3.1 | Undead

11

February 23, 2020.
Victoria island, Lagos.

Stephan had his arms folded across his chest as he leaned back into the seat and stared at Yemi in disappointment. He tsked.

"How could you shoot a ghost?"

"Well." Yemi's brow's raised. "I didn't literally shoot her. The bullet went through her and into the fence-"

Lara cut in, glaring at him. "Which you will be fixing."

"We won't have time for that when we're all dead!" snarled Yemi.

My eye twitched. "No one's dying!"

Stephan let out a low rumble of laughter, sitting up. "It actually depends on how strong your ghost has gotten."

"She's not my ghost," I deadpanned. In all truth, I wanted to punch something, or break something. The more time we wasted bickering, the more time Bukola had to gear up and come after us.

Maybe you should have hurt her with the spoon some more.

I cringed at the memory of Bukola's hurting face. How her lips had turned down, producing a low pained howl.

I just couldn't.

"Is something the matter, Jacob?" Stephan's question brought me out of my trance to see that I was the center of attraction in the sitting room.

I cleared my throat. "Nothing." Everything. "Nothing's wrong."

Stephan studied me with a raised eyebrow for a second longer than the others, then a slow smirk came upon him. Like he knew what I was thinking about. I hoped he didn't.

Before anyone could think about my strange behavior, I raised my voice.

"You said you knew a woman," I directed at Stephan.

He shrugged. "I did, and I still do." A grimace took over his expression and he rubbed the back of his neck. "Though sometimes I wish I didn't. She's a pain to handle."

"But she can solve this?" Lara piped in, watching me with hope in her eyes.

"I guess so," I informed her. "Stephan here-" The guy threw a salute as I motioned to him. I held back a snort. "-says he's been in this problem before and she helped him."

Lara walked to where stephan sat. "Think she'll help us?"

He smiled as he replied, "I'm sure she will. She might act all hard and stubborn outside, but deep down, she's devoted to killing ghosts."

My lips parted as those words escaped his lips, eyebrows kissing the ceiling. "I don't want her dead."

"Isn't she already?" Yemi asked, gaze dancing between Stephan and I.

Stephan laughed. "Calm down. She's just going to send your ghost back to where she came from."

As much as I hated to admit, something in me felt relieved. It was a bit confusing because I knew I wanted Bukola gone. I just didn't want her to be harmed in any way.

Like I said before, she was still Bukola.

Stephan was looking at me now, seemingly sure of what I was thinking. I could see all the wheels spinning in his head.

He'd put two and two together.

Just as I was going to shake my head at him and delete whatever he'd cooked up in his mind, he faced Yemi and Lara.

"We'll go to her by tomorrow morning," he announced then turned to me with a knowing smile. "Just Jacob and I."

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Stephan insisted I walked him to his car with the excuse of "we have to plan tomorrow out". I had a feeling he was just saying it to throw Yemi and Lara off his trail. If I wasn't sure before, the look he was giving me as we approached the main gate sure did.

"You still love her; your ghost," he declared suddenly causing my heart to jump at his judgement.

I wasn't sure if he was wrong.

"You don't know that." I squinted when a breeze went by.

To reply that, he just laughed lightly. I turned my gaze away in embarrassment. Maybe he was right.

It would explain why each time I looked at her, I didn't feel scared of her. No, I was just scared of what she could do now that she wasn't human. And it didn't help that she was threatening Lara.

Lara.

I loved Lara, I was sure of it. She was the one that fixed me, helped me see that I could fall in love more than once. I loved her so much that I would give anything for her. She was just too special to lose.

Then why did I feel this way around Bukola?

Stephan's gaze was hot against the side of my face, it was difficult not to stare back at. I sighed to him. "I think I'm mad."

He chuckled, smiling after. "Me too." My gaze darkened. "But, the good news is, I'm here. And I've gone through what you're going through-" he stopped to think, shaking his head. "Minus the part where you found a second love though, I was hooked to my first.

"See, Jacob. I'm not the best at giving love advice, but, I think you shouldn't love a ghost. She's dangerous, you're both different beings and it would hurt Lara very much."

"I can't do that to her," I said to myself. I loved her.

"Good," he nodded, going to pull out his keys and push one into the keyhole on the car door. "Deal with this infatuation of yours before it dooms you." The door gave in to his pull and he slipped into the car without glancing my way. Only when he had gotten into his car, closed the door and brought the window down did he finally look at me.

I stared back because I needed answers. He was the only one who could give them to me yet he was being too quiet. Not saying enough.

Bukola or Lara.

Hurt Bukola or live to watch her hurt Lara and I.

I was torn.

Stephan smiled up at me. I wanted to slap it off.

"Take it from experience, loving a ghost will get you nowhere. Just get rid of her and you'll be fine."

Without waiting for what I had to say, he revved up the engine of his car, threw me a nod and zoomed out of the premises.

I stepped back when he was gone, mind still racing.