Chapter 1: One Year Later

"Late again!" David cursed again under his breath as he scrambled through the heap of papers and sheets on his study table looking for the drawing plans he had finished the night before.

The time was 7:15 a.m., and considering the distance from his home to his workplace and how congested Lagos traffic was every Monday, David knew he was already done for.

David was an architect and worked in a construction firm owned by his best friend since College, Azeez. It would be the third time David was going to show up late at work in the space of a week and he wasn't so sure that being the best friend to the son of his boss would save me this time.

Growing impatient by the second, his search became more aggressive, sending papers flying all around the bedroom. Just then, he heard a knock on the door.

He paused for a while, wondering who it could be but later chose to ignore it.

The knock came again, more rapid this time.

"For Christ's sake!" he yelled in frustration as he reluctantly left the desk to the front door.

"Who's there?" he yelled as he got close to the door.

"It's me."

He sighed at the recognition of the voice and jerked the door open.

"What is it?" he said to Naomi, his ex's younger sister. His ex from a year ago!

"Good morning to you too. Thank God I saw you today."

He gave her a long stare with a raised brow. What could she want?

It didn't matter right now though, he thought. He had more important things to do. He turned back and headed to his room and without his permission, she followed.

"You haven't been answering anyone's calls or texts. Why?"

"I've been busy," he replied sharply, then returned his attention to his search.

"Well, it's really important, so I decided to come check you here."

He banged a fist on the desk in frustration. His patience with her was starting to wear thin.

"Then spit it out already. I don't have all day."

"It's about Korede. You still love her, don't you?"

Her sentence stopped his search immediately. Suddenly, he realized that the drawing plans he was looking for were resting at the far end of the desk. He quickly gathered them together then turned to face Naomi.

"What?" he asked in confusion. He tried his best to forget all about Korede and what they had together. Why would she bring her up?

Naomi's eyes looked sympathetic. She like the next thing she was going to say could blow up the whole area.

You still love her, don't you?

“What did that have to do with anything?” David thought.

At that moment, images of Korede began flooding through his mind. Her sparkling brown eyes, her lovely hair, her soft skin…

"Come on, Naomi, say what you want to say!" he barked as he tried to fight back his thoughts.

His tone startled her a little.

"Okay, okay…" She drew a deep breath before she continued. "Korede is getting married."

David was stunned!

Had it been that long? Did she find someone else already?

"And so?" David asked. "What do you want me to do with this news?"

"So you're saying you don't care?"

"Why should I care?" he said, holding out his arms. "I wasn't the one who gave up on us. She broke up with me!"

"I know you don't mean that," Naomi replied. She glanced over to the bed, not feeling like standing anymore. "Can I sit?" She didn't wait for his reply as she strode to the side of the bed and sat across the edge.

"Look, I understand how mad you must be right now, but I wouldn't be here either if I didn't think my sister was making the biggest mistake of her life," Naomi declared.

David didn't say anything, his silence urging her to continue.

"So there's this rich guy she started seeing immediately after you two broke up, and he proposed to her early this month. I'm not saying he is a bad guy or something, but I can tell that Korede isn't really happy even if she doesn't see it."

"Is that why you came here? Because you need my help in convincing her to call off the wedding?"

Naomi looked at him. "I know you still love her."

David gave a short laugh. "I don't, Naomi…And even if I did, what do you expect me to do? Walk up to her and be like, ‘Hey Korede, I'm sorry for not saying a word to you for the last one year, I was angry at you before, but that's over now. I just wanted you to know that I am still in love with you and that you should ditch your fiancé for me! How does that sound?’"

Naomi sighed.

"I knew this was going to happen," She got to her feet. "I shouldn't have come here in the first place. I'm sorry for disturbing you…Goodbye, David."

David stood and watched as she walked out of the room. Soon, he heard the living room door creaking open and closing shut. He bowed his head and rested slightly with his hands on the desk as he tried to process what had happened.

He felt bad for how rudely he treated Naomi; she was like a sister to him. But why now? he wondered. And how did she expect him to take the news in the first place?

Korede was getting married!

He gave a slight shrug and went back to packing up his bag for work.

"Whatever, I don't care," he mumbled to himself. He and Korede had ended what they had a long time ago. It was over, period!