Besotted (18+) ✔️ [A Nigerian Romance]

Twenty Two

Two years later...

"Are you sure about this?" Kachi asked for the third time that morning.

Chike groaned as he scanned the airport again. "What's there to think about?" He refused to say anything about how pained he was that Ada had kept in contact with Kachi in the two years she'd been away. Kachi was still the person she'd told about her return. In the past month, the man has been busy setting things up for her. He'd definitely not talk about it.

"You don't have a problem seeing her after all these years?" Kachi looked skeptical but Chike was determined to convince him. He didn't like the concern he could see in his friend's gaze.

"I don't have any feelings for her if that's what you're asking, Kachi. We didn't have any issues before she disappeared so there's nothing for me to be worried about. I'll just take my cues from her."

"Hmm..."

"She was the bad guy in the end so let her see me and let her guilt eat her up. If she ignores me then that's fine. Besides, you asked me to come here."

"Right, I did." Kachi nodded.

"Since you guys are now besties, why don't you call her and ask where she is? I have a meeting in two hours."

"We're not besties anything. I told you she calls usually to check up on you. We barely have things to discuss," Kachi replied.

"Right. If she wanted to know how I was doing, she would have called me. And I told you not to discuss me with her, especially—"

"She's here," Kachi interrupted.

Before he could stop himself, Chike found himself turning and searching for her. Her smile seemed dull as she approached but she still looked pretty much the same. She was dressed in shorts and a tank top and as she moved, the light caught the silver beads on her waist. She looked really good, he had to admit. Unlike him who'd suffered the first year she'd been absent, she looked like she'd been enjoying her time away.

He watched as each sure step she took brought them closer and closer. She hugged Kachi, her grin big and happy before turning to him with a dull and muted smile. Chike turned before she could open her mouth and say anything, or worse give him a handshake. Things had really soured between them because Ada always picked him first before the other guys.

He made his way to the car, letting the door slam shut behind him as he took the front passenger seat. Usman, Kachi's driver gave him a look that Chike chose to ignore. A few minutes later, Kachi opened the door for Ada, then slid in behind her. Chike forced himself to not look in the rearview mirror, he refused to see Ada sitting with his best friend instead of him.

The car ride was quiet and awkward until Usman pulled into the estate he lived in. So they were just going to drop him off? Just like that?

"Usman stop the car here," Chike said. The driver looked at him and then turned to regard his employer.

"Chike what's up?" Kachi asked.

"I'll walk from here." He turned to look at Usman who was still driving. "Oga drop me here!" He didn't mean to snap but the fact that Ada had said nothing to him was eating him up and he wanted out.

"Usman stop," Kachi instructed.

Chike half-jumped-half-fell out of the car immediately it pulled to a stop. The car moved further into the estate and his brows knitted in confusion. Where were they going to? He thought Kachi would take Ada to his place or a hotel. Were they going to his house? Because he knew Ada no longer lived in this estate. He remembered finding the movers packing up her things and how devastated he'd been to learn she'd sold her house.

Deciding to deal with all that later, he dug out his phone and ordered a ride. He would be thirty minutes early for his meeting but that was better than going home.

***

"He hates me," Ada stated immediately the car drove off. Her eyes were fixed on Chike's form as they moved further and away.

Kachi had to force himself to not snap at her. He'd been helping her get her place ready while avoiding her questions about Chike. This woman had messed his guy up big time and he wasn't sure he could forgive her, at least not before Chike did.

"Do you blame him?" he asked in a cold voice. "You just ghosted him for two years. Now you're back and you couldn't even say hi to him."

"I want to fix things, Kachi. You know I do. I was in a bad place and I just needed space. He stopped calling after the first month and by the time I was ready to face him, it had taken too long."

"And now it's been two years. You really don't have to explain anything to me. It's Chike you owe that, and honestly, I don't know if I want him to forgive you. You broke him, Ada."

"I'm sorry."

"Again, apologize to him first. I doubt I'd forgive you till he does. Please don't call me again because I don't want Chike to have the wrong impression. Besides, I'm too busy sorting out my own life."

"I totally understand. Thanks for the help so far."

Kachi nodded, then watched as she alighted. Usman got out of the car to help with her bags and he watched as they moved them into the house opposite Chike's.

"Let's go to Infinite," he instructed once Usman was back in. The man merely nodded before starting the car.

***

She'd been a coward these past years. She'd put him off for too long until reaching out to him became impossible to do. Ada sighed, her gaze roaming the space of her new home. She'd have to redecorate, but that would be after she'd gotten her best friend back. She knew she would be stupid to imagine that anything else could work between them so she would settle for just their friendship.

Being away from him these years had felt like a part of her had been missing. She hadn't been able to breathe properly for a while now. When she'd seen him at the airport, her chest and lungs had filled so much that she'd been struggling with it and had been unable to say anything to him. It wasn't until he walked away that she'd found her voice.

She had wronged him but Chike still stretched out a hand of friendship by coming with Kachi to pick her up and she'd refused that hand.

She'd do everything possible to get him back and after that, she'd fix her relationship with Kachi and Azu. If Kachi was this mad, that meant Azu wouldn't even talk to her. He'd not liked her as much as the rest, and was fiercely loyal to his guys. She'd work hard and fix everything but that would be after.

And maybe, just maybe after all the mending has been done, she would dream about a time where she and Chike would be something, something more than friends. Just maybe.

***

I'll try and update this weekend but I'm not promising anything because my schedule is very tight.

You guys, please comment and vote. Hearing from you motivates me to write more🙏