ENIOLA'S POV

Flashback

I walked into my favorite restaurant after my lectures and my stomach grumbled in excitement at the smell of the exotic dishes that filled the cold air. I rushed to the counter to order a meal but my heels didn't fit right with the ground and I fell on a person who was holding his tray of food. I gasped in embarrassment as the food particles was smeared on my white shirt and the contents in the tray were scattered on the ground . I stood up from the floor and raised up my head to apologize.

"I am very sorry. I didn't mean to ruin your meal ." I stuttered, taking huge breaths.

"It's alright. I think I have seen you before." He stated, pointing his thick long finger at me.

"I don't remember you at all." I replied, casting a quizzing look at him.

"You are Eniola Gbadamosi ,the sharp tongued woman. We met on Valentine's day." He exclaimed, striking his palm on his forehead.

"That's true. It's been three months. How did you expect me to remember?" I inquired, chuckling.

"Well you might have a bad memory, that's for sure." He snorted, folding his arms.

"You are James Bond right?" I asked, ignoring his former remark.

He bursted into a frenzy of laughter and sat down on a chair.

"Do I look like James Bond? You are really hilarious. My name is James Okafor." He stated, smiling sheepishly.

"Well you can't blame me." I replied, lowering my back into a seat.

"Wait, you destroyed my meal, so you have to pay for it." He ordered, pointing to the food particles on the floor.

"That's not necessary. I didn't ask you to pay for my dress when you wrecked it with a drink." I replied, placing a palm on my soft right cheek.

"And I also didn't yell at you when you fell into my meal." He taunted, folding his legs under the table.

"My shirt is already ruined with your food, why can't you understand that?" I asked.

"Can't we just discuss like normal adults?" I muttered, rolling my eyes.

"Well what do you do, Miss Eniola? We have to buy time if you can't buy a meal for me." He smiled, displaying a awesome dimple at his right cheek.

"Well, I am a student at the University of Lagos, I am in law school." I replied, casting him a fake smile.

"Wow! Then you should be excited that you are seating before one of the best renowned and distinguished lawyers in Nigeria." He said, removing three buttons from his suit jacket.

"You are a lawyer?" I exclaimed, placing a palm on my lips in amazement.

"Of course. Don't forget I am also one of the best too." He chuckled, nodding his head.

"I won't forget that you are an arrogant one." I snorted, making irritable sounds with my mouth.

"Well a lawyer needs to have pride and I actually aspire to be a judge." He replied, banging the table lightly with his fingers.

"I also want to be a judge. We have something in common." I stated, shifting my position on the seat.

"Too bad we keep meeting in unfortunate situations." I added.

"Do you believe in fate?" He inquired, pushing his head forward in anticipation.

"I don't. I believe this is merely coincidental." I shrugged, as I called out to a waitress.

"Hello, can you please clean up this mess and bring up a plate of rice." I asked, giving her warm smile.

"Make that two plates of rice." He interjected, stroking his stubble.

"She's paying." He screamed, smirking at the retreating figure of the waitress.

"When did I ever say I was going to pay for your meal?" I whispered, squeezing my face.

"Well I have a right to request for anything from you since you destroyed my meal." He replied, removing his suit jacket.

"I also have a right to object." I stated with a frown.

"Another striking attribute I just unlocked, you are a miser, Eniola." He laughed, clapping his hands.

"Can I get your phone number?" He added, shifting his mobile phone towards the centre of the table.

"Of course." I replied gleefully, reaching out to his mobile phone.

"Make sure it's not a fake number. Your hands are typing too fast." He muttered, clearing his throat.

"That's because I remember my number." I replied, pushing his mobile phone over to him.

The waitress dropped two plates of rice on the table and left without a word.

"It seems I have a client to attend to I have to be on my way now. Enjoy your meal, Eniola." He said, checking his watch intently.

"What about your food? You are going to eat it right?" I asked, raising my brows.

"I am afraid not." He smiled, standing and reaching out for his suit jacket.

"So you just wasted my money. How thoughtful of you." I replied, giving off a sarcastic smile.

"You are welcome. I'll give you a call. Goodbye Eniola." He winked, before racing to the door.

"And I am going to receive his call like a fool." I stated, before taking a spoonful of the rice.

*********

I tucked myself into my bed after reading my lecture notes. I was about to doze into a satisfying sleep when my mobile phone sitting at my bedside beeped into existence. I groaned internally and turned my head to the other side of the bed, deciding to ignore the call. But the noise emitting from the phone was so loud and I gripped it harshly into my hands.

"Hello, How may I help you?" I asked with irritation dwelling in my lips.

"Did you enjoy your meal to your satisfaction, Eniola?" He asked, making my ears to cringe in disappointment.

"You again. What do you want?" I groaned, lifting my body weight from the bed.

"Do you remember me or should I introduce myself again?" He replied.

"No need, now what do you want, James. It's in the middle of the night." I grunted, straightening the creases on the bedsheets.

"I just wanted us to talk. You seem very interesting." He replied calmly, his voice sending vibrations into my body.

"Talk about what? How you wasted my precious money or how I had to eat two plates of rice." I yelled into the phone.

"You are truly a miser. You could have left the meal, you didn't have to force it down your throat." He snorted.

"And you are simply annoying. I don't think I am ready to talk to you." I replied, shifting my position in the bed.

"How were your classes today?" He inquired, ignoring my former remark.

"I don't have to respond to your questions, James." I stated, reaching out for my earpiece seated on the lamp table.

"Well my day was hectic, I had a very annoying client. He wants to divorce his wife but his wife doesn't want to agree to his demands." He replied.

"That's very sad but I really don't care." I retorted angrily.

"I feel hurt that you aren't interested in pushing this conversation forward. Was your day that stressful?" He inquired further.

"I really regret giving you my phone number right now." I blurted, squeezing my lips in annoyance.

"If you really do regret, I expect you to terminate the phone but I think you are fascinated about me." He responded, making me to bite my bottom lip.

"You really want to talk? Let's talk." I concluded with a small grin playing on my lips.

Present

"What are you doing with a coffin?" I yelled, as Ayo removed his hands from my lips.

"It's a surprise. I don't have to tell you." Ayo hummed as he got up from the ground.

"You are insane." I replied, hissing in annoyance.

"I am not insane, Eniola. I simply wanted to show you how much I love you but you keep being adamant and it's infuriating." Ayo screamed, turning his hand into a fist.

"Please let me go." I added, squeezing my lips.

"Stop trying. Nobody will hear you." Ayo said, pinching my shoulders.

"You never listen, Eniola and that's your problem." Ayo retorted, placing his hand under his prominent eye circles.

"You are the one that has a problem......" I started, but a blow on my left cheek stopped me from completing my statement.

"You punched me, Ayo." I whimpered, holding my agonized left cheek.

"And I won't hesitate to do it again if you don't keep your dirty mouth shut." Ayo retorted, sternly.

"Why can't you just let me go? I promise, I won't tell anyone." I pleaded, stretching forth my hands.

"That's not possible anymore." Ayo replied as his face transformed into a frown.

"I remember the first day I met you, you were bold, bossy and short tempted and that's what I love about you. Do you know how hard it was to be your friend? Do you know how weak I felt when you ignored my feelings?" Ayo added, as he wiped off the incoming tears that were about to stream down his face.

"I understand completely how you feel, but I need you to understand me. I don't have feelings for you and you are making it harder." I stuttered, as the words kept scrambling from my lips.

"Just give me a chance, Eniola. I'll prove myself to you." Ayo whispered.

"Alright, I'll give you a chance." I replied, nodding my head in approval.

I thought that if I accepted his proposal, I would gain his trust and that was my key to freedom.

"I am so happy that you have finally come to your senses, Eniola." Ayo smiled, as he stooped on a knee.

Ayo swiped my hair that kept disturbing his view from my face and kissed my forehead which sent tingles of irritation down my belly.

"We would take baby steps but for now I want an assurance. I want you to hear you say you love me." Ayo whispered, giving off an handsome grin.

I squeezed my lips together to keep the volcano that was ready to erupt in my chest in check. I knew that I just had to say it so he would be glad.

"I love you, James" I replied hastily, before gasping in realization of what I had just said.

Ayo squeezed his lips and ruffled his black hair in irritation. He took a step backward and swinged his fist which connected with my right cheek. The impact of the blow was harsh but I refused the urge to cry, streaks of blood escaped from my lips and I swallowed the red oozing liquid that kept flowing endlessly.

"You have succeeded in crushing my heart, Eniola Gbadamosi." Ayo whispered, as he dragged my body on the floor.

"I am sorry, Ayo." I screamed, as tears poured down my face.

I got no response from him. Ayo threw my body into a hard surface as I screamed at the intensity of the pain I was feeling at the back of my head. I drank in my surroundings properly and noticed Ayo was staring at me from a distance. I wondered why until I realized I was inside a coffin. Ayo kicked the coffin slightly and the coffin wheeled itself into the ground.

"What are you doing?" I inquired, as my body shook in terror.

"Glad you asked. You are going to stay inside this coffin for two hours, ruminating and digesting the bitter truth that I am going to be your future husband and you are going to adore me." Ayo replied, displaying a devilish glint in his eyes.

"But I love you." I replied, nodding my head dramatically.

"No you don't, but you will." Ayo replied, which left me in a state of confusion until Ayo closed the coffin shut and the cold air I once felt was now replaced by a strange warm air that sent shudders into my spine. I screamed and kicked the wooden surface of the coffin severally.

I sucked in a breath and I screamed once more trying to draw attention to myself. Then the coffin started to move and tears were already threatening to escape. I felt a sharp thud when the coffin landed.

Ayo was going to bury me alive.