Lola at the top ❤

******

"What is going on here?" Mitchelle asked as she made her way to where Derin stood. Derin slipped away from Nonso gradually and clung to Jessica before Mitchelle came closer.

"Lola, Ify, let's go. Jessie, it was so nice staying with you. Thank you for having me last night." Derin said quickly.

And she was glad Jessica played along.

"Of course what are sisters for." Jessica said smiling.

Mitchelle scoffed and glanced at Nonso who now stood stoic and expressionless. "why are you here.... Shirtless."

Derin glanced at him, his eyes were on her. He seemed hurt but he just shook his head and turned to Mitchelle.

"My car alarm went off." he lied easily.

"Oh. Ok. So, we have a score to settle, but not out here, definitely not!" She smirked and pulled him along, completely ignoring the fact that his eyes never left Derin. "Let's go mister. Where were you..."

Lola and Ify rushed to her side. They helped her balance her wobbling feet as Jessica gradually let go.

"I think you just bruised his ego." Lola said.

"Yea." Jessica replied shaking her head.

Derin shrugged. "We have to go, I'll call you!"

Jessica nodded and moved backwards. "stay safe I don't want my baby sister getting hurt."

Derin smiled as Jessica turned walked towards the apartment building. She had missed her so much. Growing up, Jessica had always been there for her, taking up the elder sister role and always defending her. Derin was always grateful. But her protection and love never stopped the hostility she recieved from Nene and Dike.

"She is nice." Ify said.

"Yes, She is."

The ride to Lola's apartment was silent. Lola and Ify sat in front while Derin lay at the back seat of Lola's car. Thankfully, Lola and Ify were quiet about the whole episode that had gone down. She wondered why they hadn't asked about Nonso. Her phone suddenly beeped. She took it from beside her head, where it was and stared at it.

'I didn't accept the case.... Your mother is safe'

The number was unknown but deep down, she knew who it was that had sent the text. She felt a sharp gut in her chest at the thought of him. Six years gone by and something still seemed like they were the same. They weren't.

What was it about him? She simply ignored the text.

"So, what happened last night?" Ify's voice broke through her mind.

And she had to tell the story, she told it in detail. She made sure she didn't miss out on any detail, she told them all, honestly.

"That's so nice!" Ify said. "You see, he has good in him."

Lola scoffed. "No one ever said he does not have good."

Derin nodded. Of course Nonso had good in him. But it didn't mean she'd ho running back, she would keep him at bay and maintain the distance.

"You have to call Zach." Ify reminded.

"Oh my. I totally forgot!"

She quickly dialled his number.

"Derin! Are you okay? Are you hurt? —" Zach's voice broke through the device. His panic reflected in his voice.

"I'm fine Zach. I just passed out and my sister saw me. She took me to he house but I'm fine now." she lied.

"I'm so sorry, I should have been more attentive, I wasn't. I went crazy once I knew you were gone. I'm so sorry i should have been the one to get the jacket —"

"Don't blame yourself I'm fine ok? I'll see you on Monday." she said.

"Of course, Of course.  Just feel better." Zachary sighed in relief. "I'm just glad you're ok."

"Sure thanks."

"Yeah." he said and she disconnected the call immediately.

Lola sighed. "poor guy."

Derin sighed too. He seemed to care for her a great deal. He shouldn't fall any further because she had nothing to offer.

*****

Lola's apartment was as elegant as Nonso's, if not more. The walls were painted white, with scarlet dots and artistry splashes on it. Her couch was a red armed chair with it's arms carved to look like wings. It was magnificent. The paintings were simply—typical Lola — pictures on the wall were of her family and the three of them. Lola was an only child in her family, rich, pampered and spoilt.

"Nonso seems.... Intrigued by you." Ify smirked as she aided Derin to the couch. Derin groaned the moment she was seated. Ify raised her hands in surrender. "I speak from observation. Did you see the way be often rushed to your side when your knees weakened?"

Lola threw her hand bag on the couch opposite them and plopped down on it. "I say he is not over you madam."

Derin stood up slowly. In a bid to get away from them, she nearly tripped. She gripped the walls for support and walked towards the room. "I'll not let you all get to me."

"Come back oh let's discuss!" Lola bellowed jocosely.

Derin rolled her eyes. She wanted nothing more than to rest. Anything related to Nonso was what she didn't want to think about. She wondered why they had been bumping into each other the past week in the weirdest ways and now he had her number.

As if on cue, her phone beeped in her pocket. She walked hurriedly towards the bed and lay on it. Once comfortable, she retrieved her phone.

'Are u better? :)'

Unknown number.

She quickly changed his name. Maybe he could be a distant friend that wasn't bad right? She didn't need him, she wouldn't.

Nonso — she punched his name in and saved it.

Then she typed a reply.

'Does someone feel better in two hours?'

A minute passed and his reply came.

'Grumpy Derin.... Not nice :) '

She rolled her eyes and shifted on the bed.

'Mitchelle is probably screaming 'babe' right now ;) attend to her.'

A second later he sent a reply.

Lol.

It was simple, staright and it didn't give her an insight on how he reacted. It irked her that someone else's name could disrupt their conversation. She sighed and threw her phone aside. What did it matter, she needed rest.

She lay back on the bed and drifted off to sleep, letting all thoughts of Nonso vanish. At night the girls helped her with her bath —a hot shower and dressed her up. She ate very little of the Amala and Ewedu served her. She requested childishly for yam since it was her favorite meal. And even when it arrived, it tasted bitter in her mouth.

"I'm ok." She dropped the spoon filled with yellow coloured yam and little vegetables.

Ify glared at her, while rolling the sleeves of her pyjama up. "Derin don't vex me."

"I don't want again." She pushed the plate aside and stared at Ify defiantly,  with her chin raised and her shoulders straightened.

"Babe eat this thing now.. Stop this childish display." Lola snickered as she walked into the living room. "If Nonso feeds you now, you'd eat oh."

She glared at Lola. "I've eaten. Just give me the drug."

Lola and Ify laughed. Lola handed her an Eva bottle water and the pills she was to take in. Once she was done, she sat down in the living room and watched 'African Magic' with Lola and Ify.

"Thank you guys. Really." She smiled at them. Ify yawned and simply waved.

"Best Freinds! Bring it in." Lola shouted, nodding her head vigorously and spreading her arms apart.

They chuckled as they embraced each other. Lola stood up after they pulled apart and yawned. "I need to wash my face."

Derin barely nodded, her gaze was glued to the TV. She was intently focused on the new episode of Jenifas Diary. Ify lounged on the couch beside hers and yawned again. Soon she jolted up, as though something had gone amiss. And then she called out to Lola.

"Lola!"

Derin raised a brow. "What is it?"

Lola came running, her face was white and the cucumber she had placed on her eyes had fallen to her nose. "Where is the fire?"

"Have I told you about my trip to calabar?" Ify queried as she leaned back into the couch. The mass of blonde extension scattered finely on the armrest.

Derin burst into laughter, her ribs ached as she rumbled.

Here goes nothing.

*****

The moon had come out only partly, hiding the rest of its glow in the darkness. Derin and the girls had stayed up late, watching re runs of TV sitcoms and Nicholas Sparks movies — which Ify had a kind of obsession with. In the movie 'The Fault in Our stars' where the male lead had died of cancer, Ify had said the female lead would never love again, at least not the way she had loved her late love.

"I don't think it exists." Derin shrugged.

"It does!" Ify widened her eyes. "You just don't see yours yet. Love lives here and no matter who you are or what you think, it'll always find you."

"And of course you see yours now." Derin retorted sardonically.

"it's coming."

"That's what they all say."

"I'm serious. Girl, what's your deal against love. Just because you view it in an entirely different way doesn't mean we have to view it like that too."

"I'm not imposing my opinion on you. I'm just saying it doesn't exist."

"Don't generalize it. Say you've never experienced it so you aren't sure —"

Derin smirked. "I'm sure.."

"Lola! What do you think?" Ify groaned.

They both snapped their gazes to Lola, who sat cross legged, with a bottle of Fanta swinging in her right hand and her phone in the other.

"I don't know, if it happens fine but I enjoy life without thinking about it. It might exist and it might not but I'm not expectant." Lola shrugged.

Derin smirked. "Just say you don't believe in it."

Lola laughed but she said nothing, she simply returned her attention to her phone and kept quiet. Derin sighed and Ify winked at her. The rest of the night went by swiftly.

Sunday came sooner than expected. Derin had barely slept. But when she woke up, she felt better than she had the previous day. She felt a light weight on her right shoulder, she turned to see Lola's head on it. She sighed and lay still. They were all squeezed in Lola's six by four bed. Why she hated big beds were beyond her. She had a huge room and a small bed.

Ify was at the other edge, her body fit perfectly on the small space Lola left. Derin groaned and pushed Lola off her lightly. Once she had stood firmly on the ground, she dashed to the bathroom to brush her teeth in an attempt to do away with the bitter taste in her tongue. She headed to the kitchen to have water after that. She felt stronger than she had before after she had drank the water.

She was still wearing Nonso's shirt and she didn't feel like taking it off. It kept her warm and comfortable.

It was sunday, she'd definitely go to church despite her illness.

Lola and Ify woke up minutes later and  found their way to the living room. In the quiet hours of a sunday morning, Derin watched her friends dance to worldly music.

"When I'm with you all I get is wild thoughts! Wild! Wild! Wild!" Lola chanted after the music that blasted from the speaker of her phone.

They both sang to the music blasting from Lola's iPhone 6s. Lola was a good dancer but Ify was not and she couldn't help her laughter as Ify struggled to raise her butt up and down to the bit of the music.

"This is nice to watch but we have to get to church." Derin smirked.

They ignored her and danced all the way, laughing and singing. Derin shook her head as Lola headed towards her, grinning.

Lola pulled her to the living room and shook her body lightly then screamed.
"When I'm with you all I get is wild thoughts! Wild !wild! Wild."

Derin found herself moving her waist to the bit of the music, with Lola and Ify. The trio danced and giggled chirpily. The doorbell rang, disrupting their dance. Derin shook her head. "I no do again. I'm tired."

Lola ran off to the door while Ify pulled Derin closer and insisted. "You must dance."

She placed her hands on Derin's shoulder and shook her lightly. She shook her until Derin started shaking her body. "Dance Sisi. Dance."

Derin couldn't stop, she kept on dancing. She twirled her hair in her arms, singing and laughing. The move was to impress Ifeoma so she'd let her be. She moved side ways and shook her shoulders as she did, letting her legs reflex it's movement.

"I can see you are feeling better." A deep voice said from behind. She stopped and groaned inwardly, this must be a dream. She pinched herself, then turned to Ify who was laughing her head off beside her. Derin wiped the sweat on her forehead with the back of her palm then turned around.

"We'll excuse you." Lola said and dragged Ify across the room and they disappeared behind the door. She had to kill them.

"Good morning." he said and moved closer. She couldn't imagine how she looked like as he stood infront of her. She must have looked like a Christmas goat. With the sweat and the heavy panting.

Thank goodness she brushed her teeth earlier. She smiled. "Hi, what are you doing here?"

He slipped his hands into the pocket of kaftan. " I came to check on you."

He was dressed in a fitted wine coloured long sleeved kaftan with a busy embroidery at the center of the clothing. He brushed his hands through his brown hair and pressed his lips in a thin line.

She nodded. "To check on me? I'm fine."

"I can see you are better though with all the 'wild thoughts' " he shook his head and they shared a laugh.

"Lola forced me. Honestly, I didn't want to."

"Sure.... She did." Nonso nodded, but the sarcasm that laced his voice was glaring.

She shook her head at him.

"Thanks for yesterday, with the ointment and all but I --"

"You'll have to thank my house keeper for that. Elizabeth, she took care of you, all I did was feed you soup." he smiled.

She nodded. "Thank her for me."

"I will. Have you taken your medicine?"

"No. It's till ten."

She nodded. "Thank you for everything and for coming here to check up on me, I appreciate." she smiled.

He smirked and nodded. "I wanted to know if I'd take you to church today—""

"No... Lola and If —"

"We are leaving! Lock up the house, we have to get to church!" Ify called as she stepped through the threshold donning a black highwaist skirt and a green blouse — with fluff scattered across it's neckline — and glittering green heels to match. Lola was behind her in a plain pink gown that stopped on her knee with blue pumps and a purse to match.

"Bye! We can't wait much longer!" Ify purred slyly. It was apparent they were trying to set her up. Why they had done such a thing was beyond her. They had been there years ago and they had seen what she was like when everything broke with Nonso.

"Close ur mouth, we clean up nice and the wardrobe is all yours." Lola winked. In less than a minute, they were out the door. Leaving her with Nonso.

How could they? It was more than obvious they were working with him, playing cupid.

"So, do you still want that ride?" He smirked, shoving his hands deeper into his pocket and resting on one knee.

"No."

*****

😂😂 i wonder when she'll give him a chance to explain himself 😊😊

Do u think she is being to hard on him.

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