Austin and Gideon walked back to the living room when they observed Grace wasn't crying out anymore.
Austin had explained all the Gideon, wanting to make things right.
Both Gideon and Austin sat down on the chair; Gideon waited for Austin to begin.
"I never ran away, I went on a peace keeping for three years." Austin started.
"I'm really sorry, I have been guilty from the moment you said you were Pregnant," he said with remorse.
"I really loved you and I'm really sorry, I don't even know where to start from Grace..." He trailed off
"I was selfish then and I regret my action!"
Ouch! Precious felt hurt.
Austin narrated his scheme and how he got her Pregnant intentionally to hold her down and how regretted it. Precious was hurt, it was as if she ruined them by coming to this life.
"I'm sorry, give me another chance to make things right," he went on his knees
"You broke me Austin, you ruined me and I carried your curse in my life till this very moment!" She spat out with a pained voice.
"You said you terminated it?" He asked rhetorically.
"I would have, but I guess I'm not as heartless as you!" She deadpanned.
"I never left, i came back but you were gone, i searched for you for years before I found you." He spoke.
"You know what? Fine! But your apology is seventeen years too late!" Grace spat out.
Austin's heart sank, he had hurt and broken her and felt bad, maybe if he had not taken a drastic step, just maybe.
"You ruined me Austin! You said i wouldn't get pregnant, you said it would be fine but you left me!" She cried out.
"I'm so sorry!" He spoke sympathetically.
"No one wants that, you ruined me! You ruined me!" She shouted. Austin moved closer to her but she pushed him.
"I could have had a better life without the mess you gave to me." Grace cried out shattering Precious. She was hurt, if she knew her coming to this world would be a pain to everyone, she would have left before coming to the world.
"I will make things right." He spoke softly, slowly wrapping his arms around her.
"I will make thing's right, please forgive me and let me rectify all my mistakes."
When Grace looked around, she couldn't find Precious anymore, her heart broke knowing what she had said had ruined and shattered Precious.
"Precious!" She called out, getting on her feet.
**********
Bethel's flight was delayed to 7pm in the night, because he was still in Nigeria in his hotel room. He thought of Precious, he wanted to see her one last time before he left, so he decided to try his luck.
When he reached her uncle's place, he saw Precious running and went after her calling her.
Precious heard her name and she turned around to see the familiar voice who called her, her heart skipped when she saw Bethel and she ran towards hug, finding warmth in his embrace as she cried out loud.
He held her and comforted her, telling her everything was alright.
It took some minutes before Precious stopped crying and narrated all that happened to him. He felt for her, she was thorn, he felt her pain of thinking you were the curse in everyone's life.
"Precious, look at me." Bethel called her and when their eyes met, he got shattered seeing those beautiful eyes in pain.
"Five years from now, I'm promising you, we will meet again and when we do, please stay single for me." He spoke out of the blue, making Precious confused.
He was leaving the country tonight but he wanted to still have her.
"What do you mean?" She asked him.
"It means, I want you alone, I'm leaving the country tonight but I don't want to let you go.
Call me selfish, I don't care but I am making this promise to you, I will come for you five years from now, all I need is your word." He spoke staring deep into her eyes.
"Will you wait for me?" He asked her.
She was confused, it was obvious she was thinking and comprehending all he had just said.
"What if you don't want me then? what if you want someone else?" She asked him.
"This is my promise to you." He took his mother's necklace from his neck and placed it on her hand.
"This is a token, its my mother's necklace, today, January 18 2019, Five years time, this time and date, let's meet at lekki leisure lake." He said.
"Are you sure?" She asked.
"I want to come back for my mother's necklace, it was her last gift to me, so I will definitely come for it. Just please don't fall for anyone aside from me, just plea..." He was cut off when two pair of lips met his.
"If you break this promise I would be sure to ruin you, don't forget that." She threatened.
He smiled and kissed her again.
"I love you." She was shocked when Bethel said the L word.
"I love you too." She retorted.
"Wanna take a walks for the last time this year before the next five years?" He asked her and she nodded.
After the promise Precious and Bethel made. They went all the way to silverbird galleria in Victoria island, Lagos. Bethel had invited Jeremiah, Daniel and Amanda to meet them up to watch a movie for the last time.
The title of the movie they watched was the wedding party, a Nigerian wedding comedy programme with big star stars.
The movie had cracked up Precious that she forgot all her family problems.
They made sure to make good use of their last memories together, taking pictures and doing weird things.
Precious had taken numerous pictures with Bethel to hold unto, making sure to cherish the moment.
It was quarter to six when they all bid farewell to Bethel but not without him kissing Precious as if it was his last.
Before he left, he advised her to listen and endure and learn and to grow out of it.