It was a bright Sunday afternoon and there was no light. It was a usual thing for the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) not to restore power on a Sunday in this area.

After we had gotten back from church, I prepared lunch for the family. We all had lunch and after which everyone went to their various rooms upstairs. Ever since, the whole house had been dead silent. Perhaps they were all preparing to go out to celebrate Valentine's Day together because aunt Caro had mentioned something about that earlier on today in the car. For me, I was thinking of how I was going to leave this house to Peter's house. He had invited me to his house so we could both spend time out together; but that could only happen if aunt Caro and her family went out. I hope they did.

A thud from the backyard ripped me off my thought. I moved towards the window in my room and opened it a little. I saw someone on the floor. A burglar? I squinted my eyes to get a clearer picture of the person. It was obviously a boy. But who? When the boy got to his feet, I was surprised to see it was Peter.

Peter!

What was he doing here? And why did he come through the fence at the backyard? It was so risky. I hope Annabelle and Amanda hadn't seen him from their window upstairs.

I opened the window completely for Peter to see me. He smiled and scratched the nape of his neck sheepishly the instant he caught sight of me. Giggling lightly, I shook my head at him. He walked towards me, holding his elbow like he was hurt.

"Are you okay? Hope you're not hurt." I said when he got close to me.

"No I'm not." He answered sarcastically. "Of course I am. That fence is way too high. It's not like I can't even climb over it, but I don't know, I kinda lost my balance and boy, my arm hurt!" He whined.

I giggled. "So whose fault is it now?"

He shot me a glare. "I came to see you, so it's your fault!"

I scoffed. "Did I ask you to come and see me?"

"Shut up Daniella and let me get in."

I turned around to be sure no one was behind me. "Get in? Peter that's too risky."

"Does anyone ever come into your room?"

"Not often, but yes they do."

"So I'm just gonna stay outside here?" He asked.

"Hold on." I walked towards my room door and locked it. I walked back to meet Peter at the window. "You can come in."

He jumped over the window into my room. He was putting on a black cap, a deep blue denim jacket over a white top and a black tight trousers with a Nike trainers.

"You look good by the way."

"Don't I always look good?" He smirked smugly. "But my elbow hurts."

"That's what you deserve for your cocky attitude."

"Daniella, my elbow hurts and that's all you could say?" He curved his lips downwards in a way that made me giggle.

"Okay sorry, if that's what you wanna hear."

"That's not what I wanna hear. I want you to do something else." He raised one of his brows.

"Like?"

"I don't know. You decide." He shrugged.

"Hmm." I stroked my chin and cocked my head thoughtfully. Then I inched closer to him and pecked him on the cheek. For some unknown reason, it felt awkward.

He sighed dreamily and took off his cap. "Now that's more like it. The pain is gone."

I smacked his head as I laughed.

"Ow!" He frowned. "What did you do that for?"

I shrugged my shoulders.

Our moment was disrupted when we heard a knock at the door. My eyes widened and it almost seemed like I froze to the spot. I couldn't move or think or process anything at that point.

I literally was dazed.

"Daniella." The person knocked again.

"Who's that?" Peter whispered.

"My aunt. Hide. Hide." I pushed Peter towards the bathroom.

"Where?" He looked so confused.

"In the bathroom!" I pointed in the direction of the bathroom.

When Peter had hidden in there, I walked towards the door and unlocked it. Aunt Caro pushed me aside and walked into my room. Amanda followed her.

"Were you counting my calls or what?"

"No ma, I was sleeping." My heart was pounding so hard in chest, I thought they would hear it.

"Anyways, we would be out for a while. Don't leave this house. Unless you'd be asking for trouble. Also, don't allow anyone into this house. If anyone comes and ask after us, tell him or her to leave a message. Don't allow anyone in. Is that clear?"

"Okay ma." I said sharply. I couldn't wait for her to talk and leave.

"Have you started using colognes?" Aunt Caro asked.

"What's that?" I was confused.

"What perfume are you using?"

"I don't use perfumes." I shook my head. I was so nervous at this point.

"Then why does your room have this scent? Can you smell it Amanda?"

Amanda was looking at something on my bed. I traced her line of sight and I figured she was looking at... Oh no! Peter's cap! I almost fainted. She walked towards the cap and sat down on it.

"No I can't smell anything. Maybe it's just your nose mummy." Amanda said.

Did Amanda just save me?

"Hmm, Okay o." Aunt Caro said and then walked out of my room.

Amanda narrowed her eyes at me as she stood up to leave. "Next tine, hide everything before you open the door." She said before leaving my room.

Amanda literally just saved my life. But why? I was shocked and at the same time grateful. I mean, I don't know what would have happened to me if Amanda hadn't done what she did. I definitely owed her one.

"You can come out now. They are gone." I told Peter, when I locked the door.

"Wow! Your bathroom is hot!" Peter said, fanning himself with his hands as he came out.

"We almost got caught Peter."

"I know. That was so close."

"Amanda saved me. How could you have dropped your cap on my bed dummy?" I scolded him.

"Oh shit! Hope they didn't see it?"

"Of course they did. Actually Amanda saw it and hid it from her mum."

"Wow. That's nice of her."

"Well I'm surprised she did that. I owe her big time. Please next time, don't be this careless."

"Yes ma." Peter said, goofily.

I smiled and shook my head.

"Em since they're out, you can get dressed. I wanna take you out." Peter said.

"To where?"

"Just get dressed." He rolled his eyes.

"You'd have to do me a favour." I grinned.

"This one you're shinning your teeth, what's up?"

"Please go to the bathroom again. I want to dress up." I laughed sheepishly.

He cocked one of his brows. "So you can't dress up in front of me?"

"No I can't."

"Why?" He smirked.

"Zed." I retorted. "Just go, and stop asking questions."

"Alright. Alright. I'm going." He raised his hands in surrender and walked lazily to the bathroom.

"Don't peek o." I hollered.

Quickly, I slipped into a white armless top, a black crop top, a skin tight Jean trousers and a black snickers. I was looking much too casual for this outing and that was because I didn't have many good outfits. Most of the clothes I had were too casual to be worn outside. I really needed new clothes.

"Can I come out now?" Peter hollered.

I chuckled. "Yes."

When Peter came out of the bathroom, he looked disappointed. "Oh, so this was why you took time?"

"I don't look good?" I checked myself out.

He hesitated. "Uh, you do."

"That didn't sound convincing."

"You do. Really, you do. Simple and cute, that's how you look."

"I know you're just saying that to make me feel good. If you don't like what I'm putting on, just tell me. I can change into something else."

"Daniella, you look beautiful." He said and this time around, with a more serious and sincere tone. I couldn't help but believe him.

"Aw, thanks."

"So, shall we?" Peter offered his arm.

I laughed and swatted his arm. "Make we dey go abeg."

The place Peter brought me to was Maryland City Mall. I couldn't help but wonder why he brought me to a mall. Was it to buy me clothes and shoes? Well, whatever the reason was, eating must be part of it.

The Mall was thronged with a lot of good looking people moving hither and thither. I got so many shoves here and there, without any apology from the shovers. People just didn't seem to care about the other person. It was how they could move past the crowd that probably mattered to them.

Despite interlinking my arm with Peter's, I still felt insecure around here.

"Are you okay Daniella?" Peter asked loudly because the place in itself was noisy.

"I don't like this place."

"Why?"

"I don't know. I just don't like it."

"Ever been to a mall before?"

"No. I've not really been to anywhere in Lagos."

"Oh well, the Mall is usually filled with people. Let's just go up. I guess the crowd would not be as much as it is down here."

"Whatever you say."

I saw people moving up on something that looked like a staircase, but unlike a staircase where one had to climb by oneself, this one took people up by itself without one having to climb. Another wonder of technology! I wanted to ask Peter what the machine was called but I thought against it. I didn't want to come across as a local girl.

"So Daniella, we're about to go on the escalator. You have to be careful here so you don't fall."

"I know, I know." I said, pretending like this wasn't my first time going on an escalator.

Peter held my hand and we both got on the escalator together. Getting on it, I yelped as I almost lost my balance but Peter was quick to hold me. I could feel everyone staring at me now, even though I had my head bowed. I was beyond embarrassed.

Peter let out a snigger. "I thought you said you knew."

I was too embarrassed to even utter a word.

We got up eventually and here wasn't as crowded as the ground floor was, but there were quite a number of people. Most of them were sitting in circles probably with their family, some with their friends while others with their dates.

Peter and I found a table for two and we occupied it.

"Finally we get to sit." I mumbled under my breath.

"What do you want?" Peter asked me.

"I want everything. Buy me everything!"

Peter chuckled. "If I had the money, I would. But I don't, so you have to make a specific choice."

"Buy me whatever you get for yourself. But make sure you add Ice cream to it."

"Alright." Peter left to get the snacks, while I waited behind to keep both our table reserved.

"Hi." A young man, probably in his early twenties came to our table. "Can I join you here?"

Mr man! Do you think I'd just come here all by myself to look. "Sorry no. I came here with someone." It took everything in me not to be rude to him.

Just then, Peter came back with some snacks.

"His he the one?" The young man asked, gesturing at Peter.

No he's the two! I wanted to say but I nodded affirmatively instead. He apologised to us and walked away.

"What did he come here for?" Peter asked as he sat down and dropped the tray of two mince pie, two sharwama and a big bowl of ice cream on the table.

"Just forget about him. Wow! All of these for me?" I asked with excitement.

"If I slap you eh, your head would turn to sharwama." Peter answered.

"What's that?" I frowned.

"Water!" He retorted. "How can all of these be for you? What about me?"

"You're losing respect this boy."

He snorted with a chuckle as he shook his head. "Naughty girl."

"Such a big bowl of ice cream. Who's gonna finish it?" I said as I opened the bowl of Ice cream.

"Both of us. We die here!"

"No be me and you go die here o. But do you know I can actually finish this whole Ice cream? I love Ice cream."

"Oh you don't say! So tell me Daniella, what's your future ambition?"

"Em, my future ambition? I really don't know. But I like to cook."

Peter laughed. "So you can be a chef?"

"Uh-huh. There's nothing wrong with it. What about you? What's your future ambition?"

"To be happily married to you." Peter answered.

"Aw! That's so sweet. But what do you want to become?"

"I want to become your husband."

I burst out laughing this time around that people close by gave us a look.

"Wait, what if we don't end up getting married?"

"We're gonna get married." He said like he was so sure.

"But what if life happens and we eventually don't."

"Then I have no future."

"Wow!"

"Tell you what, I'm presently in a state of dilemma where I have to choose between you and my family."

"I don't understand." I scrunched my brows in puzzlement.

"Okay so my dad wants my mum and I to come to Dublin to live with him. I really want to go cause of my mum and dad. They'd get to be with each other again. But on the other hand, I don't wanna go cause of you and some of my friends here."

"Wow! I really can't imagine how my life would be when you live for Dublin."

"I haven't said I'm going."

"But your family comes first before anyone else."

"You're family. My parents weren't always there to make me feel like I had a home. But you came and I found one."

"So are you saying you're gonna choose me over them?"

"I'm yet to decide."

Peter and I veered into a more lighter conversation. We talked about a lot, even as far as the number of children we'd like to have. While we chatted, we devoured our snacks. As we were both licking the Ice cream in peace together, Peter grabbed it all for himself.

"Peter don't do this. We're in a public place." I said, gritting my teeth.

"Lemme feed you." Peter offered.

"I was doing just fine licking the ice cream by myself."

"Then you don't want it again." Peter said and scooped a big portion of the ice cream into his mouth.

"Okay okay, you can feed me."

He scooped some ice cream from the bowl and extended the spoon to me. As I wanted to lick the ice cream, he took it away and put it in his mouth and started laughing.

"Funny huh?" I narrowed my eyes dryly.

"Okay seriously now, take." He extended another scoop of ice cream to me.

"I don't want."

"I'm serious now o." He looked quite sincere now.

I quickly wanted to lick the ice cream from the spoon, but he was quick enough to take it away and put it in his mouth again.

"Peter!"

"Huh?"

"It's not funny."

"Okay how about this, we compete in an arm wrestling challenge and anyone that wins will have the ice cream all to himself."

"Or herself."

"Or herself." He said immediately. "Do you accept the challenge?"

"Let's do this?"

Peter dropped the bowl of ice cream on the table. Then we both placed our elbow on the table and gripped each other's hands. We both tried to force our arms on the table. It looked like I was succeeding already, seeing how I had almost brought Peter's arm down.

"You're doing great." Peter said.

"I'm not even trying." I said smugly.

Just when I thought I was going to win, Peter started to force his arm up and it seemed like he was gathering momentum already. My arm was literally vibrating.

"What's that?" I pointed behind Peter to nothing in particular and just as planned, he got distracted. Immediately, I forced his arms down and I quickly grabbed the bowl of ice cream.

"I won! I won! I won!" I cheered.

"You cheated!"

"No I won!" I took a big scoop of the ice cream and put it in my mouth. "Hmm, delicious. Lemme feed you." I teased him.

"I don't want."

We both burst out in a peal of laughter.

"To further celebrate your victory, I got you this." Peter brought out a new Android phone from his pocket and handed it to me. "Happy Valentine's Day babe."

____________________________________________

I think this is my best chapter so far. I had a lot of laughs and I personally cooed at their mushiness.

Now time to apologise. I'm so so so so truly and deeply sorry for the late update. School had me busy. Hope you understand. I've missed you all. I've missed writing. I've missed wattpad.

Anyways, wanna ask two questions that I'd really want all my readers to answer. Please don't go silent on me this time around.

-If I sold Daniella online, would you buy?

-What do you like the most about this book?