Page 68 of The Marriage Agreement (Agreement)

“No,” she answers with a sly smile at me, and I want to punch her in the face. Instead, I turn and leave, making sure not to slam the door or let her know how much her words affect me. I signal to Jax that I need a minute and race to the bathroom. My heart is shattering. He lied to me. I refuse to let the tears out. My brother was right. I’m derailing from the plan. I let the idea of Luke derail my goals. Osei said he always goes back to her. She might be lying, but it’s also possible he went back to her. My heart tells me he loves me. No, it’s not love, it’s just fun. I don’t have to keep up the charade. I have my work permit. I can move on. I put a lid on my shattered emotions and poise myself to return to work.

The MRI nurse soon returns to take Lily, and I keep my focus on work. They don’t find anything, just as I’d guessed with Lily. She only came to inform me about Luke. She can keep him.

When I clock out, I want to head home, but I realize I promised to visit Baba, so I went to his place. It may be the last time I get to see him. I should visit.

I arrived at his place and put on a brave smile.

“Dele, are you okay?” he asks after I’ve spaced out a few times or zoned out completely. I haven’t been moving as usual.

“Yes, I’m fine,” I answer, managing a smile. “Just a little tired from work,” I lie to him, but I can’t get over Luke's betrayal. I barely watch the match and give monotonous answers to Baba. Once the game is over, I make up an excuse to leave.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” His concern is clear.

“Yes, I just had a rough day at work,” I smile again.

“You work too much. Maybe you should take some time off.”

“I’ll think about it.” I hug him. “I’ll see you later.”

“Alright, dear.” He doesn’t look convinced by my work excuse, but I leave anyway.

In my car, I decided not to go home and text Osei.

Me: Are you home? Can I stop by?

Osei: I should be home in ten minutes. Yes, you can stop by.

Me: Thanks, see you soon.

I’ll ask Osei if I can stay with him. No way will I live with Luke and watch him lie to my face. I can’t believe I trusted him. He and Lily can live together. He doesn’t need to keep up the charade.

I arrived at Osei’s place. Luckily, I found a parking space in front of the building. When he opens the door, I race into his arms, crying. I can’t hold it in any longer. I’m not strong enough.

“Dele, what’s wrong?” he asks, holding me close.

“Nothing, please can I stay here tonight?”

“Sure, anytime.” I pull away from the hug. “I can’t talk right now. I just need a bed.”

“Okay, I’m here when you’re ready to talk,” he says. I simply nod and go to my room.

Dropping onto the bed, I pull the cover over my head and let my heart cry until I hear his voice.

Chapter 45

LUKE

Mom has been insisting on lunch since I returned from my last trip. I’m finally able to make it happen. I arrive before her and order our usual. After all, we’ve been coming here since I was a kid, and my mom, ever the creature of habit, orders the same thing every time.

She soon arrives and cups my face, kissing my cheeks like I’m still a little boy. I smile and let her. Trying to stop her would create a new set of drama. Osei inherited her dramatic ways.

As soon as she sits, she dives right in. “Your brother tells me you punched him.” My mouth falls open.

“He’s lying, Mom. I didn’t touch him. I was angry with him, but I didn’t touch him.” I emphasize.

“Good, just making sure you’re both telling me the truth. He did say you didn’t punch him, but you wanted to, and that’s what I want to talk about.”

“I don’t want to talk about it. We resolved it, and we don’t need to bring it up again,” I snap. My mom arches a brow.

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