Chapter Eight

"Damilola dide dide," (Stand up,) mum knocked on my door and opened it barging into my room.

"What is it now?" I didn't look away from my ceiling I was staring at.

"First," I felt the edge of my bed dip. "Miles is here, I'm guessing you guys are going to hang out. Secondly after you guys are done for the day, we're going to go shopping."

This time I tore my gaze from my ceiling and sat up right to look properly at mum. "Didn't we shop yesterday and I'm not going anywhere with Miles I want to be alone."

"Yes we went shopping but this shopping is for the wedding items, your dress and all of that." She stood up from the bed, "now get up and don't keep a gentleman waiting." She made her way out of the room.

I groaned and got up from the bed and changed into jeans and a tank top with my vance. Since I was on house arrest, with no phones or computer, I laid down and looked up at my ceiling, I was that bored. Nothing on TV was interesting either.

I slung my purse over my shoulder so it was sitting crossed over my body and I dragged myself downstairs.

"Who put you up to this?" I announced my presence in the living room as soon as I sighted Miles on the couch.

He turned around and our eyes met, he smiled and for a second scanned me from head to toe. "I would blame my mum but it isn't really bad to hang out with you," he stood up and I made my way over to him. "I like your simplicity."

I looked down at what I was wearing and looked back at him with a soft smile on my lips, "thank you."

"Shall we?" He gestured to the door and I walked ahead of him.

"Mum we're going!" I yelled hoping she could hear me from wherever she was.

"Okay have fun and call me when you're done for the day!" She yelled back.

When we got to Miles car which was a black Toyota, he opened the passengers door for me and after I sat, he closed the door for me before making his way into the car.

"So where are we going?" I asked clicking in my seat belt.

"I do hope you like to play games," he smiled at me and I returned it before looking out the window as he drove.

Like I had mentioned earlier, Miles isn't bad to hang out with. Not that I'm planning to replace Andrew in my life, no one can replace him though, but if I'm going to be forced to marry Miles the least I can do is be his friend. Right now, we are the only ones that can be there for ourselves.

"Why did your mum say to call her after we were done for the day?" He asked after a few moments of silence.

"She wants us to go shopping, bridal stuff." I answered still not looking at him.

"Oh," his voice dropped.

I reached for the radio button but paused to look at Miles to be sure he was cool with it.

He nodded, "sure go ahead."

I flicked it on and scanned till I found a channel that was playing soft jazz music. I sat back on the chair and relaxed.

"You like jazz?" Miles' voice was filled with curiosity.

"It's relaxing," I shrugged. "You don't like it?"

"I do I just didn't picture you as the jazz kind of girl," he stole a quick glance at me.

I chuckled, "ah, I guess I'm full of surprises."

"Well I can't wait to be surprised," the corner of his lips tilted to a smirk and a soft chuckle left his lips.

***

Miles was beating my ass in the mini game of basketball we were playing at the arcade, I could hardly get a ball in the net. I was in a rough shape mainly because I haven't played in over a year now, the last time I played was in college, shortly before exams started.

The court at Andrew's house hasn't been in use all this while because we both haven't had time to play together, plus according to Andrew, I'm too soft to play with.

Andrew.

I miss him so fucking much. It's been a week without him, I haven't heard from him, not a single word, not a signal, nothing.

An idea came to my head and I waited till Miles and I finished the round we were playing.

"That was..." He trailed off and I rose a finger at him.

"Tell me about it," I rolled my eyes and he chuckled. "Can I borrow your phone?"

He looked shocked at my request but he nodded and handed the phone to me. My dad somehow found my burner phone and took it too so I was once again left without a device.

"Thank you," I smiled and excused myself from him and went straight to the restroom.

I dialed Andrew's number and my fingers drummed on my thighs as I listened to it ring. He didn't pick.

I tried again and it was still the same result. Not wanting to be with Miles' phone for a long while and have him worried or suspicious, I sent him a text that it was me and that he should call me ASAP. I deleted the message immediately it was sent.

I stepped out of the bathroom and found Miles standing in front of the door. "You look like a creep right now, standing on front of the ladies bathroom." I gave him his phone, "thank you."

"I was starting to wonder what was going on, you dissapeared with my phone for more than five minutes." He pocketed his phone and suggested we go back to our game which I nodded.

I will not think myself to depression no matter how upset I am, Andrew needs to have a normal girlfriend to come back to.

After two more games we both agreed that we were hungry and needed to recharge.

"So tell me about yourself," Miles started and I looked up at him.

"You know, I'm starting to feel like this is a date." I blurted out.

He looked taken aback by my words and he sat back. With a heavy sigh he ran his hand over his face, "I'm really sorry this is happening to us, to you."

I nodded, "I'm sorry too. All this is just so hard for me to accept. One minute Andrew is asking me to marry him and the other my parents are introducing me to you. It just doesn't make sense to me."

"You said you guys grew up together?"

"Yeah," I bit my bottom lip. "You know we were planning to elope," I chuckled dryly.

"You're kidding," his eyes widened.

"Nope," I shook my head. "But that day, I got kidnapped by my dad. Since then I haven't seen him or heard from him. It's so funny how we're basically joined to the hip, we have the same circle of friends and family but right now, I've never felt more distant from him." I stared at my cup on the table.

Miles sighed, "I have a girlfriend."

I looked up at him and he nodded, "one minute I'm telling her I'm in Nigeria for business and the next I'm telling her I'm going to get married, to someone that isn't her."

I gasped, I don't even know which is worse between both of us. I'm very sure his girlfriend must think that he's some manipulative scumbag who has been lying to her all along.

"Im really sorry," I reached out for his hand on the table and squeezed it gently.

"I'm sorry too," he forced a smile. "So have you tried reaching Andrew? That's his name right?"

"Yeah that's his name and yes I have tried countless times. My dad took my phone, laptop, iPad, even a smaller phone I found in my room miraculously, everything gone. And my sister isn't home, I'm on house arrest, the whole thing is just messed up." I leaned on the table with my elbow resting on it and I held my head in my hands.

"Hey, hey, hey," he held my hands and pried it from my face. "We'll figure this out alright," he gave me an encouraging smile and I sighed.

"We will," I nodded in agreement with him.

Better be right Miles.

***

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