The man left, and Alhaji waited until he heard the soft padding away of feet before he was sure Soliat had left too, she had heard, she was hurt and she had left. He exhaled frustratedly, did the man really need to add to his problem? He walked to the dining where Yasmin was still sipping her glass of water and sat down. For a while neither of them said anything, then after a stretch of silence, he asked. "She left, right?"
"I don't think so think, she's in her room, too hurt to leave. I can only imagine how much she heard."
"A lot."
"Are you not going to comfort her?"
He shook his head. "She needs this time to reflect."
"You do too. Do you now realize how foolish your method was? When you like a girl, you let her know and not involve in behind the scenes acting."
"Can you sleep over?"
She rolled her eyes. "You're a grown man, Abubakar, my presence will not help solve your problem."
"I know but just stay."
She narrowed her eyes at him, askance. "Did Baba say anything about me?"
He looked away, silent.
She sighed. "Why do you always pity me, Abubakar, do I look that pathetic to you?"
"Just stay," he repeated and pulled her into his embrace.
…
Soliat tossed on the bed, unable to sleep. Pained, she had cried at first. Did Baba hate her? Why wasn't he going to respect her wish? Why did he only see her as someone who should have a husband and bare children? She had cried, the pain striking. Then she had cleaned her eyes and thought of Alhaji, that he liked her, that all those references to her as his wife had not been a joke, that Sister Yasmin's side talk had been serious. How had she not known? She had always thought of it as brotherly. Had she?
There were times when she would look at him and surprise herself that she found him attractive, there were times when during their playful moments, he would hold her against him, and she would realize her body heating up. It was impossible to think that she saw him in another light when he was her brother. Then she watched him bathe, watched him touch himself and didn't know what to think anymore.
So she tossed on her bed all night, and realized that she should have gone home. How could she face him after all she had said and heard? She groaned into her pillow and shut the alarm, she had not slept a wink so ther was no need for the third to buzz.
Then she got out of the bed and hurriedly took her bath, she would leave before he woke up and saw her, that would give her time shake off whatever awkwardness she was feeling. She had already changed into fresh clothes, ready to leave when the door knob turned. Dan Allah! Couldn't the man give her time to be embarrassed? She quickly jumped under her bed cover and tried to steady her breath. He would come and see that she was still asleep and leave, so she waited.
But he did not leave, she felt the edge of the bed dip and knew he had sat down. Then she remembered her night dress laid on the floor, a give away that she had been awake. Feeling foolish, she slowly lowered the bed cover from her face and glanced at him. He was already staring at her.
She sat up. "Are you still angry?" She asked in a whisper.
"Very," he replied.
"Bro—"
"Let me finish." He held up a hand. "It took you to say everything you said for me to realize how true it was and that mine was the most stupid method ever." He paused. "Let's start from the beginning, I like you, Soliat. Yes, I care about you as a brother to a sister, but more than that, I like you as a man to a woman. I've liked you from the very beginning, and no, I'm not saying this because your father gave me till the end of this month to marry you, I'm not scared of Baba, and I'm not going to do anything you won't like, but it was very stupid of me not to be intentional about my feelings for you.
I didn't mean to deceive you, I just meant to protect your innocence a while longer because the things I would love to do to you would remove every innocence from you. I'm going to court you now, as a man to a woman he wishes to marry, that's how much I like you. As my sister, as my friend, and as my woman."
She shuddered. "But…I…I don't know if I like you."
He was quiet for a while. "I hate to even remember this, but I have to ask you, did you think of me when that bastard was on you?"
Soliat opened her mouth to answer, she had thought of him the whole time, but the words were too heavy to say as her heart leapt to her mouth.
Noticing, Alhaji wrapped a gentle hand around her throat. "Answer me, Soliat." He brought his face closer to stare into her eyes. "Did you wish it was me instead?"
"I..I don't know," she stuttered, her heart beating rapidly.
"Oh you do. Take your time and think about it. From everything that has happened so far, you should know I'm a patient man, and we have all the time in the world." He trailed a finger from her throat down to the middle of her chest where he could feel her heart beat. She tried to move away from him but he circled her waist and pulled her closer.
"I'm hot," she murmured.
"So am I?" He whispered into her eyes. "And it would only get worse if you don't answer me."
Why was he whispering? Why wasn't making the torment worse? She wanted to say something, she wanted to tell him that she had thought of him, and that the reason she had not allowed Mustafa kiss her was because in her head, if she would ever kiss a guy, it would be—.
"Answer me, did you think of me?"
She licked her dried lips. "Y..yes."
"Say that again." His eyes caught her little gesture.
"Yes."
"With my name."
She was shivering with their closeness, a needy shivering. "Y..yes, Brother Abubakar."
"Silly girl, just the name."
"Yes, Abubakar."
He tilted her chin up and kissed her. Her lips were unmoving against his, shocked, sweet, innocent. He caught her bottom lip between his teeth and grazed it playfully before sliding his tongue inside. He broke the kiss to say, "You don't know how many times I've envisioned doing this, different scenes, different outcomes and it doesn't help that we're on a bed." He kissed her again, daringly this time and she opened up to him as innocently as she could.
"Wallahi, you don't know what you do to me," he said against her lips and took her hand. He placed it on his length that had hardened into an erection and nipped her lips. "Wrap your hands around it, Solia." He instructed and moaned when she obeyed. He held her wrist in place and helped her move her hand slowly. "Do you want to touch it?"
"Bu..but I..I'm already touching it," she said, not believing her ears.
"I know." He paused. "I meant without the clothes."
She stared at him. "Bro—"
He sealed her lips with his. "I'll kiss you for each time you say 'Brother' before my name."
"But I—"
"You don't think you can touch me yet?"
She shook her head.
"Then watch."
His eyes didn't leave her as he unzipped his trouser and freed himself. He wrapped his hand around his length and moved it. Why, it felt so good with her by his side, watching, and to Allah it would feel better if it was her hand instead. "Kiss me, Solia."
She leaned forward an planted her lips on him and he took the lead. With his hand still moving below him, he took her breath with the kiss and when their lips parted, the room was filled with his grunts.
He threw his head back and closed his eyes as the pleasure built up. "Oh, Soliat," he moaned, his movement becoming faster. When he reached his orgasm, he let his seeds spurt freely and he saw the stars of pleasure. "I cannot count how many times I have done this to the memory of your face." He placed a suggestive hand on her thigh but she withdrew from him. He laughed. "Of course, you're not ready. But are you sure you can manage the heat?"
She searched for her voice. "I'll fine."
"You can run all you want, I enjoy a good chase as long as you're not running into the arms of another man." At the remembrance, he groaned. "I hate that you did that, I really hate it, Solia."
She pressed her legs together. "I'm sorry."
"Are you sure you don't want me to help you relieve from what you're feeling right now? I won't take you to bed, but I can help you."
"No!" She dragged her gown to cover her knees.
"So shy." He cleaned himself and stood up to leave. "Sleep some more, Solia. I don't why you thought I'll let you leave without a heart to heart." He winked. "See you later."
She called after him. "Baba said something about sending men to find me?" It had been tugging at the back of her mind.
"You think I would let you travel a great distance from me without knowing where you are?"
Her eyes shone in disbelief. "You sent men to follow me when I went to Benin?"
"My sweet Soliat, I would not be able to sleep at night without knowing where you are and knowing you're alright."
…
After he left, Soliat took another bath, this time longer, to reduce the heat that radiated from her. The confession that he liked her would have been more shocking had she not eavesdropped on his conversation with Baba. He'd been so calm, so brother like and she had assured herself that was what they were, now he was going to court her? She grinned, she did not know whether or not she liked it but she grinned.
She joined them for breakfast that morning. "Good morning Sister Yasmin. Good morning, Brother Abubakar," she greeted as she stepped into the kitchen.
"Don't you take my warning serous or you just want me to kiss you?" Alhaji asked and heat rose to her face.
"You both settled?" Yasmin asked. "That was fast, faster than I expected with the way you two were barking at each other."
"You're still here Sister Yasmin?" Soliat asked.
"Abubakar would die if I don't sleep by his side and pet him to sleep."
Alhaji laughed and drew out a seat for his beloved. "Sit. You owe me, you'll keep owing me as long as you add 'Brother' to my name."
"What nonsense are you talking about?" Yasmin said. "You're almost a decade older than her, moreover, it's something she's already used to, you think she can change it because you both confessed love for each other?"
"Alright, you can keep the name." He leaned to whisper into her ears. "Except when we're in bed."
"Brother Abubakar!" Soliat shrieked shyly and lowered her head, hoping Yasmin did not hear.
"You're so rude with people outside, no body would believe you can be this shy." He pecked her cheek.
Yasmin rolled her eyes. "What's with the PDA?"
"Oh, spare me Yasmin, you kissed Mr. Edegbe in my very before."
Soliat giggled. "Do you like him, Sister Yasmin?"
"I won't kiss him if I didn't."
"Does he know?"
She shrugged. "The both of you are very much alike in that regard."
"Since when did you start to like him?"
She shrugged and did not respond.
When she tuned to face Alhaji, he said, "Don't even ask, since the very beginning."