Finding Love Episode 3 by Sonia Okehie

Finding Love Episode 3 Written by Sonia Okehie

When someone you truly have feelings for confesses their love to you, the emotions that overtakes your whole being can’t be properly explained or comprehended. Should I start by talking about the butterflies in your stomach that wouldn’t stop dancing for joy, or the sweat on your palms? Money could buy anything on earth but not that genuine sensation you feel within, when the person you are attracted to tells you ‘I Love You!’

For the first time in my life, I knew how love felt and what it could do to someone. I was totally numb and could remember just looking into Alex’s eyes without uttering a word in return to his heartfelt confession. Alex figured he took me by surprise and apologised for kissing me.
“I’m sorry Chi chi, I shouldn’t have let my emotions get the best part of me” he said but I was still in shock.

After a little while of being silent, I finally spoke. “Did you mean what you just said to me?” I asked, looking into his eyes, “Every word” he replied and my heart skipped a beat. “How do you know you truly love me?” I asked in a low tone, “To be honest, there’s no reason as to why I’m so attracted to you. If there was a reason, then it’s bad because I might stop loving you if anything happened to that reason” He replied.

Alex was indeed good with words and I couldn’t help but admire the way he replied intelligently to all my sensitive questions. To be honest, I had fallen in love with him too but was just scared for my fragile heart. “I actually like you too but don’t think we can work out” I said and he asked ‘why’, “my brother is your friend and I wouldn’t want anything to jeopardise your friendship with him. He might not like the idea of the picture of us together and I think we should consider his feelings too” I said.

My reason as to why we shouldn’t be an item was good but it wasn’t enough reason to stop Alex from having me. “Love shouldn’t be subject to consideration, this is a matter of my heart and I’m not trading that for anything. I’ll talk to your brother about it soon but we can keep things on a low for now, at least until I have the conversation with him. I love you Chi Chi, this is about us and not the world” Alex said. “Can you give me some time to think about all this?” I asked and he gladly agreed.

Our little conversation ended and I had to leave because it was passed 6pm. Alex wanted to drop me off but I turned down the offer and insisted on going home by myself to avoid any confrontation between him and my brother. He escorted me to the bus stop and we exchanged numbers before parting ways.

All through the ride home, I couldn’t stop thinking of Alex and all that happened back at his house. There was no doubt that I was in love with him too, but was a little worried of how my brother would react if he found out. I arrived home and went straight to my room, so I could continue wallowing in my thoughts.

After about two hours later, my phone rang and it was Alex calling; I smiled and picked up. “Hi Chi, have you gotten home?” He asked, “Yes I have’ I replied. “Have you eaten yet?” He continued, “No” I replied and he asked ‘Why’, “I’m just thinking and have lost my appetite” I replied. He advised me not to rush and that I should take as much time I needed. We talked a little more before saying ‘Goodnight’ to each other. His advice was a good one but it didn’t work for me as I was still lost in thoughts. I finally decided to do the needful and retire to bed.

Days passed and I hadn’t been able to see Alex. Talking on phone was our only mode of communication and it was terrible because I had started missing him dearly. His proposal was still hanging as I haven’t accepted or rejected yet. I was still worried of what my brother’s reaction would be and kept thinking if Alex was truly the one for me.

One fateful evening, I got a call from Alex requesting I should come outside my gate. My brother was out of town for a little business errand so he wasn’t around. I was curious to know why he instructed me to come outside so I ran as fast as my legs could carry me. When I got to the gate, I started cat waking as I walked outside.

I finally came out just to see my beautiful dream, standing in front of his car at the other end of my street. I smiled and started walking towards him. My heart skipped a beat as I took each step to get to him. We finally got close to eachother and the first thing Alex did was to give me a warm hug. “I miss you” he said and I blushed, “what are you doing here?” I jokingly asked, still blushing. “I was going crazy for not seeing you for such a long time and decided to pull up today when junior told me he would be traveling” Alex said as he hugged me.

My heart started beating 2× faster than usual and I locked my arms around him. “Please accept me into your life” he said and I smiled, “it’s not that easy, especially knowing that you were once a player and could be playing me too” I said. My words hurt him a little and I could see it in his face. “Please don’t hold my past against me, if I just wanted to play you, believe me when I say I wouldn’t be here and certainly wouldn’t be putting my relationship with your brother at risk. If you ever want to turn my request down, do it because you want to and not because of what you heard about me” He said.

I actually felt bad a bit for how I attacked him, even after knowing about what happened to his brother. I apologised and he didn’t hesitate to accept my apology. We talked for a while before we finally had to part ways again. “Chi chi, don’t punish me by keeping me waiting for too long. I really love you and would talk to your brother once you accept me into your life” he said before I left.

Alex’s last words to me that evening broke the camel’s back. As I stepped inside the house, I brought out my phone and boldly wrote ‘Yes I accept’ and sent to him. Few minutes later, my phone rang and he was the one calling. “Hello” I greeted smiling, “Was that a Yes from you?” He surprisingly asked and I said ‘Yes’. Oh! You need to hear how happy Alex sounded on the phone that evening. He was so happy and his reaction actually took me by surprise.

After the excitement, he said “I promise to never let you regret this decision. I love you my Chi Chi”. I chuckled and said “I love you too”. My response almost burst his brains and I could feel his joy over the phone. We said ‘Goodnight’ to each other afterwards and ended the call.

For the first time in my life, I had found someone whom I truly loved. There was no doubt in my heart towards my feelings for Alex. I was in love with someone other than my siblings; I never knew there was such love as that and it felt different and beautiful. Love is indeed beautiful and it’s a feeling everyone should feel in their lifetime. That day was the beginning of a beautiful love story between two people. The future didn’t seen too clear but we had already taken one step forward.

After that day, Alex and I were now fully an item. We weren’t able to enjoy our little love story because my brother was still unaware of what was going on between us. So many times we tried to tell him but couldn’t summon up the courage to actually do so.

This went on for a while before Alex finally took the bull by the horn and came out clean. “I love your sister bro and want your approval to date her” Alex said one fateful day he went on a hangout with my brother. “What makes you think I’ll give you the approval to play my sister?” My brother asked, “I’m not playing her, I truly love her please believe me. When last have you seen me with girls? I really want this shot with your sister, I love her die” Alex confessed.

For a second, my brother was dumbfounded and didn’t know what else to say. He knew Alex too well to know when he was lying or telling the truth and he certainly could tell that Alex meant every word that came out of his mouth. “Go ahead, but if you break her heart, then you have me to contend with. I no go leave you oh” My brother said and Alex smiled. “That would never happen bro, breaking her heart is like hurting myself; I love her that much” Alex said and my brother nodded ‘Ok’.

The approval from my brother made Alex leap for joy. At last! We were finally free from hiding. The news was a good one and Alex didn’t hesitate to break it to me immediately he parted ways with my brother. “He said yes!” Alex screamed, “who said yes?” I confusingly asked and Alex said “Your brother”. I took a deep sigh of relief and screamed for joy. We were just two people who loved each other dearly and were finally free from hiding.

Things took another shape and our relationship became stronger. I had to go back to school because my holiday break was over, but that didn’t get in the way of our relationship. Alex came visiting every weekend and always lodged in a hotel whenever he was in town. He spent most hours in my apartment and retired back to his hotel late at nights. Life was good because we now had maximum privacy between us without family interference.

Everything went on fine until one fateful day. On that day, Alex’s phone was switched off all through, so I couldn’t reach him. I was a bit worried because I knew that Alex hardly had low battery.

His phone was switched off till it finally went through in the evening. It rang the first time and no one picked, I called again and a lady picked. “Hello Alex isn’t here, he forgot his phone in my house since yesterday night and hasn’t come for it yet. Call back later” the feminine voice said.

My entire body became numb and I shockingly asked “Please who are you?”, She chuckled and replied saying “I’m his girlfriend”

Finding Love Episode 3
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