They stepped into the club with the VIP assess card Mitchell had. The loud music and the toxic smell of booze had Derin's head spinning already. Huffing, she raised her head high and straightened her shoulders. Michelle walked with such ease beside her. They were both Clad on gold sequence gowns that stopped above the knee. Mitchell had made the dresses long ago but had never seen any use for it.

Mitchell stopped. Derin turned to her.

"Shit. He's here." She breathed.

Derin creased her brows. "Who?"

Mitchell stared ahead. Derin followed her gaze, they landed on a very familiar man. It was Ebuka Umeh, Mitchell's plus one at the bonfire.

"Is he the guy you're stalking? " Derin shouted, trying to be heard over the music.

Mitchell groaned. "No."

"So... what's with him."

Mitchell paused her lips.

Derin raised a brow. "Did you sleep with him?!"

Mitchell turned to her, smirking. "I'm a virgin madam."

Derin seemed taken aback. As the thought settled in, it sent a pang of jealousy. Michelle was a perfect description of what she wanted to be. Her heart ached as she thought of all her dreams and the mistakes she'd ruined it with. In life, most things never happen the way we want them. Obstacles intervene.

She laughed falsely, trying to lighten the air. She hoped Michelle didn't notice. "Who would have thought. My bitchelle is a virgin."

"Your bitchelle?"

Derin grinned. "I'm the only one allowed to call you that madam."

Mitchell laughed.

"So what's going on." Derin asked, all play gone.

Mitchell sighed. "Let's head out back, there is a pool where we can talk."

They both weaved their way through horny adults and ass-gropping males who seemed attracted to the color gold. Mitchell kept covering her face, trying to prevent Ebuka from seeing her.

Once they got outside, through a back door Mitchell knew so well, Derin was surprised to see a pool. She walked over to it reluctantly.

"A pool? In a club?" She gasped.

Mitchell shrugged. "Caleb has a way of doing things."

"Caleb." Derin noted. "The guy we should be stalking?"

Mitchell rolled her eyes. They both walked over to the pool side and sat by it. The loud music in the background boomed across the poolside.

"So... Ebuka, Caleb?" Derin asked.

Mitchell sighed. "Ebuka is my brother's best friend. My brother's name is Ebuka too. We practically grew up together and all. Sha, I like him. He moved to PH. Nothing is going to work."

Derin remembered Mitchell mentioning her brother in her birthday speech.

Derin cocked her head. "Does he know?"

Mitchell shrugged. "I don't know -"

"How come he was your plus one to that bonfire."

"I asked him, when he came to visit."

Derin smirked. "So he tells you anytime he is in Lag?"

Mitchell nodded.

"Hmm." Derin hummed. "So how does Caleb matter."

Mitchell beamed. There was something fake about it. "He was my client last month."

"So?"

Mitchell glared at her. "He asked me out. I'm still going to reply. And I'm crushing on him na."

Derin shook her head. She knew Mitchell liked Ebuka but she was just not happy that Ebuka never professed his undying love for her or something else was wrong.

"You love Ebuka." Derin smirked.

Mitchelle shook her head. "How does it relate?"

"You like Ebuka, he likes you, you know it but you don't want to admit that you know because he hasn't told you so yet. So you'll just force yourself to be with Caleb."

Mitchell sighed. "I do like Caleb."

Derin shrugged. "Whatever."

Mitchell looked like she wanted to say something, but then she held back. Derin was disappointed, she had the feeling she and Mitchell were becoming closer but then again, she could have just been a pity case Mitchell decided to take on.

"Ebuka got a lady pregnant." She blurted.

Derin turned. "Say what now?"

Mitchell cleared her throat. "He told me he liked me, a day before that bonfire. We started dating on that bonfire day. The next day I found out his ex was pregnant."

"So you broke up?"

Mitchell nodded, staring straight ahead. "I had to, maybe he is in love with her. And as a pregnant woman, she needs a man beside her. I couldn't do that to any one."

Derin saddened. She never knew Mitchell was hurting, in the little span their friendship had developed, it had been her own issue on the table.

"You love him." It wasn't a question, it was a statement because that was evident.

Mitchell sighed, looking down. "Doesn't matter, his child needs him more."

"What does he want?" Derin queried.

Mitchell groaned. "I'm not him. Look maybe we ain't meant to be."

Derin rolled her eyes.

You see," Derin started. " when i was in school, I read a book titled 'what people mistake for destiny' by C.J Ejiofor. It's kind of spiritual. I never understood it until recent. In that book, there are five things people mistake for Destiny. Choice, Serendipity, free will - i don't remember the rest. That book helped me understand my situation with Ify and Lola. I realized that the times we spent together where good, i felt it, they did too but it was never meant to be. It just happened and it was fortunate but Destiny will prevail." Derin went on. "What I'm saying is that you shouldn't mistake things for another as I did with lola and Ify."

"You think I'm twisting what is meant to be?"

Derin shook her head. "I'm saying don't make mistakes. If Ebuka chooses you over his ex girlfriend, think it through."

Mitchell looked straight ahead, saying nothing.

Derin took Mitchell's hand in hers and squeezed twice. "How about that'll be a sign, our sign for everything is going to be alright."

Mitchell smiled and squeezed back, once. "How about that'll be a sign for thank you, for being there."

Two hours had passed, after watching Ebuka's look of shock once he saw Mitchelle then slipped out of the club, they were now in the club, sitted in front of the bar, sipping coke, completely harmless coke and reliving memories despite the loud music. Derin had insisted that she wasn't about to get drunk and that Mitchell was going to take her home safely.

"I remember one time I had this boyfriend who thought it was nice to buy me sanitary pads!" Mitchell shrieked.

Derin laughed. "Blood of God. No way."

Mitchell shook her head. "He saw me stained one day oh. So I had cramps for five days and he noticed sha, so probably he now started counting twenty eight days to know when next I have my period. The next month, exactly a day before my period kicked off, he bought me two always blue pad. He said it was for the five days."

Derin laughed loudly, attracting stares from people. "What the fuck."

Mitchell snorted. "Worse part, we were in SS1. I just looked him up, down and walked off, we never spoke again."

Derin laughed harder. "I trust Bitchelle."

Mitchell smacked her head. "You too Berin."

"Hey." A voice called behind Derin. The toxic smell of alcohol and perfume oozed from behind her. Both she and Mitchelle turned.

The man who stood infront of them had tiny locks and a killer dimple. It was his most noticed attribute.

"Caleb." Mitchelle smiled.

The guy moved his eyes to Derin, letting it linger a bit.

"Your friend?" he asked, his eyes still on her.

Derin felt uncomfortable, this was the guy Mitchell had a massive non existent crush on.

"Yes, my friend." Mitchell spoke up.

Derin smiled and looked away from him.

Caleb tapped her. "Hi, I'm Caleb."

Derin nodded. "Derin."

"Can we talk outside? Pretty ladies like you are hard to look past."

Derin's jaw almost dropped. The guy was an asshole. Didn't he ask Mitchell out.

Derin turned to look at Mitchell, hoping for some kind of save. Mitchell sat there, as shocked as she was. Her brows creased and her lips turned down in a sneer.

Derin turned to Caleb.

"Mitchell is a friend of mine." She said, hoping he got the idea that they also had girl code.

He shrugged. "I know. So?"

Mitchell looked vexed.

Caleb gripped Derin's forearm. It was then she knew the guy was really drunk. His eyes seemed clearer for her to see, then she saw his reddened eye.

Derin forced her arm out of his.

"It means we don't get involved with assholes!" Derin screamed over the music. Then she kicked him in the groin.

She gripped Mitchell's hands and together, they slipped into the crowd.

"Berin, badass. Let's get out of here." Mitchell smiled.

Derin nodded, smiling back.

Once they weaved their way through the crowd of horny adults and some overly matured teenagers, they successfully left the club. They were still laughing at the way Derin kneed Caleb when she caught sight of Jessica, her sister.

Derin smiled at her. "Jessica!"

Jessica looked around, until her eyes locked with Derin's. She didn't smile. But she made her way over to Derin. The parking lot was lonely, and the cool night breeze wasn't so hard to miss. The music from the club shook the ground. Derin never liked the club.

"Hey," Jessica said as she got closer. She looked tired and she wasn't dressed for the club. Her hair was in a net and she was braless.

"Been long." Derin said, still scanning her.

Jessica rolled her eyes. "Been long and you can't even call, Must I be the one to always call you out? To always ask what's up with your life and all. You never call."

Derin's mouth opened, willing to say something, but it snapped shut when her brain rang out empty. There was no excuse, Jessica was right. Derin hadn't reached out.

"I'm sorry, I've - I'm sorry." Derin sighed. "There has been a lot going on. I just. I'm sorry."

Jessica stared at her for a while. After minutes of silence, she nodded.

Jessica shrugged. "No wahala sha. Look, we can chat later oh. I need to pick Dubem up."

Derin nodded.

Jessica looked behind Derin and raised a brow. "Mitchell?"

Derin had almost forgotten Mitchell was behind her. "Yes, we came here together."

Jessica's eyes widened. "As in..."

Mitchell chuckled. "As in together na."

Jessica looked at Derin. "Babe. We'll talk later. I have a drunken friend tp aid."

With an amused expression, Jessica walked towards the club.

"Mehn. This our friendship will burstbrain." Derin laughed.

Mitchell nodded. "Big time."

___________________

Her hands moved slowly across his shoulder blades, rubbing it softly and skillfully pressing her hands on the most sensitive spot. He shoulders. Derin straddled him as she did so. Nonso moaned, lying flat on his stomach with closed eyes.

Derin stopped, only to pour a good amount of the massage cream on her palm.

"Where did you learn this?" Nonso grunted.

Derin laughed nervously. "On television."

Nonso burst into laughter. "God. You're not even a pro? How come I'm feeling more relaxed then? Your hands do wonders jare."

Derin bent her head down to his ear. "it's not the hands. It's the love."

Nonso smiled, eyes still closed. "Keep loving then."

Derin chuckled.

"About Michael." He started.

Derin froze, she still hadn't told him the secrets. Anytime she tried, she ended up chickening out. It was the same routine almost everyday. Mitchell shouts, "Derin what the hell. You have to tell him today."

She says. "Ok."

When she gets to the apartment, she tells him she wants to tell him something. He looks into her eyes, all smiles and twinkles. She chickens out. The thought of him telling her they can't work out anymore was enough to stop the story from coming.

"Oh. Michael." She said.

Nonso nodded. "I've worked for his release. He is on bail now. Five hundred thousand. His father was called. He'll be out soon."

Derin sighed in relief. She bent and pecked Nonso. "You're the best."

Nonso turned unexpectedly, pushing Derin on the bed. She glared at him.

He smirked. "I know, I know. I love me too."

She hit his chest lightly and laughed.

His smile died. "Hey."

Derin stared at him. "Hmm."

"I've stopped researching on him as you asked. I'll let you do your forgiveness thing but promise me one thing." He said.

Derin nodded once.

"You'll keep away from that psycho."

Derin moved closer to him. "Done."

He pulled her closer and wrapped her in his arms. "Christmas is coming. We'll be traveling to the east."

Derin snuggled into his chest. "East kwa?"

Nonso chuckled. "Yes. For holiday. You'll not decline right? You're coming."

Derin shrugged. "Yes, Since its Denon's first get way holiday."

Nonso raised a brow. "Denon ke?"

Derin smiled. "Derin and Nonso. Denon."

"Oh." He beamed. "Who brought that up?"

"Mitchell."

"Ahh. You never told me how the two of you became BFFs." He queried.

Derin tightened her arms around his torso and closed her eyes. "Story for another day abeg." She yawned. " I want to sleep."

"Goodnight baby."

__________________

*in olamide's voice*

This our love en go die oh 🎆🔥

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