The Heart Wants What It Wants (Completed)

CHAPTER 20

My heart wouldn’t stop beating as I stared out the window. I wanted to call someone, anyone, at that moment. He had been gone all night, and I was worried.

I came downstairs after the argument to find that he was gone. His phone is on the couch. I had expected he would call me later in the night, but I heard nothing and the same thing goes for this morning.

He’s probably fine, and he’s with Lucy, I told myself, but it did nothing to ease my worries.

Suddenly, my heart leaped with joy as I watched his car come into view. I sprang away from the window so he wouldn’t see me and I went to the kitchen, but I remembered I had already made breakfast, so I headed for my room.

The door creaked, letting me know he was in the house and as he took every step towards me, my heart beat increased. I recalled I had something to say, so I turned around.

“If you know, you won’t be sleeping at home. You should have called. I don’t want trouble. This is not Nigeria. You kept me up with worry all night.” I told him.

It’s funny how the thought of something happening to him made all of my pent-up anger disappear. I was still mad at him, but the thought of losing him made me chill.

He looked gorgeous, as always, I noticed. His eyes were a little swollen. I wanted to ask him where he slept and what happened to him, so I did.

“Are you alright? You look a mess,” I stated the obvious, and he smiled, revealing white teeth. I gulped as I felt tears at the back of my throat. I wondered why loving someone should hurt this badly.

“Your food is in the fridge. Warm it up yourself.” I walked towards the hall, but before I could walk away, he said something.

“Thank you,” He said, and I stopped.

“It’s just food, Ione you bought with your money.” I almost walked away when I saw him come closer and stood a few feet away, as if scared to come near me completely.

I had an anger issue. My dad is the only person who has fully witnessed it, and now he.

“Not for the food alone, but actually for everything. You’ve been nice to me since we got here and I have just treated you like you didn’t matter.” He started.

Why am I suddenly uncomfortable at his sweet words?

“I have said things to you, bad things that you didn’t deserve. You still cooked for me, asked me if I was OK, and looked out for me. If that’s not genuine friendship, I don’t know what is.” He said, and the tears fell.

I wasn’t crying now because it hurt me. I was crying now because he only saw me as a friend. He has officially locked me in the friend zone.

“You are an angel. The best. The only person who can put up with my shit.” I laughed at that one. I covered my face with my palms and I felt his hands on my wrist as if telling me not to hide away. This is the first time I have cried like this since mom died.

He pulled me towards the living room and we sat down.

“I am sorry I said those things to you. You would find love. You’d find some who’d love you to the moon and back because you deserve it.” He said calmly.

I knew this was it, the rejection. He might not mean it like that, but that’s exactly what it is.

At this moment, the tears wouldn’t stop. Maybe it’s time to wake up and stop backing against the wrong tree.

We sat with a little space between, but he drew closer and closed it. He wrapped his hands around me and I shivered. It was a moment I would never forget.