Eva woke up the next morning with a painful headache, replaying the chaotic events of the previous night— The fight between Dunsin and Benjamin, her near fall, and the strange reconciliation with Mabel felt like scenes from a bad dream. But her mind told her it was real. She knew she had to make some difficult decisions today.
As she rolled over and grabbed her phone, she saw six missed calls from Dunsin, and a message:
"We need to talk."
She sighed, knowing exactly what the conversation would be about, and there was no other way around it. Her thoughts were torn between guilt and frustration. Dunsin had been more than a friend for so long, but she couldn't shake the discomfort of how he'd used her last night to provoke Benjamin.
She needed to confront him, and more importantly, she needed to walk away from whatever this was. Besides, she knew there was no future with him…at least not romantically, and not in any capacity that went beyond 'surface-lover's' friendship. After what had happened, she couldn't pretend anymore. He didn't respect her, and she wasn't going to let anyone toy with her emotions like that.
Later that afternoon, she found herself standing in front of a bookstore on campus. Suddenly, she spotted Dunsin sitting at a table by the window.
She hesitated for a second, then pushed the door open and stepped inside. He saw her and immediately stood up to greet her with an embrace, but she waved him off, taking a seat across from him.
"Thanks for coming," Dunsin started, visibly nervous while trying to gauge her mood. "About last night… I really didn't mean for things to get out of hand."
Eva held up her hand to stop him from speaking any further.
"Dunsin, we need to talk about more than just last night."
He looked confused but nodded in agreement.
"I think we both know this…" she gestured between them, "isn't working anymore. And I can't keep pretending like I'm okay with how things are between us. You didn't kiss me because you wanted to. You kissed me to spite Benjamin, and I can't be in the middle of whatever competition you think you're in with him. Like I said before— I'm not a tool for you to use, Dunsin."
He opened his mouth to speak, but she cut him off again.
"You've been a good friend…maybe just a little more than a friend, but I can't be with someone who doesn't respect me enough to be honest about their intentions. Last night was a lot. You crossed a line, and honestly, I should've ended this a long time ago."
Dunsin sat back, looking stunned, the realization hit him like a slap on his face.
"Eva, I…"
"No!" She said, wearing a serious expression, "Don't make this harder than it has to be. I need space, Dunsin. A lot of space. And I think it's best if we both go our separate ways. I need to figure things out, and you need to work on yourself too."
For a long moment, Dunsin sat there speechless. Finally, he nodded.
"I get it. I screwed up big time. I've been jealous, and I let it cloud everything. I just… I don't know what to say."
"You don't have to say anything," Eva said, "Just understand that this is what I need."
After a long silence, Dunsin nodded again, resigned to fate.
"Okay. If that's what you want… I'll respect your decision."
"Take care, Dunsin." She said, a sign that the conversation was over.
He watched her leave the bookstore, knowing that was the end of an era in their relationship.
Later that evening, as Eva walked back toward her hostel, she felt restless. She couldn't help but think about Benjamin, about what he said last night— about how much he cared for her. His confession had thrown her completely off balance, and she knew she couldn't ignore it any longer. They needed to talk soon. She needed to figure out how she felt about him…about them.
Her phone rang. It was Benjamin…
"Can we talk?"
They met in a quiet corner of the campus courtyard, away from the eyes of the evening crowd. Benjamin stood under a tree, with his hands in his pockets, waiting for Eva. As she approached, his face turned into a hopeful smile.
"Hey." he said, stepping closer to her.
"Hey." Eva replied.
"I'm sorry about last night," Benjamin began, "I shouldn't have let things get that far. I didn't mean for you to feel hurt by my actions."
Eva shook her head, cutting him off politely.
"No, Benjamin, it wasn't your fault. Dunsin was the one who started it all. I mean, I did wish you hadn't retaliated, but uhm…He was jealous, and it just got out of hand."
He sighed in relief.
"I was jealous too, Eva. And that's part of why I acted the way I did. Seeing him kiss you, pfft! I mean, it did something to me."
She met his gaze, and caught her breath. She knew this moment was coming.
"Benjamin… I've been thinking about what you said, about how you feel…"
He took a deep breath, closing the gap between them.
"I meant every word, Eva. I love you. I've been trying to ignore it or play it cool, but I just can't anymore. I want to be with you, and I don't want anyone else to come between us. Not Dunsin, not anyone."
Eva hesitated. She wasn't sure about how to articulate the web of emotions inside her, but she knew she had to try.
"I've been confused," she admitted honestly. "I didn't expect any of this, but… I care about you too, Benjamin. I really do."
"I just needed to figure out my own feelings, and now I know… I want to be with you too." The words came out of her mouth before she could stop them.
His eyes lit up, and without another word, he pulled her into a tight hug, with his forehead resting against hers.
"Thank you!" He whispered, feeling accomplished.
She felt good as she held onto him, feeling sure about their connection.
The following week passed quickly, and it was almost the end of the semester. Eva and Benjamin spent more time together, strengthening their bond. They would sit together into the night, talking about everything and nothing, sharing their hopes for the future.
Dunsin, on the other hand, kept his distance. Eva would see him in passing a few times, but neither of them made any effort to reconnect.
It's better that way…
She reminded herself. It was time to move on, and let go of what wasn't meant to be.
As the semester came to a close, she found herself packing her bags, ready to head home for the break. Standing in her hostel room, she looked around at the empty walls, reflecting on everything that had happened over the past few months. She had grown, learned, and had found someone who truly saw her for who she was.
With her suitcase in hand, her chauffeur waiting for her, and saying her final goodbyes to Sade, she stepped out of the room, ready to go home…to her family.
The chauffeur standing by the car, smiled at her as she approached.
"Ready to go?"
She nodded, smiling back.
"Yeah, I'm ready."
He loaded her bags into the trunk, and as she climbed into the passenger seat, she looked over at him…
"Thank you." She said kindly..
"Don't mention it, Ms. Beckhams." He said, glancing at her.
And with that, they drove off…