I listened to Thunderclouds by LSD on repeat while writing this chapter.

Twenty | Scarred

Sometimes the questions are complicated and the answers are simple
—Dr Seuss

~•~

"So..." His voice trailed off and he turned to smile at her. Luke admired the fair beauty sitting beside him and smiled brightly. Only in his wildest dreams did he imagine taking Adaeze Ndubuisi on a date. Maybe dreams do come true.

"Stop smiling like that you creep!" She laughed and punched his shoulder playfully.

"I can't stop smiling princess."

"Why?"

"We both know why," he used his thumbs to graze her lips. He watched as Ada blushed, she had shown him another side of her on their date this evening—one that she had been afraid to show anyone for the past three months.

Ada had even told him about her ex and laughed when Luke threatened to punch the pimples off his face. She couldn't deny that her date had a good sense of humor.

"Are you sure you want me to drop you off here?" Luke asked studying the serene environment in the estate.

Ada nodded. Considering the state her friend had been for the past week she decided to pay him visit.

"Yes, I really need to visit someone, I'll take a cab home." She smiled at him. "I really had a great time today, who knew watching boring action movies could be fun."

"Hey! The Hitman's bodyguard is gold baby." Ada laughed. "And besides you can never be bored when you're with me. My second name is fun," Luke added.

"Yeah and your ego is the size of Medusa's wardrobe," Ada giggled.

"I never knew she had one," he laughed and leaned forward.

"Should I?" he asked breathing softly on her lips. Ada smiled and drew him by his collar to plant a kiss on his lips.

A steaming kiss and few minutes later, Ada knocked gently at the huge mahogany door by the sign that said D17. Adaeze did know what she expected but she didn't expect to see a man with an overgrown beard and hair sticking out like if he just had a rumble with the undertaker. He was wearing a loose fitting black trousers and he was also shirtless showing off an odd tattoo on his chest.

"You look like someone just stole your plantain chips," Ada stated dryly.

"What are you doing here?" Nnamdi asked ignoring her sarcastic comment, his voice hoarse from lack of sleep.

"Good evening to you too sir." Ada shuffled her sneakers on the sidewalk. "May I come in?"

"Sure," he said stepping back a little to usher her into his house. He couldn't help the feeling of deja Vu that he felt and he remembered Kemi the first time she came to his house.

That was the only time idiot!

Ada admired the sitting room briefly before settling down on a sofa hugging the large teddy to herself.

"Do you want anything?" Nnamdi asked scratching his head leaving his hair in a worse state.

"Put on a shirt would ya? And no I don't need anything." She said averting her eyes from his toned chest and concentrating on the painting of an old lady on the wall.

He laughed, "okay. I'll be right back."

"So you want to talk about it?" She asked immediately he sat on a sofa across from where she was. Ada watched as Nnamdi sighed and shifted in his seat. She wasn't one to beat around the bush.

"I don't have anything to talk about."

"Hardly. Look at you. I know it wasn't easy letting go like that but what you don't know is that you're hurting the both of you. I know you love her but what I want to know is why you left—"

"You don't know anything about me Adaeze!" he snapped looking at her with bloodshot eyes.

"That's where you are wrong, Nnamdi. I know you're hurting," she paused for an effect and watched as he raked his hands through his hair. "I know you feel you're incomplete."

"And how do you know that?" He asked, his voice calmer than before.

"Because I was once like you." He looked up at her. "I was hurting too you know, that's why I know you are too."

"But why? You have everything, your family—"

"I lost my mother when I was five," she stated interrupting him. They stayed in an uncomfortable silence for a while before Nnamdi finally spoke.

"Oh. I'm sorry," he said feeling sorry for bringing up a sensitive topic.

She shrugged and turned away willing herself not to cry. "Everyone thought that I didn't remember her and they still do. I loved her so much, I still remember little things about her. I like her voice—so smooth and soft. Her smiles, she rarely frowned. She used to bake these cute little muffins for me to take to school then. They were so sweet and they we're the cutest things."

Adaeze dabbed her face with her hanky when the tears started to fall and chuckled sadly. "My dad missed her too, I remember those nights I would wake up to see him sobbing by her favorite spot in the kitchen. He loved her so much, he never remarried saying he was too old to do so." She laughed softly remembering her father's sad excuses to avoid getting remarried.

Nnamdi looked at her not knowing what to say. He had always thought her self-willed and sharp mouthed but seeing her crying tugged at his heart.

"I always wanted someone to fill my heart, that little hole that didn't want to fill up. I felt incomplete." She sighed and closed her eyes briefly.
"I met Charles in a friend's birthday party, he literally swept me off my feet looking all charming and proper."

Nnamdi laughed as she squeezed her face in disgust.

"So what happened?" he asked failing to hide his curiosity.

"What else? He cheated on me with his supposed cousin Kenny. And to think that I expected an engagement ring that month. That son of a gun," she spat derisively.

"Seems like we are more alike than I thought," he mumbled.

"Huh?" Ada said coming over to his seat dragging the huge teddy bear with her. "Is this about Chioma?"

"How did you—"

"Just answer the question!" She snapped impatiently.

"Well someone is back to normal," he muttered. Nnamdi sighed softly. "Yes it's about Chioma. She was my girlfriend. I was exactly born with a silver spoon you could say that I was born with no spoon at all." He laughed bitterly.

"I loved her deeply. Back then I struggled for everything—school fees, feeding, books, you name it. Chioma helped me a lot and I was stricken by her. I wanted to give her everything but I had nothing so I gave her my heart. Seems like that was enough for her."

"What was?"

"She slept with my best friend."

"Oh!"

"On my birthday."

"Oh God!"

"On my bed."

"Okay you need to stop this," Ada chuckled. The both of them laughed for some minutes. "It was that bad eh?"

"Yep. She said she never loved me, that she just pitied me. That she gave me things because I was a charity case. That I don't deserve good, she scarred me and at first I didn't want to believe her but even my parents they..." He kept quiet looking at a spot on the rug emotions playing on his face.

Ada knew he was not going to say more, she put her hand on his shoulder and smiled when he turned to look at her.

"Everybody deserves good Nnamdi. We can't be all bad. Take me for example, after Charles cheated I became fragile—my heart too—I was afraid to love again. He was the first man I let in my heart, my first love. When I was in the university a guy approached me then, I turned him down because I was afraid although he was a good guy. My dad loved my mum and she died leaving him distraught so I pushed everyone far away. If you don't allow them in, you can never get hurt right? They can never hurt you if you push them away."

"That's the idea."

'Well that's wrong you fool! You'll just end up hurting yourself." Adaeze rubbing her temples and sighed. "Give love a chance Nnamdi. Experience makes you stronger not weaker."

"I'm not even sure I love Kemi."

"Then you have a problem."

Nnamdi shook his head and leaned back on the sofa. "What about you, are you giving love a chance?"

Ada smiled brightly. "I guess so. I went on a date today. Luke is so sweet, he even baked me these cute little muffins. They weren't as great as my mom's but I loved every crumb."

"Did you tell him about your mother," he asked curiously. Surprisingly, Nnamdi was enjoying this talk with Adaeze.

"Yes I did."

A faint knock sounded at the door and Nnamdi excused himself to get the door.

"Uncle Nnamdi!" A little boy of about eight years of age screamed and jumped on him. Ada smiled when she saw the two children playing with him, the boy dragging his hair and a little girl tugging at his trousers.

"Slow down kiddos," he laughed.

"Uncle, my mummy said we can stay here for a while," the little girl pouted. Nnamdi rolled his eyes. Trust Annabelle to leave her kids with him when she wanted to hook up with one of her numerous lovers.

"Hello there," Ada said walking towards them. The children greeted her shyly and giggled.

"You're pretty," the girl squealed. "I'm Millie." The girl looked to be about five years old.

"It's nice to meet you Millie. And what's your name?" she asked turning to the cute little boy.

"I'm Thomas and I love Batman!" He yelled striking a superhero pose.

"Sure you do," Ada laughed. They released Nnamdi and ran towards the refrigerator to devour the chocolates and candy.

"Sorry about that, usually babysit my neighbour's kids."

"It's nothing I was just leaving anyway. It's my turn to make dinner and daddy loves his spaghetti hot and spicy." They both laughed. Ada walked towards the door and stepped out with Nnamdi at her heels.

Nnamdi sighed and looked at her, "why did you come here Adaeze? Did Kemi put you up to this?"

She turned sharply and glared at him leaning on the door. Nnamdi didn't expect what came next, her hands making contact with his cheeks hoping to slap some sense into him.

He rubbed his cheeks and cleared his throat. "I deserved that."

"Sure you did," she snapped. "After all I said in there you still ask me useless questions. Look at me Mister, I don't play games. Do you like Kemi or not?"

"I do," he said softly.

"Then go talk to her. Stop making this difficult when it isn't."

"What if I'm willing to let her go."

"Are you?" Adaeze queried. Nnamdi didn't answer looking anywhere but at her.

"Remember that guy I told you about, the one in my University? Gabriel." Ada stared at him making him uneasy.

"What about him?" Nnamdi mumbled.

"Well we were close, very close study buddies but one day he confessed to me how he felt about me. I liked him too and he knew that so he didn't stop asking me out but I kept pushing him away. I became fed up when he didn't relent and disgraced him in public. Gabriel was sad, angry and heartbroken but he came to me and told me maybe we could start afresh you know go back to being friends. He was a great friend."

Ada sighed, pinched the bridge of her nose and added in a solemn tone. "He got married earlier this year, I couldn't attend the wedding and up until now I don't know why I didn't."

Nnamdi studied her expression and asked, "why did you tell me this?"

She glared daggers at him before she finally spoke. "I have a question for you."

"I'm listening."

That night, Nnamdi looked up at the white ceiling and pondered the question he was asked. He tossed restlessly in his bed as he thought about it.

How does it feel to watch the one you love, love another?

Seriously, how does it feel?

So turns out most of you like Pringles huh? I'm among the 5% population that hates the sight of that stuff (and I've tried all the flavors smh). It's too salty and tangy. Who's with me? 🙋

Happy reading! Remember to vote if you think this chapter deserves it. 🌟

Quick question!

▪ Candy crush or Subway surfers?

Lots of cuddles,
Sky_teddy✌