(053 - Sleep Over Frenzy)

Song for the Chapter: Heat Waves by Glass Animals.

This chapter was meant to come before 053 and can see that by the Chapter number (so sorry for the little disorganization to those that read 053 before this).

All the events of this chapter took place the same day Semeeha apologized to Dawn and Hilary, so don't be confused. Though, this chapter is in Dawn's POV and the time frame is hours after school period.

It's been a while since we got into Dawn's head so I'm excited to explore her again and also her relationship dynamics with Chima😌✨. Also, you'll get to see some characters from BWBW (hehehe🌚). If you know, you know🤝🏾.

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𝐃𝐀𝐖𝐍
(Dawn Damipe Dayo)

"Do you guys really have to go?" I whined, following my parents out of the house. "You guys can just easily call and cancel. They will understand," I suggested desperately, watching them unload the trunk of the car with their bags.

"Cancel an annual, almost mandatory family function?" Mum looked at me, neatly carved brows tugged up in disbelief. Dad in turn chuckled lowly but said nothing. I pouted in response and nodded, hoping they'd see my desperation and just stay.

I cannot be the only one in the house with my crazy brothers and even crazier cousins. I'll just kill myself!

"Damipe, we have never missed this family function in years," She informed me of something I already knew about. "And now, you are asking us to cancel on going because you think your brothers will burn down the house with you in it?"

"You know they won't hesitate to," I answered her. "Especially Dean. He has been clamoring to be the firstborn for years now. This is his opportunity," I stated matter-of-factly. Mum looked up thoughtfully, tapping her chin with her index.

"Well..." She drawled.

"She does have a point," Dad chipped in, with a shrug.

"Thank You!" I threw my hands up, happy that someone is finally getting me. Dad laughed and blew me a kiss.

"It's an exaggeration," Mum still dismissed my fear with a wave of my hand. "Besides, Dunni will be here to supervise you. She's a mature adult," She added, throwing another bag into the trunk while I looked at her in bewilderment at the absurdity of her last statement.

Dunni Isoken Gentry? A Mature Adult? I laugh!

That big-headed, nonsensical cousin of mine even slyed me on this. She was supposed to come with her sisters so that we can have a joint sleepover and all the work won't be on me. But that girl canceled last minute so that she can recreate her first date with her ex... who was now back to being her boyfriend apparently.

I couldn't tell my parents that, because they will tell her parents and that's something we don't want, especially with Dunni's dad, Jide Gentry AKA Uncle Jaja, being grossly protective of his girls.

So I'm stuck taking care of five children. Five! Six sef, because I'm also a child and I have to take care of myself.

I'm too young for this.

Maybe I can still charm them with my famous puppy dog look.

"So you people are not going to stay like this, hmmn?" I batted my eyes, pouted my lips, joined my hands together in front of me, and started swaying like a child. I wanted to charm them by looking cute, hoping it will convince them to stay back.

It used to work when I was very young. It's very possible to still work now.

I was wrong.

"You lost your ability to charm us with that look since you clocked six, Baby D," Dad said, and my mouth fell open in shock. He didn't even look the least bit moved by my attempt to charm him. Mum on the other hand was laughing at me.

This is all Dunni's fault.

"Laugh at me o. Laugh at me," I hissed. "If you come back home to meet the house burnt down and my body in it, my blood is going to be on your head!" I threatened. But these people just used me to laugh. They were laughing at me.

"You say you are not dramatic," Mummy said between laughter, pressing a kiss to the top of my head. I grimaced, making sure to show my displeasure in my expression but said nothing.

When they were done unloading the car and we were finally ready to leave, my brothers came out to say goodbye. Mum was specifically warning them not to disturb me, but we both knew that that was all they will do for the next three days.

I'm screwed. I'm gonna die.

"Stop squeezing your face," Dad's voice jerked me out of my thoughts. I looked at him and found him looking down at me, his lips stretched in a smile. "It makes you less beautiful," He brought his hands to my face and gentle pull on my cheeks.

A smile automatically made it to my lips, causing my dad's smile to widen into a grin.

"There it is," He cooed, brushing his finger against my cheek in a soft caress.

"Your boys are going to kill me," I told him, and he laughed, shaking his head before pulling me in for a hug.

"They wouldn't dare," He whispered and I chuckled, hugging my dad tighter because this might be the last time I'd see or hug him.

I say it again, I am screwed.

"Make sure Dean reads for his upcoming exams," Dad instructed when he pulled away from me. I nodded, even though I knew it was going to be hard to make Dean read for his exams.

Only Mum can successfully do that.

They were ready to leave not too long after with the four of us waving at them, Dean and the twins baring their teeth out in a sweet grin as Dad reversed the car. I could see past their grin. They were just being sweet for that little moment before the car finally drove out.

One last wave as they drove through the gate.

Any second now...

In Three... Two... One.

The gate closed.

"Ahhhgsisjsbsnsbdmskshebdjsksbs!!!"

Their screams rang out immediately, echoing through the entire Coven City and shaking every house, including ours, to their very foundation. I don't even have to worry about them destroying the house by setting it on fire. At this rate, the house will collapse on us.

Great. Just great! I winced, throwing my palm over my ears.

"FREEDOM!"

Dean yelled, pumping his fisted hand to the air, and then started doing cartwheels all over the compound with the twins running after him and trying to do the same. At this pace, they'll probably even break their heads join and it will be all my fault. Yes, they will blame the oldest child.

Bondage. I groaned.

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Is there any day that the twins won't jump around the house, leaping from chair to chair like frogs? Because they were doing just that right now, but this time, throwing around balls and knocking things over. I had to keep running around to catch the breakables before they fall to the tiled floor and crashed.

"Can you guys not!" I screamed, but it was as if my voice was more or less like a whisper to them because they didn't budge. Not even in the slightest.

I looked at Dean, who has been playing PES, oblivious – or acting oblivious to the chaos around him. Anytime the twins throw a ball over his head, or anything for that matter, he'll just duck slightly to avoid it, his eyes not leaving the screen and his thumbs still pressing buttons on the pad.

For God's sake! I groaned inwardly.

I marched to stand in front of him, blocking his view of the television. For the first time in the last hour, Dean tore his eyes away from the screen and looked up at me, his face contorted in a frown that showed that he wasn't happy that I was blocking him.

"Do you mind?" He even had the guts to ask me, and I fought the urge to slap him right across the head.

"A little help here?" I gestured to the already scattered living room and he followed my hands. "Is it until the twins set the house on fire that you will notice your environment and help out to control them," I pointed to the two pains in my ass that hardly regarded me.

Dean suddenly started groaning in frustration, throwing his console on the chair, and started rolling around like an earthworm that someone poured salt on. I rolled my eyes, knowing that he was just trying to show his displeasure. It's the same thing we all do when our mums call us while we are still in bed.

Such a drama queen.

"But you are the firstborn!" He growled out, throwing his noodle hands up in frustration. "This is your job!"

"So, I should na comman die?" I asked rhetorically, folding my hands across my chest as I stared at him. "On top say be firstborn, bah?"

He shrugged nonchalantly, "It's the price you have to pay, big sis." He flashed his teeth at me in a faux grin.

I sighed, wondering how I got so unlucky in the siblings' department.

"I'll help you on one condition," He spoke up after a few seconds of silence, safe from the catastrophic noises coming from the twins. I ducked another ball that was being thrown my way by Damian.

"What is the condition?" I asked Dean, even though I knew that he was going to ask for something extremely stupid. He looked at me, a smirk stretching over his lips.

Here we go.

"Renounce your position and rights as the firstborn and bestow it upon me," He said, stretching his hands out and closing his eyes as if he was reciting a solemn prophecy.

Now, we have finally turned to Esau and Jacob. Nice. I scoffed.

"Not a chance in all the Heavens, Dean," I answered immediately. His eyes flew open and he looked at me with a frown, dropping his hands.

"Then I'm not going to help you," He shrugged again and I hissed.

"It's not as if you would have even if I renounced my birthrights," I walked away from him, leaving him to play his stupid game.

God knows, if I had renounced my birthrights, Dean will still make me do all the work because he was now the firstborn and it was his job to delegate to the younger siblings.

I can't even begin to imagine the kind of commotion this house would be plunged into when Dara and Dererah, especially Dara, come here. Omo, I'll just die.

On cue, the doorbell went off, indicating that my cousins were definitely at the door.

Yup, y'all should start singing burial song for me.

Before I got to the door, the bell went off again, and again, and again, filling the house with this very unpleasant sound that made me groan. I won't put it past Darasimi (Princess) Gentry. She was definitely the one pressing the ring. This won't be her first time

I ran to the door before it could ring again, throwing it open to reveal the both of them as expected.

"Princess," I started immediately after I opened the door. "We talked about this. Press the ring once and wait for someone to–"

"PRINCESS DARASIMI IN THE BUILDING!" The piercing scream that escaped her lips cut me off immediately, causing me to wince slightly.

My eardrums are in trouble today.

The scream was followed by the youngest of the gentry sisters dumping her very very heavy bag in my hands as she walked inside the house, running over to meet Dean that was equally happy to see her, doing a special handshake that was only peculiar to just the two of them.

I just blinked at the bag in my hands. I haff turn servant in my own house.

Okay naw.

"I'm sorry about her," Dererah spoke for the first time since she and her sister came, adjusting her glasses. "I'll take that," She beckoned to Darasimi's bag in my hands.

Dererah was still the most reasonable of the Gentry sisters. A lot more reasonable than Dunni, in fact.

"Yes, please. Thank you," I gave it to her, my limbs already on fire. When she carried it, she nearly lost her balance because of how heavy the bag was.

"What did this girl pack!" She whispered harshly, talking more to herself than to me. "We are just here for three days naw," She hissed, then mumbled some incorrigibles to herself as she dragged the bag in.

Or more like the bag dragged her.

"I think we need to set some ground rules," I began after I have managed to get everyone to settle down. More of the older kids than the twins sha because the twins will never settle down even if I glue their behinds to the chair.

"What are ground rules?" Dara drawled out her question, looking confused. Then that same second, her eyes widened in realization like she had figured out the meaning.

"Is it rules that we write on the floor?"

I swear, I saw Dererah roll her eyes.

"Ground rules are just normal rules, Princess," Dean explained to her simply and Dara went Oh, before nodding in understanding. I fought the urge to slap my hands over my forehead.

This is going to be the longest three days of my life.

"First of all, for the next three days, no one should enter the kitchen without supervision or permission from me," I began, still very keen on the fact that they could burn the house down.

The kitchen was the biggest catalyst for that kind of destruction.

"So what I'm hearing is..." Dean drawled out, trailing off as he shared a knowing look with Dara and Dererah. "You'll be doing all the cooking and washing for the next three days." He grinned, twisting my words to my disadvantage.

Omo.

"That's not what I meant–"

"No chores!" Dara screamed, trading high fives with Dean and her sister. I rolled my eyes.

Fine. Seems like I'm going to do all the work by myself. I sighed.

"Secondly, no leaving the house under any circumstances," I told them. "If you need to go out for any reason, all of us are going out," I said.

Surprisingly, they easily agreed to that one.

"The third rule is, No Sugar after 7:00 pm."

Now that, they didn't agree to.

"What do you mean No Sugar?!" Dean exclaimed.

"Sugar is Life, Cousin D!" Dara chipped in after him. "See something, we the Dayo's and Gentry's cannot live without sweet things! We are going to DIE!" She screamed, and veered back at the intensity of her voice and the weight she used to say the word "die".

Dramatic much?

"We have to take sweetings," Dererah spoke, agreeing with the other two. "It's in our blood to take sweetings," The way she kept saying sweetings with so much seriousness almost had me bursting into laughter. "Even you, Cousin D, you cannot do without sweetings for a minute."

Now that made perfect sense.

"Fine," I compromised and they showed excitement. "That rule will only apply to the twins,"

I pointed to the two musketeers chasing each other around the living room. The two of them stopped short like they heard me talk about them, looked at me, looked at each other, then resumed running around the house like what I said didn't concern them.

But I know what I'm saying. Heaven knows, if they have sugar after 7:00 pm, none of us will sleep tonight.

"One final rule," I announced, and the trio looked at me. "Bedtime for you guys is by 9:30 pm, 8:30 for the twins."

The twins will tire themselves out, so it won't hard putting them to sleep at that time. But of course, the time given to the older kids earned a little bit of disapproval from everyone, even Dererah.

"That's too early," She said. "I do a lot of night reading these days so I can't sleep that early. Exams are approaching." She added, explaining herself.

Preparations for exams were a valid excuse to stay up late. I could excuse Dererah for that, of course. But I knew for certain that it won't be the same excuse Dean and Dara would give for their reasons to stay up late.

And I was right.

"It's the weekend, not even a school night," Dean spoke up and I turned to him. "Why will I, Dean Oladapo Dayo, sleep thy early when there are so many reasons why I should be awake?" I rolled my eyes. "Besides, bedtime is not for me, but these children."

That last statement earned him a stink eye from the girls, especially from Darasimi.

"Cousin D, see something," The youngest gentry began, sitting up. "Me, I cannot sleep that early o," She stated, throwing her hands open in gesticulation. "There is this series marathon on Zee World that I want to catch up on from 10:30 pm to midnight," She said, and my eyes widened like saucers.

"Midnight?!" I exclaimed, and all she did was shrug back. Exhaling, I couldn't resist the urge to slap my hand over my forehead.

I'm definitely going to grow old before these three days are over.

Suddenly, an idea popped into my head and I smirked. I have the perfect way to get Dean and Darasimi to sleep early.

"Fine, you guys are going to stay up late on one condition," I began, and they all sat at the edge of the sofa to listen to my condition.

"Exams are coming up very soon in both schools, so if at all you guys want to stay up late into the night, then it should be to read," Dererah nodded firmly to that. "Not to watch Zee World," I looked at Dara as I said that, eliciting a gasp from her. "Or do anything else," I looked at Dean.

Of course, Dererah agreed easily to that, but not Dean and Dara. They both had small frowns creased on their foreheads.

"Read for exams?" Dean asked incredulously. "We still have like a week and a half to the beginning of exams. It's too early to start reading naw." He said.

"Abi naw," Dara agreed.

"It's never too early to start reading," Dererah obviously disagreed with them.

"Leave me jhor," Dean hissed, while Dara crossed her hands over her chest and started muttering inaudible words of displeasure to herself.

I smirked even more.

"Plus, I'll have to confiscate your phone till tomorrow so that you guys won't get distracted by it," I stated, holding my hands out to collect their phones.

Dererah didn't waste any time before fishing her phone out and dropping it in my hand. Dean and Dara on the other hand, looked like they were about to combust from shock, eyes bulging out and mouth agape.

My smirk stretched even more at their reaction. It was the exact reaction I was expecting.

"BLASPHEMY!" Dean gasped out dramatically, placing his hand over his chest.

"OF THE HIGHEST ORDER!" Dara completed for him, mimicking his stance.

Drama Queens. Both of them. I withdrew my stretched hands and folded them across my chest.

"So, what is it going to be?" I asked, specifically the both of them. "Give me your phones and stay up all night reading," I held out my left hand to indicate the side. "Or, you keep your phones but stick to the Bed Time?" I held out my ride to indicate the other side.

"You are evil," My brother shook his head. I just shrugged.

"Hey, it's dad's order, not mine," I rose my hands up in mock surrender. "I was even trying to be lenient with you by giving you the grace to use your phones and still sleep early but you were arguing with me." I shrugged again. "Better choose wisely," I added.

Dara brought out her phone and started gazing at it sweetly, giving it a soft caress as she kept muttering that she cannot live without her phone. Knowing Dean, that's exactly what was going on in his mind too. He won't want to give up his phone.

"Fine!" They caved, and I held myself from punching the air in victory. "9:30 bedtime it is."

"I'm glad we have an understanding," I smiled, returning Dererah's phone to her. Even she muttered a low Yes in victory for getting her phone back. I chuckled, plopping down on the sofa with a sigh.

Seems like I'm very good at managing these kids. I said to myself with a smirk, fishing my phone out of my pocket to use.

"Ehn ehn, come and hear something that happened at the house today,"

That was Dara, and I knew she wanted to gist us about something. In a matter of seconds, she joined and went into a full-blown discussion about how her brother-in-law came to pick Dunni up from their house before they came here.

She went into full details about how David, Dunni's ex, now boyfriend again wanted to – in Darasimi's words – start rolling on the floor and worshipping at Dunni's feet, because he, David, was – in her words again – was completely discombobulated by Dunni's beauty.

Where did she even learn that word from?

The most shocking part of all this was that Dean was listening to every word and reacting. He was paying keen attention, just the same way he paid attention when he and his friends were talking about the latest marvel movie or the latest video game.

Rapt attention.

Chuckling again, I shook my head and continued surfing through my phone. Within another few seconds of surfing, something caught my attention.

I noticed on our friends' group chat that Hilary had added Semeeha back to the group, and from the conversation going on there, Kizito seemed really happy that everything was fine.

It seemed like Semeeha was just as excited to be back in the group, sending a series of messages and voice notes to thank us for accepting her back and apologize again. For someone that has suddenly fallen ill earlier today, she sounded rather healthy.

It was just as strange as when I heard that she had fainted and was in the health center after vomiting in front of a few of our classmates, and Collins. I wasn't going to believe its authenticity if not for Collins.

Still, I couldn't wave aside the feeling that there was something more there. Especially since I was now heavily skeptical about her.

Not sure of what to say on the group chat, I didn't contribute to anything and was only reading through the messages, even though Semeeha kept tagging me to her messages and voice notes. I was just thankful that Hilary and Kizito didn't drag me into it like Semeeha was trying to do.

I don't understand why she was desperately trying to put me in a spot. Just like she was doing in school.

Involuntarily, my mind went back to the altercation we had in the restroom earlier today,

The apologies.

The confrontation.

Kizito and Gigi...

My face contorted in a frown at that final thought.

Was I wrong about that? I couldn't have been–

The sudden crash that came from the kitchen jerked me out of my thoughts with immediate effect just as it interrupted the gist between Dean and Dara. It wasn't until my eyes and mind settled on my surroundings that I noticed neither Dererah nor the twins were in the living room with us anymore. And that was enough to alert every bit of my senses.

Holy Spirit!

I darted up from the sofa and raced to the kitchen with a speed of lightning, Dara and Dean right behind me. We got to the kitchen and found every other thing in one piece. Every other thing except one thing.

The cupboard on the top cabinet where mum kept the leftover flour she used to bake treats for the family function was open and the bowl of flour was missing. Then, I looked away from the cupboard to the trio standing right under the cabinets and my mouth fell open.

Dererah, Daniel, and Damien were covered, from head to toe, in flour. Dererah's huge fro was completely white and I began to wonder how she was going to wash it off.

"They pushed me!" Dererah quickly pointed to the twins, casting the blame on them. I blinked, trying to think of what to even say about the situation.

But before I could do that...

"Snow!" Dara screamed at the top of her lungs and ran into further the kitchen, scooping up flour from the floor and throwing it into the air, dousing herself with floor from head to toe too.

Immediately, everything turned into play.

"Do for me! Do for me!"

Dean chanted as he ran into the kitchen, allowing his cousins and younger siblings to baptize him with flour. I ran to their middle, trying to stop them from wasting flour, but I ended up being doused with floor from head to toe as well.

They even forced some into my mouth.

I suffered before I successfully ran out of the kitchen, looking like the ghost in those low-budget Nollywood movies. Such an irony that not long after I said I was good at managing the kids, the universe decided to hit me with this catastrophe.

Well played, universe. Well played.

My phone started vibrating in my back pocket and I fished it out, sighing when I saw the caller.

Perfect timing. I picked up the call and brought the phone to my ear.

"Hey, Babe," Chima's deep, unbelievably soothing voice rang out through the speaker of the phone in a low vibration that had my lips stretching in an automatic smile. I can never get used to the things his voice makes me feel.

Just his voice.

Don't even let me get started on his hands.

"How is babysitting going?" He asked me.

"They are driving me nuts, Chima," I answered, and on cue, Darasimi's hysteric scream of excitement rang out of the kitchen. From the chuckle that came from Chima's side of the call, I knew he hear it too.

"Oh, I can hear it loud and clear," He said between chuckles and I found myself laughing lightly. "I can't even begin to imagine how things are looking right now," He added and I laughed again.

"I look like a ghost right now," I gestured to my flour-covered body even though he couldn't see me. "Don't ask me to send pictures because I will not send o. You mustn't see me like this," I said.

Chima chuckled again. But this time, there was a mysterious undertone in his soft laugh.

"Oh, I don't need a picture to see you."

The mysterious undertone was evident again in his voice and my brows furrowed in a slight frown, wondering what he meant. But before I could think so deeply, the doorbell went off, alerting me.

What caught my attention was the fact that I heard a doorbell, that sounded exactly the same as our ring at the same time from Chima's side

He isn't... I gasped

"Chima, are you in front of my house right now?" I asked, unable to hide the disbelief and shock in my voice. Another laugh came from him, and I swear, I heard two extra giggles that weren't his.

"Come and open the door, babe,"

That was all he had to say for me to rush to the door and throw it open, revealing my boyfriend and his twin siblings grinning back at me.

"We thought you could use the extra company," Chima stated with a shrug, his lips in a lopsided grin.

"We brought board games," Ariel spoke up from Chima's right, holding up the stack of board games in her hands.

"And pizza too," Axel chipped in, holding up two boxes of pizza for me to see.

I couldn't help the small breath of laughter that escaped my lips, even when I threw my hand over my mouth in awe. Then I moved closer and pulled the twins into a hug, trying not to crush what they were holding, especially the pizza

"Thank you so much for coming," I told them and they hugged me back.

After I pulled away, I stepped aside to let them in, just when Dean, the twins, and the girls were coming out of the kitchen. This wasn't Dean, Damian, and Daniel's first meet and greet with Axel and Ariel, so it was very easy for them to blend in and for Dean to introduce the Johnson twins to the girls.

I turned back to look at Chima, and found him already looking at me, that grin still tugged at the corners of his lips. My smile widened.

"I wasn't expecting this," I gestured to the twins, chuckling. "Why didn't you tell me you were coming?" I asked, stepping closer to him. He pouted.

"And miss the opportunity to see the look of shock on your face?" He asked rhetorically, casually easing his arms around my waist and pulling my body to flush against his. I giggled, throwing my hands around his neck and tip-toeing to be at his eye level.

"God no," He added with his eyes keenly on mine, his voice reduced to a soft, yet risqué whisper that had me biting down against my lips to stop another fit of giggles.

I glanced down at my flour-covered body pressed against his, knowing that I was getting flour on his body too.

"So now that you have seen the way I look..."

I trailed off when he dropped his head down to the level of mine till his lips were hovering over my ear, his cheeks brushing against mine breezily. An involuntary sigh disguised as a small, sharp gasp escaped my lips when I felt his breath tickling my sensitive earlobe.

"Beautiful," He whispered, before pressing his lips to the space between my ear and my neck, eliciting another soft gasp from me.

My eyes fluttered close and I had to bite down against my lips again to stop something that might have eventually come out as a moan from escaping when he started trailing kisses down the delicate skin of my neck to the hollow before completely burying his face in the space.

"Always. Beautiful," He repeated, his breath tickling the sensitive skin of my neck. A soft, breezy laugh escaped my lips, ending in a hume as I tightened my hands around his neck.

"You lie," My voice came out in a breathless, almost inaudible whisper.

Chima brought his head up from my neck and looked at me with a faux, exaggerated frown contorted on his face. I couldn't stop my laughter.

"Ahh, Babe," He sighed, shaking his head. "You wound me," He sounded genuinely hurt, even though I knew he wasn't. I laughed again, before pulling him into a hug. He chuckled, hugging me back.

I'm just happy he is here.

"Thank you for coming," I whispered and he hummed, "This is exactly what I need," I said to him. He hummed again into the space of my neck, pressing short but toe-curling kisses to the hollow that had my eyes closing again. He hugged me tighter, closer.

"Any time, Baby," He answered, pressing another kiss to the top of my head. It was my turn to hume, burying my face in his chest, taking in that beautifully rousing scent that was his.

I don't think I'm ever going to get used to the knowledge that this man is mine. Everything with him always felt new, fresh... like a first. I love it.

I love him.

"Shey you people will not enter ni?" It was Dean that spoke and the others followed up by laughing.

Chima chuckled as he pulled away from me and I rolled my eyes, unlocking my arms from around his neck to look inside. Every one of them was staring right at us, suggestive and teasing smirks gracing their lips.

"How long do you think they have been watching us?" I asked Chima as we made our way into the house, closing the door behind us.

"I'm going to bet all my money that it's the entire time," Chima answered. I tried not to blush at the embarrassing fact that we were giving these children a show.

Great. Another thing to be teased with.

I don't understand how fast Darasimi walked, but one minute she was standing with the rest, and another minute she was standing in front of Chima and me.

"So, you are my Cousin D's boyfriend?"

Leave it to Darasimi Gentry to always be direct. Even Dererah was shocked by how she fired the question, whispering her name with a chiding tone. Also, leave it to Chima to indulge her, of course.

"Yes, I am her boyfriend," He answered sweetly, glancing at me with a smirk that had me rolling my eyes comically. He turned back to Darasimi, crouching down a little bit to be on her level.

"And you must be Darasimi Gentry," He added, his lips still stretched in that radiant smile of his. Darasimi gasped, obviously not expecting him to know her name. "It's nice to finally meet you. I've heard so much about you,"

That made Darasimi's head swell, and trust me she already had a big head.

She turned back and whispered, "He knows me," to her sister, before she turned back to Chima, still trying to keep her composure.

"Good things I hope," For the first time since she got here, Darasimi wasn't screaming our ears off or jumping around the house. She was literally composed... because of my boyfriend.

Should I be worried?

"Definitely good things," Chima answered, and Darasimi gasped again, so exaggeratedly that everyone heard her. Then she went back to composing herself, clearing her throat and adjusting her dress.

Then she turned to me.

"Cousin D, I just want to let you know because we are family and you deserve to know what is going on in my mind right now," She rambled on.

Here we go. I rolled my eyes

"What is that, Princess?" I asked anyway.

"I am going to thief your boyfriend, and there is nothing you will do about it," She stated point-blankly, in the most serious tone I have ever heard her muster.

Oh wow!

Chima and everyone else double up in laughter while I stared at the youngest of the Gentry sister like she had grown a second head.

I should definitely be worried.

I quickly pretzeled my arms with Chima's to lay my claim, against my twelve years old cousin.

Yes, it's that serious. Even though she was playful as hell and loud as fück, Darasimi Gentry had to be the most beautiful of the Gentry sister, especially for her age. It would be cataclysmic to underestimate the power of the most adorable twelve-year-old on this planet.

"Right," I cleared my throat. "I'm going to act like I didn't hear that," I said and they all laughed again, even Chima. When I flashed him a look, he quickly disguised the laugh as a fake cough.

Good.

"That's Dererah, Darasimi's immediate elder sister," I nodded at Dererah that had reduced back into her shy shell, somewhat hiding behind Dean.

"Hi, Dererah," Chima waved his free her at her, his lips still in a good-natured grin.

"Hello," Came her small, shy reply with a curt wave. Chima lowered his head to my side

"She's the calm one of the sisters, abi?" He asked, and I nodded. That much was obvious. I did one last big introduction, especially for Axel and Ariel.

"Is your hair natural?" Ariel asked Darasimi, looking pretty much in awe of the silk ponytail that started in a bun at the middle of Darasimi's head and ran to her lower back.

Darasimi liked it when people talked about her hair, and immediately that question came, she was already grinning from ear to ear.

"Yes, it is." She began to flip it back and forth, showing it off. "The Gentry girls are blessed with long hair," She boasted, and I fought the urge to roll my eyes for the umpteenth time

"Pride!" Dean guffawed.

"Wow!" It was Axel that spoke this time, nodding with an impressed look on his face.

"Can I touch it?" Ariel asked Darasimi, clearly excited and Darasimi agreed in a heartbeat. Ariel gasped when she ran her fingers through the hair. "So beautiful!" She said in complete awe.

"I know right?" Her twin brother agreed, then he turned to Dererah who was standing just a distance beside him. "Especially your fro," He spoke directly to her.

That seemed to catch her unaware because she looked a little shocked.

"M-Me?" She gestured to herself as she asked. Axel nodded, his lips tugged up with something that looked between a smile and a flirtatious smirk.

My mouth fell open.

"Yeah," He answered. "I like your afro. It really fits you," He complimented her, and that seemed to shock Dererah even more because her eyes widened slightly beneath her glasses like she didn't expect him to compliment her.

"What are we looking at right now, Babe?" Chima asked in an incredulous whisper, just as taken aback at what we were watching as I was.

Dean, on the other hand, went "hehehe" suggestively, like he could pick up exactly what was happening.

"T-Thank y-you," Dererah answered Axel in a soft stutter, adjusting and readjusting her glasses nervously.

The height of it all was when Axel winked... flipping winked at her, plunging Dererah into a hug, blushing mess. And Dean chose that particular time to burst into outrageous laughter.

Omo!

"Did my brother just flirt with your cousin?" Chima sounded so flabbergasted.

"I think your brother just flirted with my cousin," I answered. Both of us were awestruck by what just happened.

E be tinz o! E be tinz.

Another girl in the Dayo/Gentry Family smitten by a Johnson Boy. How beautifully convenient.

Having Chima and his siblings around made babysitting my siblings and cousins a lot more bearable. Dean adored Chima like mad and was trying to show that he could be composed around the revered captain of the Crestview basketball team, so my brother spent the entire evening forming cool and collected.

Darasimi was so extra too. Any small thing, she'd call Chima's attention and he would indulge her wholeheartedly. I wanted to be annoyed that she was getting my boyfriend's attention more than I was, but it was just too cute to watch that I couldn't. Besides, how appalling would it seem to be jealous of my twelve-year-old cousin?

Very appalling in fact.

Dererah, on the other hand, seemed to have caught Axel's eye and he wasn't even being subtle about it. He made sure to sit beside her during our movie, picked her as a partner during our game of monopoly, and seemed to really care about if she was okay with the pizza or if she wanted to eat something else.

For someone that he just met, Axel seemed very particular about her and it also looked like Dererah was beginning to enjoy the attention she was getting from him.

Now that... was all shades of adorable.

The entire evening was such a blast that I didn't notice it was getting late by the time we were clearing every trash and putting away leftovers. It was then it occurred to me that Chima might want to leave any time from that moment and honestly, I wasn't sure I wanted him to leave just like that.

Heck, I didn't even get to spend so much time with him today.

His parents have been on Honeymoon pro max, as Chima called it, for two weeks now, so it was just him and the twins at home. Getting them to stay won't be difficult to achieve but I didn't know how to ask him if he wants to.

What if he doesn't want to?

"Not Axel still subtly making moves on Dererah," The voice of the object of my thoughts alerted me back to the present.

I glanced over my shoulder to look at him, then moved away from the sink to get a proper view of the living room. Sure, Axel and Dererah were trashing things into the waste bag together, talking and laughing about God knows what. I giggled and went back to washing the dishes.

These kids. I shook my head

"Hope he knows she's a little older than him though." It was more of a statement than a question. Chima chuckled.

"I don't think he'll care so much if he finds out," He answered and I threw my head back, laughing. I honestly won't put it past Axel.

"Given our encounter the first time I came to your house and how he kept hitting on me so many times after that, I can say for a fact that your brother knows his chops pretty well," I stated matter-of-factly. An exaggerated gasp came from Chima.

"Better than me?" He asked and I threw him a look over my shoulder.

"Do you want me to say the truth? It might hurt o," I teased.

"Ahh!" He exclaimed and I laughed. Then he started mumbling to himself about how he'll stop teaching his brother how to get the ladies, causing me to laugh again.

The Johnson boys, such charmers, all of them... even their father was the biggest charmer of them all. And it was all shades of beautiful.

A comfortable silence settled between Chima and me in the kitchen, safe from the noise coming from the living room that suddenly sounded so distant. Maybe it was because my entire body was on high alert because I was super conscious of Chima's presence in the space with me.

Just the two of us.

It didn't help that I could feel his eyes on me, slowly raking my body. Yup, I could feel every part of my body that got blessed with just a glance from him heat up, though I tried to act like I wasn't getting affected, washing the plates and rinsing them ever so casually.

Of course, that didn't last for long because my hands froze work for a little bit as soon as I sensed him directly behind me. It was almost as if he had glided because I didn't hear him walk... or maybe he just had quiet feet.

Either way, he was right behind me now. I tried to continue washing like his closeness wasn't clouding my senses but all I could feel was his chest brushing against my back ever so slightly. It showed that there was still a tiny little space between us and just one more micro step closer, Chima's chest would be pressed against my back.

And he did that. He closed the remaining distance between us, pressing my back against his front.

An involuntary sigh escaped my lips when he slowly eased his arms around me from behind. He brought his head to the side of mine, resting his chin on my shoulder. With his breath daintily fanning the sensitive skin of my neck, there was absolutely no way I couldn't get distracted.

"You are distracting me, Chima," Even though I sounded so breathless, it was still shocking how I wasn't a stuttering mess.

He chuckled, the deep, rumbling sound causing his chest to vibrate against my back. My eyes were beginning to flutter close.

"I'm just holding my girlfriend," He said so casually, even though it was obvious that he knew exactly what he was doing.

"Sure you are," I whispered with an eye roll, trying to focus on the plates I was washing.

Chima chuckled again, and just when I thought he'd walk away, he tightened his arms around me, pulling me impossibly closer to him. I couldn't stop the fit of giggles that escaped my lips, before dropping everything I was washing to hold onto his arms around me.

"Admit it," He whispered, the breezy sound fanning my skin. "You like it when I'm distracting you," He said. I just couldn't help me smile playing on my lips.

"Sometimes," I answered and he laughed again, before pressing a kiss to my right cheek. I allowed my eyes to blink close this time, leaning into his hold.

"I don't want to leave tonight," He confessed, eliciting a deep, relieving sigh from me.

As if he knew exactly what was going on in my mind.

"Then stay," I answered, turning my head and looking at him from the side answered. "You guys can stay the night..." I trailed off thoughtfully. "Or the three nights that my parents are going to be away,"

I fully turned around till we were now facing each other, my back pressed against the sink with Chima's arms resting on either side of me, trapping me with him. When I looked at him, his lips were upturned in a small, suggestive smirk.

"What?"

"Now you are just giving me ideas," He wiggled his brows. I caught on immediately and burst into laughter, pushing him.

"Chima!" I shrieked.

"It's not my fault na. It's my mind," He tapped his forehead. I hissed.

"Your dirty mind," I mumbled and he chortled, coming back to hold me. I let him, throwing my hands around his neck.

"Are you certain about us staying for three days?" He asked and I nodded in a heartbeat.

"I really want you here," I said and he grinned. "Besides, it's like Dean respects you more than me, his sister," Chima laughed at that. "And Darasimi will listen to you since she's completely smitten by your charms,"

"And you say I don't have chops," He smirked, folding his hand across his chest.

"Tahh! Gettat!" I dismissed him. "It's only small girls your can attract. I should be scared of you, this boy."

Chima laughed again.

⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆

Soon, I was done cleaning up and sending the kids to bed. The twins stayed in their room, Axel paired with Dean, and Dererah, Darasimi, and Ariel took a room to themselves. Chima, on the other hand, had already gone ahead of me to my room to freshen up.

Is it weird that I wasn't nervous about that in the slightest?

I mean, I thought about the fact that we might end up sleeping in the same room and on the same bed when I told him that he could spend the next three days with us. Plus, I wasn't sure if offering him an entirely different room was necessary.

This wasn't the first time he'd be going into my room, anyway, though it was the first time he'd be spending the night... three nights. Still, I wasn't shaken up by it. That's how much confidence and trust I had in Chima. He respects me more than anything and he won't let anything happen without my consent.

I won't even be shocked if I entered the room right now and he's setting up on the couch or something.

And that's exactly what I met him doing when I entered the room, supplementing one of my blankets and an extra pillow from my bed. He was all cleaned up and was wearing one of Dad's old jerseys and shorts that I gave him for the night.

I leaned against the door post and chuckled lightly, alerting him of my presence.

"Hey," He whispered when he looked up from where he was setting up, his lips tugged in a small smile. "Hope you don't mind that I took an extra pillow and blanket?" He asked me.

This boy is too precious. I shook my head.

"You know you don't have to sleep on the couch right," I said to him, pushing myself off the door post and walking in.

"Wasn't sure if you'd be comfortable sharing the bed with me," He answered, a little teasing undertone to his voice. I chuckled again.

"I don't mind you sharing the bed with me," I told him. Chima paused what he was doing as soon as I said that, looked at the bed, then looked back at me with his eyebrows quirked in question.

"Are you sure?" He asked. "I mean, I can take the couch, I don't mind at all,"

"Why would you want to spend the night on the couch when the bed is big enough for the both of us?" I said, and now it was his turn to chuckle.

"Okay," He agreed easily as if he had been expecting me to offer him. He packed the blanket and pillow back to my bed, setting them up neatly. I watched him with an unconscious smile playing on my lips.

"I'll go check up on the kids," He said when he was done. I scoffed out a laugh at the way that statement sounded.

"You make it sound like we are parents," I teased, and he laughed.

"Well, we are preparing for the future, innit?" He stated so casually, causing me to laugh again. He walked up to where I was standing and lowered his head to my level.

"I meant it when I said I'm going to marry you," He whispered, his deep, throaty voice laced with so much seriousness. I felt my cheeks heat up, and I bit down against my lower lip to stop myself from smiling.

This boy...

He saw how much I was struggling not to smile and his lips broke into a big contagious grin that had me automatically smiling.

"Go and freshen up," He pressed a kiss to the side of my head. "I'll be back in a minute." He said, making his way out of the room. I took my things into the bathroom, pausing my lips together so that I won't smile so hard. But after staring at my reflection, I just couldn't help the big smile.

Chima did this. All Chima.

This is what having him around me felt like, positive energy emitting from everywhere and enveloping me in one big soothing bubble. He knew exactly what to say or do to pull on my heartstrings and have me falling for him over and over again.

It's been a month since we got official, a month since I became his girlfriend and heaven knows, I haven't felt any hint of regret for making that decision to be his.

I haven't had any regret for loving him.

It might be too early to tell, I know, but we all know for a fact that there was no way in hell he wasn't genuine. Nah, there was no single born of ingenuity in that boy.

I would know. I had the experience to prove it.

It felt so good to be loved by Sochima Ansel Johnson. So good.

Showering didn't take me more than five minutes to do. In no time I was done, dressing up in a baggy top and pair of shorts. Chima wasn't back by the time I was finished, so I just went about other things to keep me busy while I wait for him.

I tapped some buttons on my phone, connecting it to the portable speaker by my bedside and in that instant, the intro of Heat Waves by Glass Animals filled the room in soft streams.

Bobbing my head, I began to go through my school bag, bringing out all my books to arrange on my shelf. As I was doing that, a folded sheet of paper fell from one of my books to the bed. I picked it up and stared at it for a moment. I didn't have to open it to know who it was from.

You just won't give up, will you Jidenna? I sighed.

"What's that?" Chima's voice filled the room. I looked up to see him already walking into the room, shutting the door behind him. Remembering his question, I shook my head and flipped the paper.

"The usual," I answered, dumping the paper back inside my bag, resolving to give Hilary on Monday.

"Another letter for Hilary?" He picked up quickly, folding his hand over his chest.

I nodded. Chima knew just a little bit about Jidenna's continuous letters to Hilary that always went through me.

"Are you going to give it to her?" He asked Ashe took slow, quiet steps towards me. I shrugged, a small smile tugging at the corners of my lips.

"Apparently, I'm a messenger now," I joked, and he chuckled but said nothing. There was a moment of silence in the room, safe for Heat Waves that played softly.

"He's not going to stop, is he?" Chima asked me, and I shook my head.

"No, he's not," I whispered back, my shoulders slumped in frustration. "And I am concerned about how much it is affecting Hilary even though she acts like it's not," I looked at my boyfriend as he watched me in silence but listened to me with rapt attention.

"I don't like seeing her mood change all of a sudden when I tell her that I got another letter from him," I continued. "I don't want to give her the letters, but I know she needs to read them. If she sees that Jidenna is desperate, she'll eventually cave and read them,"

"Do you think he's actually sorry?" Chima's voice held no animosity whatsoever. He spoke like he really wanted to know what my take on the situation was. I shrugged again.

"I have no reason to believe that he is not," I answered and he hummed, nodding slowly. "Jidenna is not a bad person, Chima–"

"I believe you," He cut me off gently, moving closer to me. "And I know he's not a bad person," He placed his hands on either side of my folded ones. "He just tends to make very terrible decisions,"

"Yeah," I whispered, nodding. "And I want to believe that he is learning. In fact, I know he is learning," I was certain of that. Chima's lips tugged in a small smile.

"Always willing to see the good in everyone," He whispered, and I laughed softly.

"Only those that were worth it," I answered. "And I think Jidenna is worth it,"

My playlist was on repeat, so Heat Waves was starting again from the beginning. The soft acoustics of the instrumentals filled the room and the blinking red, blue and purple lights from the speaker illuminated the walls of the room and bounced off like lights from a disco ball.

It looked so aesthetic. Felt so ethereal.

"Come on," Chima took my hand and pulled me to the open space in the middle of the room.

"What are you doing?" I asked him, even though it was clear as day what he was doing.

Chima always chose the oddest times to dance, and honestly, even though I wasn't in the mood most of the time, I'd indulge him because dance was art for me, but dancing with Chima was a major therapy for me. I think it was as much of a therapy for him as well.

"You need this," He whispered, like he knew exactly what was going on in my mind. I hummed, allowing him to do what only he knew how to do my best.

Work my body to perfect symphony.

🎶Sometimes, all I think about is you
Late nights in the middle of June🎶

Right there in the middle of my room, Chima wrapped his arms around me. Strong, yet gentle arms wrapped around the small of my back, pulling my body to his till there was no space left between us. Instinctively, my arms reached up and wrapped around his neck, pulling his head down till his forehead was touching mine,

We swayed lightly on our feet to the rhythm of the song, locked in each other's embrace.

"You are tensed,"

Chima whispered, and I caught a whiff of my toothpaste as his breath fanned my face. I exhaled softly, feeling his fingers running down the hollow of my back as if to unknot my tensed muscles.

It worked.

"I'm worried... and scared,"

I responded in an equal hushed tone, mimicking the movement of his fingers on my back to mine at the back of his neck, trailing up till my fingers were buried in his hair, massaging his scalp breezily. A low, throaty groan escaped his lips, possibly involuntarily.

He likes it when I did that to his scalp. He really likes it.

🎶Heat waves been faking me out
Can't make you happier now🎶

"Scared for Hilary?" He asked.

"And scared of Semeeha,"

Chima leaned his head away from mine so he could look at me properly, obviously surprised by my statement.

"Scared of Semeeha?" He asked incredulously. "Since when?" He sounded genuinely alarmed, and it made me laugh.

"Not in the way you are interpreting it," I quickly said. "I'm not scared of her, as per her. I'm more terrified of the things that go on in her head," I clarified and Chima hummed, understanding marrying his features.

"I don't know what they are, and the fact that I'm so clueless terrifies me to the core," I sighed.

Chima didn't say anything to that, but I knew he was hearing... and listening... and understanding everything even without me having to say it expressly. He gently swayed me in his arms to the rhythm of the song as he removed his left hand from my waist and brought it to rest on my right which was around his neck.

🎶I just wonder what you're dreaming of
When you sleep and smile so comfortable🎶

Then, he picked my right hand off his neck and trailed his fingers on my skin ever so lightly till his palm was splayed against mine. I watched intently as our fingers intertwined, a soft sigh escaping my lips in that effect.

The intimacy.

I didn't bother going into details about Semeeha, and I liked the fact that Chima didn't pressure me to explain what I really meant by everything I said.

I just closed my eyes and allowed him to hold me, allowing him to sway me to the melodic lilt of Heat Waves while my mind worked in wheels.

Semeeha had to be the vaguest person I have ever encountered. I might act as if I had her all figured out, but the truth is that I don't. I don't even think anyone does. Even when we were still very close, it was hard to see past her. She was transparent, but still very opaque, very cryptic. Asides from the things she shows us, we don't see more.

Maybe that's why I was having second thoughts about what I am seeing between her and Kizito. Suddenly, I'm unsure, even with how much I caught her off guard when I confronted her today. Maybe that was just it. Maybe I just caught her off guard and the shock on her face was at the absurdity of everything I was saying.

But I know what I see.

I Know What I See.

"Hey," Chima whispered, his voice bringing me out of my thoughts. I opened my eyes and looked at him. His eyes were steadily on me, letting me know that he had been watching me.

"Don't think too much, please," He pleaded. I sighed, shaking my head.

"It's hard not to," I answered.

Chima bobbed his head to the side thoughtfully, his eyes twinkling with reflections of the red, blue, and purple lights from the speaker.

"Should I distract you?"

He asked the question so casually, his voice teasing but I could still hear an undertone of seriousness somewhere that made my heart pick up the beat. It was then it finally dawned on me that it was just the two of us in this room, and our emotions could run wild at any moment.

But I wasn't stopping anything.

I didn't want to stop anything.

"Like you are not doing that already," I let out breathlessly when I felt his fingers trailing my clad back again. I could feel the tenderness of his touch to the core of my soul and he wasn't even touching my skin... yet.

Chima chuckled, the husky, bass tone raking through my body with so much warmth, and teasing me at the same time. I could feel the goosebumps sprouting on my skin.

"You call that a distraction?" He asked, removing his left hand from my right and bringing it back to rest against my waist. His voice had reduced to a brooding tone just like his laugh, only that it was a lot deeper, a lot huskier...

A lot sensual.

He leaned his head lower till his nose was brushing against mine, till his lips were just a breath away from mine. I couldn't stop the small mewl that escaped my lips at that point, knowing deep down that I'll never get used to Chima teasing me like this.

Never.

"Baby, that is not a distraction," He sounded just as breathless as I was.

"This." He punctuated that word with a slight brush of his lips against mine and I gasped. I felt his smile against my lips, clearly pleased at the kind of effect he had on me.

"Is a distraction." He completed in a whisper before his lips covered mine, forcing a harsh breath right out of me.

🎶You look so broken when you cry
One more and then I'll say goodbye🎶

Chima moved his lips against mine, slowly... sensually, but for a short time. He pulled away slightly, forcing me to open my eyes so that I could look at him so that I'd know why he stopped.

He was looking down at me, watching me through dilated eyes from beneath his lashes, his breath coming out in unsteady, breathless pants that told me that short kiss affected him a lot more than should have. He looked at me as if to ask if I should go on.

I didn't have to give him a go-ahead. I just hoisted myself up on my tippy toes and pressed my lips to his. That was all the go-ahead he needed.

Chima kissed me like it was all he wanted me to think about. And given that his aim was to distract me from my worrisome thoughts, he seemed very intent on doing that. Of course, he delivered, kissing me so perfectly that I felt my mind go numb and every thought of Semeeha slipped away into nothingness.

Now, that's a distraction. I can never get used to how much of an amazing kisser Chima was.

I kissed him right back with equal intensity, moaning into his mouth when I felt his teeth graze my lower lip, gently tugging on it. With my lips slightly apart, he skillfully slid his tongue between them, teasing mine in ways that made every single nerve in muscle unknot, turning me into a puddle in his arms. I sighed breathlessly against his lips, surrendering myself to him totally.

Like he knew I was having trouble staying on my feet, Chima lowered his arms to the back of my thigh and hoisted me up till my legs were wrapped around his waist, carrying me so effortlessly like I weighed nothing without having to break the kiss. My hands did not leave his neck, except to occasionally cradle his face when I wanted to kiss him deeper... better.

We were moving. I didn't know where we were going till I felt Chima guiding me down, my back coming in contact with the softness of my bed. Chima followed suit without halting the movement of his lips against mine, settling on top of me with my legs still wrapped around his waist. I could feel his hands on either side of me, holding himself up so that his weight wouldn't crush me.

But I didn't care. I wanted him impossibly close, with no space in between. I didn't want to think about how fast we were moving, or how rapidly things were amping up.

All I wanted at this point was to please my heart.

So, I hooked my legs behind him and gently pulled him down to me. He didn't fight it, closing the little space between us till his body was completely lying over mine, leaving just ample space for breathing. His body came pressing down against mine till all I could feel him...

...All of him.

"Fück, Chima..."

I gasped out sharply when his lips left mine and touched my neck, arching my back against him. I threw my neck to the side to give him better access to my neck, cradling his head to that corner to feel more of his lips on my skin. I could feel literally heat waves all over my body, causing me to shiver uncontrollably beneath him.

I shattered undone beneath him.

Chima's lips on my skin were like velvet and silk, trailing over the same spot that he had found out to be the most sensitive. His open-mouthed kisses were irenic, lingering, yet still managed to elicit soft wanton gasps from me. I couldn't help myself, not with the way he kept darting his tongue out to touch the sensitive skin, not with the way he gently tugged and nibbled on that spot.

He was marking me. I wanted him to mark me... everywhere.

I felt his hand grope my unclad thigh as he trailed his lips back along my neck, to my collar bone, up to my jaw till his lips were on mine again.

He kissed me slowly this time, teeth nibbling on my button lip, tugging gently, dragging out soft gasps and lewd moans from me, groaning roughly against my lips as well. He held my legs in place around his waist, leaning his lower half against mine. I felt the tell-tale nudge, evidence of the effect this kiss had on him.

My kiss.

He wanted me to feel what kissing me did to him. And I did feel it.

He pulled away slightly, touching his forehead to mine. His chest heaved, his lips puffing out sharp breaths that indicated how breathless... and turned on he was. I tried to catch my breath, and kept my eyes closed, a little unsure if I wanted to meet Chima's eyes.

"Do you want me to stop?"

It was so shocking how clear and audible his words were, even though it was very evident by how husky his voice was that the kiss still had so much effect on him. It was shocking how he wasn't tripping on his words and mumbling jargons because God knows, if I opened my mouth to speak like now, all I'll say is nonsense and ingredients.

"Hmmn?" He hummed, softly brushing the tip of his nose against mine, reminding him of his question.

Do I want him to stop?

"No," I answered in a heartbeat, my eyes still shut. Chima hummed again, this time in satisfaction. He brought his face even closer and dropped soft, gentle kisses on my lips, kisses that told me I was safe, that I was completely safe with him.

I believed those kisses. I believed him.

"Open your eyes, baby," He whispered, and automatically, on his command, my eyes fluttered open, meeting his and drawing me in right away.

His eyes were deep, dark holes of love and lust, enrapturing my very being and pulling me into a world of beautiful oblivion. And the way he looked at me like I was an empyrean being, a celestial sight to behold. He looked at me like I was the word BEAUTY.

"I've got you,"

It sounded like a promise. It was a promise, and it almost brought tears to my eyes.

"Your pace," He whispered, and I nodded. He wanted to do this at my own pace, he didn't want to rush me. I trust him not to. I know he won't.

We started kissing again, going at each other's pace, savoring every single feeling we got from being in each other's arms. With his lips still moving in perfect sync with mine, Chima took both hands with both of his and splayed them on either side of my head. Still kissing me, he lined his arms with mine till his palms were perfectly positioned over mine,

Then he laced his fingers between mine, fisting the sheets of the bed between our fingers, a simple gesture that elicited a sigh of satisfaction from my lips.

I Love this boy.

"I Love You," He whispered against my lips like he heard my thought and wanted to let me know that he loved me too. I smiled against his lips.

"No capping," I whispered back and I felt him smile right back.

I'm not sure how long we kissed that night but we just went on and on, communicating our feelings through each soft caress of our lips and every touch from our fingers to our skin. Chima showed me how much he loved me with every stroke, every feel, every grope... every taste.

Chima showed me he loves without words, but with action. The best proof.

It felt so good to be loved by Sochima Ansel Johnson. And, I wasn't lucky.

I Am Blessed.

𝐀/𝐍

*Sprinkles Holy water and Anointing oil all over this Chapter*

This is the longest chapter I have written so far in this book and that's so ironic because it came as an afterthought 😂. Na Chima and Dawn dey carry us where we no know o. Wan ti gbe wa ni handicap 😂🤝🏾.

So many beautiful dynamics in one chapter though. Family goals, on G🥺❤️.

You guys can see that according to Dawn's POV, Semeeha practically gave nothing away that stamped her intuition about Semeeha's feelings for Kizito. But deep down, she knows she's not wrong, and we all know she's not wrong. The power of POV🌚.

What was your favorite part of this chapter?

This chapter is just to give you guys something to hold on to till Hilary/Jidenna Kasala comes. Y'all should pray for Hilary o, because 💀

I'll see you when I see you. Till then, you know the drill. Kisses 😘.