be among the people you let beside you, in your healing process."

Her eyes glistened. "You know, I just wish I could be as...as understanding as you are, not the bitter bitch who has so much hatred, who keeps so much grudge and finds joy in... in seeing the people that once hurt her her hurt too. My bitterness has blinded me and it's... It's gradually ruining me." She didn't sob, but the water in her eyes cascaded down her cheeks. Her eyes blazed red again.

He moved close to her. "I hope you don't mind if I do this,"

She creased her brows, even as the tears ran down her cheeks. He brought his lips to her cheek as another drop of tear cascaded down, he kissed it. He kissed the other cheek. And it was then that more came. And he tried to kiss every of it away, slowly. Letting the salty taste linger on his lips.

However, some still escaped past her jawline and rolled down her chest. Perhaps that would mean that he couldn't be the only one to wipe away her tears. She wasn't only hurting because of him. She needed family, she needed friends and she needed a man who'd be her back bone.

He grinned at how symbolic the tears he couldn't catch were. Looking up to meet her gaze, her eyes were closed. More tears came.

She opened her eyes.

"Derin-"

She launched herself at him, engulfing him in a tight hug. She didn't sob, yet he felt the drops of water on his cloth.

How could he love such broken soul.

It was still a mystery how the strong and dauntless Derin was the broken and fragile woman in his arms.

Which one did he fall in love with.

All.

All of her, even the bitter one.

"Stay home with me today," he blurted out.

"Yes,"

***********

"Sit, I'll cook." Derin smiled.

Nonso smirked. He folded his arms across his chest and stood back. He looked irresistibly handsome. How someone as bitter as she was had snatched up a fine man like himself was beyond her hands.

"Fine, but only because I haven't tasted your meal in a - six years." He turned around and walked to the living room.

"So cute," Derin scoffed.

"I heard that!" Nonso shouted from the living room.

Derin smirked. "That was the purpose of saying it."

She went into his little store and looked around, the only thing she saw was a tuber of yam, red oil, groundnut oil and a huge flask.

She face palmed. Leaving the kitchen, she made her way to the living room. Nonso was lounged on the couch, watching an episode of Empire.

Derin paused. She loved the movie.

"Oh but this is just a simple song...."

Jamal Lyon's voice rang out.

Derin grinned as the character sat in a studio and sang his heart out. A broken man from a broken home. He'd stood in to take the bullet for his father, even though they never got along.

The song cut as Nonso skipped the episodes, with the remote control. He stopped where Jamal was on a stage.

"I love you mama...."

Derin clapped her hands together and twirled to the beat of the song.

"I love you mama," she sang.

She glanced at the Tv, the title of Jamal's album, When Cookie met lucious graced the screen behind them.

"See who said she'll cook for me," Nonso said, amused.

Derin stopped. She giggled softly as Nonso's piercing gaze raked through her.

She cleared her throat. "You don't have food stuffs,"

He sat up. "Oh. About that..."

She clapped her hands together. "Chop, Chop. Let's get going!"

"To where?"

"The market na," she deadpanned.

Nonso made a face. "Sheesh, we can order take out, no need to stress yourself."

Derin threw him a glare. "What I want right now is a lovely eforiro with semovita,"

Smiling, Nonso stood up. "I'm only doing this because I want to taste the eforiro oh! Not because you are craving it."

Derin let out a short laugh. "We both know it's the opposite,"

He raised a brow at her. She smiled shyly.

Chuckling, he went into the room. He returned minutes later with his car key in hand. He turned off the television set and turned to Derin.

"Let's go."

They both headed out of the apartment and down to the parking lot. They got into Nonso's car and headed straight for Aja market.

The busy outskirts of the market came into view.

Nonso scrunched his nose. "You'll go and buy all you need, I'll wait in the car." He grinned. "Deal?"

Derin glared at him. "Get your ass out, we are going in there together,"

"But it's crowdy," he glanced at the market as he parked by the corner.

Derin smirked. "Exactly why I need you with me."

Nonso rolled his eyes. "Aii,"

She glanced at him. "What's aii?"

He rolled his eyes. "Alright."

Nonso turned off the engine and gestured to Derin. "Let's go."

They both got down from the car. Derin made a mental note of what to buy as she stepped through the market gates with Nonso behind her.

"Fine uncle, come and buy," an old woman who sold measured rice in small cups shouted, smiling behind her. She was obviously talking to Nonso.

They walked further into the market.

More calls came. And it became annoying when even young girls gave Nonso suggestive winks and touched his arms lightly. Although majority of them were joking about it, Derin still took it personal.

Nonso smirked. "You see why I don't like the market."

Derin scoffed. She weaved her way towards the right, her eyes scanning for fresh Ugu- pumpkin- leaves and handpill efo.

A woman by the corner smiled at her. "Your husband is fine."

Derin grinned at the comment. It was the only one that had been directed to her since they entered the market. Derin stopped in front of the woman's shed.

"Good morning. Do you have efo, hand pill?"

The lady nodded. "Yes. How many cups you want?"

"Give me two. How much for one cup?"

"Six hundred oh. " the woman smiled.

Nonso spoke up. "Ok. Give her two-"

Derin jabbed him lightly and whispered. "You don't shop like that. You bargain the price first,"

Nonso scrunched his brows. "Huh?"

Derin rolled her eyes and turned to the woman. "Is it not four hundred?"

The woman shook her head. "For this Buhari era?"

"Huh?"

"It's the change era oh madam, put something on top."

"Four fifty last,"

The lady shook her head. Derin shrugged and turned away from the woman, to head to the next shed.

"Ok come. Four fifty!" The woman called out.

Derin turned back and watched as the woman poured two cups into a nylon.

"Give me crayfish Five hundred, yellow pepper hundred, how much is your stockfish?"

The woman touched the head. Derin shook her head. "I want body,"

"Oh. This one, Three hundred."

Derin shook her head. "Two,"

The woman nodded. "Ok."

She packed everything together and handed to Derin. "Everything two thousand,"

Derin creased her brows. Nonso had already put his hand in his pocket and slipped out mint notes of two thousands naira.

Derin stopped him by holding his forearm. She wanted to have a private conversation with Nonso so the woman wouldn't hear. The woman looked Yoruba, so she couldn't possibly understand Igbo. Smirking, Derin put her Igbo to Use.

"Chere, kai gbako ihe nile tupu anyi we nye ya ego. Odika nwanyi a achoori laagha anyi,"

Nonso's jaw dropped. Derin turned to the woman. "You said it's how much?"

"Two thousand oh!" Impatience laced her voice.

Derin scoffed. "Efo, nine hundred. Plus crayfish five hundred, one four. Plus yellow pepper hundred, one five. Plus, stockfish, two hundred is how much?"

The woman feigned suprise. "Ah. You no i did not go school. Sorry for my mistake oh!"

Derin rolled her eyes. The woman handed Nonso a three hundred naira in exchange for the two thousand he held out.

Turning, Derin walked away. Nonso was beside her in no time. "Mehn. You didn't tell me you speak my language!"

Derin smirked. "One of the many things you don't know,"

"Seriously oh!"

Derin laughed.

"And you negotiate prices so well. Wow! I always shop at Prince Ebeano. Get to the counter and pay."

Derin laughed. "If you buy things anyhow in a local market like this ehn or you let those market people deceive you, then you are bound to wreck,"

Nonso scratched his head. He lit up once they got closer to the meat stand. "I'll price this one, promise,"

Derin shook her head.

Once they got there, Nonso smiled at the old man that sold meat.

"Oyibo," the man called.

"How much for this," Nonso pointed at a fresh red meat.

"That one? Three thousand."

Nonso scoffed. "Abi hundred naira,"

Both the old man and Derin burst into a loud laughter. People turned and glanced their way. Derin nudged Nonso playfully.

"I got this," she turned to the man.

"Is it not one thousand?"

The man shook his head. "One five."

"One two jale!" Derin insisted.

"Oya bring money."

For the rest of the shopping, Nonso just stood by Derin, watching her negotiate prices and outsmart market sellers. He didn't even bother to price again.

**********

She'd prepared the lovely delicacy. And like a true cultured maiden would do, she served the semo in a round wide plate and the soup in a bowl like plate. She served him the tray of food, and then the washing hand basin. After which she got him a bottled water.

She'd never forget the satisfied smile on his face as she did it. He seemed pleased. After serving him, she started towards the kitchen to get her own. Nonso stopped her.

"Eat with me,"

Derin turned to look at him. He had a fork digged into the semovita.

Scrunching her nose, she shook her head. "I'd rather it on my own. I eat with my hand,"

Nonso looked down at his plate. Derin raised a brow at him. "Oh. Yeah sure,"

She turned around and headed for the kitchen. After serving herself, she returned to the living room and sat on the chair adjacent to Nonso. They both ate in silence, only glancing at intervals as young girls danced in under wears on TV.

Derin finished before Nonso. She put the last round semovita in her mouth and went for her meat, chewing it slowly, she drank her water.

Nonso finished minutes after. He ate slowly, no rush and he didn't like to get his hand stained.

Perks of growing up rich.

Derin took both plates to the kitchen and washed it off. Once she was done, she headed back to the living room and plopped down on the sofa.

"Wow!" Nonso spoke up, breaking the silence. "You cook good,"

She smiled. "Thank you,"

He nodded.

Her phone suddenly beeped. Retrieving it from the pocket of her Jean gown, she swiped the screen and checked it. A message from her mother.

Doctor's appointment tomorrow.

She creased her brows.

"Problem?" Nonso's voice snapped her out of her confusion.

"My mom just sent me a text. Doctor's appointment tomorrow."

Nonso's lips curved in an 'o'

"You know?"

He shrugged. "Eh.. Maybe it's.." He shifted uncomfortably."the pregnancy test thing..."

She remembered eavesdropping on her mother and Nonso's conversation. Her mother had mentioned it.

Pregnancy test.

"She doesn't know you know about the rape?"

Derin shook her head. "No,"

Silence followed. She noticed his attempt to move over to her and comfort her, only he didn't know how. And she didn't need it. She clenched her fists and unclenched. The seething need to break whoever had raped her beat my beat.

Who did it? Why?

Why hadn't she even charged someone, anyone.

The thought of someone forcefully plunging into her, hunted her, it charged at her like a predator charged it's prey. Minutes ago, she'd been a bubbly Derin. But now she was the cold bitter bitch Lola had made reference to.

An ugly image of a beaded vase coming down to her forehead flashed in her mind. It was the only weird memory she had. Surely it was from the rape scene.

She stood up, and turned to walk to the room so she'd just sleep it off and feel better.

A hand gripped her.

She turned.

Nonso's mouth opened and closed, no sound came out, none at all. He let go of her hand and wrapped his arm around her loosely. "Be well."

Her throat clogged. He knew and he hadn't told her. Her heart ached. What if she really was pregnant? She pulled her hands through her hair and sobbed. Why should it always be her.

Nonso who had stood beside her, stepped close to her. "Derin. No matter what I'll... I'll be there for you."

She snorted. "Even if I'd be  carrying a bastard? Huhn? Even if I'd carry a child whose father I don't even know.."

"Derin —"

"No! Stop making promises that'll hiy is in the face and laugh at our stupidity. No one will be there when I'm proven pregnant and whatever I'm carrying has no father."

"Must you always overthink situations? Must you always see the unknown future? Just chill! When tomorrow comes we'd fight all it's troubles. One step at a time, stop deciding the future and stop thinking everyone is as pessimistic as you are!" Nonso snapped. He clenched his jaws and groaned. "And just stop thinking about your self alone."

His words pummeled her brain rapidly, jolting her to the reality of how selfish she had sounded and how conclusive she had been. Nonso stood before her angrily, the clenched jaws and angry glare was prove alone.
She shook her head at his words. "I'm sorry,"

He stared at her in disdain.

"Good night." He left her standing there, the dim light and the sounds of the television were left to comfort her when a tear slid down her dark cheeks.

********

This chapter was totally just a Denon thing.

Ama ship another couple soon. Guess who it is? 😊

Next chapter is going to be dedicated to whoever can figure out my next ship.

How is it going there?

Two more days to christmas who is excited 💃💃 I am!

Glossary.

The igbo word Derin used - wait, let's calculate everything well before we pay her, it looks like she wants to cheat us