All the Truths

Last updated on February 12th, 2024 at 03:56 pm

Meet Mark, my best friend of over five years. Sitting beside him is his new girlfriend, Fehintola. 

By tradition, Mark and I have spent the past five years watching a movie together every Saturday night. We met at the Cinema six years ago, after sitting to watch a movie for over two hours while eating a box of popcorn that tasted like tears. He caught up with me outside the cinema and introduced himself as the guy who sat beside me.

Apparently, he also thought he was there to watch a different movie and not the silly attempt at sci-fi that we just wasted our time and money on. That day I discovered that like me, he also loved RomCom.

***

I looked around Mark’s sitting room and sighed. We were all watching an action movie and it wasn’t something Mark and I would have chosen, but when he texted me earlier saying his girlfriend wanted to join our movie night, what option did I have?

Contrary to popular opinion, I didn’t believe a man and woman couldn’t be platonic friends, so I definitely have no issues with all three of us watching a movie… except that right now Fehintola was literally sitting on Mark’s legs. I rolled my eyes and texted my sister.

Gumbody on another level. 

My sister soon replied.

Nothing we haven’t seen before. Tbh, though, I would do the same if I was Mark’s girlfriend. Have you SEEN him?

Traitor! 

Mark wasn’t the typical handsome guy but he knew what suited him and did it, he was also into healthy eating and living: going to the gym five days a week, zero alcohol, vegetables and those boring foods, bed at 10 pm every day. But for his babe, right now, we would be watching a RomCom as I snacked on different junks and he cleared my mess. He didn’t eat after 6:30 pm and he was a neat freak. We just couldn’t work even if we ever liked each other like that. Thankfully, we didn’t, we were almost like siblings. 

He coughed and I looked at him but he seemed glued to the screen. I went back to my phone again and saw that he had left me a message.

Chatting with your sister? Give me the deets.

No way. Aproko. Watch your movie.

I replied.

I’m bored *teary face*

Oh, well…

I texted back.

“Baby, no phones, we agreed,” Fehintola grumbled. Mark dropped his phone and smiled at her. I folded my lips to keep myself from laughing. Sometimes, during our movie, we would also chat with each other.

***

Fehintola just broke up with me.

I was working on a project assigned to me at work when Mark’s message appeared on my screen. I smiled as I saw the message.

She stayed longer than others, just accept that you’re meant to be a monk. 

I should be empathetic, after all, he just got dumped by his girlfriend of six months, but we were both used to it. Mark was a sweet boyfriend, but his girlfriends always had one complaint…okay, it was me. They all hated me. They hated our friendship even though I tried to convince them that we were siblings.

So kind of you. What time am I seeing you today?

And that was it. After every breakup, I’d go to Mark’s house and we’d both order pizza to mourn his relationship and end with a RomCom. Don’t ask about me. Well, please ask. My last boyfriend was before I met Mark. I just didn’t have the time for any relationship…or so I keep telling myself.

***

“That was the sappiest movie ever.” I mock-groaned. We had just watched ‘Stuck in Love,’ and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I noticed that Mark was quiet so I turned on the couch to look at him. It was the same couch that he and Fehintola had sat on about a month ago when we were forced to watch an action movie. I wonder why she sat on his thighs; this couch could fit three people conveniently.

“What?” I asked. Okay, Mark was my good friend but sometimes my heart skipped a beat or two, maybe three when he looked at me the way he was currently doing. I was about to mask it with a joke per usual when he talked. 

“Be my girlfriend.” All serious and in his deep masculine voice. My sister had said this would happen many times but I told her she was wrong.

“Mark… I know you are a caveman, but that’s not how we do things in the real world.” I replied, laughing. I was about to come up with another retort when he pulled me close. Okay, one more truth: whenever I stood close to my best friend my heartbeat accelerated. This was only because he smelled so good. I was saving up to buy his perfume. Well, right now, I had no retort. I might as well die of heart failure. Cause of death: Male-induced Tachycardia.

“Shh, don’t say anything smartass. None of those wise retorts. Be my girlfriend, Cecelia.” His stare penetrated my soul. Another truth: there was a running bet with my sister about Mark asking me out. I was scrambling for the right answer in my head, but my traitor brain chose this time to repeat one mantra: ‘Yes.’ Okay, the last truth, I swear I’m not a liar, but Mark had been the subject of my daydreams and fantasies for over five years.

As if he knew what was going on in my head, he repeated himself and held my hand in his—big palm, long fingers and all. I’m gone. “Be my girlfriend and sleep over tonight.” Mark was ready to go all in tonight. I hadn’t said one word in the past five minutes. Oh, I avoided sleeping over at Mark’s against several requests because I didn’t want to have to attack him in his sleep like a wild lion during one of my many weird Mark makeout dreams. I was about to say no or make a joke when my phone rang. Thank you, universe, stars, clouds… Oh no, my sister! “Let me take Wendy’s call.” He still held my hand and I had to maneuver with the other hand. Cool, just cool.

“Can you quickly transfer my 100k to me?” She screamed. I looked at Mark and saw that he was smiling.

“What?”

“I reckon he has popped the question now, send my cash fast!” 

“You snitch!” I lounged at Mark who gracefully held me as I thrashed around trying to… bite him? But he felt so good to rub against.

“Cecelia, please be my girlfriend.”

“Yes,” I replied, my phone is probably on the floor now. Good for her, let her airtime waste. “Yes,” I answered again, my voice muffled in his wide neck. This gym body is not bad at all. Yes yes yes. I screamed in my mind. 

No more Fehintolas, Nonyes, the overly sweet Tutus, and the wicked Adas. That Ada was a witch. Mark broke up with her as soon as she told him she didn’t want to see me in his house again. Umm, did I disclose that earlier? Well, now you know.

I hugged Mark as he planted the sweetest kisses on my face. These kisses weren’t new too but this was all on Mark, he couldn’t have a conversation without kissing my forehead. Okay, you know what? Last truth: Mark had asked me to be his girlfriend about three months after we met and for whatever reason, I said no. Village people on steroids!

Now you know all the truths. I’ve been lusting after my best friend for over 5 years. 

#Friends to Lovers

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