So, I decided not to start off with Khalil's POV. Jamal's POV will start first and then Khalil's POV will end the chapter. It's good that way. I don't want to scare you from the start with the shit going on in Khalil's head. But it will all end in smiles 😌❤️ I promise.

Don't forget to hit that orange star and VOTE ⭐.

****

"𝑰𝒕 𝒊𝒔 𝒊𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒐𝒇 𝒔𝒆𝒍𝒇-𝒃𝒍𝒂𝒎𝒆 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒋𝒖𝒅𝒈𝒆𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕, 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒆𝒍𝒇 𝒊𝒔 𝒍𝒊𝒃𝒆𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒇𝒓𝒐𝒎 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒔 𝒐𝒇 𝒃𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒆𝒎𝒐𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒔 ... 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒓𝒆𝒎𝒆𝒎𝒃𝒆𝒓 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒕𝒓𝒖𝒆 𝒂𝒖𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒕𝒊𝒄 𝒔𝒆𝒍𝒇."
_ ©️2015 𝑾. 𝑬. 𝑺𝒍𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒓

𝕁𝔸𝕄𝔸𝕃

Standing in front of the brown door, I took a deep breath, stretching my hand forward and knocked the door. Waiting for an answer, I looked up to the grey sky. It looked like it was going to rain. It's was mid June anyway so it wasn't really a surprise. Good thing I have my pull over on.

I heard shuffles from behind the door and I looked back in time to see the door open, revealing Aunt Lyla. She looked surprised to see me, given that I haven't been here in a while. My lips stretched in a smile.

"Good morning, Aunt Lyla." I greeted, bowing my head a bit.

"Jamal, what a surprise." She said, smiling at me. "It's been a while. How are you?" She asked. I could send the undertone in that question. She knew what had been going on for the past few weeks and she was concerned. Good thing I was on the verge of making things right. So, I smiled and nodded.

"I'm fine, aunt." I replied, peering over her shoulder into the house and then looked back at her. "I'm sorry for bothering you so early. I need to see..."

"Jamal?" Her voice filled my senses as she came into view, also looking surprised that I was here. My lips stretched into an automatic smile when I saw her clearly.

"Hey..." I breathed out, my words drawling out from my mouth.

It's been a while since I saw her last. Giving the events of the past week, we all just needed a little bit of space to digest everything that had gone down, especially me. But I couldn't deny the fact that I've missed her so much. I've missed something as small as lacing my fingers between hers, holding her hand in mine and pressing dainty kisses on the back of her palm. Or her encouraging words and the way she always knew the right thing to say. She has always known the right thing to say.

Maybe that's why I was here.

I needed her to know my move on how to make things right with Khalil. She would know what to say to me.

"I'd leave both of you to talk." Aunt Lyla said and it reminded me that she was still standing there. I nodded at her, smiling in appreciation as I watched her walk back in, leaving Elyon and I standing at the front porch. Turning to look back at Elyon, I found her staring at me.

"I didn't think I'd see you anytime soon." She started, crossing her hand over her chest while I nodded in understanding. I don't think I'd even be out of the house if I didn't have some unfinished business.

"I wasn't planning on coming out anytime soon actually, probably till prom night." I teased and she chuckled, brushing stray strands of hair behind her ear. "But I needed to talk to you about something very important." I told her and her face became serious immediately.

"Okay. From your tone, it sounds extremely important. Do you want to come in?" She asked, stepping aside and holding the door open wider. I shook my head.

"That won't be necessary." I answered. "I parked my car outside. I was hoping we could talk in there. It seems a little bit more private since your mum won't stop looking at us from the window upstairs." I subtly pointed to the top and Elyon groaned while I chuckled, stealing a glance up at Aunt Lyla not so subtle attempt to hide the cotton.

"You can wait for me by your car." Elyon said, small smiles tugging at the corner of her lips. "Let me go grab myself a pull over. It seems like it's about to rain." She gestured to the grey cloud up ahead and her statement was punctuated with the low rumbling of thunder. I chuckled, nodding then turning around to go wait inside the car.

☆☆☆☆

"Wow..." Elyon breathed out moments after I had finished telling the story, staring ahead with her eyes as wide as saucers.

The rain started as soon as I had gotten into the car. Elyon came in shortly after, thankfully not too wet from the rain that became even heavier by the minute. The down pour gave a cool and serene atmosphere as I told Elyon everything my mum had told me two days ago. How Khalil had actually saved my life, not putting it at risk like I had thought all those years. How he had sacrificed himself for me and I have ever since taken him for granted.

Elyon didn't expect it to be that huge, which was why it shocked her more than any other thing.

"I hated him for nothing." I muttered, watching rain drops sliding down the windscreen of the car. "I made sure everyone around him hated him too. I couldn't get you to hate him and I hated him more for it. All for what? Nothing, absolutely nothing."

"I wouldn't say it was exactly all for nothing..." She started but I turned to her, giving her an incredulous look.

"I hurt you, Elyon. I said words that I couldn't take back. I made someone that saved my life, a monster in everyone imaginations. I have done things that are unforgivable and unforgettable. It was because of me his father stopped him from doing the one thing that he loves. I literally tarnished his dreams. I made things difficult for him and instead of me to appreciate him, I hated him and accused him falsely." I maintained, taking a breather. Elyon turned completely to look at me, her eyes trained intently on me. I took a deep breath, shaking my head.

"I'm a terrible person, El."

"Don't talk like that." She chided calmly, reaching over the headboard to take my hand in hers. "You are flawed and that's okay. Because everyone around you is flawed in one way or another. Me, Khalil, Skye... none of us are perfect, Jamal. We are all bound to make mistakes. But the fact that you can accept your mistake is what makes you a perfect person." She stated matter-of-factly, eyes still intently on mine while her fingers laced between mine, her thumb caressing the back of my palm. That simple gesture had me letting out a breath I didn't realize I was holding.

"I know you are going to make things right." She continued, her voice low in a whisper and her eyes searching mine. "Jamal, you are not only someone that accepts the fact that he is made mistakes, but you also stop at nothing to make things right. That's who you are. That's who you have always been.-

You are going to make this right because you owe it to yourself and you owe it to Khalil most of all. Because the both of you are family and you need each other, especially at this point when things are messy. He needs you at this time, Jamal." She concluded, her knuckles coming up to brush the skin of her face. I exhaled, nodding, leaning into her touch.

This was why I came to her in the first place. Elyon always knows what to say. That's why I would keep falling in love with her over and over again. She has got to be my soul mate.

Now you are just being extremely corny. My subconscious mocked me and my lips stretched in a wide smile. A smile that Elyon didn't fail to notice.

"What has got you all smiley?" She asked, flashing me smile of her own and I chuckled, bringing our locked hands to the level of my vision, feeling the way my fingers were entwined perfectly with hers.

"I've missed this." I whispered, looking away from our hands and looking at her, noticing the ghost of a smile playing on her lips. I drawled in a deep breath and continued, going back to watch our going hands.

"I've missed talking to you like this and having you talk to me like this. You have always known the right thing to say to me. I've missed holding your hand like this. I've missed you so much." I breathed, looking back at her now, capturing her gaze with the intensity of mine.

"I'm so..." I started but she stopped me by raising the index of her free hand at me.

"If you apologize one more time, I'll literally poke out your eyes." She threatened teasingly and I laughed, throwing my head down.

"Okay. I won't apologize again." I promised and she nodded, smirking.

"Better." She said and I chuckled again, eyes unwavering from hers.

Elyon leaned over the compartment in-between our seats, hand against the side of my face. I watched her as she leaned her face in and pressed a kiss to the corner of my mouth, missing my lips by just a breeze. Sighing in content, I closed my eyes and savoured the feeling of her close to me. She brushed her cheeks against mine before stretching her body up a little and pressed another kiss to my forehead.

This was the first time she would be giving me a forehead kiss. And I loved it...

"I love your forehead kisses." I murmured, my eyes meeting hers when she came back to my level. She chuckled.

"This is the first time I'd be giving you a forehead kiss, Jamal." She stated and I corked my head side to side playfully.

"I hope it won't be last time any way." I smirked and she chuckled again, brushing an imaginary dust from chest, her hand lingering there. She then looked at me from beneath her lashes when my fingers brushed stray strands of her hair behinde her ear, my fingers dragging down slowly to caress the skin behind her ear, my gaze not moving from hers.

"I love you." I told her and her lips immediately stretched in a contagious smile. It's been a while since I told her and I needed to remind her. She needed to know that she still held my heart in her hands. It was all hers.

"You had better." She whispered back, leaning closer to press her forehead against mine and I sigh in satisfaction, bringing our entwined hands to my lips and pressing a kiss on the back of her palm. We stayed that way for a while, just the sound of our heavy breathing and the heavy downpour outside filling the car.

"So what's your plan about Khalil?" She asked after a while of silence. I smiled, remembering what I had planned.  It was the best plan I could come up with and I really hope and pray it would work.

"It's not exactly a difficult one." I replied. "All I need to do is talk to someone very important. I think it's only that person that can help salvage this situation. I just need to be able to convince the person to come down here." I added. Elyon squinted in confusion.

"And who might that be?" She asked and I smirked in return.

"You'll see."

☆☆☆☆

𝕂ℍ𝔸𝕃𝕀𝕃

One...

Two...

Three...

I kept counting as the fan rotated, my eyes following the blades as they moved in circles, running after each other like three brothers they would forever be unable to catch up with one another.

That's how life was. Never balanced.

That's why Tolani was gone. Because this life didn't have any odds in her favour.

I wouldn't have gotten angry or livid or mad or furious if I  had not seen the headlines on several blogs on the internet. He had the right! The effontery! Thee audacity! He had the balls.

CHIEF ADEKUNLE ADEOYE STILL IN THE RACE FOR THE STATE GOVERNORSHIP POST EVEN AFTER THE DEATH OF HIS ONLY CHILD - Awela Danjuma's Blog.

"MY DAUGHTER IS THE DRIVE I NEED TO WIN THIS ELECTION. IT WILL BE IN HER HONOUR." Chief Adeoye says at electoral press conference - Linda Ikeji Blog.

He had the fucking balls to use her death as a campaign strategy?! After the hell he put her through!

I let out a humourless laugh, sitting up right with a start.

Feeling intense anger course through my veins, I swiftly picked up the glass cup by the bed side table and threw it carelessly, shattering into a million pieces when it came in contact with the wall and eliciting a loud shattering sound. Immediately, a frantic knock came to my door and I knew that the shattered glass had gotten the attention of Aunt Zaria.

Fuck.

"Khalil!" She cried out and I could hear the panic in her voice. She knocked again, banging the door vehemently.

"I'm fine, aunt Zaria." I called out to her, hoping she would go away. But she didn't.

"I heard a crash. Did you fall? Are you hurt?" She asked hysterically, then I saw the door knob turn severally. She wanted to come in but my door was locked. "Khalil, please open the door." She pleaded and I could hear the quiver in her voice. I sighed.

"I just tipped over a mug and it fell to the floor." I lied. "I'm not hurt, I'm okay. You don't have to bother yourself." I said, hoping and praying that she'd finally leave. I heard the sound of her heavy breathing behind the door for a moment before a low "okay" came from her and then I heard footsteps which meant she was gone.

I took a deep breath, falling back on my bed, mind filled with restlessness. I knew I was scaring them, all of them but at this point, I didn't care. With how my emotions were all over the place, all I wanted was to feel a bit of peace. A bit of her. My mind on it's own went back to my last discussion with her. Everything she had told me was still very fresh in my memory like it was yesterday. Everything she had tried to make me understand.

"So," I drawled as I walked into her room, trying my best to smile and to remain calm even after the news I had received. "The doctor said you have to go through uhm, surgery. There is a bit of complication but nothing too serious." I added the last part because the last thing I wanted was for her to panic.

Tolani turned away from the window where she had been staring at and looked at me. I came closer to her bed side when she patted the space beside her for me to sit and I sat down, moving closer to her so that there was hardly any space between us. She reached over and took my hand in hers, her thumb stroking the back of my palm and causing a smile to unconsciously spread across my lips.

"You look scared." She stated matter-of-factly, corking her head to the side as if to get a better look at me. Letting out a nervous chuckle, I nodded slowly. There was no use denying that I was scared. We were way past embarrassing situations.

"I have so many reasons to be scared." I answered and she chuckled like I had said something funny. "Being scared is even an understatement. I am terrified. You are in this mess because of me..."

"Don't you ever blame yourself for trying to help me." She cut me off, her voice stern and her gaze unwavering. "I am here because instead of me to accept your help and I am in this mess because my parents, my dad sold me out for selfish reasons. This has absolutely nothing to do with you, Khalil." She said, her thumb still walking wonders on my skin. I didn't fail to notice what she had said.

...My dad sold me out...

"What do you mean, your dad sold you out?" I asked carefully and I could see her eyes drop, an heavy sigh escaping her lips. I crouched my head a bit so that my eyes could meet hers. "You know you can tell me anything right? We are so much way past secrets at this points." I urged her and she sighed again.

"I didn't tell you the entire story when I dropped the dime on you about my past." She started, raising her head up now to look at me clearly. "My parents didn't only know that I was raped, they were the ones that put me up for it." She made the shocking revelation. I tried not to act too shocked, urging her to continue.

"My Dad's business was collapsing little by little when I was younger. He tried so hard to save it but he couldn't. So, he sought the help of one of the godfather's of Lagos. The man agreed to restore my father, to make him ten times greater than he used to be. He gave my father wealth and fame, on one condition. That he could have me." This revelation was greater, more shocking than the first. My mouth hung open like someone about to catch a fly, my eyes wide open like a deer caught in head light.

He sold her out for wealth and fame?!

His own Daughter?!

"What!" I whispered out harshly, my face contorted with anger at every corner. "He gave you to a man old enough to be your grandfather all for wealth! You, his flesh and blood." I growled out in anger and Tolani nodded slowly, a sad smile playing on her lips.

"You'd be shocked the length people go to just to attain a certain height." She said, her voice coming out in a whisper. "I became the man's sex slave and if I was a good girl, my dad would keep moving higher and higher, becoming wealthier and wealthier. My mum couldn't do anything about it. She was practically enjoying from it anyway so why would she want the money to stop.-

I tried to make myself feel better about it, telling myself that at least he didn't kill me for rituals or something of that sort. But the truth is that, being the person he made me turn out to be, it was a date worst than death." She scoffed out a humourless laugh, looking straight ahead. I was seething, furious.

That man doesn't deserve to live.

"Your father doesn't deserve to live, not after what he has made you being through." I voiced out my thoughts, not mincing words. "He deserves to die. He deserves to be wiped out. No, death is too easy for him. Men like him should have their balls cut off." That statement elicited a full blown laugh from Tolani and honestly, seeing her laugh like that had the corner of my lips tugged up in a smile even with the seriousness of the conversation.

"It's not funny." I mumbled and she nodded, biting her lower lips to stop her from going into fits of laughter again.

"I know, I know." She said, her eyes trained on mine with smiles playing on her lips. "You want to know the real reason why I'm telling you all these?" She asked, watching me. I nodded, even though I didn't understand her question. She took a deep breath, looking up to the ceiling for a moment before looking back at me. Then she said the most absurd thing ever.

"Even with everything by parents, my father, did to me, I have no other choice but to forgive him." She said and I scoffed immediately.

You have got to be kidding me...

"You want to forgive a man that literally destroyed your childhood and part of your youth? Why would you want to forgive a man that felt his reputation and his wealth was more important than his flesh and blood?!" I asked incredulously. Tolani grasped my hand, causing me to stop talking and to look at her. Her eyes were relaying the message I didn't seem to understand.

"Because if I don't forgive him, I won't be able to make it." She answered, trying to make me understand even if I didn't. I didn't understand what she meant.

Forgiving the heartless man will make her surgery successful? I don't understand.

"I don't understand what you mean, Tolani. There is no reason why you should forgive that man! He has taken so much from you..." She held my hand tighter, cutting me off and I looked at her. The way she was looking at me now was way different from how she had been looking at me. It was deeper, intense and I sat there transfixed.

"I'm letting all strife, all bitterness and all unforgiveness against my father and everyone, go. That's the only way I can make it, Khalil. I need you to understand that. Please understand that." She was pleading with me, her voice sounding so desperate. And even if I didn't understand what she meant, I nodded vigorously wanting nothing more but to please her.

She beckoned to me and I moved closer. Her hand made its way to the back of my neck, drawing my head closer to hers. I pressed my forehead to hers, lacing my fingers between hers while her finger played with the hair on my neck. I sighed, my lips spreading in an automatic smile. This was what I wanted, where I wanted to be.

In her arms.

"I just want you to be okay, Tolani." I told her and she exhaled, her lips stretching in a smile of her own.

"I will be. Trust me."

But She died.

Even after everything, She didn't make it.

Even after forgiving the man that didn't deserve it, that will never deserve it, She was gone forever.

I've lost her forever.

Because of HIM.

He destroyed her life and he's out there, using her death as a campaign strategy.

He doesn't deserve to live.

I needed to see her. I didn't know how, but I needed to. Every way I thought I would be able to see her, it was dangerous but I didn't really care at this point. I just had to see her. The urge was overwhelming.

I got off my bed and made my way to the bathroom, closing the door behind me. Then, I moved to turn on the tap, water rushing into the bathtub after I closed the drainage. I was scared, oh God I was so scared, but my need to see her, to speak to her outweighed my fear. I didn't care about anything else but to see her.

Khalil you are are insane! Don't do anything Dangerous! The sane part of my subconscious warned me but I shut it up, not wanting anything to distract me from my goal.

When the water began to overflow the tub, I discarded my cloths, stripping all the way till I was just in my boxers shorts. I let the tap keep running, not caring that the entire bathroom was being overflown by water. Lifting myself into the bathtub, I shivered as cold water covered my body up to my mid section. I leaned against tub, thinking my decision through.

Khalil, get out of this now. It's dangerous! My subconscious pleaded with me one last time. But I had already made my decision.

Holding my breath, I lowered myself further until I was completely submerged my water, closing my eyes and slipping away into unconsciousness.

𝚂𝚘𝚖𝚎𝚠𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚎 𝙱𝚎𝚝𝚠𝚎𝚎𝚗 𝙻𝚒𝚏𝚎 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝙳𝚎𝚊𝚝𝚑

I walked aimlessly, looking around the unfamiliar surrounding. It was a garden, a beautiful one at that, but it was dark, the standing street lights around were dim. I sighed, wondering for the umpteenth time where I was. This wasn't the place I had in mind anyway. This place though beautiful, was empty.

She wasn't here...

All my efforts to see her was in vain.

Disappointed, I plopped down on one of the steel chairs at the corners, burying my face in my hands. This was all hopeless. What was I even thinking.

"Khalil?"

My head shot up with a start, recognizing the voice that had called my name immediately. The voice that had kept me awake at night. The voice that I never wanted to get rid of. The voice I was no longer able to hear in real life but has had a way to invade my ever senses. That voice is what I heard and I looked towards the direction where the voice was coming from, my mouth hanging open.

It was her...

And boy did she look like an angel!

She looked better, healthier, an aura of radiance and peace radiation from her even though she stood just a distance away. She was beautiful, more beautiful than I have ever seen her.

"Tolani!" I stood up immediately, running to catch up with her. As soon as I got to her, I flung my arms around her, pulling her to me. She hugged me back, though I could feel her shock oozing through her body. I couldn't stop the excitement that filled my entire being. This was exactly what I wanted, her in my arms like this, me holding her.

"What are you doing here?" She asked incredulously immediately I pulled away from her slightly, the shock in her face still evident. I flashed her a mock frown.

"What do you mean? I'm here to see you." I replied but she shook her head vigorously, looking around the area that had magically become brighter, the lights not dim as before anymore, bringing out the beauty of the garden.

"You are not supposed to be here!" She started, the fear in her eyes evident, causing the frown on my face to be more serious. She was scaring me all of a sudden. "It's not your time, Khalil. You still have long years to live. What are you doing to your body?!" She asked, her eyes meeting mine in a wild stare that I could literally see the fear in them.

As if on cue, my breath caught in my throat and I began to splutter out water from my mouth and to the floor while Tolani looked at me in horror. That was an indication that I didn't have much time left.

God ...

"What did you do?" She asked, the fear in her voice not reducing one bit. I took a deep breath, catching my breath.

"I needed to see you..."

"And you drowned yourself!" She exclaimed, her eyes widened. "You are killing yourself gradually, Khalil. You have to go back. You need to go back. It's not your time to die!" She told me.

"I can't leave you!" I retorted vehemently and she sighed. "I can't see you like this, all alone and leave you again. I am not going to leave you, Tolani. I rather die than leave you all by yourself!" I maintained adamantly. She exhaled, moving closer to me and cupping my face in her hands.

"You are not going to die." She whispered, eyes as vibrant as ever locked with mine, holding me spellbound. "Not today and not for a very very long time, Khalil. Do you hear me?" I felt tears well up in my eyes and I didn't bother to push them down. I allowed them to fall.

"I don't want to leave you here all alone..." She cut me off when she let out a low yet very genuine chuckle, eyes still trained on me.

"Who says I'm alone?" She asked, corking her eyebrows up in question. I frowned, looking around the empty garden to see if there was anyone else but there wasn't. I looked back at her, confusion written all over my face.

"Tolani..." I started to call but she shushed me.

"Shh... Listen." She instructed and I did. I listened. I listened hard till I heard distant laughter, singing, the playing of instruments, like a party was going on. I couldn't see anyone but I could hear them. I could hear them clearly.

"I'm not alone, Khalil. And neither are you." She told me, bringing my attention back to her. I sniffed, shaking my head.

"I don't think I can do this." I told her in all honesty. I took both of her hands in mine, feeling the feathery touch of her skin against mine. "Grieving is hard. It hurts, Tolani. I don't think I can get through it."

"You can." She replied, her hands leaving mine and going back to their former position on either sides of my face. "You are the strongest person I know, Khalil. You can get through this. All you need to do is let go."

"Let go?" I asked her, confusion written all over my face. She nodded in affirmation.

"Remember what I said the last time we discussed in the hospital? I told you I was letting go of every strife, every bitterness and every unforgiveness. All of that I had to let go of so that I could make it."

"But you didn't make it."

"Oh, but I did." She said, her smile widening. "I'm in heaven. I made it here because I wasn't going to let anything tie me down." She added and that was when I realized.

She didn't mean she was going to make it out of the surgery.

She knew she was going to die.

She tried to prepare me but I didn't get the hint.

She knew all this while.

She was expected it.

"You knew you were going to die." I stated and she nodded, still smiling.

"I got heads up." She shrugged. "HE just needed me to tie all my loose ends." She said and I puffed out a breath I didn't know I was holding. I moved closer and pressed my forehead to hers.

"I don't want to go back without you." I whispered.

"But you have to." She replied, fingers caressing the skin o my face. "My time is over. Your time has just begun. You need to go back and start over but the only way you can do that is by letting go. Forgive my father, Khalil. He isn't worth all of this. And most importantly, Forgive Jamal. He's your family."

Suddenly, a loud thunderclap echoed through the area, followed by strings of familiar voices, letting out a frantic cry. I knew those voices. I could recognize them anywhere.

Aunt Zaria and Uncle Joel.

They found my body.

Their cries and frantic calls indicated that I had drowned and they were trying to revive me.

"You see," Tolani cooed, calling my attention back to her. "You have a family that cares so much about you. You can't leave them now, not yet. You have to go back." She told me, pleaded with me. I didn't want to leave her, but I didn't want to die either.

"Will I ever see you again?" I asked and she sighed, smiling.

"Not for a very very long time, Khalil. So, I want you to live your life to the fullest. Be the best basketball player in the whole continent if not the entire world." She teased and I laughed, even as tears made its way out of my eyes in beads.

"Fall in Love..." She said that in a whisper, her eyes also glassy with tears.

"But..." I started to argue, wanting to tell her that she was the one I was in love with.

My First Love.

My Epic Love.

But she didn't let me, instead she tiptoed and pressed a kiss against my forehead before resting hers against it.

"Thank you so much, Khalil Olumide Gobir." She chocked out. "Thank you so much for coming into my life at the time I thought I had no one. You are the best thing that has ever happened to me...

I'll always love you."

(𝙱𝚊𝚌𝚔 𝚝𝚘 𝚁𝚎𝚊𝚕𝚒𝚝𝚢)

I woke up with a start, gasping for breath and jerking to the side, water spilling out of my mouth with so much force. I kept coughing out the water to the floor, trying to catch my breath. In a matter of seconds, I felt bodies beside me, a hand on my back, patting me as I kept coughing.

"Oh my God! Oh my God!"

I recognized Aunt Zaria's voice as she repeatedly gasped out, her hands clasped over her mouth with tears flowing from her eyes. It pained me to see her like that, to see that I had caused her to panic so much. With my chest still heaving, my breathing erratic, I couldn't speak. Uncle Joel gave to my from, towards my eye level. It was obvious that he wasn't happy. I could see the hint of tears in his eyes and my heart shattered into a billion pieces.

"I'm..." I started to speak but he rose a finger to stop me.

"Don't speak. You'll only make it worse. You need to catch your breath." Was all he said, causing me to feel even more guilty for the stunt that I pulled.

"I'm so sorry." I forced out, my breathing still erratic.

"You are sorry!?" That was aunt Zaria. "We couldn't get into your room easily, Khalil! Your door was locked and all we could hear was you fighting for breath under water! We were terrified! You drowned yourself, Olumide! You were drowning, under our care. You almost died under our supervision, for the second time and you are Sorry?!"

"I had to see her!" I lamented, tears suddenly flowing from eyes like a torrent. I suddenly couldn't get out coherent words even when I tried. "I-I just had to. I-I didn't mean to pull that stunt. I-It would never h-happen again, I-I promise. B-But I needed to see h-her..." My words got chocked in my throat as I began to sob, hanging my head down.

"I'm so sorry. I-I didn't mean to..." My words were cut short when Aunt Zaria gathered me in her arms and hugged me, cradling me like a child. That was all it took for the walls holding back every ounce of my tears to crumble and I began to cry like a little kid.

I began to let everything out like Tolani had asked me to. All the anger, hate, sadness, unforgiveness, I let them all out. I felt Uncle Joel move closer, holding me too and I sat there, between both of them, crying in their arms.

I let it all go.

☆☆☆☆

Since that day, I felt pretty lighter, freer, less burdened. I felt happy, at least to a reasonable extent. But I have always felt there was something missing. Something I just couldn't place.

A knock came to my door and I stood up, shoving one hand  into my joggers while I used the other one to open the door. Jamal gave to view, leaning against the wall just by my door, looking up when I opened the door. I haven't set my eyes on him since I got back from the hospital. It made me wonder what he was doing here.

"What are you doing here?" I asked, my face contorted in a frown. He pushed himself off the wall and stoop upright.

"Someone is here to see you." He simply said. Immediately, I felt it was his friends, or Elyon wanting to check up on me like they have been doing for the past few weeks. In as much as I appreciated the gesture, I really wasn't in the mood to see anyone.

Not yet.

"Look, I appreciate you and your friends coming to check up on me but I really don't want to see..."

"Olumide." A voice suddenly interrupted me, shutting me up immediately and causing my eyes to widen and my mind to go into overdrive.

I knew that voice. I haven't heard that voice since I was called to asked to give him my JAMB score. I haven't spoken to that voice in more than weeks. It was a voice that always had me standing upright and at attention. A voice I didn't think I'd here so close to me.

I heard his voice and knew that it was him even before he came to my view. He was the absolute last person I expected to see standing in front of my room, in Lagos.

"Dad."

A/N

Magistrate Hakeem Gobir is in the House!

This chapter was very intense to write, even more intense than writing Tolani's death. No matter how much I tried, I still don't think I hit the nail on the head when it came to portraying Khalil's emotions. Although, I really cried while writing his POV. I actually cried so much, that my sister began to wonder if I was okay.

Oh Khalil😪.

The extreme measures he had to take to see Tolani one last time almost cost him his life, but he had to see her because if he didn't, she wouldn't have been able to tell him let go and move on and he would have probably wallowed in mystery for the rest of his life, taking even more extremes measures to make Tolani's Dad pay. Tolani wants him to live a life free of bitterness and unforgiveness. And after this, He is definitely going to.

Jamal brought in the big guns.

What do you think he brought Hakeem to do or say to Khalil?

Do you think this is his way to make things right with Khalil?

Let me know what you think in the comment session.

P. S. Don't worry, Tolani's parents will still pay for everything that they made their daughter go through. Trust me on that one. God knows how to punish wicked souls.

Don't forget to VOTE! COMMMENT!! SHARE!!!

I'll see you when I see you, hopefully soon ❤️😘