I bit down hard on my bottom lip as I stared at the door he just walked out of. A part of me wanted to lay back down on the floor and just reminisce on what happened a few minutes ago, and allow him the space to be alone with his thoughts.

But the other part of me desperately wanted to go after him and ask him till he tells me the truth. Zadkiel had an unshakeable faith, I don't know much people in this school but I was 100 percent sure he had a whole lot of faith in God, but now, he needs a reason to keep believing?

I want to know. I want to know what was strong enough to break his faith in God. My questions and troubles in the past didn't break it, so what could have? I glanced at the mat I spread and the food basket, then mumbled a quick prayer before I dashed out after him.

"Lord, please where is he?" I mumbled when I came outside the garden and there was no trace of him. It hasn't been that long since he walked out, and unless he vanished there's no way he could be so out of sight. I stood at the spot and looked around, hoping to catch even a glimpse of him but there was nothing.

A deep sigh escaped my lips at my unfruitful search. "Oh well, I guess the Lord doesn't want me to go after him either" I shrugged and turned to walk back into the garden, but my chest suddenly felt heavy and the urge to go after him increased. My brows knitted together and I rubbed my chest as if that would lessen the burden.

I looked around for Zadkiel again, but he was nowhere to be found and I sighed. "How will I go after someone I can't even catch a glimpse of" I mumbled, but despite my grumblings I found myself walking down the path in search of him.

My expectations weren't high when I started the walk, I already had my mind made up that I won't see him even if I walked down all the paths, but the heaviness I felt began to reduce with each step I took and that began to heighten my expectations. I began walking faster and my eyes glazed around the area with more scrutiny than before.

And before I knew it, I saw Zadkiel hunched in a corner with his jaw clenched painfully. I frowned at his stance and walked closer to him in hopes to talk to him, but my steps slowly halted when I realized he wasn't alone. Another figure that I couldn't make out stood before him, talking in a hushed but stern voice.

I frowned and tried to make out who the person was from my position, but that proved abortive. "This is wrong, Jophiel. You are not meant to eavesdrop on someone's conversation" I whispered, drawing closer and closer to them.

My eyes slowly widened and I clamped my mouth with my hands when I was finally close enough and realized that they were in fact not talking in hushed tones. The stranger who I can now identify as a man from his voice was shouting at Zadkiel.

"You don't get to do that rubbish again! What was that? You couldn't have kept yourself intact!?" He yelled and I flinched. Was this person really shouting at Zadkiel? The school president? "If you blew my cover what would you have done? Huh? Stand there and pathetically watch as they slaughter me or something? Aren't you meant to be the coolheaded one? Answer me for God's sake!?"

I rubbed my eyes and peered at them to make sure it was Zadkiel I saw earlier and it was him, but unlike before when he had his jaw set in a tight line, he looked perfectly calm and collected. And that had me puzzled, how could he look so calm and collected when someone was shouting at him like that, and how on Earth is the other party not scared of him?

My mind was still juggling the questions I came up with when I felt something crawling up my leg and I froze, my eyes nearly bulging out of their sockets. I took a deep breath and tried to remain calm as I aggressively wiggled my leg to get rid of the crawling object but instead, the thing gripped my leg, eliciting pain from me and I screamed without thinking twice.

Zadkiel immediately jumped out of the corner with wide eyes, his chest rising and falling rapidly as his eyes scanned the area before they rested on me. I saw the confusion and anger that flashed through his eyes in a single second but I couldn't bring myself to care as I motioned him to come closer, "Something is gripping my leg painfully" his eyes went to my leg that was hidden in the bushes, and in a second he was right beside me. He immediately freed my leg from the grip the unknown insect had on it and then led me out of the bushes.

It took a few seconds for me to relax and come out of the fear cacoon I was in because of the insect, and only when I got over it did I realize that the person that was with Zadkiel earlier didn't come out with him. I stylishly turned my head to the sides, looking for him but he seemed to have disappeared. The person definitely doesn't want to be seen, at least not around Zadkiel.

"Are you done looking around for him?" My heart dropped to my stomach, and I slowly turned my head towards him before my eyes rested on his face which was filled with disappointment. "What were you doing, Jophiel?" He asked and I opened my mouth to defend myself but no words came out.

"Answer me. What were you doing?" He repeated and I lowered my gaze to the ground, "Couldn't you have respected my wish to be alone? Was that so hard? I said I needed to be alone. I specifically told you that I would let you know everything later, so what on Earth were you doing eavesdropping on my conversation?!" I flinched and tears clouded my eyes.

"I'm sorry" I sobbed out, "I'm very sorry but I didn't mean to eavesdrop, I only came out in search of you cause I was worried about...."

"I didn't ask you to worry about me, Jophiel" he whispered and I immediately snapped my eyes up to him. "That's not what I asked you to do for me. what I asked for was that you leave me alone and wait till I'm ready to talk" his eyes held mine for a few seconds before he shook his head "but you couldn't even do that. You prioritized your curiosity over my request"

I shook my head rapidly and tried to reach out to him, but he quickly moved out of my reach. "Please don't." I sucked in a breath at his request and my hands slumped to my sides, "Listen Jophiel, I don't care why you came or why you stood by the bushes listening to a private conversation but I want you to forget. Yes, I want you to forget everything you heard tonight and I want, no..." He paused and took a deep breath, "I need you to leave me alone, Jophiel. I need distance from you and this time, I want you to respect my request, please"

My stomach churned painfully at his request and I tried to swallow the painful lump that formed in my throat, "Zad..." I tried calling out, but he already turned his back on me and was already walking away.  All I wanted was to ask him questions and help him out, that's all I wanted to, how did it come to this?

                                  **********

"Jophiel, you seriously have to get up from the bed. It's been a day already, please get up" Ruth nudged me slowly but I refused to budge. "Jophy!" She called out and tapped me lightly but just like I've been doing the past day, I ignored her.

I had come home after that day and dived right into bed, without saying a word to Ruth. It seemed like all the energy I had inside of me had slipped away. All I wanted to do was lay in bed and have no contact with the outside world and that was exactly what I did. I skipped breakfast, dinner and lunch, skipped bathing, skipped my classes, and haven't said a single word to anyone except God, to whom I mumble prayers from time to time.

"Can you at least let me know what's going on, Jophy? I keep covering for you but at this point, I feel like it's not the right thing to do anymore since you are not even letting me in on what's going on" she said and I took a shaky breath. The energy to talk has eluded me and I just wished she could read my mind, and see all that is wrong.

Zadkiel asking me to stay away from him had pushed me to bed, but fear and the thought of the upcoming meeting has kept me here. The fear, loneliness, heartbreak and the fact that I might be going home with those people again, kept pushing me further into depression and hopelessness, and the probability that I might not get to speak to Zadkiel before then worsened everything.

I had tried not to think about it, but the moment my head hit the bed yesterday, the thoughts slowly overshadowed me and all that kept me going was the fact that God knows, and just like before, he's taking care of it even though I can't see it.

"Jophy" Ruth shook me again and I slowly opened my eyes to look at her, a look of relief immediately crossed her face and her lips tugged up in a smile. "Thank God, Jophy. What's wrong? Please talk to me" she pleaded and rubbed my hand softly, "please" she mumbled again and I slowly sat up on the bed and wrapped my arms around her.

"Ruthie" I whispered. She wrapped her arms around me as well, engulfing me in a hug and a dam opened in my eyes. She held me quietly as I sobbed into her chest without saying a word till I was done crying.

"Talk to me, love," she rubbed my back as my sobs slowly died down. "Please talk to me" My mind ran in circles as I contemplated letting her know everything that has kept me in this bed. I didn't want to burden her with all my issues.

She rubbed my arms softly and I took a deep breath, I can't let her in on the upcoming meeting but I can tell her what happened with the President. And without missing a beat, I spilt everything to her.

"I just want you to know that through thick and thin, I'm right here for you. And if President wants space, you'll give him space. But..." she pulled away from the hug and held my face, "you don't give him space by being shackled on this bed and being weighed down"

"What do you suggest then?" I asked and her lips curled up mischievously.

"A lot of things that'll get your mind off all this" she whispered and stood up from the bed, "take my hand if you're ready for this." I stared at her outstretched hand and then at her face before I slowly placed my hand in hers and she dragged me up from the bed, "welcome to Ruth's world of fun" she giggled and pushed me into the bathroom.

🌼🌼🌼🌼🌼🌼
Filler chapter right there!
I love writing about their friendship. (Jophiel always one issue or the other, doesn't she? Lol)

Dedicating this chapter to BodarkRainbow72

Thank you for your votes yesterday! You were my 100th and 101 voter❤️ tThankyou so much. It was nice seeing an update from you🤗

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