(020 - Screw All Doubts.)

First of all I want to really appreciate you guys for making this book such a big deal. The engagements I've been getting so far, the new readers I've been seeing, everything just keeps blowing my mind. You guys are the best and I really don't take this support and love for granted. I love you guys so much.

For the new guys, Welcome to the Iyanuoluwa-Temi family, I am your Olori Ebi (head of the family)😌.

Everyone that guessed this updates would be in Dawn's POV, you are correct. Twenty kisses for you❤️. Let's see our baby's progress with Mr Ansel 😌❤️.

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𝐃𝐀𝐖𝐍
(Dawn Damipe Dayo)

The room erupted into cheers and hypes as soon as every one of us entered. I laughed heartily, watching as the guys hugged each other or slapped hands together in high-five or continuously hyped each other's dance moves on stage. I watched every single one of them with a huge smile stretched across the corners of my lips, a euphoric feeling washing over me.

We just performed our first dance of the session and we KILLED IT. We KILLED IT good.

I could still feel all the electricity from the dance floor and the screaming of the crowd coursing through my veins. It made me feel so alive. That's what dancing does to me.

"But no jokes," Temisan started talking, catching everyone's attention including mine. "That dance was fucking awesome!" He hollered, and everyone agreed, the energy from the team not wavering one bit.

"I didn't think we'd kill it that much o," Amarachi confessed. Some of the guys murmured in disapproval and spoke about her lack of faith. "I'm not lying, really. But on God, we delivered." She appraised, and the guy hollered another sound of agreement again.

I understood what she meant by saying she didn't know we'd kill it that much. I had my doubts too because of the time constraint we had. We barely had two days to rehearse.

It was hard for Lase and George to catch up. George decided to stand down but told us he'd help with everything else. Tomilola backed out just to spite me and told me to my face that she can't wait to laugh in our faces when we flop. Most of the dancers got discouraged after that and it was hard to hold the team together.

But we did it. We actually DID IT!

"And it's all thanks to our Captain," Collins's voice jerked me out of my reverie. I looked up to see that everyone had their attention on me, grinning just as wide as I was.

"What?" I asked, a bit of laughter in my voice as my eyebrows quirked in utter confusion.

"Why do you look so confused?" Lase queried teasingly, her lips tugged in a smirk as she walked to me and threw her hand across my shoulder. "The success of this dance was possible because of you and you know it." She stated and everyone agreed. I sighed, shaking my head.

"No, guys..." I started to say but Collins hushed me immediately.

"Don't get modest on us now, Dawn." He started, flashing me a grin, "You are the backbone of this dance team. You carried the entire team during the rehearsals and you even slayed on the dance floor. Your solo was the highlight of the whole Dance," then he faced the guys and asked, "Abi, am I lying?"

"No lies o, Egbon!"

"Senior Dawn is the best dancer here, for reals!"

"It was honestly her swag for me, Guy!"

"Dawn is the Boss!"

Those were the responses and more that kept coming from the rest of the team. All genuine, all pure and positive that I couldn't help my insides melting in immense love and adoration for this team. This wouldn't be the time hypes as this would happen, but it got better and better every single time. It gave me purpose, made me put in even more effort in what I was doing to make the team even better.

These guys were gold.

"Guys," I started, calling all their attention to me. "It's all you, honestly. You guys are the ones doing all the work for me.-

"If you didn't make it easy, I wouldn't have been able to carry the team on my back as you said. You guys have made my 'job' as the captain of this team the easiest, most fun thing to do. And I love you guys so much for being the best teammates ever." I told them, looking at all of them one by one to let it all sink in. To show that I meant every word.

"We love you too!" One of the guys screamed and everyone started chorusing it back, bringing tears to my eyes.

"Group Hug!" Collins called and we all huddled together, giving ourselves a group hug.

"Now, as we are going out to enjoy the rest of the party," Lase started as soon as we started coming apart from the group hug. "Let's all flash Tomilola Akin-Fasae a middle finger!" She hollered and everyone erupted in laughter, including me.

"Lase!" I called to her chidingly and she shrugged, the smirk still playing on her lips.

"What? She deserves it." She winked at me and I laughed, watching the team as they made their way out of the room, following them behind.

As I walked out, making my way amid familiar faces and back to the party, the high praise started. Not just for my teammates, but most especially for me. Again, this wasn't the first time things like this would be happening, but it seemed like the attention on me has multiplied because this dance would be the first dance I'd actually be in the lead.

"Dawn, I didn't know you could dance like that! Med o!"

"You slayed it on the stage, Dawn. That was dope!"

"I wish I could dance like you sha. I can't move my two left legs to save my life."

There were a lot of positive comments going on and on like that. Even with the little bit of awkwardness, I was feeling from all the attention, I still tried my best to smile and throw back a "Thank you".

I hated it when all attention was on me, even if it was for a good cause. Because I knew, even while people were praising me and hyping me, there would also be a group of people who would hate on me for that same cause.

And I wasn't wrong.

"What is she even feeling like?"

I recognized Affiong's voice anywhere. I don't think she was willing for me to hear because her voice was in a whisper but I heard anyway. Still, I kept working because I decided I wasn't going to give her a time of the day.

"Don't mind her," That was Beauty Idoma, her voice loud and clear. As I said before, she's one of the very few people who had to balls to speak ill about me to my face.

"For her stupid mind now, she's a dancer. I don't know why people are hyping herself. What she did up there isn't dancing. I can dance better." I stopped the chuckle that wanted to escape my lips when I heard that.

Of course, you can dance better. I mused sarcastically to myself in sarcasm, my lips tugged in a small smirk.

I ignored the girls like they didn't exist, walked away from where they were standing, and made a turn to where the top floor's guest restroom was, suddenly feeling the urge to pee. I haven't been here in a while but I could still remember some specific places in the house.

Like Tekena's room.

My subconscious reminded me and I grimaced, trying to shake off some memories that began to slip in that point. Memories that made me cringe so bad.

Tekena's room was upstairs as well, at the end of the hallway, very close to the balcony beside the stairway that led downstairs. All the while I was in the restroom, I tried not to think about his room or the memories that accompanied those thoughts.

I just had a good time dancing with my guys and I honestly didn't want to ruin my mood.

But this entire house, the building, and all its corners were just too familiar for me to easily forget. And coming back here just brought back tons of unwanted memories.

Washing my hand in the basin, while staring at myself in the mirror, I freely allowed my mind to wander back to how much I risked just to be with Tekena Tamuno.

Throughout my two and a half months relationship with him, I've been here so more times than I could count, more times than I wanted to be here. But I had to keep coming because I wanted him to be happy with me. I had to be the best girlfriend, at his beck and call. I felt he was doing me a favor by being my boyfriend. I mean, he was a big guy in school, very popular and wanted by a lot of girls. Yet, he picked me.

Shy and Quiet Dawn Dayo.

So, anytime he asked me to come, I wouldn't even think twice before showing up here. I can't count the number of times I had to lie to my parents just because he wanted me to be with him at a particular time. One phone call, or Whatsapp message, and I'd drop everything I was doing at that moment, just to answer to him, and meet him right here within these walls... to do whatever he wanted me to do.

To be whatever he wanted me to be.

I grimaced at the awful memories, scoffing out a burst of short laughter and shook my head in utmost regret.

I was played. Big time.

But I have learned my lesson, and I wasn't going to make such a mistake, ever again. Ever.

After the self-assurance, I took in a deep breath and smiled at my reflection in the mirror, proud of the girl who was staring back at me. I was proud of my growth over just a few months, was proud of how strong I was. And I owed it all to my family, my friends, and God.

You go girl.

As I got out of the restroom, I heard a door open and close, turning my just acquired happy mood to literal dust. It would have been better if it was any other door in that hallway. But no, it's just had to be Tekena's door, with Tekena walking out of it and towards my direction. His face was buried in a phone, so he probably had no idea I was in the hallway with him.

It's just a matter of time before he looks...

My thoughts trailed off when Tekena decided to look up at that point, his eyes meeting mine.

What did I say?

I watched his face lit up as soon as his eyes met mine and a familiar smirk spread across his lips. I wasn't sure what was going on in that empty head of his but I had a pretty good idea. Still, he didn't deter me. All I wanted to do was walk away from him and back to enjoy the party with my girls.

But deep down, I knew he wasn't going to let me just brush past him. Not after all the messages he had dropped in my DM after our last encounter, using different numbers after I kept blocking every single one.

And I was right.

He jumped to my front immediately I got to him, stopping me from going further. Looking around the empty hallway, I began to wonder why we were always running into each other when people were not around the area.

Now, he was towering over me, looking down at me with that sardonic smirk I was fighting the urge to slap off. I rather stood there, hands folded across my chest, and waited for him to say whatever he wanted to say and piss off.

But still, he didn't say anything. Just kept looking at me.

"If you are not going to say anything, get out of my way," I told him, my eyes trained squarely on his. I saw his smirk falter for a bit but it was back in a nanosecond, with his eyes trailing down the length of my body and back up.

I tried not to cringe.

"I just watched your dance video," He started, his tone raspy as he waved the phone he was holding to my face. I glanced at it and back at him. "I had no idea you were such a kick-ass dancer." He commented. This time, I couldn't stop the scoff that escaped my lips.

He had no idea I was such a kick-ass dancer. Wow. Those two months were more of a lie than I thought.

"Is that all you want to say to me?" I asked, cocking my head to the side. When he didn't answer, just staring back at me, I rolled my eyes made to walk away from him.

Only for him to jump right in my front again. A frown contorted on my face as I glared back at him.

"What the hell do you want, Tekena!" I snapped, unable to control myself anymore. Being around him brought out my bad side. Being around him irritated me to the core.

"Damipe..." He started to say.

"It's Dawn to you!" I snapped, cutting him off immediately. The fact that he had used my middle name riled me up even more. "You have no right to call me Damipe! If you cannot call me Dawn, then don't call me at all! That will do me a whole lot of favor."

Tekena seemed speechless for a moment before he sighed, running his hand through his hair like he was frustrated, but I knew better.

"I understand where this hostility is coming from," He started again and I scoffed, but didn't say anything. I wasn't even sure what I was still doing here, standing in front of him and listening to him.

Maybe he wants to apologize. My subconscious told me and I chuckled inwardly.

An apology won't change anything. Besides, TK was too egoistic to apologize.

"But you can't keep ignoring my messages," He continued and I looked at him sternly, the frown on my face deepening. "You and I know you can't hold a grudge for long." He added, proving my exact point.

Exactly what I thought. Too egoistic to apologize.

I burst into laughter, clapping my hands together in mock applause for Tekena who stood right in front of me, surprised at the way I was reacting.

Good Riddance to Bad Rubbish.

"Wow, Tekena." I started when my laughter subsided, shaking my head slowly at him. "Congratulations. You just proved to me how much of an asshole you are."

I made to walk away, only to feel his hand on mine.

"Come on, Dawn..."

"Don't Touch Me!" I snapped immediately, jerking my hands out of his grasp.

He backed off, but still kept his eye on me, a conflicted expression marrying the corners of his face. But I knew better than to be moved by whatever emotion he was expressing. Tekena Tamuno didn't have any emotions. If not, he wouldn't have masterminded that entire plot against Hilary with Jidenna. If not, he wouldn't have done what he did to me!

He had no heart and if he did, it was filled with Pure Evil.

"You know what? I'm not bothered about a grudge." I told him, watching him stare back at me. "I don't hold grudges over people that are DEAD to me." His expression hardened as soon as I said that but it didn't faze me one bit.

It didn't stop me from moving closer to him and spelling it out for him.

"Tekena Tamuno, you are DEAD to me." I picked my words one by one, wanting them to sink into his very subconscious so that he'd remember them. And I wasn't even done yet.

"You are not my ex. You are just someone I was unfortunate to know. You are nobody to me. NOBODY."

I saw his jaw lock, emotions that looked like something between anger and mad rage flash in his eyes as he stared down at me. Undeterred, I began to walk away from him, wanting to get as fast away from him as possible.

But then, I remembered something.

"Oh, and by the way," I began, backtracking so I could face him, "The next time I hear that you bullied my brother, or as much as touch a strand of hair on his body... I'll make you suffer. And no, it's not a threat..."

"...IT'S A FUCKING PROMISE."

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I skipped excitedly back into the party, feeling so lightheaded and free. I caught a glimpse of the girls and made my way to where they were.

"Dawn!" It was Semeeha that screamed, throwing her hands up as she welcomed me with a hug. I laughed, running into her embrace as she threw her hands around me.

"God, You Nailed it!" She added, tightening her arms around me in a bear hug. I didn't know what to say, I just laughed, before pulling away from her to look at Hilary who was just staring at me like I came down from the moon.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" I asked her, the grin still stretched across my lips. Hilary sighed, hands akimbo, still staring at me like I was from another planet.

"I can never forget how much of a badass dancer you are," She started, shaking her head and smiling, waiting for her to continue. "But then, you always find a way to keep imprinting it in my memory that we are not even in your level. Like, you are way up there!" She stretched her hand up to demonstrate what she was talking about and I laughed, shaking my head.

"You guys should stop whining me!" I squealed, causing the both of them to look at me like I had gone bananas.

"Whining ke?" Semeeha started, looking at me in disbelief. "This is no whines! Dawn, you are Incredible! You are a PRODIGY and I am so psyched that I am your friend. Like, I am so happy to be associated with someone like you."

I couldn't stop the big smile of gratitude that stretched across my lips. If those words came from someone else, I'd probably just smile and say thank you. But those words coming from Semeeha, of all people... Wow.

Semeeha Malik, the famous intercontinental and international model, telling me that she was so psyched to be my friend, so happy to be associated with someone like me...

"Semeeha..." I whispered, feeling tears well up in my eyes. My words trailed off and I had no idea what else to say.

It meant so much to me. So, so much.

Semeeha has never actually complimented my dancing this way. She'd sometimes invalidate it as one of those things like it wasn't that big of a deal. Hilary, on the other hand, wouldn't go a day without reminding me how good I was, how amazing I am. If those words had come from Hilary, I wouldn't have been surprised.

But for them to come from Semeeha, in a way that told me that she was very genuine, my heart swelled with so much love. We might disagree a lot, but those words served as a reminder that she was still my best friend and she loved me. Just as much as I loved her.

"I agree one thousand percent with Semeeha." Hilary chipped in, making me turn my attention to her. "You should stop selling yourself short! You are Talented, Dawn. If I have to remind you every day so it would stick to your head, I will gladly do so." She stated matter-of-factly and I smiled, trying to push down the stray tear that was about to make it out of my eyes.

These girls...

"I don't even know what to say to you guys right now," I muttered, my lips quivering as a lot of emotions washed over me.

Love. Gratitude.

"We know you love us," Semeeha wiggled her well-carved brows teasingly and I chuckled, nodding my head vigorously.

"You know I do. I love you guys so much," I drew them in for a big hug, throwing my hands around them.

I was feeling incredibly blessed, so blessed to have girls like this in my life. Girls that would stop at nothing to see that I succeed. Girls that would support me in every way. Girls that would have my back. I won't trade this for anything in the world.

Within me, I decided I wasn't going to tell them about my encounter with Tekena in the hallway. After all, I've handled it. We came here to enjoy the party, not talk about our foolish