1000 Short Stories

Story 2: Don't Say You Love Me

Don't Say You Love Me
(Inspired by Fifth Harmony)

"Hi..." was the first thing I heard him say as soon as I pushed the door open and got into his Mercedes-Benz.

"Good evening," I responded and began to fasten the seatbelt. There was a tension in the air...a tension he had created all by himself.

"Why do I have a feeling that you're still mad at me about yesterday, babe?"

Babe. God, I've never hated that word as much as I hated them at the moment. I sniffed hard in the hope that he got my unspoken medium of communication.

"Babe?" He grabbed the keys in the ignition like he was waiting for my consent before kicking the vehicle to life.

"Nkem, I'm okay...I just want to get home early for the party; that's all. I don't want to talk about anything. I'm not angry about anything. See," I made the most pathetic smile that even felt sadder by the way my mouth muscles curved.

"Chai! Which kain tin be this one like this?" He threw his head back and withdrew his hands from the ignition. "I thought you knew better, Sola...I thought you told me that you understood."

"Nkem, let's just go—I am really not up for a back and forth tonight—I just want to get drunk and sleep throughout the weekend. I've had a long day."

"But I want to talk about this—I can't have you keeping grudges based on something I couldn't control. Before we started this..." he faltered.

"Illicit affair." I helped him out.

"Well, I wasn't going to put it that way—,"

"Whatever." I rolled my eyes and cut him off. He knew that I said the words right out of his mouth.

"Sola Nah...you know how hard this is for me too right? I'm trying my best but...how can I just tell everyone openly that I'm dating you?! You're like family for crying out loud! You're my younger sister's best friend!" He slapped both of his hands on his face and I jumped at the impact, checking only for a minute if he was alright—he seemed very fine anyway, but a bit like that would wreck my life.

"Nkem can we go home, please? I know I'm like family to you, you're also like a...," I faltered at the thought of saying the word "big brother", how could I call him such? Not with the way my heart, body, and soul were beginning to entwine around him. "...you're also like family to me. I understand, please let's just go home...we can't be parked out here, this is a private building." I turned to the house of the celebrity where I worked. He usually came to pick me up late at night when I wanted him to or whenever he was around the corner.

He kicked the vehicle to life and It felt as if the universe was pulling a prank on the both of us when "Show me off" by Asa suddenly began to play. The irony of it all.

"Wow...just...great," I said to myself whilst pulling my AirPods out of my bag.

"Stop," he held me back. "I'll stop the music if you want me to."

"I don't—,"

He killed the music. He turned to look at me. We were on the Lekki expressway.

"I don't want to die o," I tried to act tough, but it was useless, he eventually pulled his handsome face into a smile and focused, back on the road. I heaved a sigh of relief...mentally of course.

"She's going to be at the party."

"I know," I responded as calmly as I could. He was 7 years older than I was, I still had my Yoruba manners buried in me. It was one of the things he swore to like about me when we made love in his room, at the hostels, in the kitchen, anywhere. As long as no one was watching. A secret love affair that felt so good while it lasted.

"Please don't be offended when—,"

"When I see you act as you would act normally? Why?! She's your girlfriend' after all. Which one con be my own?" He sneered and looked away from him. The remaining ride home was worse than quiet. It was dead.

At the party, I watched his skinny-gold-digging prawn cracker of a girlfriend try her best to whine and roll her waist; a major eyesore by the way. I rolled my eyes and sipped my alcohol and smoked my weed in silence. Our eyes met a couple of times and when someone was watching, he hyped me up like a normal big brother to my best friend would, but when no one was, he'd apologize with his eyes.

"How far! Let's dance Nah! Come and show all these novices how it is done!" I suddenly heard my friend yell into my ears. I was high, the mood was right and the music was tight.

"Sure." I smiled and the moment I rose up to my feet, everyone howled. Here's the thing. I'm a little too good at the dancing thing.

"Go, Sola! Go, Sola! Go, Sola!" Everyone kept hailing and I kept rolling my waist as if my life depended on it. Our eyes connected and I caught one of his friends whispering into his ear before winking at me.

''Mission accomplished' I thought to myself as I threw him a triumphant look and danced my way back to my sit.

I was still sipping my drink, trying my best to calm my nerves after the performance when I heard someone telling the DJ to put off the music. It was my Nkem.

"I have a confession to make." He announced. Everyone paused and kept their undivided attention on him. "I've tried too long to keep this a secret but I have to tell this person—and the bunch of you this truth of me. I..."

"Don't say you love me...Don't say you love me..." I begged underneath my breath.

"Sola...wake up. We're home." I heard Nkem say right next to me. We were still in the car. It was all a dream. Great.