Chapter 56

Sewa smiled when she saw Lanre. It's been over three weeks since she last saw him and today makes it their eight week of being together as a couple.

She ran towards him with a smile on her face and jumped on him once she was near him and he, in turn, caught her, wrapping her legs around him. She nuzzled her face in his neck and his sweet scent filled her nostril. "I missed you," she pouted and he chuckled, patting her back with his hands.

"I missed you too," he replied.

Sewa felt pains in her chest, pain she has felt before but this time a bit more than before. It was as if something was in her chest, seizing her breath. She stilled in the position she was when her eyes came in contact with the lady who had referred to Lanre as babe.

She was in a state she couldn't understand, suddenly Lanre hand dropped from her shoulder and her chest tightened more. Her heart shattered into a thousand pieces and suddenly the kiss they shared earlier resurfaced in her head and she cursed herself for thinking of such at a time like this.

She didn't know if she should move or not neither was anything coming to her at that moment. She couldn't think and the look of the lady in front of her bothered her.

Lanre couldn't believe his eyes. He looked back and forth at Adunni and Sewa. Both girls in a complete state of shock. Unconsciously his hands fell off Sewa's shoulder. Sewa eyes glistened with tears, her heart ached more and her stomach churned as if there was a furnace in her stomach. It was so hurt and the pain she felt in her lower belly was too much for her to handle.

She felt stupid. She couldn't believe he would go to any length to hurt her back. She couldn't believe he planned all of this so he could get back at her. She felt betrayed.

Lanre was in a situation where he was in short of words or rather no words at all. He wondered how Adunni got the keys to his house and what she was doing in his place without informing him first.

He raked his hair with his fingers, so confused and lost, not knowing what to do at all. "Adunni," he called her name, looking for the words to say to her so as not to make the already awkward situation more awkward.

Sewa eyes glistened with tears but she knew now wasn't the time to cry or feel hurt so she blinked her eyes and looked at the ceiling for brief seconds. "Hi," Adunni greeted Sewa.

Just like everyone in the room, Adunni was perplexed too but she decided now wasn't the time for questions. She was really worried and jealous too. The fact that Lanre's hand was on a girl who she didn't know and the look on his face told her there was something fishy.

The way he looked at her and the way he looked at Sewa made her really curious to know what was going on but she smiled and decided to keep the talk for later.

"Hi, good...evening," Sewa's voice came out much lower than she expected.

"Hey babe," Adunni said once more. She walked towards him and wrapped her arms around his shoulder not caring if Sewa was present. Lanre slowly took her hands off his shoulder and he pulled her with him towards the kitchen leaving Sewa behind.

As soon as they were out of sight, Sewa forced a smile to her face, letting out a deep breath. She stopped herself from laughing hilariously at her current situation. She felt so stupid that she didn't want to blame anyone other than herself.

As soon as Lanre and Adunni were out of Sewa's sight, he dropped her hands harshly. "What are you doing here?" He whispered through his teeth.

Adunni arched her brows, then she folded her arms across her chest. "Is that a question or what?" She was hurt by the tone he used on her.

"How did you get the key to my house?" He asked, his heart beating rapidly. He placed his hands on his forehead as he groaned frustratingly. Just when he was about to make things right, Adunni stepped in and now he was in a mess.

"How does it matter, who is she?" Adunni asked. Her eyes did not leave him as he groaned. Her chest ached as she thought of Lanre cheating on her reason he didn't show more concern for her.

Her eyes glistened with tears but she spoke again, "Who...is...she? Do you perhaps pick up girls to warm your bed for you?" She asked.

Lanre inhaled and exhaled to keep his temper at bay. He didn't know why he couldn't answer her. He was scared of hurting her feelings but at the same time he wanted to tell her who Sewa was to him.

The look in her eyes made him feel guilty and he swallowed a painful lump in his throat. He was suddenly tasty but he knew water wasn't going to help solve his problem.

"You know I would actually sleep with you if you want so why did you have to bring in a prostitute?" She asked, her voice held pain in them as she uttered each word.

"She is not a prostitute!" Lanre snapped making Adunni flinch. The tears she was holding stream down her cheek like a flowing river. She sniffed, "She...isn't and then who is she?" She asked. Lanre suddenly felt bad for making him cry so he apologized.

"I'm so sorry for snapping at you. It's just..." Adunni cuts him off. "Just what? Lanre you have been giving me attitude from the time I confessed my feelings to you. Infact you never let me touch you as if I have a disease or something, I get you are scared of women after your last relationship with a prostitute who lied to you and made you look stupid but ..." Lanre's eyes widened as the words Adunni spat out.

He has never told her anything about his past relationship before and that didn't sit well with him. He couldn't believe Tunji told Adunni all of the stuff he wanted behind him and that riled him up. "Tunji told you all of this right?" He asked her, his voice much lower as if he lost his voice.

"Yes he did. He said that's the reason you get scared of touching women. You are scared because of your past relationship but I'm here for you. I will...." Lanre wiped his face with his palm. He suddenly couldn't hear anything at all. All he saw was the movement of Adunni's mouth and that was it.

"You...you fucking deceived me Sewa! Not just once but a thousand times! You..." Memories of his conversation with Sewa in Port Harcourt filled his head and that was all he could think of.

"Why Sewa! Just why did you do this to me! You could have fucking left me alone! You could have just let me get over my feelings! But you decided to be my girlfriend while fucking other men! Just why!"

"Please, Ola! Please! I love you and I've changed! I've changed for you!" Those were the last words he heard from her until this year. That was the day it all started, the day he lost his sense of judgement and the day he couldn't understand anything anymore.

From that day, he let everything happen the way it wanted to and he stopped trying. Adunni came into his life and slowly she found a place in his heart but he didn't have those feelings he had in the past for Sewa for her. He was confused, lost and sad.

Adunni wouldn't stop crying and he couldn't tell her not to and then the thought of Sewa alone in the living room moved him. He walked back to the living room to realise she was gone and he dashed out of his house in search of Sewa.

Sewa didn't stop the tears from rolling down her cheek. The cold breeze grazed her skin sending shivers down her spine. She rubbed her skin already full of goosebumps and she sniffed every now and then.

He hurt her hurt like she hurt him so they were equal and now she expected her heart not to ache but her heart wouldn't listen. She didn't mean to listen to their conversation but when she did, she heard words she didn't want to and that brought back memories of her past. The bitter past that ruined her and her life, the past that had sweet yet sour memories all in one.

"Just what? Lanre you have been giving me attitude from the time I confessed my feelings to you. Infact you never let me touch you as if I have a disease or something, I get you are scared of women after your last relationship with a prostitute who lied to you and made you look stupid but ..." That was all Sewa heard that broke her. The lady she saw was his girlfriend and he told her about her and not Sewa but Jasmine James.

She felt like exploding but first she wanted to scream but she couldn't. She bottled her pain in the pit of her belly but it was too much to hold in. The worst part of it all was the kiss they shared earlier; it drove her insane. She held onto her braids aside trying to pull them off.

"Sewa!" Lanre's voice had stopped her on her track. She felt foolish for stopping but she couldn't hold the pain anymore. Lanre finally caught up with Sewa, holding her by her wrist as he panted.

"Why...why did you just leave?" He asked her, still trying to catch up his breath.

Sewa said nothing not because she didn't want to but because a part within her told her she had no right to. "I'm so sorry. Uhm, that was Adunni earlier and..." Before Lanre could complete his statement, she cut him harshly. "And she's your girlfriend right!"