Rave & Roses {A Rema Fanfic}

47 - DIVINE

The energy at the club was electric—overwhelming in the best possible way. The air was thick with the smell of smoke and alcohol, the bass from the music vibrating through the floor, and people moving in sync to the beats that seemed to echo in every corner. My songs were playing on repeat, filling the space with the sounds of my hard work and success. It was a surreal feeling, but honestly, it wasn't the music that had me keyed up—it was the fact that Zara was here.

When I locked eyes with her at the concert earlier, something inside me almost broke. I wanted to rush over to her, to start apologizing, to beg for another chance, to hold her, kiss her, and tell her how much I missed her. The weight of all those emotions hit me like a ton of bricks. But then I remembered Michael's words: play it cool. Win her back slowly. So, I kept my distance. It wasn't easy, though. Seeing her, so close yet so far away, was like a knife twisting in my chest. Even speaking to her after the show was hard. Her cool, almost indifferent response to me stung, more than I cared to admit.

I had to remind myself it was just a phase—a step in the process. I wasn't going to force her to come back to me. If anything, I wanted her to want me again, not out of obligation, but because I had earned it.

Now, here we were, at the club. The atmosphere was intoxicating, and yet my eyes were only focused on one thing—Zara. She was different now, different from the Zara I had known in Lagos. This Zara was free, wild, and beautiful in a way that made everything else fade into the background. She was letting go, her body moving with the rhythm of the music in a way that I could never forget. My heart raced as I watched her dance, a seductive energy pouring from her as she shared the moment with her cousin Amber, laughing and having fun.

Her laughter rang out above the music as she took shots from Sandra, carefree and alive. The woman I used to know was still there, but she had evolved—grown into someone who seemed so untouchable, so far beyond me in that moment.

But I couldn't take my eyes off her. It hurt to watch, but it also made me want her more. I wanted to be the one to make her smile like that again, the one to hold her in my arms, to share in her joy and feel that connection that had once been so strong between us. The club was full of people, but it felt like Zara and I were in a world of our own.

I could tell she was having a good time, and it was clear she wasn't thinking about me—not in the way I was thinking about her. But I knew this was the beginning. Every little step, every small moment of interaction, would bring me closer to the Zara I used to know, and to the woman she was becoming.

And I would take my time. I wasn't going to rush it. If it took months, years, whatever it took, I would be there—waiting, patient, and ready to fight for her heart. Because she was worth it.

The thumping bass of the music reverberated through the club, but as Michael made his way over to me, the noise seemed to fade into the background. He had an understanding look in his eyes, something that told me he knew exactly what was going on in my head.

"How are you holding up?" he asked, his voice carrying over the beat.

I shrugged, trying to hide the way my chest tightened when I glanced back at Zara. "It's hard, man," I admitted. "Watching her... knowing everything we had is gone, and yet I can't help but want to go back to the way things were."

Michael nodded, his gaze following mine as it settled back on Zara. She was laughing with Amber and Sandra, completely in her own world. "I get it," he said, his voice quieter now. "But you know what you have to do. Go up to her, talk to her. Maybe even share a drink. It's a step."

The idea made my stomach twist with nerves. The thought of walking up to her, of making the first move—it felt both daunting and impossible, but I knew Michael was right. If I wanted to change anything, I had to take that step.