WHEN I'M WITH YOU!

NINETEEN

The cold morning breeze blew against her skin and the warm lights shined across her face. The sun had this golden sunrise shining on the cloudless. The morning never seemed so lovely and peaceful that it drove her crazy with a smile gracing her reddened face as she opened her eyes.

Suddenly, her morning was interrupted by a phone call, Dami looked around and Jason wasn't in the bedroom. She heard noises in the bathroom and assumed he was there.

She searched for the phone and picked it up, June was calling.

Dami rushed out of bed when she noticed the door was open.

"Hello?" Damilola shut the door after her but paused at the mirror, she took a quick scan at herself in the mirror.

"Damilola? Where are you?" The voice asked, Damilola fell silent, unable to speak, she looked at her reflection silently.

"Huh?" she replied.

"Yo! Are you still asleep, Dam?" June asked, she blinked and held the phone closer.

"Oh, I slept the night at a hotel," she cleared her throat.

"Okay… you're coming for the family dinner? Mom wanted to be sure you will, she said she misses you," June said.

"I have work today," she replied, hoping to use that as an excuse.

"Oh, it's okay, I will let her know," June said, hearing no response from her, she hung up, Damilola's face turned cold immediately, family meetings she hated and loved at the same time.

She glanced around and searched for her clothes, finally she found them on a sofa. She still had time to talk to Jason and leave eventually.

"Hey?" Jason walked inside the room.

"Oh, god" she held her chest, startled. They stared at each other for a while, and Damilola looked away and grabbed the robe available, Jason scanned her quietly and smiled.

"You know you don't have to," he said, Dami looked at him. And nodded, knowing exactly what he meant. "You look beautiful either" he praised and she loved it.

"I'm sorry…" she spat. She could as well stay with him for the rest of the day and ditch them but she couldn't and wanted to attend the dinner.

"For what?" Jason asked.

"Huh?" She looked back at him.

"What are you sorry for?" His hands touched her neck, trailing them to her hair.

"Uhmm," she loved it, she couldn't deny that, his hands running through her hair felt so good. But she owned the Adetola's so much "Oh, Jason." She moved backwards like a scared cat, she stared at him.

"What's wrong?" She asked.

"I'm sorry, I have to go… something came up at work… I mean at home" she rushed.

"Okay… do you need me to drive you? I can" he asked.

"No, it's fine… I'd rather go alone" she says. Jason watched her pick up her clothes, She could feel his gaze even when she searched for her underwear.

"Here" he picked it up, Damilola rushed over to take it from him. Her heart was pounding harder, and she looked at him, he did it flawlessly.

"Oh, I…I-I just don't…" Dami searched for words.

"You don't want to be late," he says, Damilola inhaled deeply.

"Yeah, can-" he looked at her head to toe, and shrugged.

"Okay, I would leave you, but-" he leaned towards her ear, "I won't next time," he said, making her gulp hard.

Minutes later, she was out of the room. There was a lady who cleaned and Damilola looked confused, as she had been here the whole time. This bothered her a lot, and suddenly, she found him walking towards her with a cup of coffee.

"Are you ready? I have my driver take you," he said, Damilola looked away from the lady, and at him.

"No, it's fine" Jason looked at the lady.

"Oh, that's Alya, she works here," he said, Damilola nodded and gave a little bow. Jason smiled at her reaction. "What's that for?" He asked.

"Oh, well, it's me paying my respect, we bow from my father-" she paused, and swallowed those words, "Where I come from, it's a sign of respect," she said.

"Alright, but are you sure you don't need me to drop you?" Jason asked, she was dazed at him.

"Yeah, it is," he came closer,

"Okay, call me when you get home or anytime you get back," he said, kissing her on her forehead. Damilola smiled and blushed so hard that her teeth showed.

"I will," she said, Jason pulled her closer to his body, and his forehead rested on her head.

"Is this official?" he asked in a low tone. Damilola smiled at him and nodded.

"I guess" Damilola's smile lightened.

Suddenly, she heard a bark and looked toward the sound, and a little brown dog rushed towards him, but she bent down instead and it entered her arms.

"Oh, my goodness! You have a dog?" She asked. And remembered, he had told her that, "Oh, yeah" she swallowed.

"She's Ash," He said, Damilola picked her up and giggled as she played with her.

"Ash? Wow, that's quite a name" She said.

"Come on, now you have to go!" He said, taking it from her, Damilola pouted, she didn't want to go, but she had to.

"You know-"

"You have one, she's called peach, I know that," he said, with a laugh, "Suggesting we take them on a stroll?" He asked.

"Mmmmm" Damilola scratches the top of her nose a little.

"I already suggested that," he raised his brows at her.

"Well, I have to go, now,"

"Promise you would text?" He asked, she looked back and nodded. "Ayla, could you show my lady out?" He said, staring at her, Dami's mouth opened, with a smile.

"Of course, Mr Lee," Ayla replied, she blushed as she walked closer to her.

"I love you" He whispered, with a kiss on her cheek.

"I love you" she replied, Jason, smirked and stepped backwards.

Finally, she was out of his house and hadn't even had the time to take a tour, looking around it wasn't an apartment. It was a mansion and she wondered how only he, lived here, wasn't it too lonely for him.

Knock!

The door opened, and Mrs Adetola froze at the sight of Damilola, she blinked speechlessly and then smiled.

"I told you she would come!" She yelled, Damilola managed a smile.

"Yay! Dami!" Emma screamed, Damilola hurried inside, she could tell she was coming down the stairs and feared she would fall.

"Dami?" Mr Adetola smiled, and she bowed slightly and continued to the stairs.

"Hey, you're gonna fall, watch your step!" Dami said, to Emma who jumped the stairs to her.

Emma rushed into the arms of Damilola and hugged her tightly, "Oh, my god!" Damilola smiled and picked her up, she turned and froze.

"Hey dam," Folarin said, Damilola looked behind him, and June stepped out.

"I thought you said you weren't coming?" June interrupted, and Folarin looked back at her.

"I didn't know you were back," Damilola said to Folarin instead.

"He came back because of you!" Emma said, Damilola slowly dropped her and smiled.

"Why? It's not I have anything special going on" She said, through her teeth. Everyone paused and looked at her, she smiled confusedly.

"It's your birthday next week," June said, with a sigh.

"What?" Damilola swallowed.

They remained silent, and June walked towards her, "How do you forget your birthday?" She asked.

It wasn't something to celebrate so why would she? Her parents weren't her concern anymore.

"Come on, why don't we have dinner," Mrs Adetola said holding Emma and directing her towards the dining.

"I want to have a word with Dami, we would join later," June suggested, taking the stairs up, June sighed so many times, she probably had a lot to say or not.

"Alright, don't be late!" Mrs Adetola said.

Damilola smiled at Folarin, and nodded, about to leave when she heard him speak. "You look beautiful, Dam," He said, Damilola looked at him, and scanned herself, she wore a blue crop top and flare white skirt, and she held over her shoulder a white bag.

"Thank you, you too," she said, complimenting, his blue faded jean and white t-shirt, and brown canvas.

The door closed and Lillian dropped her purse by the table close to the door, she paused facing the window. Damilola headed to the bathroom but paused by her voice.

"Where were you last night?" She asked, Damilola inhaled deeply. June turned around and Damilola shook at her penetrating gaze. She could not even mention Jason

"Huh? Uh… well I" she stuttered searching her head for words.

"You spent the night with Jason right?" She brightened, her smile brightened and her face smile and face were gone. June struggled with letting down her hair.

"Huh? Well… not really" she says, Damilola took her eyes off her and walked to the window. She could feel Lillian's gaze follow her.

"I am not mad at you, you know I support you!" June said, smiling, "So what?" She winked Damilola managed a smile, She heard her phone vibrate, and she went closer to it, Jason had texted.

"Ooooh, it's our honourable in-law!" She winked harder, earning a shy smile from Dami.

Jason: I decided to text, first. Since my penguin won't send a message.

Damilola smiled, and blushed reading the text, she unlocked her phone, sending hers.

Damilola: I'm sorry… I just arrived.

"I can see you all flushed, it's more than this, did you?" June asked, but Dami wasn't paying attention.

Jason: Oh, that's quite late, we could have had lunch together.

She looked at the phone and suddenly her reflection caught her attention, she stared at herself for a while with a smile. She felt so different.

Damilola: I should have… I'm sorry, maybe next time.

Jason: It's fine, we could pick a different date, or dinner instead.

Dami; it's that fine? Your schedule.

He was asking, she loved it. He sounded interested in her life. She began to type telling him everything.

After a long series of texts, finally Damilola raised her head and caught June glaring.

"Oh, my God!" She said, June sighed and shook her head.

She moved closer to her, and smiled, "you slept with him right?" Damilola choked.