006b - Truth Part 2

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(006b - Truth Part 2)

There is something I want to address in the author's note at the end of this chapter. Please do not skip it because it is very important and it will help you in the course of the book.

Please read it, and give feedback. Thank you❤️.



𝐇𝐈𝐋𝐀𝐑𝐘
(Hilary Idara Eghosa)

Truth (Part 1) Recap

"I-It was a l-lie." I started, my voice coming out in stutters. "I-I didn't tell y-you the truth."

"You have to stop speaking in riddles because I don't understand what you mean. Hilary, whatever it is, you can tell us. We are your parents." Dad cooed softly. I took a deep breath, shaking my head.

If only it was that simple.

"We lied, Henry and I. We didn't out for a drive that night." I revealed. Mum finally turned to face me, her face void of any emotion.

"What do you mean?" She asked, her voice still hoarse. I felt sobs clog my throat again, so I had to clear my throat. I can't cry now. But at the end of the day, I probably won't be able to help the tears from flowing. Not after what I'm about to reveal.

"H-Henry... He came to get me." I started, clearing my throat yet again. "I had snuck out to meet up with Jidenna earlier even after you told me not to go out. Henry found out and came to get me so that I wouldn't get into more trouble with you.-

And that was when it happened."

"Oh, God," Mum muttered, clasping her palm over her mouth.

_______________________________________________________

𝟏𝟔𝐭𝐡 𝐎𝐟 𝐀𝐮𝐠𝐮𝐬𝐭
𝙰𝚙𝚙𝚛𝚘𝚡𝚒𝚖𝚊𝚝𝚎𝚕𝚢 𝙾𝚗𝚎 𝙼𝚘𝚗𝚝𝚑 𝙵𝚛𝚘𝚖
𝙿𝚛𝚎𝚜𝚎𝚗𝚝 𝙳𝚊𝚢

"Hilary, you are not going out and that is final," Mum said to me with a tone of finality. I scoffed, getting annoyed.

"Why not?! It's not even that late, I'll be back before ten." I countered and she looked at me incredulously.

"It's eight in the night! Forget the fact that you and your friends live in estates, It's dangerous out there at this time. And don't pull the whole I'm old enough to take care of myself card on me, you are just seventeen. You are still a kid, my kid" She retorted back, sipping coffee from the mug she was holding.

The mug had the inscription "𝑩𝒆𝒔𝒕 𝑴𝒖𝒎 𝑰𝒏 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑾𝒐𝒓𝒍𝒅" written on it in a bold calligraphy. Henry and I had gotten it, amongst other things for her last birthday. But right now, she wasn't acting like the best mum in the world at all. If I had a chance to take the mug back at this moment, I would.

But God in heaven knows I wouldn't dare.

I was going to respond to what she had said earlier when Dad walked in, reading glasses on and newspaper in hand. My brows furrowed in confusion. Do people still read newspapers? Why is there internet for God's sake?

"What's going on?" He asked, noticing the tension in the kitchen. I sighed, pouted, and ran to him, clinging to his arm tightly, and made sure to wear my puppy dog face for him. He has never been able to resist that face.

My Dad has always been the soft one and because I was the only girl and the last born, he pretty much spoilt me while we were growing up. He began to restrain himself from doing so when I clocked fourteen but the charms still worked sometimes nonetheless.

I hope this was one of those times.

"Dad, please tell mum she's being so unreasonable right now." I cried out softly. Mum opened her mouth in disbelief, folding her hands across her chest.

"Don't talk to me like that. I'm still your mum." She answered, frowning in disapproval.

"Apologize, Hilary," Dad instructed and I rolled my eyes but did what he had asked.

"Mum, I'm sorry. But Dad..." I whined, looking back at Dad who's gaze kept traveling back and forth between me and Mum.

"What exactly is the matter?" Dad finally asked, moving away from me to move to the fridge. I pouted again, folding my hand across my chest. Mum rolled her eyes at me, deciding to tell Dad what the issue was.

"Hilary wants to go out to see her friends." She started and Dad shrugged.

"Is there anything wrong with that?" He asked, looking between me and Mum again before retrieving a juice carton, closed the door of the fridge, and leaned against it.

"Sweetheart, she wants to go tonight." Mum deadpan and Dad froze, but only for a second. That didn't seem like a good sign. It wasn't a bad sign either so I looked at him expectantly. He didn't say anything for a while, just walked away from the fridge to the cabinet, got a glass cup, and poured the chivita orange juice in it. Then, he took his sweet time, sipping the juice from the cup.

Okayyy...

"You are not going anywhere."

"Dad!"

"Thank you!"

Mum and I chorused at the same time.

"I don't even know why you are asking for permission because you are the one being unreasonable," Dad stated matter-of-factly and I growled, rolling my eyes. "This is eight pm and you are asking for permission to go out? In this insecurity? Are you being serious?" I growled again, throwing my hands up in frustration.

"I'll be fine! You people are making this thing so deep when it's not. Henry can take me and bring me back."

"Your brother is studying for his second-semester exams and you are not going out with your friends. In fact, I'm sure Dawn's mum won't let her step out of the house. You are not going anywhere and that's final." Dad said pointedly and I groaned.

"You guys are so unbelievable," I muttered before spinning on my heels and rushing up to my room.

Telling them I wanted to go see my friends was majorly a cover-up. I was going to see Jidenna, not any of my other friends. He called a few minutes ago that he needed me and my first instinct was to go and see him. Asking my parents for permission was even far-fetched, no sane parent would allow their seventeen years old to go out by this time, in this insecurity.

Except to buy bread.

But they didn't need to know that tiny little information, especially since even after an entire year, they were still skeptical about me having a boyfriend even though they were very much familiar with Jidenna.

I needed to see him.

So, I decided to do the most stupid thing in the entire universe. After dressing up in one of my brother's numerous hoodies with grey joggers and called an Uber, I decided to climb down my window with the tree directly beside it and sneak out of my house. It was pretty dangerous but being an athlete had its perks.

Soon, I was down on the floor safely and making my way out of my house. Thankfully, the Uber I called was already waiting for me outside the gate, and in no time, I was on the road on my way to Jidenna's house.

I knocked, looking over my shoulder to the huge bodyguard behind me. He was Jidenna's personal bodyguard so he knew me and was already waiting for me at the front of the gate when I dropped from the Uber. The Okojie mansion was a fortress so I needed to be with an insider to be able to go in. He was probably the nicest bodyguard in the entire Okojie convoy. I hated the rest.

The door opened, revealing Jidenna. He didn't look so well, eliciting worry from me. His face was swollen, his hair disheveled. This wasn't new to me at all and the need to be with me intensified.

"Come in," his voice was even gruffly. I walked in, just as he flashed the huge man behind me a smile. "Thank you, Tola." The man nodded in response, turning away just as Jidenna shut the door behind us. I quickly turned to him, worried.

"Are you okay?" I asked, watching as he turned to face me, his gaze intently on me. "Jidenna, talk to me. Are you alright?." I asked again. He shook his head, moved closer to me? and threw his arms around my midsection. My hands automatically wrapped around his neck, pulling him close.

"Thank you for coming." He murmured into my neck. I couldn't respond, wondering what was up with him.

This wasn't new, Jidenna being like this. He would just call me out of the blues and I'd come running every single time because I cared about him. But at the end of the day, he won't tell me what's up. He never tells me what's up with him, going back to being the bubbly, jovial Jidenna Okojie.

It was strange.

But what could I do?

"You are still not going to tell me why you called me here?" I asked again, and again, he just hummed in response, more interested in whatever he was doing on his phone.

We were in his room now, lying down in his bed. After hugging for what seemed like an eternity, he led me to his room, and just like that, he went back to normal Jidenna, without telling me anything. He just decided to rest his head on my lap and began to tap away on his phone, more or less forgetting about me.

"Jidenna," I called softly, my fingers running through his hair. I was trying to approach whatever this was with delicacy so that he'd be comfortable to open up to me. But it seemed like my constant nosiness keeps getting him even more and more annoyed because he sprung up from my leg, looking at me with a frown.

"I told you I'm fine." He didn't snap, but his tone was edgy. I looked at him incredulously, folding my hand across my chest.

"I snuck out of my house for this? Jidenna?" I scoffed out a sarcastic laugh, shaking my head. "You told me you needed me. I came here, saw you looking the way you did earlier on and you expect me to act like nothing is going on with you? Haba!" I exclaimed, throwing my hands up.

"So what do you expect me to tell you, hmm?" He queried, an adamant and stubborn tone behind his voice that I had to stop myself from scoffing. He was acting like a kid right now.

"Something! Anything!" I retorted back, jumping down the bed in frustration. I walked to stand in front of him.

"This won't be the first nor the second time you are like this. You will look like you have cried for days and suddenly, you are back to the Jidenna everyone knows. Isn't that strange? You can't keep using me as a coping mechanism if you can't tell me what's up with you. As your friend... and your girlfriend, I won't let that happen." I stated adamantly too, keeping my gaze on him so that he'd know that I'm not kidding.

He thawed. The way his shoulders dropped as tired, an exhausted sigh escaped his lips, and with his eyes were downcast, I could see that he had thawed. He wasn't putting up a font anymore but that didn't mean the walls were completely down. I can't believe I had not noticed the walls until recently.

How long have they been up?

That doesn't matter now. If he was going to open up to me, it was going to be in a process.

I sighed, moving closer to him.

"What's up with you, Jide?"

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, Hilary." He muttered and I exhaled heavily, opening my mouth to speak, to say something, but the voices coming from downstairs wouldn't let me. Jidenna frowned, looking towards the door.

"Is that your Dad?" I asked, getting incredibly nervous. I've never met Senator Kingsley Okojie personally but his reputation preceded him. A strict man that doesn't smile at anyone except you are his family. I wouldn't want him meeting me in his son's room, that would leave a very bad impression.

"I doubt it. He's not in the country. Let me go and check, just stay right here." And with that, he was out of the room. I sat down on the foot of his bed, wrapping my hands around myself as I suddenly began to feel self-conscious.

I just hope it wasn't Jidenna's father.

I heard footsteps ascending the stairs and Jidenna came into view just as I stood up from the bed. He looked conflicted, looking at me in some sort of way that made me know that something was up.

"What is it?" I asked, searching his eyes for answers. He only beckoned to me to follow him and I did, getting pretty scared. When we got to the top of the spiral stairs that led to the living room and I looked down, my breath caught in my throat.

Jesus, I'm in trouble.

"Hen..." I started to say, but he held his hand up to stop me from talking any further.

"Before you say anything, just get down here now." He growled out and I quickly hurried downstairs, brushing past Jidenna.

Henry was standing at the foot of the stairs, watching my every move as I rushed down the stairs. When I got to him, he turned around and began to walk towards the front door. I didn't need anyone to tell me to follow him before I did. Looking back at Jidenna, I cast him an apologetic look before I followed behind Henry.

"Henry, it wasn't her..." Jidenna began to speak but when Henry stopped short and turned around with a force I couldn't comprehend, I knew he was pissed off.

I've never seen him this angry before and it made me feel so bad.

"Oh, I know it wasn't her fault." Henry cut him off, his voice low and dangerous. Then he looked at me, "You had better be grateful to God it wasn't Dad and Mum that figured you had snuck out of the house."

"Henry..."

"Let's go." And again, he had spurned on his heels and I was trailing behind him. He got to the car before me, starting the car before I had a chance to get in. My door was still opened when he began to reverse.

"Jesus, Henry! Calm down!" The look he shot me was me shivering on the spot. I quickly shut the door and wore my seat belt. He sped out of the Okojie mansion and onto the road in a matter of seconds, just as thunderstruck and a heavy downpour began.

The ride was silent, awkward and so uncomfortable. It was scary, seeing Henry like this. This was the most I've ever seen him angry. I caused this. I shouldn't have snuck out of the house. I should have just stayed indoors when my parents told me to. What if they had been the one to find out that I had snuck out? And knowing Henry, he won't report me. I began to feel so bad.

God!

"Henry..."

"Do you have any idea how scared I was?" His voice was so calm, it made me feel cold chills running down my spine. I gulped.

"I walked into your room and didn't see you there. I only met your window open. Do you have any idea how dangerous it is, climbing down that tree? What if you had fallen and broken your arm or your leg... or worse?! Did you even think about all of that!" He snapped, hitting the steering wheel and I flinched.

"I'm sorry..."

"And at the end of the day, it was all for what? Jidenna? Jidenna that you can chat with on your phone? Jidenna that you can call? Jidenna that you can see tomorrow?! How long have you been sneaking out of the house to see him?" He queried, his tone still very harsh and loud.

"He needed me."

"If he needed you, he should have come to see you then! Not you going to meet him! Every single time, Hilary! Every single time! What the 𝒇*𝑐𝑘 is that!" He looked away from the road glanced at me for a bit, but long enough for me to see his eyes blazing.

Jesus.

"Jidenna has never stepped foot in our house, not once! Even when you guys were just friends, you were always going to him. Same thing now. It doesn't make any sense. No sense at all!" He took his eyes away from the road again and I involuntarily held on to my seat belt. He dragged out a long and deep breath, facing the road for a bit before turning back to look at me.

He looked calmer this time.

"I don't have a problem with that you going to his house, neither does mum or dad. But the fact that you had to sneak out of your own house late in the night, just because of him, that should tell you that it's is becoming an issue." His voice was calmer but it didn't make me feel any less bad. Tears began to well in my eyes.

He was right.

"I'm so sorry," I whispered, looking down. " I don't even know what I was thinking. This will never happen again, I promise." And I was being honest. This will never happen again. Henry let out a deep breath.

"I'm not angry with you." He whispered back, taking one hand off the steering wheel and reaching out to take hold of mine. "I am pretty upset, but I'm not angry. I'm sorry I yelled at you and I know this will never happen again." I nodded vigorously because I decided right there and then that I wouldn't take such a risk again.

"I want to know one thing though," Henry started and I turned to him, "Have you guys started... you know..." He trailed off, glancing at me with a sly smile playing on his lips.

At first, I didn't get what he meant, but then I began to repeat his words in my head and they began to make sense. I screamed so loud, reaching over to slap Henry against his arm. The fool was even laughing at my expense. I was in shock for thirty seconds straight.

My brother is asking me if Jidenna and I have "done it"?

Eww!

"You are so disgusting, Henry," I told him when I recovered from my shock. He still wouldn't stop laughing.

"I just wanted to make sure na. Big brother duties, you know." He defended and I glared at him, though I couldn't help the smile that stretched across my lips.

"You are a fish," I told him.

"And you are a monkey." He retorted and I laughed, feeling free of the earlier guilt. Henry, just as always, found a way to get rid of the tense environment. He was such an angel.

Though, I couldn't help but ask one more question.

"Are you sure mum and dad won't find out about this?" I asked, nervousness sipping back into my voice. Henry chuckled, shaking his head.

"I told them we were going out for a drive before I left the house. They think you are with me right now and technically, you are." He glanced back at the road again before looking at me, a contagious smile spreading across his lips. I heaved a deep sigh of relief, smiling as I reached over and squeezed his thigh.

"You are the best," I told him, meaning every word and he smirked. I wouldn't trade being his sister for anything else. The way he looked out for me, no one could ever look out for me or protect me the way he did. He was a big brother and he did his job very well.

"I know." He was feeling himself and I laughed, shaking my head at him.

"I love you," I said and he grinned, a wide grin that registered in my mind forever.

"I love you too, you Monkey."

Those were his last words before we heard a very loud honk that alerted all of our senses. It was at that point I realized we were on the bridge. I looked through the foggy windscreen, screaming at Henry to lookout. He swerved, turning to the right to avoid getting hit by the truck that had honked at us.

But the turn was too much.

Way too much.

Things that happened after that moment was forever going to be engraved in my memory.

Tires screeching on the asphalt mixed with my screams.

Our car crashing through iron barricades and going off the bridge.

Henry's last look at me before the car plunged into the river.

Darkness.









































𝐀/𝐍

Sighs*

I don't even

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