Broken | ✓

CHAPTER FIFTY ONE:THERAPY IV

                                                                           IRETI

I didn't want to stop kissing him. I had silently craved his kiss for the last five years even when I didn't want to. Now, I had it. I was kissing him again and it felt right but somehow wrong. Our lives were different now. I got up and started walking away.

"Ireti" Jide grabbed my hands.

"I can't do this. It's wrong"

"We can make it right. All you have to do is choose me"

"You don't understand. Calvin and I have a life together"

"But you don't even love him" Jide gritted his teeth.

"I do" I defended.

"If you did, you wouldn't have kissed me like that"

"It was a moment of weakness" I deflected.

"Moment of weakness? You and I know that..."

"You and I don't work! We were always gonna split up one way or the other. Our relationship was already shits before I left remember?"

Jide shook his head aggressively.

"We don't work. You have daddy issues and I have trauma. We are too broken to make something whole.

"Whole. Are any of us even whole? What does that mean?" He was close to tears.

"Calvin is. And with him I feel less broken than I already am" It was the truth.

Jide was silent. My soft crying was what occupied space.

"Tife will spend his holidays in Nigeria with you. We will find a way to work out the birthdays and other celebrations" I sniffed.

"Sure" He wiped a tear that escaped his eye.

"I've got to go" My voice quivered.

He said nothing. He glanced at me then turned away.

I cried uncontrollably as I walked to the gate. I could barely see the plate number of the Uber I ordered so when a car pulled up at the gate, I just entered.

"Are you okay ma?" The driver asked.

"Yeah, yeah" I wiped my eyes.

I pulled out my phone and began searching for the next flight to Canada. I booked a spot for Tife and I on the flight that left in two days. It had to be done. I made a commitment to Calvin. My phone buzzed; it was Calvin calling.

"Hello" I sniffed.

"Hey, are you okay?"

"Yeah. I just have a little headache. How's Nina?" I diverted.

"Sorry about that. Make sure you take some painkillers. And Nina is fine. She misses you and Tife. So do I"

"That would be over in two days" I faked an excitement.

"Really" his voice picked up.

"Yeah"

"That's really great news. For a minute there I thought you would decide to remain in Nigeria" He exhaled.

"Why would I do that? We have a life together"

"I don't know. I guess I was a bit scared after meeting the infamous ex" He chuckled and a wave of guilt swallowed me.

"I love you Ireti. Can't wait to see you"

"Me too" I hung up.

My mother brought home a sleeping Tife and some souvenirs. "Why you didn't tell us you were leaving? I kept looking for you till Jide told me you had left" my mother questioned.