WHATEVER, POLICE OFFICER

Fifty Three.

ADAMAWA STATE, NIGERIA.

Fatima kept grumbling all the way home. Betsy was dropped at her dinky apartment leaving her and Raheeb who didn't utter a word and from his expression, she knew he is also going through what his mother had told them earlier. Fatima feels like she doesn't have much energy in her and she cannot continue thinking about the fact that Ahmad is Adda mama's son. The whole past thing is making her head ache, she wants to forget about everything that has happened today and just bury her nose in Ahmad's neck for the night. God, she is going to miss him so damn much.

When they arrived at the house, they went their separate ways with Raheeb moving to the kitchen while she opted for the stairs because even if she is hungry, she cannot eat anything anymore. Now that her thoughts have drifted to Ahmad, there would be a hell to pay for the night. She's already pictured herself not getting a good sleep and waking up with bags or in this case suitcases underneath her eyes. Her whole night will be spent reminiscing how their nights were and how this would've been.

She stripped off her clothes in his room and decided to wear the shirt he'd worn the night before, maybe surrounded by his smell and warmth will help her with the days sleep. It's just a polo shirt but it's closed her upper thigh, adding a coral legging underneath for more comfort and shield against the Arctic bite of winter. She slipped under the covers with sigh, imagining Ahmad drawing her to his body and whispering wicked things to her. On God, this is going to be a long fucking night that she is not looking forward to at all. She felt lonely, more so than she's ever felt those years ago that she was all alone.

She's gotten too comfortable with Ahmad, more than she should and now it's coming to bite her ass with it's sharp claws. Her gaze became longing as she stared at Leo sleeping comfortably on the carpet. Betsy had brought the cat for her and fortunately, it wasn't starved in her absent which she's sure is due to Asabe or her witch of a stepmother wouldn't mind killing her only source of comfort. Ahmad didn't like it at first but Leo became excessively obsessed with Ahmad that he had no choice but to befriend the cat. And they share a nice ass relationship now.

A thickness placed itself in her throat, signaling the onset of tears. She's just realized that she's stopped hating Ahmad and if possible, she's started liking him and she despise that she is going to like him some more if she spends more time with him. She cannot help it though, she is not yet bored of him and wants to spend many more nights in his arms. She cannot forestall what the future has in store for them but catching feelings? That is something she thought is far beneath her, but the jerk managed to web his way through her life like a damn spider.

A longing so intense filled her insides, manifesting itself to the point of pain. She wanted to go to him this very second, have him bear her to the ground with rough whole-mouthed kisses and impatient caresses. A smile took over her lips, a bitter one filled with longing and loneliness. It's surprising, why can't she just deal with a day of his absence? What will happen if she leaves him or he decided that this accident has brought him back to his senses and he wants to leave her? Her heart fell to her stomach in a wicked thud that jolted her to a seating position. She massaged her forehead gently, something is wrong with her.

She decided that thinking about the worst case scenario won't help her with the night, she lie back down, curled herself into a ball and closed her eyes. What he did to her few days ago after she's read the Quran to him.

It was as though he couldn't wait for her to place the Quran beside her on the bedside table because as soon as that was done, he yanked her to his body and nuzzled his nose to her neck. A confused smile took over her face and she watched his dark hair from her higher position. His arms are circled around her narrow waist, her cotton sweatpants probably heating from sitting for a long time on the bed. He didn't say anything, she took the liberty of strolling her fingernails into his hair. It is soft and growing longer almost everyday, she envied his sable luscious locks.