Love or Lust (A Christmas Romance)

Chapter 2

Right there ☝is Kelechi.

December was my favourite month of the year. Not that it is my birth month; it was just the one month I knew that I won't end up sweating. I could massage my body with any amount of cream and wouldn't sweat during the day. I didn't even have to worry about sweating after dancing. December was always cold and dry; that was why I loved it.

So finding myself drenched in rain was......ughhhh.... I was so in a hurry to get away from Ben that I had forgotten to grab my emergency bag. My emergency bag always had a spare clothes, shoes, face towel, a purse umbrella and an ATM card for emergencies. It was fancy and waterproof. So, I always had it with me everywhere I went even on dates. Call me paranoid but I always liked being prepared. I never forgot it.

Ben's bad aura made me forget. I didn't go back for it. Not when Mercy's house was already so close.

After a few knocks on the door, Mercy opened the door. Mercy was always home alone especially at this time of the year. Her parents deal in decorating materials. So, basically that was their time of the year.

"Kele Kelechi! How far na? I was waiting for your call yesterday night. How did the date go?" She attacked me immediately with a hug and questions.

And that was when I remembered my gigolo of an ex. And that was enough for me to turn into a complete crybaby.

"I think the world is plotting against me" I cried.

Mercy hugged me tighter before asking " what did he do?"

"He...he....." I couldn't bring myself to say  the words. " I hate him. How could he choose her over me?"

"Who?" Mercy looked confused when she pulled back to look at me.

"Kemi. He was late for our date so I....I called him...." I said between hiccups. " ... guess who picked up?"

"Come here" she said after getting where the story was heading. She was always so understanding. She knew what I needed at that moment were hugs. Lots of them.

After my second season of crying and revenge plotting, I told Mercy about the Christmas get together. She kept gushing at the fact that Ben was in Lagos, in my home.

"Wow" We always had the get together every year at grandma's and Ben had never attended one for five years now since the accident.

"Yeah, this get together week is going to be a long one. What remains is mama making a dramatic entrance on Christmas Eve. "

" I can imagine. You're lucky O. It's not everyone that have a funny grandma with a cute cousin."

"Mama I understand but....." I was interrupted by a call. I checked it to see the caller ID was Dave.

" Mtcheeeew" I hissed after blacklisting his number.

"Idiot" Mercy saw it was him that called.

"Ode" I continued describing him.

And that was how we started plotting our revenge all over again before watching Mean girls.

"Let's go meet your cousin. It's been years since I last saw him." Mercy said. It was not a secret that she had a crush on Ben. God only knows what she saw in him.

"What's the point in meeting him? It's not like you're going to say a word to him." She was extremely shy around Ben that she barely said a word to him.

"That was years ago. I was only fifteen. I'm twenty now. I'm not as shy as before" That was true she stopped being shy after being our assistant course rep. But that didn't mean she wasn't shy around Ben.

" Okay okay. It's already evening anyway and it seems like it's stopped raining." I had to prepare dinner before dad returns from work.

Dad's work had to do with cyber security. I don't really know what it entails but he is always coming home late. I always prepared light meals separately for him since he ends up eating dinner late and anything I am in the mood for.

My family was not what I would call rich, but we lived comfortably in a duplex in Graceland estate. Mercy lived somewhere outside the estate.

When we got closer to my home, something felt off. The gates were left ajar and the house looked different. Bad different. Even though the front door was locked, I had this unsettling feeling that something had gone wrong.

"Did something burn. It smells like something got burnt." Mercy said and she was right. Without a word, I ran inside to find the living room unrecognisable. It looked like everything in the room shifted to the other side of the house. Like there was an explosion. It seemed something bad happened.

Ben. Where is he?

"Ben!" I yelled again and again but got no response. I ran up the stairs to look for him but couldn't find him.

Not again! Not again! I can't lose anyone again!

Oh God I hope he is alright.