JOHN'S POV

"That was a great meal, don't you agree?" I asked, smiling at James.

"It was spoilt but you are a glutton, maybe that's why you didn't notice." James replied, chuckling with a toothpick in his mouth.

"Let's go and sue that restaurant." I yelled, kicking a stone in my path.

"The food is already in your belly, be grateful that you are still alive." James replied, laughing loudly.

I was basking in the glory of getting my brother back when the phone in my pocket vibrated with immediate attention. I sighed heavily, casting a weak smile at James and picked the call.

"Hello, How can I help you?" I asked, licking my lips.

"Good evening, it's Aisha. I don't want to file for the case against Danjuma anymore. I probably got it mixed up." Aisha said, her voice breaking in a fearful way.

"What kind of excuse is that? You want to let that rape incident go like that. Tell me, did Danjuma threaten you?" I asked, gripping the phone tightly.

"I just told you that I am no more interested in this case anymore. Goodnight." Aisha yelled, causing me to remove the phone from my ears slightly.

"Aisha, you....." I began, but she cut the line, before I could finish my statement.

"Can you imagine this? She called me two days ago that she wanted to file a case against Danjuma and today, she's saying that she's no more interested?" I asked, gritting my teeth.

"Danjuma is an influential man. He probably has something that Aisha needs or wants and he waves that need to his advantage." James replied, sighing heavily.

"You really do have experience with him. I am going to the hospital where Danjuma is being admitted, give me the keys." I replied, stretching out my hands.

"It's very late at night. Do you really want to do this?" James inquired, dropping the keys into my hands.

"Of course, you already told me to do your job. Stay at the hospital. I'll see you soon." I replied, scratching my head.

"By the way, where did you park the car?" I asked, squeezing my lips.

"It's right over that corner. Do you have night blindness?" James asked, patting me on the head.

"Why do you keep touching me on the head?" I asked, walking backwards.

"Because it's so attractive." James replied, winking at me.

I scoffed internally and opened the car door. I smelt the musk and whisk of James and it set an aura of peace. I roared the car engine to life and stepped on the accelerator aggressively. The only thing on my head was Danjuma and how to make sure the law caught up with him.

***

I walked into the hospital with a scrowl on my face. The hospital was lavish and extremely sophisticated. I walked up to a nurse that kept typing aggressively on the desktop.

"Hello, I am here to see Danjuma Yusuf." I said, giving her a fake smile.

"But it's late in the night and guests aren't supposed to be in the ward." She replied, turning her eyes back to the desktop.

I scratched the back of my head desperately and squeezed my forehead in despair. I searched my pockets to reach for money and flipped a five thousand naira on the blue counter.

"Please reconsider." I said, shifting the money into her palm.

"Just for ten minutes." She said, shoving the money into her pockets.

"Room 345." She whispered, smiling.

I gave her a sly smirk and strode to my destination. Finding the room number wasn't a big deal since it was a private establishment. I knocked on the door slightly and heard a reassuring voice telling me to come in.

"Wow. I was starting to think that you have forgotten about me." Danjuma said, placing the newspaper in his hands in the table.

"How can I forget you? It's not something that an old friend should forget." I stated, diving my bottoms into a couch.

"The old friend that tried to sentence me to prison. I was told you were smart but I should have questioned your sanity." Danjuma replied, adjusting the creases on the white bedsheet.

"I am not here to insult you. I am here to talk about Aisha Akindele. Does that strike a bell?" I asked, opening my suit buttons.

"Do you know that there are a lot of people bearing that name and by the way that's not the first question you ask a patient." Danjuma smiled, waving his finger.

"You raped her. Why?" I asked, cleaning my ears with my left finger.

"I am starting to get a sensation that you are very desperate. Do you have a voice recorder on you? You are only wasting your time boy." Danjuma replied, picking up his glasses.

"She's dropping the case. What did you do? Did you threaten her?" I asked, ignoring his former remark.

"All I know is that you don't play with the tiger's tail." Danjuma replied, laughing loudly.

"Then that means we would meet in court." I replied, striking my fingers into the soft brown couch.

"No,it means I have to fall into a coma,and that would be very unfortunate for you." Danjuma said,flipping the pages of the newspaper.

I stood up with a venomous anger. I gripped the ends of the bed and gave him a weak smile.

"You have thirty seconds to leave here before I use this." Danjuma muttered, his right hand gripping a telephone.

"You are full of suprises,we will meet again. Get well soon." I smiled, twisting the door handle.

"Goodluck Judge." Danjuma replied, his face transforming into a frown.

I bolted the door angrily,refusing to thank the nurse at the counter. I reached the spot where I parked the car and I smashed it with my fist angrily in frustration.

ENIOLA'S POV

I paced in my living room back and forth thinking on why I agreed to James's proposal. I placed a reassuring hand on my head to believe that I still loved James but my heart refused to accept. I only said yes because I knew if I said the opposite, James might do something horrible to himself due to his sensitivity.

A message popped up on the screen of my phone and I picked it up. The message sent my hear racing in fear as I read each word carefully sinking in it's content.

I need help!!! - Ayo

I looked at my outfit pushing out the fact that I was dressed in pyjamas and ran out of the house briskly. I screamed for a cab at the main junction of my house. I couldn't sit comfortably because I wondered what was wrong with Ayo,my teeth kept bitting into my fingernails in nervousness as I whispered a quick prayer to God.

*****

Ayo's gate was ajar and it felt weird and strange. I walked in cautiously, my fluffy slippers making unreasonable noises. I strode in the garden which was flanked with rose petals on the ground set in the most romantic manner. I sighted Ayo sitting on a silver chair, fiddling with his phone.

I walked up to him and gave him a stunning smack on his bald head.

"What's all this? You said you needed help and haven't forgotten that your house is at the other side of Lagos?" I yelled, gritting my teeth.

"I just wanted you to come but come to think of it, I think this is the only time I have seen you in any other colors apart from black and white." Ayo replied, chuckling.

"Sit down Eniola." Ayo added, gesturing to the seat opposite his.

I sat down slowly, staring at the lavish meal in front of me. The wine seated at the centre looked so foreign and expensive.

"So what's the occasion? I know it isn't your birthday, neither is it mine. Why are you wearing a tuxedo in the night?" I asked, pouring out a glass of wine.

"You ask too many questions. Let's just say it's a suprise." Ayo replied, gesturing to the uneaten meal set on the table.

"I am not eating anything until I realize the reason for this dinner at this time of the night." I muttered, squeezing my lips.

Ayo gave me a weak smile and dragged a small box from his pockets to the centre of the table. I reached for it and to my amazement, it was a diamond ring.

"Who's she?" I asked, winking at him.

"Apparently she's holding it already." Ayo laughed,sending light chills down my spines.

"Stop joking around and tell me who she is." I replied, nodding my head.

"What are we, Eniola."Ayo asked, folding his arms.

"We are friends." I replied, taking a sip of the chilled wine.

"We are friends? Who's a friend? Why am I your friend? Don't draw the line before I completely cross it." Ayo yelled, banging the table.

"Is it because of what happened years back?" Ayo inquired, pleading with his eyes.

"What happened years back was that your father was the judge in my sister's rape case and he set a guilty man free." I screamed, dropping the glass of wine harshly on the table.

"Then how does it affect me? What have I done? Why can't you see me more than a friend?" Ayo inquired, boring his eyes into mine.

"I have seen more than a friend in you a couple of times. I mean we have been friends for over seven years but when I look at you properly, all I see is your father in you. That's your punishment." I whispered, as my voice echoed into the night.

"Eniola, I have been a friend and a brother to you. I am not my father. I have been in love with you for years. I kept it in, waiting for you to reciprocate those feeling towards me. I don't deserve this Eniola and you know it."

"You knew all these years, didn't you? You knew who sent you anonymous presents every Valentine's day? You chose to ignore it. Who do you think sponsored you into law school? How did you think you entered into the law firm as a trainee? You entered with my father's help and not your brains." Ayo screamed, swiping a glass plate filled with peppersoup on the ground.

"Of course I know, that's why you are a friend and that's what you will be forever. You are not your father, you are worse than him.You are a lawyer, you defend criminals and politicans that have no use in our society and you think you uphold the law? What happened to the Ayo I knew years back. You were bent on changing the corrupt system in our nation but you are eating and dining with them. That's not the man I want to date." I said, rising up to my feets.

"You flew away with the wings of my heart and left me flightless, weak and rejected. Do you know how cruel you sound right now? You are punishing me because of a scar that you have refused to heal over. You know how much I cherish you and you are breaking my heart." Ayo laughed, humorlessly.

"You called that a scar? A scar that haunts me till this very moment. And yes, I don't give a damn about your feelings for me."

"By the way, I am getting married to James. You might end up being the best man after all." I said, chuckling lightly and shaking my engagement ring.

"James? He's not a good man and you know it. What does he have to offer to you that I don't already have?" Ayo yelled, as tears formed in his eyes.

"I thought men were supposed to be strong but you are already crying over spoilt milk. What were you expecting? I am glad I didn't dress up for this nonsense." I said, walking.

I felt a strong impact of a blow on my head and it didn't strike once. The blow kept jabbing in my face till I fell on my back on the ground. My eyes suddenly turned drowsy as I stared at the figure looking over me wickedly.

Ayo.