Chapter 40 Chapter Forty
Kolade’s house was already in full chaos—bass shaking the walls, neon lights slicing through the dark, smoke drifting like fog. Everywhere she looked, someone was filming, posing, shouting, trying to capture the night for their followers.
Felicity stepped out of the car and drew a steady breath.
She could handle this.
Her friends flanked her immediately.
“Head up,” Gwen whispered.
“Don’t shrink,” Ibukun added.
Felicity nodded once—small, but steady.
Inside, the house was chaos—beautiful, expensive chaos.
People dancing.
People kissing.
People arguing.
People filming everything like life needed receipts.
Someone shouted her name and waved excitedly.
Someone else asked where she’d been hiding.
She didn’t answer, just smiled politely.
Her friends guided her to a lounge area with plush seats and neon lights cutting sharp colors across the room.
Preston handed her a clean drink. “This one is safe. No weed.”
She laughed—actually laughed—and took it.
And slowly, she loosened.
She laughed at stupid jokes.
Took pictures with Gwen and Ibukun.
Ignored the people smoking shisha beside her.
Watched others dance, though she stayed seated.
She felt… okay.
Not whole.
Not healed.
But okay.
Across the city, Leon was laughing too—but for all the wrong reasons.
The poolside restaurant had shifted to a private lounge as the sun went down. Music drifted through the speakers, and the boys were loud enough to earn stares.
Deji sipped his drink dramatically. “So you’re finally done with your good boy era?”
Leon smirked, shallow and tired. “Maybe good boys don’t win.”
Mark clapped his back. “You tried. We’ll give you that. You actually tried.”
Tried.
The word landed like a weight on his chest.
He took a slow sip of his drink, letting the alcohol burn its way down.
He didn’t want to think about Felicity’s face when she realized he had chosen wrong.
He didn’t want to think about the way she used to light up when she saw him.
He didn’t want to think about how her voice cracked the last time they spoke.
So he didn’t.
Instead, he leaned into the noise.
“Tomiwa nearly broke my back,” he said casually.
“AYYY!” Deji screamed.
Mark slapped the table. “Your ancestors will be proud.”
Leon laughed loudly, pretending the emptiness inside him wasn’t spreading like a slow leak.
Back at Kolade’s, Felicity’s night softened in a different way.
She danced a little.
Took shots with Ibukun.
Had her edges melt in the heat of the crowd.
Laughed until her cheeks hurt.
For a moment, she was just a girl living.
But when someone tried to drag her into a smoky corner, she shook her head quickly.
“No thanks, I’m good.”
Her friends noticed her pulling back and joined her immediately.
“You okay?” Gwen asked softly.
Felicity nodded. “Yeah.”
But her eyes drifted to her phone every few minutes—even though she’d blocked him from her stories.
Even though he hadn’t texted.
Even though he wasn’t hers.
She couldn’t stop.
She kept wondering what he was doing.
Who he was with.
If he missed her even a little.
Leon didn’t.
At least… he tried not to.
His phone buzzed a few times—notifications from Instagram.
He checked his story views automatically.
No Felicity.
It hit him harder than he expected.
Deji noticed. “Who are you looking for?”
Leon locked the phone too fast. “Nobody.”
Mark raised a brow. “Your eye dey twitch.”
Leon rolled his eyes. “It’s nothing.”
But it wasn’t nothing.
Because if she wasn’t watching his stories…
She was living her own life.
Without him.
He ignored the sudden discomfort crawling under his skin.
“Let’s order more drinks,” he said.
His friends cheered.
He forced a smile.
But deep down, something ugly twisted.
And then—
Hassan posted a snap.
A wild, careless video of him yelling into the camera while flashing the restaurant table, the drinks, the boys—
—and behind him, over his shoulder, in the background of all the chaos…
Leon paused.
Squinted.
His heart stumbled.
A girl was sitting at a table in the distance. The video was shaky, low-quality, full of noise. But he saw a familiar posture. A familiar tilt of the head. A familiar outline of curls falling over one shoulder.
No.
No, it couldn’t be.
He blinked hard and replayed it.
The image was fuzzy, but the shape—God—the shape looked like her.
His chest tightened painfully.
Deji leaned in. “What are you watching—?”
Leon jerked the phone away. “Nothing.”
But it wasn’t nothing.
It was her.
Or… it could be her.
He didn’t want to believe it.
Didn’t want to imagine her out there, dressed up, laughing, living, shining.
Without him.
He needed confirmation.
And suddenly—instantly—his mind went to Gwen.
He opened her page with a speed that shocked even him.
Her story loaded.
And there they were.
Felicity in the center of the frame, smiling—smiling—her makeup perfect, her eyes bright, surrounded by people, music blaring in the background.
Next slide—
Felicity dancing lightly, Gwen hyping her.
Next slide—
A group selfie, Felicity leaning into her friends, cheeks flushed with warmth.
Next slide—
Felicity laughing so openly it sliced through him.
It was her.
It was really her.
His stomach dropped.
The air left his lungs.
She looked… happy.
Alive.
Like she was remembering how to breathe again.
And he wasn’t part of it.
Deji nudged him again. “Omo, why your face change?”
Leon swallowed hard. “Nothing. I’m good.”
But he wasn’t.
Not even a little.
He put his phone face-down on the table, but the images wouldn’t leave his mind—the way her eyes sparkled, the way she leaned on Gwen, the way she looked like she was finally rising after everything he broke.
Across town, Gwen dragged Felicity into a bathroom mirror selfie session.
Lights were harsh.
Music was loud.
Laughs were real.
Gwen snapped a picture and turned to her. “You’re getting better, you know.”
Ibukun nodded firmly. “We’ll fix you small small.”
Felicity smiled softly. “Thank you guys… for forcing me out.”
“Always,” they echoed.
She exhaled and leaned her head back against the cool wall.
Maybe tonight didn’t heal her.
But it reminded her she wasn’t alone.
Across the city, Leon leaned forward on the table, elbows resting on his knees, eyes unfocused, thoughts spiraling.
Mark nudged him gently. “Guy, you sure say you dey alright?”
Leon lifted his head with a half-smile. “Yeah. I’m fine.”
He wasn’t.
But he’d never admit it.
Not when he was the one who ruined everything.
Not when the girl he actually wanted was out there… glowing in a room full of people who made her feel alive.
Not when he no longer had the right to care.