I wasn't expecting much from Fareedah. I thought she wasn't going to reach out anymore, or probably reach out when we had gone home for the holidays and were resuming back to the new year. But, I was in shock when I saw her anxiously pacing the front of my hostel on a breezy evening after about three days that I has written my last paper. My lips spread into a smile as I walked up to her, catching her attention from a distance. If I hadn't stepped out from my hostel to give Inoma something at the relaxation centre, I wouldn't have seen her. "How are you?" I asked with a wide smile when I got to her. I didn't want to get too excited or get my hopes up high, I cleared my mind and stayed in the present.

"Fine," she replied, trying to hide how nervous she was as she slipped into her usual cool and relaxed aura. "You?"

I nodded, shrugging as I replied, "Fair." Ignoring the tremble in my knees, also the lump that had formed in my throat, as I tried to ensure I sounded clear and proper. I didn't want to sound too excited, so she would know I wasn't going to shake from what I had asked her, and would stand my ground.

"Are you done with your exams?" she asked, fiddling with her car keys as she swayed from one foot to the other.

"I wrote my last paper three days ago."

She nodded, reply with a simple 'Hmm'.

Not wanting to assume why she was standing in front of my hostel, I asked, "Why are you here?"

She frowned a bit, replying, "I wrote my last paper yesterday."

I chuckled. "Then why are you in school?" as I asked her that, I saw Inoma and Christopher walk out of the relaxation centre and began to walk towards where we were.

"What is she doing here?" I heard Inoma whisper to Christopher, but I guess it also couldn't be called a whisper as both Fareedah and I heard her clearly. Christopher nudged her and urged her to simply pass us by, but she wasn't having it.

I had been avoiding having any Fareedah discussion since the night at the lounge. I used exams as an excuse, and I think as I didn't speak of her and she hadn't been coming around, they assumed we had ended things for real. But they didn't understand how mentally unstable that would make me, simply ending things with her without a try. I'd keep hating myself for not putting in effort.

"Inoma..."

She didn't let me finish talking before she asked, "Kedu ihe ị na-eme ebe a, Madame? (What are you doing here, Madame?)"

Fareedah frowned a bit, obviously not understanding what she had asked, so I quickly stepped in. "Inoma biko pụọ, m ga-agwa gị okwu ma emechaa (Inoma please leave, I will talk to you later)," I told her with a pleading look.

"Mba (No)." She stood akimbo, while Christopher held onto her arm in an attempt to pull her, yet not make her mad. "Cee, nwa agbọghọ a na-akwa naanị gị akwa, gịnị ma ị hapụ ya ka ọ laa ehn? Biko, họrọ udo gị (Cee, this girl only makes you cry, why not let her go ehn? Please, choose your peace)."

"Nke a bụ m na-ahọrọ udo m. Biko, ka anyị kparịta ụka ma emechaa, ọ bụ onye ihere (This is me choosing my peace. Please, let us have the discussion later, she is a shy person)."

Inoma rolled her eyes, as she said, "Always looking out for her, even though she always looks out for herself. Before you know it now, she will make you return back to crying every night and not eating. I am honestly not in approval of her." She hissed out loud, letting Chistopher successfully pull her away, as she continued to talk about her dislike to Christopher.

Her hiss had earned us a couple of stares, which had made Fareedah fidgety. "She isn't a fan of me uh?"

I nodded. "Give me some seconds, let me go change I will be back so we can leave this place," I said as I took a handful of my bubu, running into the hostel to go get dressed.

I had put a bit of a distance between myself and my roommates after I had bumped into them having various discussions about me, I didn't want them poking their nose in my business and before I knew it, one of them will find out something they weren't meant to and then tell everyone.

I tried to ignore how fast my heart was beating. I blamed it on how quick I rushed into the hostel, assuring myself it wasn't because she was downstairs and I was happy. I quickly changed to a blue mom jean and a white crop top that has 'BLUE' boldly written on it with blue. I brushed my hair, reminding myself to refresh my ginger dye, as the one that I had on was already fading. I put on my gold hoops earrings, slipped on some gold rings, put on my bead bracelets and then slipped into my crocs, picking my wallet and phone as I rushed back out. But, I soon rushed back into the room, bathing myself in my favourite perfume and picking my lip gloss as I applied some on my way down. "You look like you are going on a date," Inoma said to me when I got out.

I smiled, trying to hide the fact that I was excited that she was even there in the first place. "Nah, I am just moving to a secluded place to talk to her."

"Cee..."

Chirstopher quickly cut her off her saying, "Follow your heart. Whatever makes you happy, makes us happy also."

To my surprise, Inoma didn't argue, nodding instead as she gave my shoulder a gentle pat. She sighed and then pulled me into a hug, hugging me tight as she said, "Chris said to let you figure it all out yourself, and I agree with him. But, please guard your heart." She pulled away, looking at me with worry evident in her eyes. "Make sure you do not give your all and forget to leave some for yourself. You are also worth it, okay?"

I nodded, smiling as I pulled both of them into a hug. "I'll be leaving now." With that, I headed to Fareedah's car which I spotted not far from the hostel. I tried to hide my excited hop as I walked to her car, getting into the passenger's seat and getting comfortable. "So," I started, "why are you here?"

"You smell nice," she complimented with a smile, staring me dead in my eyes.

I quickly looked away, trying to hide how wide my smile was, and the possibility of her seeing the heat that had gathered in my cheeks. "Thanks."

"And, you look amazing. I am honestly in awe of how good you look. It is like, every time I see you, I am seeing you for the first time again and asking how someone could be this beautiful."

My eyes almost popped out of my head as my heart started plummeting hard. "You thought I was fine the first time you saw me?"

"Beautiful," she corrected me.

It was like I was on cloud nine. As quick I was to get excited, so also as quick as I deflated it. "Why are you here?" I asked, quickly adjusting myself and trying to my excitement down. I wasn't going to let myself be distracted from what I truly wanted. I was worth it also, like Inoma had said.

She quickly looked away from me, probably mad she didn't get away with changing the topic this time and getting away with it. Instead, she began fiddling with the car keys, keeping her gaze down as she said, "I know now."

I nodded, not looking away from her as I replied, "Okay?"

She didn't say anything as she kept playing with her keys, so we sat in silence.

After a while of simply sitting in silence, I got tired of waiting for her yet again. Same old, same old. I let out a sigh as I said, "Well, I think I will be returning to my hostel then. It was nice getting to know you."

She frowned. "What?"

"You aren't speaking up." I lost control of my mouth, and it started saying the things I had been holding in my heart. "I am tired honestly and maybe, just maybe Inoma is right. Maybe our happiness is apart at this point in time. It is like I keep trying, but you aren't willing to let me in. This is honestly not to put you under any pressure at all, because I know it can truly be hard to open up, but there are just a lot of things that goes into trying to create a relationship between two people. And, if it is just one person trying, then I do not think it still can be called a relationship. I strongly believe equal effort is needed." I sighed deeply, trying to push back the tears that were itching to come out. "I like you Fareedah, and it isn't something I hide. I have liked you for the longest time, since when I saw you. It all started with a crush, but the more we hung out, the more I knew about you and realized I have even stronger feelings for you. I want us to work Fareedah, but if you act like you don't want us to, that just kills the energy for me. I don't want to be in a relationship where it seems like I begged you to or forced you to be with me. You always just want to shrug off every serious top and not talk about it, and that honestly stresses me out. I believe communication is the key, but there is barely any communication here. I just need you to speak up, and I will listen. But if you can't do that, then I can't do this. Maybe..."

"I like you," she suddenly cut me off, looking at me dead in my eyes, except for the fact that she had tears running down both cheeks.

I thought my heart was going to beat out of my chest when her words settled in. I couldn't even make a joke about how 'it wasn't so hard now, was it?' because I could see how obviously hard it was.

"I like you," she repeated, "a lot. And the thought of you hating me, not liking me, hurts more than anything. You told me to know and confirm if I know, and now I know. I know that I like you so much, I miss you whenever we are not together, and spend my time thinking about you alongside the happiness you bring to my life. My life hasn't been the same bottomless hole of sadness, boredom, and loneliness it used to be. I find the peace I have been looking so desperately for whenever you are with me. These days, I finds myself painting flowers that express how happy I am to have you. Please don't leave me, I am..."

It was like my body was still moving by itself as I stretched across, pulling her into a kiss. But she didn't get the chance to reply as I quickly pulled away, realizing where we were. Though it had become night, the place was well lit enough for us to be seen kissing. "I am sorry," I quickly apologize.

She shook her head, chuckling as she still had tears running down her cheeks. "No, I am glad you did that."

I nodded. "I like you too," I replied her, smiling to myself. Fareedah liked me back, and used her mouth to tell it to me, that was all I needed. I chuckled, suddenly feeling shy as I looked out of the window.

"It is getting late," she said, causing me to look at her. "I am sorry for how I behaved last time, and I will respect your space from now on." She smiled. "I unfortunately have to return back home, so..."

"So..." I repeated, waiting for her to invite me or tell me to get out of her car. I was hoping for the earlier.

"If you are comfortable with it, would you come home with me?"

"Yes," I quickly replied, nodding also.

She smiled widely, starting the car as she drove off. I quickly sent a message to our friendship group chat, telling them of how I wasn't returning that same day that, I was going home with Fareedah. Inoma was quick to disagree, talking about how I always returned a saddened person from her house. I replied that she is trying to change, and that I was going to give then the full story in person. Inoma replied with an eyeroll emoji, why Christopher wished me luck.

I honestly didn't care for a lot as I was too excited that she confessed her feelings to me. The energy in her house felt different, it felt like a new kind of air was flowing at her place. "Feels good to be back here," I said when I walked into her sitting room, falling on the chair to get in a comfortable position. But, I didn't get the chance to get comfortable, before Fareedah sat facing me as she kissed me. I didn't even let my head process what was going on before I returned the kiss. No matter the number of times we have kissed, I still get sparks like it is the first time we are kissing. My right hands slip to hold her face in place, while she hugged me around my waist, eagerly pressing her body on mine. My body was reacting to any touch from her, sparks flowing from wherever she touched.

Soon we pulled apart, both breathless as Fareedah chuckled, happiness evident on her face as she asked, "Should we see what movie is showing?"

I nodded, not trusting my mouth to form anything sensible. She soon returned with popcorn, sitting close to me as she leaned on my shoulder, lifting her legs up on the couch as we watched a movie together. She was so touching, holding onto me like she was scared I was going to disappear at any moment, and that if that happened, she was going to go with me. Her arms were wrapped around mine as we watching the movie, putting us in a cuddle-like position. I didn't mind her being touchy, I loved it in fact. I wanted it to last forever, the new Fareedah that is.

"You won't be a different person by the morrow, right?" I asked, fidgety.

She chuckled as she replied, "I will put in the extra effort."