Omo, you guys should forgive me 😭💔. It's been over two months since I updated. School has been taking my time. I hope to update a lot during this holiday period.

In this chapter and subsequent ones to come, Davina will be really broken. Very sad, moody, quick to anger and really irrational. Please don't think that she's overreacting because this isn't just a fallout with a friend to her.

Tony portrayed qualities similar to that of her late brother's so of course she felt attached. To her right now, it feels as if she lost her brother all over again.

Enjoy the chapter❤️

🥀🥀🥀🥀🥀
“Our every moment,
I start to replay.
But all I can think about
Is seeing that look on your face..." Before you go - Lewis Capaldi
🥀🥀🥀🥀🥀

Vina's POV
He left me.

He really left me.

I lost him again.

It really feels like I lost Xander all over again.

Curled up in a ball, my body rocks back and forth as I still try to process and come to terms with what went down yesterday. Sitting at a corner of my room folded up like a little child, I can't help but continuously recount every single word Tony had said to me the day before.

“I just want to be alone." He had said.

“To stay away from you. Help me by staying out of my way. Just let me be, Davina." He had further continued, destroying my heart without even lifting a finger.

Tony really looked me in the eyes and battered my soul without an iota of remorse. It seems so surreal that he could actually say those things to me. Doesn't he know how much he meant to me? Did I not express the care and love I feel for him properly?

I wipe away the lone tear that streamed down my cheek — alone just like I was.

My head throbs painfully as knocks sound at my bedroom door. I know it is Aidan but I don't want him to come in, I just want to be left alone. Though, I cannot even open my mouth to tell him that. It hurts to think talk more of speaking.

He knocks again causing me to wince in pain. I hug my knees tighter and push my head further into my legs all in an attempt to drown out the noise he is making.

Just leave me alone.

I chant repeatedly in my head, hoping he will somehow hear me and just go away but of course not, at that very moment, I hear the door swing open and him stepping in.

“Davina?" Aidan calls out, which makes me raise my head a bit. His eyes try to adjust to the darkness of the room so he can see me. Having been in here all day, my eyes are accustomed to the dimness of my room so I can see him rather clearly.

He finally shuts the door and walks over to where I am. Sitting cross-legged next to my curled up figure, he reaches over to gently touch my hair but I wince like a wounded animal which makes him quickly retract his hand. My head aches so badly as though a thousand hundred tonne bricks were dumped on it, that even his gentle touch feels so painful.

“What is going on, Vina?" He asks carefully, his gaze piercing through me that I have to look back down,“Don't tell me nothing because you even had to skip school today. A Monday for that matter."

Yes, he is right. I had skipped school today. I woke up feeling so demotivated, defeated and so weakened that I had to lie to my aunt that I am sick when she came to check on me this morning. She bought it and left the house so since then, I have been in my room. I haven't eaten, taken water or even tidied up myself.

“What's wrong?"

I don't answer, I have no willpower to talk and even if I did, I still wouldn't have told him. He scoots closer to me and touches my neck but quickly retrieves his hand. I look up at him in mild confusion to see his panic stricken face.

“Christ! You are burning up!" He sounds panicked for reasons I can't understand for the life of me. The confusion on my face dissipates as I now stare blankly at him.

Is my temperature actually that high or is he just overreacting?

He presses his hand again to my neck and temple like a mother examining a sick child,“What the hell, Davina? Have you even eaten today? Your body is so hot!”

I don't understand why he keeps screaming, it makes the banging in my head much worse. Right now, more than anything, I just want him to shut up.

“Stand up." He says, already putting his hands under my arms to help me up. I struggle to free myself from his clutches but it is not working. Either I am too weak to make my body move efficiently or his grip on me is really firm.

Aidan successfully gets me on my feet and without letting go, takes me to my bed and gently lays me down. I turn to my side so that I am now backing him.

Since I am on my bed now — I think — he will just let me be but it seems like this boy can't take a hint. He leaves where he is and comes to my front to lay down.

The worry and concern in Aidan's deep brown eyes is overflowing but I still do not understand why he is so worried.

“I will get you something to eat before giving you painkillers to calm your headache."

I shake my head in the negative, I don't want food or drugs. I am fine, the only problem being that Tony left a gaping hole in my heart. He left a void in my soul.

Aidan lightly caresses my cheek causing me to shrink back in pain. He quickly withdraws his hand from my face and stareod at me with a forlorn look,“You have to eat, Vee. Please. You may get ill and I don't even know what is going on with you."

I slowly shake my head again and shut my eyes, suddenly feeling very weak and exhausted. I try to open my eyes but it is proving difficult, they feel unusually heavy.

“Vina? Davina!"

His voice sounds eons away, so faint and unheard. Maybe I am just tired but it seems impossible to open my eyes as my head bangs with increased intensity. I try to lift my hand so that I can at least cradle my head to calm the intense banging but I can't even lift any part of my body.

“Mum!" Aidan's voice sounds much fainter than before. Even the slamming of a door which follows sounds far away.

Am I going deaf? Or am I just really tired from my lack of food and water since last night? Maybe it's my continuous bawling that tired me out.

I succumb to the fast gathering darkness only to be jolted awake in what felt like a minute later. My eyes remain shut as I attempt to understand the environment. For some reason, my body feels a bit sore making it somehow difficult to even move.

I finally open my eyes to be met with a ceiling — the ceiling of my room.

“Vina. You are awake." A tired feminine voice comments. My gaze travels over to the right-hand side of my bed. My aunt is seated there clad in a black silky nightrobe and its matching hair bonnet. She looks so stressed out and the eye bags that mars her naturally flawless features, attests to it.

She moves from the chair she sits on to my bed and stretches out to lightly caress my cheek. This time, I don't wince or flinch back because surprisingly, my head isn't hurting anymore.

My first instinct is to hold onto my aunt but something is restricting the movement of my hand. I pull at my hand again, trying to free myself from my restraint.

“Hey.” My aunt calls soothingly,“Calm down. You will remove your drip if you keep pulling like that.”

Huh? Drip?

That is when I crane my neck to my left side to see the drip stand there. My eyes follow the steadily dropping fluid down from its bag, through the tube and into my body.

Why am I on IV fluids?

“You collapsed last night, Vina." She tells me,“From dehydration and lack of food."

I shrink into my bed from the guilt that consumes me. Passing out did not come to my mind when I had refused food and water. My aunt takes my right hand in hers and lightly rubs it, in a soothing manner that only increases the guilt I feel.

“Why would you do that, Vee?" Her voice is weak and tired as though she has not slept in awhile. I don't answer her, I do not want to.

How can I put my haywire emotions into coherent words? In what way can I possibly explain how distraught and listless I felt? It seems impossible.

I close my eyes again, my whole and entire being completely weakened. It hits worse each time I realise that he is truly gone. He actually left for reasons unknown to me.

“Vina, look at me." Auntie Nenye instructs calmly but I refuse, I flat out ignore her. I hear her exhale in frustration,“What am I supposed to tell your mum, my sister?"

My eyes fly open at the mention of the word mum. Since I got here, no one at this house has ever talked about somebody from home. Why will she mention my mother now? My so-called mother that has never reached out to me for once since I got to Lagos.

As if my aunt had heard my thoughts, she says,“Your mum calls every week to ask about your well-being. Now you are unwell so I am meant to reach out to her. Though your drip medications so far has just been glucose and painkillers, I have to still inform her of your health status and why you did what you did."

My heart tugs painfully in my chest at this new piece of information. She has indeed been asking after me but why weekly? Why couldn't she call everyday?

I shift uncomfortably in my bed as my aunt's gaze remains steady on me. She lightly squeezes my hand as she continues,“So, Vina, tell me what happened. Tell me what pushed you to do this because you are also missing school today."

My brows quirk up in confusion, is it Tuesday already?

My aunt notices my expression so, she explains herself,“You have been out since last night around 7 and it's 8am now. I had to cancel my activities for today so that I can properly watch you."

I feel my heart sink to the pit of my stomach when she says this. She is probably missing business appointments that could take her agency's name even higher, all because of me.

Her telling me this however, still does not make me talk. I just can't.

Just then, my phone vibrates from where it sits on my bedside table. My aunt looks at me before going over to the other side to pick up the phone. She accepts the call and puts it on loudspeaker.

“Hello, Vina?" Kiki's clear voice sounds through my speakers. I didn't expect her to call, isn't she supposed to be in class? When I don't answer, my aunt decides to do so for me.

“This is Vina's aunt."

“Good morning, ma." Kiki greets immediately when my aunt introduces herself,“Please I want to speak to Vina, I am her friend from school. She wasn't around yesterday so I want to be sure if she's okay and whether she will be coming to school today."

Auntie Nenye looks at me again as if to inquire on if I want to talk but I shake my head.

She exhales and goes on to answer Kiki,“She is not in the best of health at the moment so, she won't be in school today but she may be able to do so tomorrow. Depends on how fast she improves."

“Oh, okay ma but can I visit her today after school?"

It warms me to know that Kiki is intent on finding out how I am faring. My aunt doesn't even bother seeking my opinion before accepting Kiki's request,“That will be really nice of you, dear. You can come over. I will tell Vina that you asked after her."

“Thank you, ma." I can detect the smile in Kiki's voice,“I will be there from around 4."

“No problem, my dear. Have a good day at school."

That being said, she hangs up and returns the phone to the bedside table. With hands akimbo, my aunt stares down on me causing me to look away and focus my attention on the part of the drip that is inserted into my body.

“Maybe she can make you talk. But right now, I will get a cup of Lipton for you. You can't have any solid food until the doctor says that you are allowed to."

Sighing, I nod in acceptance for her to go ahead so she leaves.

''''''''''''''''''''''''''''

“I will be back later tonight." The doctor informs my aunt and I around 3 o'clock that afternoon,“Her dosage of the drip will be complete by then. She also has oral medications which I will bring with me."

”Thank you, doctor." Aunty Nenye tells him,“Can she take solid food now?"

“She took Lipton this morning and pap this afternoon, right?"

She nods in response.

“Okay then. Let her have a little bowl of pepper soup around 5. Then after I've taken off the drip she can start eating normally."

My aunt nods again, muttering an okay while opening the door for herself and the doctor to leave the room. Their exit causes me to release a breath I didn't know I was holding.

Feeling significantly better than in the morning, I push myself till my body assumes a sitting posture with my back resting on the headboard.

Against my better judgement, I pick up my phone that lay bedside me on my bed and go straight to WhatsApp. I really hope that Tony had sent a message telling me that he didn't mean all those things he had said.

That he was probably just worked up over something and accidentally took out his frustration on me.

My hopes are bashed when I turn on my mobile data to meet hundreds of thousands of messages but not a single one from him. I breath out as my eyes begin to tear up while my fingers desperately scroll through the different chats till I find his.

Trying not to double think it, I send him a simple hi and that has the tears rolling down. I turn off the phone and set it back down beside me. Taking in deep breaths, all in an attempt, to calm myself isn't helping in the slightest.

“Vee, what's wrong? Why are you crying?"

As the voice registers in my head, I feel warm arms wrap around me comfortingly. It is my aunt.

And as much as I want to just say something, to tell her how much I am hurting, I just can't.

I can't tell her how sad I am because Tony didn't message me and how completely useless I still feel from loosing him again.

Auntie Nenye doesn't say anything, she just rubs my back as if to say let it all out.

And I do.

I cry. Bawl as though I haven't cried in years.

She don't seem to mind that my tears are soaking her shirt, she actually does not seem to care.

After a good while, I begin to calm down but the ache in my chest isn't letting up.

My aunt calmly draws my head out of her shoulder and wipes away the little tears that still roll down. With my cheeks cradled in her palm, she maintains eye contact as though she is trying to get into my head, to figure out what was eating me up.

“I can't tell you that everything will be fine when you won't tell me what's bothering you."

I look away as her hands leave my cheeks to find a place on my shoulders.

“You know," My aunt starts,“Whatever that is going on with you may seem difficult to voice out but trust me when I say that it's much easier than you think. I'm your aunt, Vina. Please talk to me. Whatever you will say remains between us, okay?"

She doesn't understand.

I want to talk to her, I am finally ready to but I cannot still translate my feelings into words.

I turn back to my aunt, finding her expectant eyes fixed on me. Knowing my next action would drain the hope from her eyes, I still do it. I shake my head, letting her know that I won't talk.

Just like I suspect, sadness and a hint of resignation quickly fills her eyes.

“Could you at least say something?" She asks tiredly,“You haven't said a word since morning."

I don't even know what to say, why bother talking?

Turning away from her, I stretch out my figure as I lay back down.

A tired sigh from her follows my action,“I'll just let you be. Hopefully, your friend from school will get you to talk."

I give no inclination that I heard her and this has her sighing again and muttering incoherent words under her breath. I feel her stand up from my bed and leave, shutting the door behind her.

On a count of ten after she leaves, I lie on my back so that my eyes are now fixed on the calmly rotating ceiling fan.

Minutes pass as I lie here thinking about everything and nothing at the same time. Time goes by and with it comes a knock at my door. I give no answer but of course, the knock comes again.

I sigh as I sit up on my bed, waiting for whoever it is to come in. I stare at the doorknob, waiting for it to turn which it does and the door swings open to reveal Kiki.

The babe actually has a big, genuine-looking smile on her face as she runs into the room and carefully envelopes me in a hug, doing her best to avoid my drip.

For the first time in almost three days, I smile. A really small smile but it is there.

The pain in my heart temporarily gives way to the warm, fuzzy feeling that comes with Kiki's hug. It really means a lot, not just because she is here but also because she isn't much of a hugger yet she still hugged me as if she knows how much I needed it.

“I've actually missed you, Davina." Kiki tells me as she pulls away, making me miss her warmth immediately.

I just smile. I have also missed her and her new found behavior.

“I can't believe you are on IV fluids." She states, her face contorting into one of concern,“Is the illness that bad?"

I shake my head immediately because I actually don't think my physical condition is that serious.

“That's a relief then. I was so worried when you didn't show up at school after that day."

All the hurt comes rushing back in at the mention of that day. My whole mood goes sour and she notices too. But before she can comment on it, the door opens again and in walks my aunt, carrying a tray with two ceramic bowls on it.

From where she stands, the spicy scent of the pepper soup has already hit my nostrils.

“I brought a little something for you girls." She says, dropping the tray on the bed with us.

“Good evening, ma." Kiki greets, getting up on her feet.

“Evening, my dear." My aunt smile,“Please sit down."

Kiki politely smiles and resumes her position on my bed.

“Kiki, right?" My aunt asks to which Kiki's answer is a nod,“Please make sure Vina finishes her food and help me make her talk."

I roll my eyes at the fact that Auntie Nenye actually went through with this but she isn't even done.

She spares me a glance before going back to ratting me out to Kiki,“She actually put herself in this condition by going on a hunger strike for reasons unknown to me. I have begged her to tell me what exactly the problem is but she has refused to talk. She hasn't even said a word all day."

Kiki turned to me, a mild surprise in her expression. She already knowd the reason for my moodiness but I guess she didn't think it was that serious.

“Please help me talk to her." Auntie Nenye concludes with a sullen expression.

“I will do my best, ma."

“Thank you, Kiki. Enjoy your meal."

With that, she leaves the room. Leaving myself and Kiki in a semi uncomfortable silence.

Kiki picks up a bowl of pepper soup for herself and passes me the other one with the tray while she uses a pillow as a makeshift tray.

I watch her pray over her meal and take a scoop of it before her eyes find mine.

“Eat." Her tone is simple yet, I can sense something more complex behind it. I don't argue though, I say a brief prayer over my food and dig in too.

We sip at our small bowls of pepper soup in silence. By we, I mean her while I just play about with the contents of the meal. Occasionally taking small scoops of it.

She makes sure to finish her food before saying a word to me,“Where can I get water?"

I point to the right-hand corner of my room where a pack of bottled water sat. She mouths a thank you while going over to get it.

“Here." Kiki says, handing me a bottle of water while opening the other for herself. She takes her sweet time drinking the water before finally closing it and turning her body to directly face mine.

We engage in a short staring contest, with her eyes boring holes into my soul while mine darting about her face.

“Why won't you talk to your aunt?" Kiki asks.

I shrug, chewing on the last piece of goat meat in the now empty bowl before setting the tray aside.

“Don't do that with me, Davina." She groans, standing up and running her fingers through her golden brown weaves.

My eyes follow her every movement, taking in the very frustration etched into her features. It is surprising how her initial cool demeanor falls apart at my refusal to speak.

But it seems like that isn't the only reason for her frustration and the next words that tumble out her mouth has my eyes widening to twice their original size.

“This is exactly what Tony is doing." She drops with an exasperated sigh,“He has been going around school moping like a lost child, speaking only when spoken to. And even then, he gives the shortest possible response."

It affected him too?

“Of course, it affected him too." Kiki responds to the question I thought I had asked in my mind.

I breath out in disbelief, not knowing how else to process what she just told me. If trying to severe ties with me would hurt him this much then why did he do it? Why cause us both unnecessary heartache?

Kiki taking her seat back on the bed draws me out of my thoughts. With her eyes trained on mine, she speaks,“I feel like both of you need to talk. Tony is loosing it and won't even let me help, the way he keeps avoiding myself and Nasir baffles me."

Nasir. . .

He hasn't even reached out to me.

I dismiss the thoughts before I can further dwell on it. My brows scrunch up in confusion though at something she had said,“Why would he avoid you? You both have been getting close as of recent."

“I don't even understand." She exhales, looking away from me,“I thought we were getting close but the way he cut me off as soon as you guys fell out is just. . .alarming."

A sigh escapes my lips at her crestfallen tone.

“You know," Kiki continues,“It has been a little over a week since four of us started hanging out but the convos we both shared wasn't just ordinary. Tony and I had several deep conversations, we were getting close but the speed he used to shut me out. . ."

Her voice trails off as she shakes her head in disbelief as though she is just realizing what happened by voicing it out.

A small but sad smile finds its way to her lips as she stares at me again,“Just talk to him. I believe it will help things."

I can't help but hug her when she finished talking. She sounds so sad and if talking with Tony will help put their blooming friendship back on track, then I am more than willing to do it.

A/N

Okay...

What is this I'm seeing that Kiki is so upset because Tony isn't talking to her👀?

And Vina sef🤧, she'll be stressing her aunt upandan.

Tony is just causing emotional wahala for these two girls.

Word Count: 4310

Love,
Riri🌹