The boy who couldn’t sleep
1234 Words
Damian did not sleep that night.
He lay flat on his bed staring at the ceiling while the city lights outside reflected against the dark walls of his room.
But his mind stayed completely on Adunni.
Adunni crying in the elevator.
Adunni walking into the rain.
Adunni leaving with another man.
The image burned inside his chest painfully.
He grabbed his phone for the tenth time that night and opened her profile again.
Nothing new.
No posts.
No tweets.
No status updates.
Just silence.
Damian threw the phone across the bed angrily and sat up frustrated.
Why did seeing her with another guy bother him this much?
He was the one who ended things.
He was the one who pushed her away.
So why did it suddenly feel impossible to breathe whenever he imagined another man touching her?
A knock sounded on his door.
“Come in.”
Femi entered carefully holding a drink.
“You look terrible.”
Damian scoffed quietly. “Thanks.”
Femi sat across from him.
“You’re handling this badly.”
Damian looked irritated immediately.
“Handling what badly?”
“Adunni.”
The room became silent.
Femi sighed tiredly. “Bro, everybody can see it. You’re miserable.”
Damian laughed bitterly.
“Miserable?”
“You publicly embarrassed the girl you love because you were scared of your mother and now you’re angry she’s moving on.”
Damian’s jaw tightened instantly.
“I don’t love her.”
Femi stared at him for a long moment before laughing softly.
“You keep telling yourself that.”
Damian looked away.
Because deep down…
He knew Femi was right.
Meanwhile…
Adunni sat quietly on her bed replaying the events of the party over and over again.
Especially the moment Damian looked jealous.
It confused her.
If he truly didn’t care about her anymore, why did he react like that?
Her phone buzzed softly.
Unknown Number.
She hesitated before answering.
“Hello?”
“Hi… it’s Jayden.”
Adunni sat up slightly.
The stranger from last night.
“Oh.”
Jayden laughed softly on the other end.
“Wow. That sounded disappointed.”
A tiny smile almost appeared on her lips.
“I just wasn’t expecting your call.”
“I hope it’s not inappropriate. I got your number from the emergency contact form you filled in before entering the estate.”
“That’s slightly creepy.”
Jayden laughed again.
“Fair enough.”
For the first time in weeks, Adunni found herself relaxing during a conversation.
Jayden’s voice felt calm.
Gentle.
Easy to breathe around.
Unlike the emotional chaos Damian constantly brought into her life.
“You seemed really upset yesterday,” Jayden said carefully. “I just wanted to check if you got home safely.”
Something about the sincerity in his voice touched her deeply.
“Yes,” she answered softly. “Thank you.”
They spoke for almost an hour.
About random things.
Music.
School.
Dreams.
Jayden told her he was a medical doctor working at a private hospital in Lagos. He also admitted he hated parties and only attended because his cousin forced him.
By the time the call ended, Adunni realized something shocking.
For the first time in days…
She had laughed.
The next morning, Damian arrived at school looking exhausted and irritated. Students greeted him nervously as usual, but he ignored everybody.
His eyes searched the campus immediately.
Looking for her.
Then he saw her.
Adunni sat beneath a tree laughing softly at something on her phone.
And standing beside her…
Was Jayden.
Damian froze instantly.
Jealousy slammed into him so hard it almost embarrassed him.
Who was this guy?
Why was Adunni smiling at him like that?
Damian watched carefully as Jayden handed her coffee while she smiled warmly.
That smile used to belong to him.
His chest tightened painfully.
“Bro,” Femi warned quietly beside him. “Don’t start.”
But Damian was already walking toward them.
Adunni noticed him first.
Her smile disappeared immediately.
Jayden turned calmly as Damian stopped in front of them.
For a few tense seconds, nobody spoke.
Then Damian looked directly at Jayden.
“Who are you?”
Jayden raised an eyebrow slightly.
“That’s usually not how normal people introduce themselves.”
Adunni almost smiled.
Damian noticed.
And somehow that irritated him even more.
“I asked you a question.”
Jayden stayed calm. “And I’m choosing not to answer rudely.”
The tension between both men became obvious immediately.
Adunni stood up quickly.
“Damian, what do you want?”
His eyes moved toward her instantly.
“To talk.”
“There’s nothing left to discuss.”
Damian stepped closer.
“There is for me.”
Jayden studied both of them quietly before speaking.
“I’ll give you two a moment.”
The moment Jayden walked away, Damian’s expression darkened.
“You’re moving on fast.”
Adunni stared at him in disbelief.
“You’re unbelievable.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“You humiliated me publicly, Damian!” she snapped quietly. “You literally replaced me before everybody’s eyes.”
His jaw tightened.
“So now you’re dating random men?”
Adunni laughed bitterly.
“And if I am?”
That answer hit Damian harder than expected.
He moved closer slowly.
“You really think he cares about you?”
The question irritated her instantly.
“At least he treats me like a human being.”
That sentence silenced him completely.
Because the painful truth was…
She was right.
Damian looked away briefly before speaking again, quieter this time.
“You don’t know everything.”
Adunni frowned.
“What does that mean?”
He hesitated.
For one second, it looked like he wanted to tell her something important.
Something painful.
But then his walls went back up again.
“Forget it.”
Adunni shook her head tiredly.
“You know what your problem is?”
Damian looked at her silently.
“You keep hurting me while expecting me to stay.”
Her words landed heavily inside his chest.
But before he could respond, Sabrina suddenly appeared again.
This time looking furious.
“There you are,” she snapped at Damian before noticing Adunni. “Seriously? Her again?”
Adunni immediately stepped back emotionally.
Sabrina wrapped her arms around Damian possessively.
“You left me waiting for almost thirty minutes.”
Damian removed her hands instantly.
“Stop.”
But Sabrina was already glaring at Adunni with hatred.
“I don’t understand why you’re still obsessed with somebody he clearly doesn’t want.”
Adunni’s expression hardened.
Before she could respond, Damian spoke sharply.
“Enough.”
Everybody nearby became silent immediately.
Even Sabrina looked shocked.
Damian’s eyes stayed dangerously fixed on Sabrina.
“Don’t disrespect her again.”
Adunni froze.
So did Sabrina.
Because this was the first time Damian had openly defended Adunni since the breakup.
But instead of making Adunni happy…
It only hurt more.
Because now she knew he was capable of defending her.
He simply chose not to before.
Adunni stepped back slowly.
“I’m tired,” she whispered painfully.
Then she walked away before the tears building in her eyes could fall again.
Damian watched her leave helplessly.
And for the first time in his life…
Damian Cole realized money, pride, and power meant absolutely nothing when the person you loved stopped looking at you the same way.
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