Chapter Five

         She decided it would be better to just leave, but as she looked at her best friend for what she supposed to be the last time before she started leaving, she met her smiling face as she waved and gestured for her to come in. She obeyed unwillingly as she braced herself and walked towards the entrance.

"Hello, there," she greeted with a smile as she made her seat beside Dorcas.

       "Hi," Nath answered, looking intently at her.

"What took you so long? And why were you standing there like a statue?" Dorcas joked.

       Lillian forced a smile. "Babe, I'm sorry. I just have a lot on my mind lately," she answered, forcing herself not to meet the eyes that are piercing holes in her. "Let me introduce myself," she stated, taking her eyes to his jawbone. She loved that part of his face. That brought out a real smile out of her. "My name is —," she was about to say her name when her friend cut her in.

       "Zeece," Dorcas chimed in. "He knows your name is Zeece, already," she added.

Lillian met her gaze with a confused look. She wasn't going to lie about her name. Not to him. Not to the man she had been waiting for for years. Not to the man who didn't seem to recognize her right now but had thought telling him her real name might be some sort of hint for him to remember who she was.

"Zee.. Zeece?" she cooed and Dorcas winked at her. She smiled and then faced Nath who was staring at them both but didn't seem suspicious. From the look, Lillian knew he wasn't a playboy. He didn't seem like the type.

      "I am Sosanya Nathaniel," he introduced himself and offered his hand for a shake.

She hesitated before accepting his offer of a handshake. She loved the way his hands closed around hers. She smiled and he returned the gesture too. He still had the same lovely smile, but how could he not remember her? She was aware he had told her he did not recognize people easily, but couldn't he just say he was familiar? Couldn't he just remember her smile just as she remembered his? 

"Nice to meet you," she said, melting in his touch. 

       "My pleasure. You're very beautiful, just like the meaning of your name," he mentioned. 

She nodded and put her hand in the other on her lap as he released it. "Thank you." She was looking straight into his eyes now. What was she even sitting there for? Would she wait till they kiss each other before her eyes? "I should leave now," she announced. 

       "Why?" Nath and her friend chorused. "You just got here," he added at the same time that the waiter arrived with their orders. The truth was, he did not want to let her leave like that. He didn't even know the reason himself. He just didn't want her to leave. "Should I order for you as well?" 

"No, thanks. I'll just get going," Lillian said and rose to her feet. She pecked her friend and waved at Nath,then went out of the place. 

She had been driving for some minutes before she parked safely by the road side and rested her head on the steering wheel and cried. 

What was happening to her? How could the man she loved not recognize her? And now that her best friend had told her that she was head over heels with him, what could she do but to let him go? It was hard for her to accept the truth,but now that her friend had found her happiness in him after so many heartbreaks, she would just let them be and let her friend be happy at the expense of her own joy. 

She was the one at fault here. She'd never confided in her best friend about Nath, not even the tattoo. She would just accept it as her fate. She was still sobbing when she fell asleep. 

        Dorcas got to Lillian's house and after eating and watching movies, she started a conversation. "So, what do you think of him?" She asked cheerfully, turning to face her friend on the couch in the living room. 

Lillian looked confused. "Him? Who are you talking about?" she asked. 

       "Nathaniel, of course. Who else would I be asking about? How do you see him? A playboy? A serious man? What?" 

"Whatever!" Lillian snorted, unlady-like. 

       Shocked, Dorcas exclaimed, "What do you mean by that?" 

       "What I meant was, Dorcas, I cannot let you be together. He's the only man I've loved and still love," she mentioned angrily. 

      In more shock, her friend exclaimed. "What! Lillian, he loves me. I'm the one he loves. Where did you even meet? You saw him for the first time on our date," Dorcas protested. 

"For the first time after twelve years, yes,"she said, unbuttoning her shirt. She took it off and rose to her feet, giving Dorcas a clear view of the tattoo. "This is his handwriting on my arm. He did this to me himself. Do you see? This is the combination of our names, LillyNath." 

       "Do I seem as if I care? I don't fucking care about it. I love Nath,"Dorcas insisted. 

" And I love him too. Listen very good, Dorc. I will never give him up. Not for you, not for any other person,"Lillian warned in ire. 

        " Neither will I,"her friend replied and walked out on her. 

***

     

They both went to Nath's house on a Saturday evening, telling him to choose between them.

     " Nath, remember you told me you would love only me. You should choose me, "Dorcas persuaded.

Lillian took off her shirt and showed him the inscription on her arm with tears brimming to the surface of her eyes. "Do you remember this? You wrote this yourself, Nath. You said you could use it to recognize me in the future. You made me wait twelve years for you," by the time she was finished, she was already crying. 

       "I know, Lilly,but I didn't do that for us to be together. I only see you as a friend. I didn't love you,and I don't love you now," Nath explained and before she could think of any response, he continued, "Look, I value our friendship. And that's why I searched for you. But I don't want to be more than your friend." 

With that, Lillian's shoulders fell to her knees. She didn't know when her eyes started raining tears. 

      "It's Dorcas I love and I'm glad she loves me too. I've loved her since the first time I set my eyes on her. I thought she wouldn't reciprocate my love but thank God she does," Nath confessed with a broad smile. "I love you very much, Dorcas," Nath said, gathering her in his arms. 

      "I love you too, Nath," Dorcas replied and hugged him tightly. She withdrew and looked up at him. "For her to know that you only love me and not her, kiss me so passionately and let her see to believe," Dorcas seduced. 

"No, Nath, don't. Don't," Lillian protested, shaking her head furiously and waving her palms as he brought his mouth to Dorcas's. 

Then, Lillian heard a knock in her head. What's that knock?