(066a - The Enemy of My Soul Part 1)

This chapter is dedicated to DonaldUzoka. You will never be able to see this tag, and it hurts. But I'm learning to move on. You'd want that. I miss you, my love🤍.

It's been a while fam. How have you been? I've missed you guys so much. So sorry that I've been MIA, but you know how life is na. I really had to squeeze out this chapter and I hope it's worth it.

Jidenna might make you proud in this chapter 😌. Our boy is growing up and it's making me happy.

Let's dive in.

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𝐉𝐈𝐃𝐄𝐍𝐍𝐀
(Jidenna Leo Okojie)

Come to my house, I want to show you something.

That was the text message I got from Adela that had me flying out of bed like it was suddenly covered with hot coal, putting on random clothes without properly checking the mirror and literally dashing down the stairs with a speed I didn't know I possessed, footwear in hand.

I don't even think my feet touched the ground through the flight of stairs, causing me to almost trip on air.

Na woman cause this kain thing.

I can't begin to describe the different kinds of emotions that started bubbling in my chest when I saw that message from her; excitement, anticipation... longing.

Lately, it seemed as if Adela was trying to find every single opportunity to see me, not that I was even complaining because I looked forward to her calls or messages. She would use photography as an excuse but at the end of the day, we would do everything but photography.

Everything fun... fulfilling, leaving me with even more longing that I wouldn't want to leave her side for a moment.

It always came the way it did today. She won't ask me if I was busy prior, or if I was free to come over. She'd just ask me to come like she was ordering me to leave everything I was doing at that moment to come and meet her.

And for me, it was like an entire being has been wired to heed her every call.

If this was around the time we just met, I'd have been offended, complaining at every single moment about how controlling she was, even though I'd still somehow heed at the end of the day. But now, I anticipated it.

I craved it even. Because there was nothing more I'd rather do than spend all my time with Adela. There was something satisfying about the way she always called me. No other person.

Just me.

And there was something about the authority she carried with every word she spoke... even texted, that appealed to me in ways I have never felt. I found her audaciousness incredibly intriguing.

Sexy, even.

In fact, seeing her in all her element, looking all... Adela was incredibly sexy.

She was exactly who she thought she was.

Our relationship was evolving, and it was evolving fast. Our night together last week created a difference... a shift in our emotions. But while I was a little shy about exploring it, because I wanted to get it right for once, Adela was freaking bold about it.

Unapologetically bold.

She was free-er around me, always smiling, always laughing at everything I said like I was the funniest jokester in the entire world.

And she was touchy.

Fuck, she was touchy.

And I don't mean holding hands kind of touchy even though that one was part of it. I mean her creeping up behind me, feeling up my back with her delicate fingers, then wrapping them around my middle with her palms splayed on my chest, igniting a flame in me that has been long forgotten.

That kind of touch.

I think that was one thing I always looked forward to when I was with her. Her inciting and intentional touch. The kind of touch that were innocent and sexual at the same time.

Touches that did things to me... that made me feel things.

She made holding back extremely hard. It's even as if she didn't want me to hold back whenever I'm with her. She was tugging on that thin thread I was using to hold my self-control together, playing with it between her fingers like a toy.

Playing with me.

But I didn't want to rush things with her. I want- no, I need to be intentional with her.

I need to do right by her.

"You do know you are wearing mismatched Jordans right?" Tola's voice filled the room as he walked in from a corner of the house that led to the gym, his naked upper torso dripping with sweat and a toward around his neck.

I looked at him, confused and disoriented for a couple of seconds. His gaze dropped to the floor and I followed to see what he was talking about.

Oh wow.

The Jordans I had on were different colors. Same brand. One leg each from different pairs. If it were matching colors, it would have passed as an intentional decision to look fashionable. But it was yellow and green: mustard yellow and vomit green.

It honestly looked like a troll had thrown up all over my legs.

"Shit," I cussed.

"Yes, shit."

Tola mocked, an equally mocking chuckle escaping his lips causing me to eye him. In a matter of seconds, I had taken a flight back upstairs and back down, a cyan-blue pair in my hands. At least this will go well with the black-on-black fit I had on.

"Better?" I asked him, holding them up for him to see.

"Not like my opinion ever matters to you, but of course. They look manageable, giving you a total lack of taste." He shrugged nonchalantly like he didn't just insult my taste in fashion. I rolled my eyes at him, muttering how he was of no help at all.

He only chuckled back in response.

"Where are you off to?" He asked, dabbing his sweaty face with the towel. "It's really cold outside," He noted, and he was right. It is the harmattan season after all.

"Do you want me to drive you?" He offered good-naturedly.

"You don't have to," I shook my head. "I'll drive on my own," I said. "It has been a while since I did that," I added as an afterthought, plopping down on the couch to wear my Jordans.

Adela has never seen me in a car before. Maybe this will impress her. I thought with a smile.

Tola was oddly quiet for a moment. When I looked up at him, he was strong at me with his brows quirked and a smirk tugged at the corners of his lips. A small, confused form contorted at the corners of my face, my eyebrows mimicking his.

"What?"

"Who are you trying to impress?" He asked, his voice laced with a knowing undertone. I tried to hide my shock, wondering how he was able to figure that out real fast.

"Who says I'm trying to impress anyone?" I deflected immediately, feigning ignorance and nonchalance. "Is it so unbelievable that I just want to go on a cruise around the city and spoil myself with small street food?" I tried to play it cool, punctuating with a shrug.

But of course, Tola saw through that, his smirk stretching further up his lips.

"You are going to meet up with that Hausa babe that has been taking away all your attention, bah?" He started to wiggle his brows at me.

My eyes widened in shock, not expecting him to know who Adela was, not to talk of her tribe.

"How did you know about her?" I asked immediately, and he laughed lightly.

"You are not as quiet as you think when you are on video calls with her," he answered. "Must you laugh so loud though? You will eventually wake the entire estate up one day at this rate."

I couldn't even tell if he was teasing or being serious.

"So you have been eavesdropping on my conversations all this while." I wanted to turn it on him, but I should have known better than to do that because Tola was smart as fuck. And of course, he saw that coming from a mile away.

"Didn't you hear what I just said?" He looked down at me like he was looking at an annoying child. "You are loud as fuck. If I can un-hear the many cringe-worthy things you have said to the poor girl, trust me, I would. You literally have zero games. I wonder how she puts up with you."

I wasn't sure whether to laugh at his comical expression or feel incredibly offended at the not-so-subtle, obviously, intentional insult he just threw at me. Maybe it was both.

"Do you want to lose your job?" I tried to threaten him, but he only scowled back at me.

"You're not my boss," He easily dismissed me with a wave of his hand. "Since when did you become Kingsley Okojie?"

It was meant to be a joke, of course. The laugh from Tola that followed the rhetorical question told me that. But it wasn't funny for me, because as soon as he mentioned that name, my blood suddenly turned cold and I had a whiplash.

No jokes, my blood iced up in my veins and I froze like a statue.

Every single thing, every damn horror I witnessed that night, the recurring nightmare that plagued my mind afterward - something I have been trying to forget for the past one week flooded my mind and caused cold, unsettling chills to rub down my spine.

I was immediately taken back to that night, to my position in the shadows as I tried to avoid Kingsley and Jideofor from seeing me while I watched them torture a man. I suddenly remembered every single dreadful detail I'd been trying to rid my mind of.

The bits and pieces of toe and fingernails littered all over the ground.

The man's gut-wrenching wails and pleas as Kingsley Okojie's ordered his execution with nothing as much as a flinch.

The gunshot that reverberated across the house like thunder, drowning my silent screams.

The way the man's head dropped as his brain splattered all over the walls and the floor. For the first time in my life, I saw what might have been brain matter dropping to the feet of Kingsley.

I can't forget the momentary look on Jideofor's face. The fear that contorted his features. It was only for a millisecond but it was there. He was just as terrified about it as I was, but he couldn't show any fear in the presence of the man that we call father.

And you know what the devil said?

All he cared about was how his custom-made shoes were messed up from all the blood. He told one of his men to dispose of the body, his voice was as normal as ever, like it was a normal thing to just murder someone in cold blood.

Or maybe it was normal.

Maybe this was indeed usual for Kingsley Okojie. Killing people was just one of those things for him, and the mere thought of that made the numerous scars on my body; courtesy of him, tingle painfully.

I mean, I somehow had the inclining that Kingsley Okojie could take a life. If he could unrepentantly continue to inflict such unimaginable pain on his own blood, he definitely did so much worse to people he wasn't related to.

But seeing it live and direct was a different ball game entirely.

This just made me realize that I have no goddamn idea who Kingsley Okojie truly is. And something told me that finding won't be at all pretty. Heck, I can literally see bloodshed everywhere just by thinking about him.

And I can't also help the thought that one day, I'd be buried in the pool of my own blood if I stayed any longer in this dark castle... this house of horror and pain.

But deep down... I also knew there was no hiding from him. He will find me. Wherever I run to, he will find me.

"You don't have to think about him."

Tola's voice pierced through my gory thoughts, and a pitiful look marred across his face. He knew exactly what I was thinking. It might not be in detail because he doesn't know what I saw, but he had a good idea.

I shook my head, scoffing.

"You can't mention his name and not expect my mind to go above and beyond with thoughts of him. It's an unavoidable by-product of being his son, and trust me, it's something I don't want."

Calling myself his son left a very foul taste in my mouth and made my skin crawl. I have long stopped referring to him as my father because he wasn't one, and he will never be one. The kind of relationship he had with all his children was all shades of abnormal, and I don't think I'll ever be able to accept such abnormality.

Even if I don't escape from here.

"You want out," Tola stated matter of factly and I looked at him. "Just like your brothers." He added. A humorless laugh left my lips.

"And who is going to get me out? You?" I bobbed my head to the side. "Or the brothers that abandoned me here?" I asked, a sad smile playing on my lips. He stared back at me wordlessly and that was all the answer I needed.

Tola was just as tied to this life as I was. To the best of my knowledge, and even with what I witnessed, no one gets out of the Okojie family business once you are in. It's perceived that you already know too much that can ruin the family's reputation. So, you work till the day you die without struggling to escape.

Or... get killed trying.

Maybe that was what happened to that man.

Maybe he wanted out and my father killed him.

The only person that seemed to want this life was Jideofor, but with the kind of fear I saw overshadowing him that day, I wasn't so sure anymore. We hardly had a relationship but I have noticed that after that day, there has been something kinda off about him.

He was more secretive than usual, sneaking in and out of the house at very odd hours. I wasn't sure what it was that was going on with him, but one thing I knew was that whatever he was hiding, he wasn't hiding it from me.

He was hiding it from Kingsley.

We were both terrified of him, but we both couldn't do anything about it.

You can't do anything about it because you are not trying to do anything about it.

A voice echoed in my mind, and I frowned slightly, wondering what that meant.

"You should get going," Tola spoke again as I finished lacing up my kicks. "You don't want to keep her waiting." He added, a subtle tease in his voice.

"Just stop," I hissed at him. He laughed, digging his hand into the pocket of his gym shorts and bringing out a bunch of car keys.

"Take the sedan," he tossed the keys at me and I caught them effortlessly. "I don't think you have the balls to handle any of the big guns yet," It's the way he effortlessly threw that insult into the mix for me.

"Fuck you, Tola," I flipped both middle fingers at him as I made my way out of the house, Tola's chuckle following after me.

Asshole. I cussed at him in my mind, walking to where the sedan was parked amongst the numerous fleet of cars under the large pavilion. I haven't even settled in properly when my phone went off. Thinking it was Adela, I quickly took it out of my pocket with a smile.

But looking at the call ID wiped that smile right off.

TK.

What is he calling me? I hissed under my breath.

He hasn't been speaking to me since I left his house last week, nor has he returned any of my calls or messages. And now he was calling me for only God knows what. I had an inclining that he was only calling because he needed me.

For what? I'd have to pick up the call to find out.

Did I want to do that? Honestly, no.

But I did. If not, I won't hear the end of it.

The call was on the second ring when I picked it up.

"Today should be Christmas if you are calling me," I didn't even know I had it in me to muster that amount of sarcasm and tease. A scoff-like laugh rang through the speaker, and I could hear a clear undertone of equal sarcasm.

"Ah ah, very funny,"

He sounded completely humorless, and somehow I imagined him rolling his eyes. It made it quite obvious that there was a strain between us, an unnecessary strain that he caused. Deep down, I knew that whatever came out of that would probably depend on whatever transpired from the call.

"What do you want, TK," I asked, pulling out of the compound and into the estate street.

"Wow," he muttered, his voice gruff with faux shock. "You don't hear from your best friend for a week and this is the first thing you ask me. What a best friend you are, Jidenna," His voice was laced with accusation. The frown on my face deepened, and I took the phone off my face to stare at it in disbelief.

Is he seriously pulling the guilt trip card right now? I scoffed in disbelief, bringing the phone back to my ear.

"Nah, you are not doing that." I shook my head. "I'm not going to let you do that. I kept calling you but you didn't pick up, and you ignored all of my texts. What did you expect me to do? Keep calling?" I questioned him. Usually, he'd have a smart comeback for me, but this time he was quiet.

That was a first. And I sort of felt proud of myself for being able to talk back on this one. Usually, I'd have just accepted a fault that wasn't even mine, to begin with.

"Now, will you tell me why you called?" I asked again. There was another round of silence, but only for a moment. It was quickly followed by a sigh.

"Okay," He breathed. "I kinda need your help–" I knew it. "And I promise, I'll pay you back when I have cash–"

A voice spoke in the background, stopping TK from speaking. I strained my ears to hear who was with him and what they were talking about, but all I could get was...

"Hope say na the person wey go pay us to be that? You sef know wetin I fit so if I no get my cash today." It was a gruff, raspy voice. The kind of voice you'd attribute to an agbero.

What? The frown on my face deepened even more, confusion washing me.

Were they talking to TK?

"Chill naw, my guy. I'll get your money. Just give me shikini time." It was TK that responded, confirming that it was him the guy was talking to.

"Well tick tock, you are on the clock." That was another voice, completely different from the first.

"TK? What is going on?" I asked, utterly confused. Another sigh came.

"Jide, I need a little cash."

Ehn?

"I promise I'll pay you back as soon as my account gets unfrozen. I just need to pay off these guys, abeg," This was the first time TK would be pleading with me. I could literally hear the desperation in his voice.

But I need to know why I'm handing out my money.

"Why do you need to pay them off?" I asked.

"How is that important?" He was back to being defensive. I rolled my eyes.

"Do you want me to help you or not?" I fired back. He let out a little hiss.

"I just bought something on credit. It's not a big deal."

Not a big deal, but here he was, asking for money. He was trying to keep it simple but I knew exactly what he meant without spelling it out. And with the voice of the first guy that spoke, I can easily guess what he bought on credit.

Drugs.

He is back at it. I exhaled.

Did he even ever leave?

"Tekena..." I drawled out disapprovingly, shaking my head even though he couldn't see me.

"Are you going to give me, or do I have to get it from someone else?" The plea and desperation from earlier were gone and now replaced with a demanding edge to his voice. Leave TK to still be entitled and demanding even when he is the one in need.

His wanting to use my money to pay for his drug debt was enough to go make me opt out of this and just drive off to Adela's house as if I never got the phone call, and this entitled nature of his just solidified it.

But I wasn't one to leave my friend stranded, no matter how much of an asshole he was.

"You know what," I sighed. "Just send me your location. I'll come and meet you."

"Will you come with the money?" That was what he was most concerned about. I rolled my eyes again.

"I'll transfer the money when I get there. Just send me your location."

And that was how I took a detour from Adela's house to go save TK from himself.

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I looked at the screen attached to the dashboard and back to my phone, asking myself if I had imputed the right location into the GPS. Confirming that it was indeed the right location, I then looked at the place in front of me, a frown marring across my face.

This is where TK is?

It was an uncompleted building, old and abandoned in a very desolate and dissected location of the city. You turn left, you see bush. You turn right, you see an even thicker bush. Looking at this place made me second allowing TK to drag me here.

I didn't need anyone to tell me that TK and the people with him were inside the building. But I have watched too many scary movies to know what happened in places like this. And God forbid I get down from the car to go in there.

The hell I'm going to be one of those dumb white people in every horror story.

I pulled out my phone and called TK.

"Where are you?" I asked him as soon as he picked up, holding my phone to my ear with one hand and steering with the other further into the compound of the abandoned building.

"Just come into the building." He replied over the phone.

You say wetin?

"Nope." I shook my head, turning off my ignition and making sure to lock the car. "You and the guys you are with should come out and meet me outside. God forbid I'm stepping foot into a building that resembles the one in The Conjuring." I stated firmly, peering through the tinted window to look around, making sure I'm safe.

"Fine. You don't have to be such a pussy." He hissed.

"Puss–" the beeping sound that interrupted me indicated that he already hung up the call. I took the phone off my ear and stared at it with a deep from. I'm here to help him out and he is giving me attitude?

Rude. I hissed as well.

I waited for almost ten minutes before I saw three figures emerging from the building. They were being discreet, bodies over their heads that made it impossible to make out who they were from where I sat in the car. But I knew who TK was among the three.

By his stance, and the way he bounced on his feet, despite what resembled a slight limp in his steps. I flashed the headlights at them, then came down from the car to lean again the bonnet. Soon, they got to me, and TK flipped off his hoodie, revealing his face.

My eyes widened and my mouth fell open, almost dropping to the floor.

His right eye was swollen shut, and a side of his lip was burst. There were dark red and purple bruises all over his face, his face completely battered and bruised. If his face looked like this, I can't begin to imagine what the rest of his body looked like. I didn't need anyone to tell me that it was these guys that did this to him.

Now that explains this limp.

"What the hell happened to your face!" I yelled, moving closer to inspect his messed-up face. When I reached out to touch his face, he slapped my hand away, so hard that I couldn't help but slightly flinch at the pain.

"Don't touch me," He growled out suddenly, shutting me off. I veered back slightly, looking at him incredulously.

What's with the attitude?

"Do you have our money?"

The familiar gruff voice from the phone call alerted me to the other guys. They didn't remove their hoodies, obviously not wanting me to see their faces. Still, I didn't need anyone to tell me that they were dangerous guys. What they did to TK's face was enough to know.

"How much are we talking about?" I asked, trying to form bravado.

"Your guys some candies and other stuff worth five hundred thousand naira from us and he hasn't been able to pay us back for two weeks," the other guys spoke, his voice less gruff and more levelheaded.

What! My eyes went huge at that claim.

"Five Hundred Kay!" I looked at TK incredulously but he had already averted his gaze from mine. I scoffed in utter disbelief, shaking my head at the sheer absurdity of the price, not to even talk of the reason he spent that amount of money.

500k for drugs? Isn't that madness

"So, are you paying off his debt or do we have to break his second leg?"

It was the level-headed one that spoke again, and he had this sardonic smile playing on his lips that made chills run down my spine. He sounded like he wasn't joking, and looking at TK's face told me that they'd happily go through that threat.

What has TK gotten himself into? I exhaled, looking at the boy for a moment. He didn't even acknowledge him, his head hung low as if he found the floor interesting.

What has he gotten me into?

If I sent the money to these guys, I was going to be taking such a huge risk, especially with such a huge amount of money. The likelihood that Kingsley will find out about this transaction was pretty high and that would land me in a truckload of trouble.

It was my account, yes, but that man monitored like a hawk. No money goes in and out without the bankers calling him to give details of the transfer and what the money was used for.

But here I was, retrieving my phone from my pocket and asking the guy to tell me the account details. I was just going to have to pray that Kingsley won't find out because I really had to bail my friend out of his problems, a friend that would probably never appreciate me for this.

But I can't leave him with these guys.

Why do I feel like I'm going to regret this very soon?

In a few moments, I was done paying off TK's debt and we were leaving, him in the passenger's seat and me behind the wheel, reversing out of the compound and driving as far away from that vicinity as possible.

May we not see or hear evil.

Ten minutes into the drive, TK was yet to say a word to me and it was low-key infuriating. He had a scowl on his face that indicated something annoyed him. For as long as I have known TK, he hated being indebted to anyone, and I get that, it wasn't a pretty feeling.

But we are supposed to be friends. Is that cause to give me attitude.

Call me petty, but I wanted my thank you, especially with the kind of risk I pulled on his behalf.

"A thank you would be very much appreciated," I decided to make a joke out of it, at least to dissipate the awkward air in the car, and so that it won't seem as if I was laying it on too thick.

"I just saved your ass," I added, glancing at him.

But he only hissed.

"Shey na thank you you wan chop?" The sarcasm in his voice was dripping, mixed with an undertone of disdain. "I'm going to pay you your money back–"

"–I never said you wouldn't," I interjected.

"So we are good," he shrugged. "There is no need to say thank you. What do you want to do with it?" He hissed again, and I stared at him like he just grew a second head.

I should have been expecting nothingness. I actually did expect nothing less, but that didn't make it hurt less. The ingratitude in his tone reeked, and it irritated me. Maybe it was somewhat my fault, for always giving him a pass when he pulled stuff like this.

He was moody, understood. But whose fault was that?

I needed to let him know that he was in the wrong, not because I was obviously entitled to a thank you and an apology for putting me in such a precarious position, but also to let him know the right way to say things.

"I just sent half a million from my account to save your behind and that's the attitude I get?" My voice was awfully calm about this, but he didn't respond. I took that as my cue to go on.

"Don't let me even get started on the fact that you spent that kind of money on drugs. Drugs, Tekena. Why in the hell would you do that?" I chided, yet still no response from him. "All for what? A few seconds of high that will do nothing but damage your system–"

That got a reaction from him.

"Abeg!" He yelled, his hands swinging up as he cut me off abruptly. Then he looked at me, his eyes blazing. "What gives you the right to talk to me like I'm some child? So, because you cleared one small debt for me now, you think say you be better man, abi?"

"I didn't say that." I defended myself, and I honestly wasn't saying that. In fact, I commend myself for being this calm. I was used to TK's lash outs but this time, I had to set him straight.

"Then what the fuck are you saying!" He bellowed, and I commended myself yet again for not flinching. "You helped me, so fucking what? You don't have to lecture me like you are my father.–

Abi, it's because you are hanging around that Adela chick, you think you are suddenly full of knowledge. Who dey deceive you?"

And he just had to chip in Adela. I fought the urge to roll my eyes.

"What has this got to do with her?" I asked him.

"Everything!" He yelled, hitting the dashboard in front of him so hard, I feared it would leave a dent.

On cue, my phone started ringing from where it was placed in the compartment between the seats. TK and I glanced at it at the same time on reflex, and now, I had to fight the urge to cuss out loud at how much of a wrong timing this was.

It was Adela.

I didn't use her name to save her contact, and I'd have been so happy if TK didn't figure out that she was the one calling. But he did. The humorless chuckle that escaped his lips and the barely audible "how convenient" that followed after indicated that he knew she was the one.

Pick the call. Not pick up the call.

I wasn't torn. I should have been, but I wasn't. I knew the decision I was making right there and then.

I picked up the call.

"Hey, sorry I'm running late," I quickly said as soon as I clicked the answer button.

"It's okay," her voice breezed through the speaker and fanned the skin of my face. It seemed quite impossible for that to happen over a phone call but it did, and my lips stretched in an automatic smile.

"Are you good though?" She asked, concern laced in her voice. I chuckled lightly.

"I'm good," I assured her. "I just had to attend to something real quick. I'll soon be right over." I explained to her. She didn't have to know that I was with TK. That information wasn't important.

"Okay," she said. "I can't wait to see you," that last part came out in a whisper like she didn't want me to hear it. But I did, and I couldn't stop the smile from stretching further up the corners of my lips.

"Well, I can't wait to see you too," I whispered back. TK scoffed beside me but I ignored him. She giggled back and hung up, and I brought the phone down from my ear, smiles still tugged against my lips.

Just a call from her and I was filled with excitement and anticipation again. I really couldn't wait to see her, to see what she wanted to show me. But that feeling didn't last because of the loud hiss that came from TK, causing the smile to drop from my face.

Here we go.

"So, I'm just something you wanted to attend to real quick," He spat at me, quoting what I said earlier with a sarcastic smirk playing on his lips. I exhaled, using my thumb and index to massage my forehead. I could legit feel a headache on the way because of TK's unnecessary theatrics.

"Don't be unreasonable." Was all I could reply him with, knowing that if I indulged him, it might escalate into something I don't want. But nope, Tekena Tamuno can't pass up an opportunity to banter and pick a fight.

"I'm being unreasonable!" he snapped at me, a faux laugh escaping his lips. "That's super-rich coming from you, Jidenna, seeing that you are allowing a girl to come between us but too myopic and daft to even know!"

Myopic and Daft? And what the hell is this mentality?

"No girl is coming between us, Tekena!" my voice was rising gradually. "I don't know where you got that idea from, but it's false. I don't understand what problem you seem to have with Adela, but I'm not going to stop hanging out with our just because you don't like her.–

I didn't stop hanging out with you even when the guys didn't like you."

And where did that get you? That voice again. I knew the answer to that. Deep down, I knew the real answer to that and it was a huge red flag waving in my face.

"So you are going to what? Destroy your years of friendship with me over some girl?!"

"I'm here, TK!" I fired back, my voice was equally as loud as his now. "You have always had me and I have never left your side, even when you push me away. You called for my help and I'm fucking here. I paid your debt. I'm taking you home. If you didn't need my help, you wouldn't have even called me because of some stupid fight!"

"But I wasn't your first choice!" He snapped, and I puffed out an exhausted breath, getting really annoyed at this unnecessary back and forth. "You didn't come out for me but you came out for her! I was just some fucking inconvenience to your already perfectly planned day with her."

This guy.

"If you were just an inconvenience to my plans, I wouldn't be here!" I defended myself. "I stopped by to help you, despite you not deserving it," His eyes flashed at me when I said that but I continued nonetheless. "And I tried to start a conversation with you, but all you do is pick stupid and unnecessary fights. What do you want me to do? I can't live my life walking on eggshells around you, or trying to please you.–

And I won't stop being friends with Adela because I want to please you. You should respect my decisions just like I've always respected yours, Tekena. Rate me, guy, just like I rate you!"

I deadpanned, this would be enough to put an end and dead this entire matter. All I wanted right now was to end this banter and take him home, hoping we will be good.

But Tekena Tamuno won't be Tekena Tamuno until he crossed the line.

"So, you are just going to discard me and my feelings over a girl you merely fuck?!"

I slammed on the brakes so hard, launching the both of us forward, TK hitting his head on the dashboard and cussing out. Thankfully, we were already in his estate, and the estate road on weekends was deserted. No car was coming in front or behind us, so I didn't cause an accident.

I jerked my head in TK's direction, nose flared dangerously and my blood boiling to a very high degree that I feared they might just evaporate. I gripped the steering wheel so hard that my knuckles turned white and I gritted my teeth.

It brought some sort of satisfaction to see his nose bleeding from the impact of his face against the dashboard but it was just not enough. I want to break his face even more than it already was even though I have never thrown a punch in my life.

This will be worth it. So worth it.

Because WHAT THE FUCK?!

I can take just about anything from TK. I can take him talking to me anyhow, insulting me, calling me a pussy or weak, bruising my ego over and over again. I can take his temper tantrums if they were aimed at me.

But at Adela?

Now that's where I draw the line.

"What the fuck did you just say?"

My voice came out dangerously calm, daring him to repeat exactly what he said about Adela to my face one more time. Maybe that was just the push I needed to throw my first punch ever.

He stared back at me for a moment, expressionless. Then he bobbed his head to the side, a cynical smirk coming to play on his lips.

"What?" He quirked a brow, taunting me. "Did I hit a nerve?" He pouted, his voice was provoking. He was doing this intentionally, trying to rile me up and get a reaction from me.

He wanted us to fight.

Fucking hell. I laughed lightly, shaking my head.

I'm so over this.

"Get out."

I didn't have to shout, didn't need to repeat myself for him to get my message loud and clear. I wasn't even looking at him, couldn't stand the sight of him at this point. I just wanted him to get the hell out of my sight.

Now.

From my peripheral vision, I saw the sardonic smile on his lips wipe off, not getting the kind of attention he hoped from me. And the hell I'm going to give him the satisfaction that he got the slightest bit of reaction from me. We were even close to his house. He can trek the rest of the distance home.

"Fuck you, Jidenna!

He spat out with so much undiluted venom, getting down from the car and slamming the door so hard, the car shook. I didn't waste any more minutes there. I revere and drive away from there as fast as possible

My heart was pounding rapidly. I was furious. No- I was mad with rage. I don't think I have ever felt this amount of anger bustling through my veins before, but to talk of towards someone I called my best friend. But it was very much justified.

This wasn't because of Adela. This was because of Him. It was all Him. It has always been home from the very beginning. And that was when I realized how wrong I'd been.

Tekena wasn't my best friend. Hell, he wasn't even my friend. Friends don't intentionally strife with you the way he has strived with me. Friends don't pick on me the way TK has always been picking on me, because he considered me weak. He preyed on my vulnerability, using it to his own advantage, fueling his own ego at the expense of mine.

Tekena was far from my friend.

Now, what I don't know is if he's my Enemy.

𝐀/𝐍

First it was Simi, now it's Jidenna 🥹. Both of them standing up to the "Goliaths" in their lives. I feel like a proud mother!😭🙏🏾

What's your take about this whole scenario? Was TK right for lashing out because Jidenna has demoted his position to second in his life, or is Jidenna right for spelling things out to him the way he did? Let me know what you think in the comment section.

Still, I'm proud of Jidenna's growth. My baby boy is wiser, so much wiser. Finally, he doesn't sound like a complete idiot when he talks😂.

The next chapter would have a rollercoaster of emotions! Omo, some bittersweet stuffs, heartfelt and all. You guys will get to see a dynamic of Jidela's relationship that will make you swoon! I can't wait to start writing it.

And yeah, there will be a big reveal... maybe two 🌚. Can you guess what and what?

See you when I see you ❤️.