₦airaland Forum

sal1974:
Splendid! That’s yet another wonderful story. The wait for the update was definitely worth it. Kudos to you, and thank you for the time and effort you put into bringing us this amazing story. Your work is truly appreciated, and please know that you are not taken for granted.

I’m already looking forward to the next episode, while at the same time dreading the day the updates will stop when the story finally comes to an end. 😄 Keep up the great work!

Thank you so much for this When this one ends, another story will begin. 🙂

dripzzy:
This is beautiful

Thanks. Glad you enjoyed the update.

Next chapter comes up on Monday 8pm

I so much enjoyed this last chapter...
Maybe cos of the emotions between the two brothers ...
It was deep..

Thanks repo

Patiently waiting for 8pm

jupitre:
I so much enjoyed this last chapter...
Maybe cos of the emotions between the two brothers ...
It was deep..

Thanks repo

Thanks for the feedback. Glad you enjoyed the chapter.

Sadly, I couldn't meet up with tonight's post. Please bear with me. Next post tomorrow.

Repogirl... womani where at thou?

repogirl:
Sadly, I couldn't meet up with tonight's post. Please bear with me. Next post tomorrow.

Chapter 36

Eleven years ago


General Gregory Onu’s honorary event was being held in one of the grand hotels overlooking the Lagos waterfront, and by the time Ezinne arrived, the place was already alive with people.

Military officers in their formal uniforms stood in small groups around the entrance, laughing and exchanging handshakes, while older family friends and distinguished guests moved through the brightly decorated hall. Cameras flashed frequently, catching arrivals as reporters moved around the room, looking for familiar faces and waiting for someone important enough to make the evening's coverage.

Ezinne stepped out of the car in her mint-green dinner gown and immediately felt the weight of several eyes turning toward her. The dress fitted her beautifully, falling in soft folds from her waist to the floor, while the simple neckline left her shoulders bare. Her hair had been swept away from her face, and the small earrings she wore caught the light whenever she moved.

She smiled politely as she followed one of the event coordinators into the hall, even though her mind was already somewhere else. She would much rather have been anywhere that did not involve standing around for hours listening to people praise her father. But being the supposedly dutiful daughter, this was where she had to be.

Her father seemed to be enjoying himself immensely. Every few minutes, another old colleague would stop him to shake his hand, embrace him, or remind him of some story from years ago. He appeared to know almost everyone in the room, and judging by the laughter that followed him wherever he went, the feeling was clearly mutual. It was easy to see how much he was enjoying being among people who knew him from another time in his life.

Ezinne watched him from a short distance, and when he happened to look in her direction, she managed a small smile. She and her father were in a strange place with each other. She didn't hate him, but their relationship had become painfully strained, weighed down by too many things left unsaid and too many wounds neither of them seemed willing to acknowledge. He was still her father, and she knew she owed him respect simply because he was her parent. But sometimes she wondered if respect was supposed to flow only in one direction. Wasn't a parent also supposed to understand that their children had feelings, boundaries and choices of their own? Shouldn't those things be respected too?

She was so bored, she found herself looking at her phone whenever she could get away with it.

Mofe had sent her a message less than twenty minutes earlier.

Mofe: How is the party?

She had smiled when she read it.

Ezinne: Loud.

A second message had appeared almost immediately.

Mofe: You look beautiful, don't you?

She had laughed quietly before replying.

Ezinne: How would you know?

Mofe: Because you always do. Send me a pic, so I can drool.

Eww, Mofe, she’d thought with a smile, but she had stared at that message longer than she cared to admit.

Now, standing in the middle of a room filled with people, she found herself wishing he were there. She imagined how dashing he would look in a dark tux, probably standing slightly apart from the crowd and pretending he was not impressed by the whole affair. She could already hear him making some teasing remark about how serious everyone looked.

The thought brought a small smile to her lips.

“Ezinne?”

She turned at the vaguely familiar voice and her face immediately brightened.

“Aunty Oge!”

The older woman opened her arms, and Ezinne stepped into the embrace with a genuine smile. Aunty Oge held her tightly for a moment before pulling back and placing both hands on Ezinne's shoulders.

“Look at you,” she exclaimed, looking her over with obvious delight. “When did this little girl become such a beautiful woman?”

Ezinne laughed as she shook her head. “Aunty, please. You saw me a few years ago.”

“A few years?” Oge repeated, widening her eyes. “That was not enough time for you to grow this much.”

Ezinne laughed again as the woman reached up to touch her cheek, and for a moment, the years seemed to disappear.

Aunty Oge had cared for her when she was much younger, during one of those periods when her father’s job had made it difficult for him to have her with him. Ezinne remembered her home, the smell of her cooking and the way Oge used to sit beside her whenever she was frightened at night. There were memories from that period that had become blurred with time, but the warmth she associated with the woman had never completely disappeared.

“You remember my children?” Oge asked, turning slightly.

Ezinne looked past her and smiled when she saw three teenagers standing together. They were no longer the little children she remembered.

“Oh my goodness,” she said, laughing softly. “These are your children?”

The teenagers laughed, clearly embarrassed by the reaction.

Ezinne greeted each of them, asking about school and teasing them about how tall they had become. They responded with the slightly awkward politeness of teenagers meeting an older relative they barely remembered, and Ezinne found herself enjoying the conversation more than she expected.

For the next hour, she moved around the room meeting relatives and family friends she had not seen in years. There were hugs, questions about school, comments about how much she had grown and several stories about her childhood that she had completely forgotten. It was nice, but every now and then, her eyes drifted toward the entrance.

Then she saw Ekene, and her smile faded slightly. He had clearly made an effort for the evening. He was dressed in a dark tux, his hair newly cut, and he wore the confident expression of a man who believed he belonged wherever he happened to be. The moment he spotted her, his face brightened.

He walked toward her with the familiar ease that had once made her feel special. Now it only made her tired.

“Ezinne,” he said warmly, stopping in front of her.

She gave him a polite smile. “Hi.”

His eyes moved over her dress before returning to her face. “You look beautiful tonight.”

“Thank you,” she replied, keeping her tone pleasant.

He smiled as though she had given him something more than a simple courtesy.

“I've been looking for you,” he told her, leaning slightly closer so he would not have to raise his voice over the music.

“I've been around,” she replied, glancing toward the group of relatives behind her.

“I know.” He smiled again. “I just wanted to make sure you were okay.”

Ezinne resisted the urge to roll her eyes. There it was. The attentive boyfriend act. The one that he had been doing for weeks now. He appeared whenever he could, checking on her, calling her, offering rides and behaving as though they were still together. They were not.

At least, not in her mind, and she had made that very clear to him. Yet somehow, he had managed to find his way into her father's celebration and was now standing beside her like he had every right to be there.

“I am fine,” she told him, folding her hands lightly in front of her.

Ekene nodded and smiled. “Good.”

He remained beside her.

Ezinne looked toward the other side of the room.

He did not move, and she looked at him again to see him smiling at her.

“Are you hungry?” he asked.

“No, I’m fine.”

“Do you want something to drink?” He tried again.

“No, thank you.”

“Do you want to sit down?”

“I am fine standing.”

He nodded again but remained where he was, and Ezinne breathed out slowly through her nose. She could already feel a headache coming.

Her phone vibrated inside her handbag. She knew who it was before she even looked. Slipping her hand into the bag, she pulled out the phone, turning the screen slightly away from Ekene.

Mofe: Still alive?

A smile immediately appeared on her face. She typed quickly.

Ezinne: Barely. Boredom is killing me here.

Another message came.

Mofe: Should I come save you?

She pressed her lips together to stop herself from laughing. There was no way he could appear there, not when he wasn’t Superman.

Ezinne: Yes please, Kal-El.

Ekene noticed the smile. “Who is that?” he asked casually.

Ezinne locked the screen and slipped the phone back into her bag. “No one.”

His expression changed slightly, but he said nothing. Instead, he reached for her hand, but she instinctively moved it away before he could take it. The movement was small, but the meaning was clear.

Ekene looked at her for a moment, and she met his eyes calmly. She was beginning to wonder how much longer she could endure this evening, because the truth was simple. She did not want to be standing here with Ekene. She wanted to be somewhere else entirely. Preferably somewhere quiet … with Mofe.

Judging from the way her phone kept vibrating in her handbag, Mofe was thinking about her too.



By the time the evening began to wind down, the energy in the hall had softened considerably. Dinner had been served, the music had been turned down, and several of the older guests had already begun making their way toward the exits after one final round of handshakes and photographs. Groups lingered around the tables, finishing drinks and conversations while waiters moved quietly between them, collecting empty plates and glasses.

Ezinne had spent most of the evening doing her best to remain pleasant. She had smiled when she was expected to, answered questions from relatives, listened to stories about her father, and endured Ekene's constant hovering without openly losing her temper. But she was tired now. Her feet hurt, her cheeks ached from smiling, and she was more than ready to return to the hotel.

“I'll be right back,” she told one of her cousins sitting beside her when she got up from the table. She’d deliberately ignored Ekene, who had chosen to remain by her side throughout the event.

She picked up her clutch but left her phone on the table beside her plate, not thinking twice about it. She was only going to the restroom and expected to be back within a few minutes.

The corridor leading to the restrooms was considerably quieter than the main hall. The noise from the event faded behind her as she walked, and by the time she pushed open the restroom door, she could barely hear the music anymore.

For the first time all evening, she was alone. She stood in front of the mirror afterward, touching up her lipstick and smoothing a loose strand of hair back into place. Her thoughts wandered to Mofe.

She wondered what he was doing. Whether he was already home. Whether he was thinking about her. The thought made her smile faintly. Then she stepped out.

She had barely taken two steps into the corridor when she stopped.

Ekene was standing directly outside the door. There was something wrong with the way he was looking at her. His shoulders were tense, his jaw was tight, and there was a coldness in his eyes that made her stomach tighten before she could even understand what had happened.

“Ekene?” she called uncertainly.

He said nothing. Instead, he held up her phone.

For a second, Ezinne simply stared at it. Then, before she could ask how he had gotten it, he tossed it toward her.

She caught it against her chest with a startled gasp. “What the hell—”

“You’re still seeing him?” His voice was low, but the anger beneath it was unmistakable.

Ezinne's expression changed. She looked down at the phone in her hand, and almost immediately understood. Mofe must have sent her a message while she was in the restroom. Somehow, Ekene had seen it.

Her fingers tightened around the phone. “You went through my phone?”

“I didn't have to go through it,” he snapped. “He sent you a message.”

Ezinne looked at him for a moment. “So?”

The single word seemed to make his anger flare.

“So?” he repeated, his voice rising. “You’re still seeing Mofe?”

Ezinne glanced down the corridor. A few guests were walking past at the far end, talking among themselves.

She lowered her voice instinctively. “Keep your voice down.”

“Why?” Ekene demanded. “Because you're embarrassed?”

“No. Because we're in the middle of my father's event.”

“I don't care about the damn event!” He yelled, his voice echoed down the corridor.

Ezinne flinched, more from the suddenness of it than fear, then straightened. “Don’t yell at me.”

“I shouldn’t yell?” Ekene took a step toward her. His face had tightened with frustration, and she could see that he was struggling to keep his temper under control. “After everything that happened? After everything your father did to keep you away from that guy, you went right back to him?”

Ezinne stared at him. “This is none of your business, Ekene.”

“It is my business when you're doing dumbass shit!”

Her brows drew together. “Excuse me?”

“You heard me.”

He dragged a hand through his hair and took a step away, as though trying to gather himself, but the anger was still rolling off him. He turned back to her almost immediately.

“I thought you'd finally come to your senses,” he said bitterly. “I thought you had finally understood that it could never work between you and him.”

“How hard is it for you to understand that you do not get to decide who I see?” She asked; her voice was quiet, but there was a firmness in it now. “Not you. Not my father. Nobody.”

“I am trying to protect you, Ezinne.” He said tersely, trying to keep ahold on his temper.

Ezinne gave a short, disbelieving laugh. “You?”

Something in her expression changed. “You don't know what protection is, Ekene. You're trying to control me.”

The words seemed to stop him, and for a moment, he simply stared at her. Then his jaw tightened again.

“So you're really serious about him?” He said, watching her with disbelief.

Ezinne folded her arms across her chest. She could feel the tension building inside her, but she refused to let his anger intimidate her.

“Yes.” She said it simply. There was no hesitation in her voice.

Ekene gave a bitter laugh and looked away. A waiter passing through the corridor glanced at them before quickly looking elsewhere.

Ekene stepped closer to her, whispering, “You're being a stupid little girl.”

Ezinne's face hardened.

“Don't call me stupid.”

“Then stop acting like one.”

The insult landed harder than she expected, and her expression went still.

For several seconds, she said nothing. She could hear the muted sounds of conversation and music drifting in from the main hall, the ordinary sounds of a celebration continuing only a few steps away from them.

Ekene was breathing heavily now. “I have spent weeks trying to be there for you,” he said. “I've defended you to your father. I've taken you everywhere you needed to go. I've made sure you were safe. And all this time, you've been sneaking around with him behind everyone's back.”

“I never asked you to do any of those things.”

His jaw tightened. “No,” he said quietly. “You didn't.”

“Then why are you acting like I owe you something?”

He looked at her. “You just let me do them.”

Ezinne shook her head. “I told you exactly what I could give you.”

“Friendship,” he said bitterly. “Yes. I remember.”

“Then act like my friend.”

He laughed again, but there was no amusement in it. “You expect me to stand there and watch you run back to a guy who doesn't deserve you?”

“That is exactly what I expect.”

His expression twisted, and for the first time, Ezinne saw something beneath the anger that made the entire confrontation clearer. This wasn't only about Mofe. It wasn't only about her safety or her father's wishes.

Ekene was hurt. He wanted something from her that she had never promised him. And because she had refused to give it to him, his concern had slowly turned into resentment.

“You're unbelievable,” he said.

“And you're out of line.”

“You know what your problem is?” he asked, pointing at her. “You think because you're the General's daughter, everybody has to keep dancing around you.”

Ezinne stared at him. The words hurt, but not because she believed them. What hurt was how easily the man who had spent weeks presenting himself as someone she could trust had turned that kindness into something he could use against her.

“You're angry because I don't want you,” she retorted sharply.

His expression flickered. “That's not what this is about.”

“It is.”

“No, it isn't.”

“It is,” she repeated, her voice firmer this time. “You told my father I shouldn't be treated like a prisoner. You stood up for me when he was trying to control where I went and who I saw.”

She took a breath. “But now you're standing here acting as though I owe you access to my life because you've been helping me get around.”

“That is not fair.”

“Neither is this.”

She lifted the phone slightly between them. “You don't get to pick up my phone. You don't get to look at messages that weren't meant for you. And you certainly don't get to stand outside a bathroom and interrogate me because you don't like who I'm seeing.”

Ekene looked away. His chest continued to rise and fall heavily as he struggled with whatever he was feeling. When he finally looked back at her, the anger was still there, but there was something else beneath it now. Hurt.

“You're making a mistake.”

“Maybe.” She shrugged.

“You'll regret it,” he warned

Ezinne held his gaze. “That's my problem to deal with, not yours.”

He shook his head slowly. “You've lost your mind.”

Something inside her finally snapped. It wasn’t loud and dramatic, just tired. She was tired of explaining herself, tired of being treated as though every decision she made needed someone else's approval, tired of having people claim they were protecting her while making her feel as though she had no right to choose for herself.

She stepped around him. “Goodnight, Ekene.”


He turned quickly. “Ezinne, where are you going?”

She kept walking.

“Ezinne, I'm talking to you!”

She didn't stop.

She walked back into the main hall with her head held high, even though her heart was pounding and her hands were still tight around her phone.

A few curious faces turned in her direction as she crossed the room, but she ignored them.

She reached the table where she had left her things and picked up her clutch. One of her relatives smiled at her and asked if she was leaving already, but Ezinne only gave a brief excuse and a polite smile before moving away.

She didn't have the energy to explain anything tonight.

Her father was still surrounded by guests, laughing at something one of his old colleagues had said. He looked completely at ease, enjoying himself in a way she hadn't seen in a long time.

For a brief moment, Ezinne considered going over to say goodbye. Then she changed her mind. She wasn't going to stand there and pretend everything was fine when it wasn't. She simply slipped out of the venue.


The warm Lagos air met her the moment she stepped outside. She drew in a slow breath as she walked toward the road.

Raising one hand, she flagged down a taxi. Once she was inside, she gave the driver the name of her hotel and leaned back against the seat. Only then did she allow herself to breathe properly.

She looked down at the phone in her hand. There were several messages. Most of them were from Mofe. Her thumb hovered over his name.

The anger she had been carrying slowly began to give way to something softer. After everything that had just happened, after Ekene's accusations and the argument and the humiliation of being made to defend a decision that belonged to her alone, all she wanted was to hear Mofe's voice.

She opened their conversation. His last message was still there. Ezinne stared at it for a long moment, her thumb resting against the edge of the screen.

Outside, Lagos moved past the taxi window in streaks of light and colour, the city carrying on as though nothing had happened.

She read his message again, then she began to type.
********




Mofe was walking home from work when his phone vibrated in his hand again. He glanced at the screen, and the moment he saw Ezinne's name, a smile spread across his face before he could stop it. He slowed his steps slightly, his work bag hanging from one shoulder as he read her message.

Ezinne: I'll be back in two days, and the first place I'm visiting is your house. My dad will still be in Lagos, so I can stay over. I can even drive over.

He read it twice, the last part making him smile wider. The thought of having her back in his space, without having to worry about her rushing home or inventing another excuse for where she had been, made something warm settle in his chest.

Mofe: Awesome, can't wait. Maybe we should go out? Do something fun?

He could already imagine her face as she considered it. Her reply came a few moments later.

Ezinne: No. I want to spend every minute with you. I've missed you so much.

Mofe slowed to a stop for a second, his smile turning softer. He shook his head, almost embarrassed by how easily she could still affect him.

Mofe: Well, I won't protest. I'm at your service, my lady.


He tucked the phone into his pocket and walked the remaining distance to his house, only remembering when he reached the gate that his aunt was supposed to have returned that evening. He had completely forgotten.

Mofe pulled out his keys and unlocked the gate. As he pushed it open, the familiar smell of something cooking drifted toward him, and he paused.

“Ah.” Aunt Moni was home. He closed the gate behind him and walked into the compound, hearing the faint clatter of pots from inside. A moment later, his aunt appeared in the doorway, wiping her hands on the edge of her wrapper.

“Mummy, you're back?” he asked, his face lighting up as he walked toward her.

She smiled broadly and opened her arms. “I'm back, oh! How have you been, omo mi?”

“I've been okay,” he replied, bending to hug her before straightening again. He looked at her carefully for a moment, quietly relieved to see that she looked well. Her diabetes usually worried him, but lately she had been taking her health more seriously, watching what she ate and keeping up with her medication.

“How was the trip?” he asked, taking off his backpack. “And how is the business?”

“Very well,” she replied proudly, following him inside. “I bought the goods and dropped everything at the shop before coming home. Tomorrow, I will start distributing to my customers.”

Mofe nodded approvingly as he set her bag down. “You just got back, and you're already cooking?”

His aunt laughed and waved him off. “ I wanted to make something nice for you; it’s been a while.”

He smiled when the smell of egusi soup became even stronger as they moved farther into the house. “You should be resting after all that travelling.”

“Resting for what?” she asked, giving him an amused look. “Am I sick?”

“You know what I mean.”

“I know what you mean,” she said, laughing again. “But I'm fine.”

She turned toward the kitchen, then stopped suddenly.

“And your brother? Have you seen him?”

Mofe's expression changed slightly. “Eric came around a few days ago,” he said.

His aunt looked at him with interest. “He came here?”

“Yes.”

“How is he?”

“He's fine,” Mofe answered, choosing not to tell her about the argument. “Everything is okay.”

His aunt studied him for a moment as though she suspected there was more to the story, but she did not press him. Then her face suddenly brightened.

“And your result!” she exclaimed.

Mofe laughed softly. “Mummy…”

“You didn't tell me everything when you called me!”

“I told you I got a first class.”

“You did, but you did not tell me enough.”

She suddenly broke into a little dance, moving her shoulders from side to side as she sang a few lines of a Yoruba praise song for him. Mofe stood there grinning, watching her with the shy embarrassment of a boy who did not quite know what to do with so much praise.

“You have always been exceptional!” she declared, pointing at him proudly.

“Maa mi, calm down,” he pleaded, laughing as he lifted both hands. “It's just a result. It's not like I solved world peace.”

His aunt stopped dancing long enough to give him an unimpressed look. “Ah! I will not be surprised if you achieve that in a few years.”

Mofe chuckled and shook his head. She continued praising him for another minute, telling him how proud she was and how all her sacrifices had been worth it. He listened quietly, the smile never quite leaving his face.

She was the only woman he had ever truly known as his mother, and seeing her so happy for him touched something deep inside him.

“I just wish my sister knew you would grow up to become such a rare gem,” she said more softly, the smile on her face giving way to something wistful.

Mofe's expression softened. “Mummy, please,” he said gently. “Don't start crying.”

“Who is crying?” she protested, waving him away.

“You're about to.”

“Go and bathe jare.”

He laughed.

She turned toward the kitchen again. “Let me check the soup before it burns.”

“I'll change first, then I'll come and help you,” He told her as she walked back to the kitchen.

“You don't have to rush,” she said, waving him away.

“I know.”

“Go and rest small.”

Mofe smiled as he picked up his bag and headed toward his room; suddenly remembering that Ezinne had probably sent another message by now.

He reached into his pocket, glanced at the screen, and smiled when he saw her name waiting there, but he did not open it.

Not yet. He would check everything after his bath.

As he stepped into the bathroom, another thought occurred to him. With his aunt back home, Ezinne would no longer be able to spend the night here.

Hmm, that was going to be a problem.
*************

Aunty Repogirl, me I no sleep ooo. I was waiting for the present day part. Thank you for the update, We appreciate you well well jare 🫡

Frankcallys:
Aunty Repogirl, me I no sleep ooo. I was waiting for the present day part. Thank you for the update, We appreciate you well well jare 🫡

😂 My apologies abeg.

Due to circumstances controlling my beyond, I've not been able to write consistently. There's a power issue in my area that's hindering the process.

I'm not sure when the next part will be posted. Hopefully by tomorrow evening 8pm.

Present Day


By the time Azora finally went to bed, the house had settled into the kind of quiet Mofe had begun to enjoy more than he cared to admit.

Mofe had spent most of the evening with her in the game room. After she’d gotten tired of playing Roblux, she’d moved on to Minecraft and resumed talking about the science fair, not minding that he had been there for every second of it. She had gone over the questions the judges asked, how her robot had responded exactly as programmed, and how nervous she had been when they began announcing the winners. By the third retelling, she had started yawning between sentences, but she still insisted she was not tired.

Mofe had eventually laughed, taken the game console from her hand, and pointed toward the stairs.

“Bed.”

Azora had groaned dramatically and accused him of being no fun, but she had gone upstairs anyway. He had followed her, waited outside while she brushed her teeth, and stood beside her bed while she carefully placed her science fair trophy on the small table where she could see it first thing in the morning.

“You know it's not like you'll wake up and discover it disappeared overnight,” he had teased.

“I know,” she had replied, laughing and pulling the covers over herself. “I just want to see it when I wake up.”

Mofe smiled and bent to kiss her forehead. “Goodnight, sweetheart.”

“Goodnight, Dad.”

He straightened and reached for the light switch, but before he could turn it off, Azora spoke again.

“Dad?”

He looked back at her. “Yes?”

There was a small smile in her voice when she said, “You were awesome today.”

Mofe paused.

“At Career Day,” she added, as though she needed to make sure he understood what she meant. “If they were giving trophies for the most awesome career, you would have won.”

For a moment, Mofe simply stood there. The words were so innocent, so casually offered, that Azora probably had no idea what they had done to him. Something warm spread through his chest.

He laughed softly, shaking his head as he looked at her. “You think so?”

“I know so.”

His smile widened. “Thank you, sweetheart.” He walked back to the bed and leaned down to kiss her forehead again. “That means a lot to me.”

Azora smiled beneath the covers.

“And honestly,” he continued, his voice gentler now, “it was a privilege talking to your classmates today. They were a great audience.”

“You made them laugh.”

“I noticed.”

“They liked you.”

“I liked them too.”

She smiled sleepily. “Good.”

Mofe stood there for another moment, looking at her. There was something about hearing her call him Dad so naturally and then hearing her praise him with such complete sincerity that made the moment settle somewhere deep inside him.

He had missed so much. He’d missed many ordinary moments, many little conversations, and opportunities to be the man she looked up to. And yet here she was, lying in bed after a long day, telling him he had been awesome.

He swallowed past the sudden tightness in his throat. “Goodnight, Azora.”

“Goodnight, Dad.”

This time, he switched off the light and quietly closed the door behind him, but as he walked downstairs, her words stayed with him. “If they were giving trophies for the most awesome career, you would have won.”

He found himself smiling again.

Now he was ready to return to the hotel. He picked up the jacket he had left downstairs and checked his phone, already thinking about the messages he needed to answer before sleeping. He would have headed straight for the front door, but instead his feet carried him toward the study.

He couldn't leave without saying goodnight to Ezinne, and he also needed to have a little discussion with her.

The door to the study was partly open, and Mofe pushed it wider before stepping inside. Ezinne sat behind the large desk with several pages spread in front of her, her fingers moving carefully over one of the documents while she listened to something playing softly through the small speaker beside her. Her glasses sat low on her nose, and a loose strand of braid had fallen near her cheek.

There was something about seeing her like that which made Mofe forget, for a moment, that he was supposed to leave.

She lifted her head almost immediately. “Are you leaving for the night?”

Mofe stopped just inside the room, staring at her for a moment before looking back at the doorway as though someone else might have entered before him.

“How do you always do that?” He asked.

“Do what?”

“How did you know it was me who came in and not someone else? Every single time.”

A small smile touched her lips. She placed the page down and leaned back slightly in her chair.

“I don’t know.” She shrugged. “I just do. It’s the same with Maureen, Rachel, and everyone I work with.”

Mofe walked farther into the room, amusement pulling at his mouth. “You didn’t even ask who was there. You just knew.”

Ezinne gave a small shrug. “Maybe it's your shoes.”

“My shoes?” he asked.

“Yes, the sound of them.”

Mofe looked down at the polished shoes on his feet before raising his gaze to her again. He was sure his shoes hadn't really been making that much sound. “You can identify me by the sound of my shoes?”

“Maybe.” Her smile widened slightly. “Or the sound of your walk. I don’t know exactly.”

“Well, that is amazing,” he confessed

Ezinne tilted her head. “Is it?”

“Yes.” He moved closer to the desk. “And slightly disturbing.”

She laughed softly. “Disturbing? Why?”

“Because I can never sneak up on you.”

“You have never been particularly subtle, Mofe. You may think you are, but you’re not,” she teased, and he chuckled and lowered himself into the chair opposite her, laying his jacket across one thigh.

For a few seconds, he simply looked at her, enjoying the calmness of the moment after the excitement of the day.

Then his expression became more serious. “We need to talk, Ezinne.”

Immediately, she heard the change in his voice, and her fingers stopped moving over the papers. “About?”

“The surgery, Ezinne.” He leaned forward slightly, resting his forearms against his thighs. “It has been about two weeks since the consultation.”

The question immediately wiped the lightness from the room, and the softness disappeared from her face. Mofe noticed it at once.

“Yes .. I know,” she said with a sigh. She had known the subject would eventually come up. The doctor had contacted her, but she had been avoiding giving a definite answer.

“So … what’s it going to be?" His voice remained gentle, but there was a firmness underneath it. "The doctor messaged me today."

Ezinne’s fingers moved toward the edge of one of the papers, smoothing it unnecessarily. “What did he say?”

“He said they are ready to schedule you.” Mofe watched her carefully as he spoke. “The hospital can start preparing everything as soon as you give them an answer.”

She was silent for a few seconds before turning her face slightly away from him. She hated the way the decision made her feel. For years, she had learned how to live with blindness. She had built routines around it, learned to recognize people by their voices and footsteps, learned to navigate rooms through memory and touch. She had learned to live without seeing Azora's face, without seeing Mofe standing across from her, without knowing what the world looked like anymore.

The possibility of getting all of that back should have been something to celebrate. Instead, it frightened her.

"I'm still not sure."

Mofe frowned. "Why, Ezinne? The doctor was very positive.”

“I know ... I know what he said.”

“He believes the surgery can help you.”

“Yes, I heard him.”

“And his team is ready.”

“Mofe.” The quiet warning in her voice stopped him.

He leaned back slightly and studied her expression, trying to understand what she was refusing to say. “What are you waiting for?”

Her mouth tightened. “I’m not waiting for anything.”

“You are.”

“I told you, I need more time.”

“You have had two weeks, Ezinne.”

“And maybe I need longer than two weeks.” Her voice had grown firmer now, and her shoulders had stiffened.

Mofe opened his mouth, then closed it again. He remembered how she had broken down after the consultation, how terrified she had been to allow herself to hope. To him, the decision seemed simple. If there was even a chance that she could see again, then she should take it.

But he was not the one who would be lying on the operating table.

He released a slow breath. “You’re still scared.”

Ezinne’s fingers stopped moving, and for a moment, she did not answer. Then she nodded once. “Yes. It's just ... I've operated this way for so long that it's become a part of who I am, and honestly, I'm fine with it. What if I do this now and it doesn't work or makes things worse? I'm just not ready to find out yet.”

She sighed and leaned back in her chair. "Mofe, please. Give me some time."

His expression softened as he studied her for several seconds. Her words took the argument out of him, and he knew she had to make the decision herself. He couldn't make her do it.

Ezinne could feel his gaze on her even though she couldn't see it, and that awareness made her strangely self-conscious.

He leaned back into the chair and rubbed one hand over his jaw as he decided not to push the surgery any further that night. Instead, he said, “okay.”

Her head turned toward him as the simplicity of his response surprised her. She had expected another argument.

“Okay?”

“I’ll give you time.”

Some of the tension left her shoulders as she said, “thank you.”

“But not forever,” he added.

A faint smile appeared on her face. "Of course, you cannot simply agree to something without adding conditions.”

He laughed quietly. “I am actually trying very hard to be patient.”

“Well, you were doing well until that last sentence.” She told him.

“Well, even a Saint has his limits."

Ezinne shook her head, but she was smiling now. It did things to him whenever he made her smile like that. It felt good, like he’d won a prize.

He settled more comfortably into the chair and changed the subject. “So our much-anticipated career day went well," he said.

The tension eased almost immediately, and her smile grew. “Yeah, it went very well. And you were worrying for nothing.”

“The thought of having to explain software engineering and technology to ten-year-olds was quite daunting for me,” He told her.

“And somehow, against all odds, you survived.”

“Barely.”

Ezinne laughed softly. The truth was that she had been worried too, though not for the same reason.

She had spent part of the morning wondering how people at Azora’s school would react to Mofe suddenly appearing as her father. For years, teachers and parents had known Ezinne as Azora’s only visible parent, and now Mofe had walked into career day as though he had always been there.

In the end, nobody had made an issue of it.


"I was also quite terrified," she confessed quietly.

"Of what?" He asked in surprise.

"Everything." She laughed softly. "People asking questions. Parents wondering who you were. Teachers wondering why Azora suddenly had a father who looked like he had walked out of a technology magazine."

Mofe chuckled, and then sighed. "So you were also worried for nothing," he said.

"Yeah … I know that now." She nodded, smiling.

There had probably been curious glances and whispered questions, but no one had said anything directly. Besides, Azora had been far too excited about having her father there to notice anything anyway.

And Mofe had been brilliant. His ten-minute presentation had quickly become one of the most interesting sessions in the class. Ezinne had listened as the children became more excited with every video he played, especially when he showed them machines and robotic systems his company had worked on.

The questions had started immediately. They wanted to know whether robots could think, whether artificial intelligence could become smarter than people, and whether Mofe could build machines that did homework. At some point, even the teacher had started laughing because almost every question had somehow returned to robots.

"Your presentation was very good," she told him.

"Just … very good?" he asked, not sounding impressed by her comment about his presentation.

"Calm down, don't let it go to your head," she teased.

He smiled in defiance. "I was phenomenal."

Ezinne laughed. "You were," she admitted. "Azora was so proud of you."

“Yeah, she just told me I would have won the most awesome career if the trophy existed.”

Ezinne burst into an unexpected chuckle. “Azora said that?”

Mofe sighed, “she did.”

Ezinne knew Mofe had also won the Most Awesome Dad award, especially after her moving Lego robot had stolen the show. The project she and Mofe had spent time programming together had worked beautifully, and Azora had explained it confidently to the judges.

"Well deserved." Ezinne continued, shaking her head. "The robot was brilliant. You mentored her well."

Mofe's smile widened. "Nah, she did most of the work."

"You programmed it together,” she reminded him.

Mofe shrugged modestly, but Ezinne could hear the pride in his voice.

He didn’t have to be so modest. She’d silently listened in on them some afternoons when they had been building it. Azora was usually standing beside her father, while he patiently guided her through the difficult parts. The two of them making jokes and laughing together when the robot made odd moves.

It was the sort of memory she wished she could have seen. Instead, she had to build the image from their voices.

“Was I embarrassing?” He had to ask.

“A little.” Ezinne nodded, laughing at his question.

He groaned, “I really tried not to be.”

“Nope, you didn’t.” She said, shaking her head. "You whooped and cheered so loudly that everyone turned and were staring at us."

He laughed and shook his head. “Well, what was I supposed to do when my daughter won the science contest?”

“Winning that award for something she built with you...You gave her a day she will never forget,” she told him.

"I think it’s she who gave me one,” he said with a sigh. All the money in the world could never buy the experience of what he'd felt as a proud father.
Mofe’s smile slowly faded, as if he recalled something. “So did you."

Ezinne's fingers stilled. "Me? What did I do?"

"You gave me Azora,” He said quietly. “I don't think I've ever thanked you for the job you've done with her. “

Her breath caught as their discussion had taken a turn she didn't expect.

“She is a wonderful child, Ezinne. With me out of the picture all those years ago, there were decisions you could have taken, but you chose to keep the baby, and I'm also grateful for that. So, yes, you contributed to this wonderful memory that I'll cherish for the rest of my life. One of many beautiful memories to come.” He explained softly.

She was still trying to gather her words for a response when he spoke again, "speaking of memories... one other beautiful memory I've always kept with me, is the first time we were together."

There was something in his tone that made Ezinne sit straighter. "What… do you mean?"

He was silent for several seconds, then he said, "The first time we were together, Ezinne."

She heard him shift in his seat like he was now leaning forward.

"Do you remember? Because for me, I remember everything." He said, his voice was quieter and his eyes took on a distant look as the memory pulled him backward. “I remember everything about that evening, even stupid details that should have disappeared with time but didn't.”

Ezinne's heart gave an uncomfortable little thump. She hadn't expected their talk to veer in this direction.

The room suddenly seemed warmer.

Mofe leaned back in his chair, his gaze drifting somewhere beyond her. "Now I know why that evening always haunted my thoughts and my dreams. If I'm right, it's most likely the night Azora was conceived. It was the only time we didn't use protection."

Ezinne swallowed, vaguely remembering something about a morning-after pill she was supposed to take but had kept postponing.

"Even when I was in America, I couldn't shut you out of my mind,” Mofe confessed. “The girl I left behind. The girl who tore my heart to shreds and I could never piece it back together.”

She remained completely still. He'd also shattered hers in the same way when he'd left.

“I really tried,” He raised his gaze to her again. “But you were always there somewhere.”

“Even when you were with Eve?” Her question was quiet, her voice light

Mofe nodded slowly. “Even then. God knows I tried. I had a whole life I had built for myself, a thriving company, influence, plans I had worked hard to achieve, and a beautiful fiancee who was a partner at a top law firm. I had convinced myself that I could move on, build something big and eventually stop looking back.”

Ezinne felt something twist inside her at the mention of his ex. She knew about Eve, but knowing about her and hearing Mofe speak about her were two different things.

Mofe looked down at his hands for a moment. His thumb moved slowly across his palm as though he needed something to do while saying things he had kept buried for years.

"But I still kept wondering about you," he said. "Where you were. What you were doing. Whether you were okay … if you were happy with him.” He paused, his mouth tightening slightly. “I also wondered if you had children. If only I'd known.”

Then he smiled bitterly. "Eventually, I knew I needed to see you."

Ezinne's throat tightened. She knew she was meant to listen and not interrupt. Mofe was making a confession, and she needed to hear him out even though she had questions to ask him.

“Why?” She asked, giving in to her curiosity.

“I kept telling myself it would bring me closure,” he explained. “That it did not mean anything. That everybody wonders about people from their past once in a while. And if I saw you one last time, I could finally put everything behind me. But I'd only been fooling myself.”

“So you didn’t believe any of that?” She asked.

“At first I did.” A faint, humourless smile touched his mouth. " But what I felt wasn't that easy to explain. It felt like I couldn't go another day without seeing you."

“And Eve? Did she know all this?”

Mofe’s expression became more serious. “She knew why I was really coming. I couldn't fool her. I wanted to lie to her to save her the stress of worrying about our relationship, but she’s a very smart lady. She knew I was coming back to see you.”

“And she was okay with that?”

“No.” His honesty surprised her. “It hurt her.”

Mofe looked away briefly. “But she tried not to make it harder for me, because we both knew it was something I needed to do. I used to call your name in my sleep, Ezinne. That’s how bad it was. I think she believed that if I came here and finally faced whatever I still felt for you, then maybe I could actually move forward with her. The dreams about you would stop, and I’d be free to move on.”

His voice changed when he spoke again. "But then I tracked you, came over, and found out about Azora."

The memory of those first days after discovering the truth still had enough power to darken his expression. There was still anger there, but she could hear the regret beneath it now.

"I was furious, Ezinne. I wanted you to suffer. I …” his voice trailed.

The honesty made her chest tighten. “I know,” she whispered.

“No, I don’t think you understand how angry I was.” He told her. “I came here thinking I was going to close a chapter of my life, and instead I found out I had a ten-year-old daughter.” He shook his head slowly. “I felt like you had taken something from me that I could never get back.”

Ezinne’s mouth tightened. “I did.”

The quiet admission made him stop. Ezinne’s face had lowered, and the sadness in her voice took away some of the sharpness in his own.

Mofe exhaled. “I wanted you to suffer for it. I wanted you to feel what I felt, Ezinne. I wanted to punish you for keeping her from me."

Her fingers tightened.

“I know that sounds terrible.”

“You were angry. It’s understandable.” She told him.

“I was beyond angry.” He gave a short, bitter laugh. “I’d lost a good part of my mind and was ready to make your life difficult simply because I wanted you to feel some of what I was feeling.”

"But then I went back to America, and Eve ended our engagement."

Ezinne's brows pulled together, not sure she'd heard right. "She ended it?"

"Yes."

"She was the one who ended it?" She asked again, looking genuinely surprised. “I thought you broke up with her because of everything happening here.”

Mofe gave a small laugh and leaned back. “No. If it had been left entirely to me, I probably would have gone through with the wedding.”

Ezinne stared toward him in disbelief. "Why?"

"Because I was stubborn." He gave a humorless laugh. "Pride. I had already invested so much into that relationship. I thought maybe if I went through with it, eventually my heart would follow."

She was silent for a moment. Then her mouth curved slightly. “That sounds stupid.”

“It was very stupid.” Mofe agreed, laughing softly at himself. “but I had already made plans. Everyone knew we were getting married. I had convinced myself that I could come back here, deal with the situation with Azora, return to America, and continue exactly where I left off.”

“But you couldn’t.”

“No.” His voice softened. “And Eve knew that before I did.”

Ezinne felt an ache settle somewhere deep inside her. "What did she say?"

Mofe smiled faintly. "She said I was going to marry a woman I didn't love because I was too afraid to admit I was still in love with someone else. She told me to my face to cut the crap and stop lying to myself."

Ezinne's lips parted slightly. "She told you that you were lying to yourself?"

“Oh, she said that and more,” Mofe said, recalling his last conversation with his ex. Funny, he hadn’t even thought about her since he’d returned to Nigeria. Was he a horrible person for not remembering or thinking about the woman he’d spent a few years with? “She said she deserved someone who could love her completely.”

Ezinne’s expression softened. “She was right.”

“Yes.” Mofe’s gaze remained on her face. “She was. She told me she had known for a long time that there was a part of me she could never reach because it belonged somewhere else … to someone else.”

Mofe paused for a second before continuing quietly. “She knew where my heart really was, and I couldn’t fool her.”

The room seemed suddenly still, and Ezinne swallowed. “With me?”

Mofe’s expression softened. “Yes.”

The answer was simple, but it landed with more weight than anything else he had said.

He gave a small shake of his head. “Eve was braver than I was. She walked away because she knew neither of us deserved a marriage built on pretending.”

Ezinne remained silent, and Mofe kept watching her face, trying to read what he could despite the dark glasses. He did not know whether she was uncomfortable, touched, frightened, or all three at once.

Eventually, she asked, “Did you love her?”

Mofe did not answer immediately. He thought about it carefully and said, “I cared about her deeply.”

“That isn’t what I asked.”

“Not in the way she deserved,” he confessed. “I don’t know how to explain it. I loved her, but it lacked the deep, starving kind of feelings I have for you. I carried you in my head for ten whole years, Ezinne. You haunted me. Part of why I got so angry after finding out about Azora was because I wanted to hate you. I thought hate could dispel my strong desire for you, but Eve’s leaving set my mind straight. The truth was that I loved you, and hurting you wouldn’t make anything right. So after Eve left, I decided to stop lying to myself there and then.”

Silence settled between them. The conversation had gone much further than he intended, and he could feel the heaviness of everything he had said hanging between them.

Ezinne knew she should say something, but she didn't know what to say. Her heart was too full. As she had listened to him speak about years she had not been part of, she realized something that unsettled her deeply. Mofe had carried her with him.

All those years. Even when he had tried to replace her. Even when he had been engaged to someone else. Some part of him had still belonged to her. The realization stirred something warm and giddy inside her. She didn't want to acknowledge how much it pleased her.

For all the anger, confusion, and uncertainty between them, there was something painfully intimate about hearing him finally tell her the truth about those years he was away.

Mofe finally spoke up. "I should go."

Before she could craft a response, she heard him shift in his chair. Then he stood, and Ezinne's body immediately became aware of his presence. He walked around the desk and stopped beside her, close enough that she could feel the faint warmth of his body.

For a moment, neither of them spoke. For a moment, Mofe simply stood there. Then he raised one hand and gently brushed his fingers along the side of her face.

She did not move away; instead, she was tempted to lean into his touch, but she held back.

"I'm glad I came back," he whispered, and Ezinne's chest tightened.

Before she could answer, he bent toward her. His lips touched her forehead in a slow, gentle kiss. It was nothing like the kiss they had shared in his hotel suite. There was no urgency in it. No heat. Just tenderness. And somehow, that made it more intimate.

Ezinne closed her eyes as his lips lingered against her skin for a brief moment before he straightened.

She could still feel the warmth of his mouth after he stepped away.

"Goodnight, Ezinne," he said softly.

She opened her eyes, though there was nothing for her to see.

Her throat tightened slightly. "Goodnight, Mofe."

He gave her cheek one final soft stroke before turning away.

Ezinne remained seated behind the desk, listening as his footsteps crossed the study and disappeared into the hallway. Even after the front door eventually closed somewhere in the distance, she stayed exactly where she was, her fingers resting lightly against the spot on her forehead where he had kissed her as she replayed everything he’d just told her.

She had heard the anger in his voice when he spoke about discovering Azora. She had heard the hurt, the regret, and the years of longing he had carried with him. She had heard the raw honesty in the things he had finally allowed himself to say.

But somehow, words no longer felt like enough.

For the first time in a very long time, Ezinne found herself wishing she could have seen him. Not because she needed to know what he looked like. She knew his face.

She wanted to see what his face had looked like when he told her he had never stopped loving her. She wanted to see the expression in his eyes when he said her name. She wanted to see the man he had become.

And for someone who had spent years learning to live without sight, the realization unsettled her more than she expected. She had told herself she didn't need her sight and could manage without it. Tonight, for the first time, she found herself wishing she could see.



**********

Hello, Readers!

Once again, I apologise for the delay. The chapter is finally complete, and I hope you enjoy it!

I’m going to take another brief break until September 15. So sorry, but mama duty calls! Schools are about to resume, and the back-to-school madness has begun. I need a little time to get my pack sorted, push them all out of the den, and return with my writing hat back in place.

In the meantime, did you know that Books I&II of Tishé – The Story of an Exclusive Call Girl (18+) are available to purchase?

If you haven't read them yet, now is a good time to catch up while you wait for my return.

Links below. 👇🏽

https://selar.com/m/Pejuamadi

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0HC4G63VT?binding=kindle_edition&qid=1785390367&sr=1-2&ref=dbs_dp_awt_sb_pc_tkin


Thank you, as always, for your patience. You guys are the best!

The last 2 chapters, now that's the part I've been waiting for 🤔 Good job @Repogirl 👍

Till 15th September then, that's if I've not fainted from waiting ooo 😆

repogirl:
Hello, Readers!

Once again, I apologise for the delay. The chapter is finally complete, and I hope you enjoy it!

I’m going to take another brief break until September 15. So sorry, but mama duty calls! Schools are about to resume, and the back-to-school madness has begun. I need a little time to get my pack sorted, push them all out of the den, and return with my writing hat back in place.

In the meantime, did you know that Books I&II of Tishé – The Story of an Exclusive Call Girl (18+) are available to purchase?

If you haven't read them yet, now is a good time to catch up while you wait for my return.

Links below. 👇🏽

https://selar.com/m/Pejuamadi

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0HC4G63VT?binding=kindle_edition&qid=1785390367&sr=1-2&ref=dbs_dp_awt_sb_pc_tkin


Thank you, as always, for your patience. You guys are the best!

Frankcallys:
The last 2 chapters, now that's the part I've been waiting for 🤔 Good job @ Repogirl 👍

Till 15th September then, that's if I've not fainted from waiting ooo 😆

Thank you. 😁😁

I can promise that the story gets even better from here on.

See you September 15th

repogirl:
Thank you. 😁😁

I can promise that the story gets even better from here on.

See you September 15th

finally it the 15th

dripzzy:
finally it the 15th

Ahh ... Monitoring Spirit. I'll post tonight. From 8pm.

repogirl:
Ahh ... Monitoring Spirit. I'll post tonight. From 8pm.

Oooh yeaaaah... It's 9:26pm already!!!
Any moment from now 😉

Gaadamn it, it's 9:26pm on my side of the world, I don't know your time difference

Chapter 37

Eleven years ago

Ezinne stood outside the door to her father's hotel suite, one hand resting on the extended handle of her suitcase. Her handbag hung from her shoulder, and she was already dressed for the trip back to Abuja in jeans, a loose blouse, and comfortable white sneakers. Everything she had brought with her to Lagos was packed, and as far as she was concerned, there was no reason to remain another night.

The event had been the reason she came, and she had played her part the night before. She had dressed up, smiled for photographs, greeted more of her father's military colleagues and old friends than she could remember, and sat through speeches about his accomplishments and years of service. She had spent time with relatives she had not seen in years, especially Aunty Oge and her children, and that part of the evening had actually been enjoyable.

She had done what was expected of her. Now she wanted to go home.

More specifically, she wanted to get back to Abuja, prepare for her convocation and see Mofe. The thought of the last one brought the faintest smile to her lips before she quickly pushed it away and lifted her hand to knock.

Her father's aide opened the door a few seconds later.

“Good morning, Sir,” Ezinne greeted him politely, giving him a small smile as she stepped back slightly from the doorway.

“Good morning, Miss Ezinne,” the senior officer replied, his eyes dropping almost immediately to the suitcase beside her before returning to her face. “You're travelling?”

“Yes, I'm heading back to Abuja,” Ezinne explained as she adjusted the handbag on her shoulder. “Is my dad around?”

“Yes, he's inside,” the aide answered, pulling the door wider and stepping aside for her. “Please come in. I'll let him know you're here.”

“Thank you,” Ezinne murmured as she wheeled her suitcase over the small rise at the entrance and left it beside the door.

She walked farther into the suite and lowered herself onto one of the armchairs in the living room area while the aide disappeared down the hallway to get her father. Morning sunlight streamed through the wide windows, spilling across the carpet and the large centre table where a few newspapers lay beside a half-empty cup of coffee. The television was on with the volume turned low, showing one of the morning news programmes.

Ezinne rested her handbag on her lap and folded both hands over it, feeling awkward.

There had been a time when she would never have sat formally in a living room waiting for someone to tell her father she was there. She would have walked straight into his bedroom without knocking, probably climbed onto his bed and disturbed him until he gave her his full attention.

Until recently, she had always been comfortable with him. Even when they disagreed, even when his strictness irritated her, she had never doubted how much he loved her or how much she loved him.

Now she wasn't even sure how to behave around him.

Months had passed since everything happened, and the anger was no longer as hot as it had been in the beginning. She could sit at the same table with him now. She could answer when he spoke to her. She had attended his event, smiled beside him for photographs, and behaved like everything between them was perfectly fine whenever relatives or his colleagues were around.

But something fundamental had changed. She simply did not see her father the same way anymore. Sometimes she wondered if she ever would.

Footsteps from the hallway pulled her out of her thoughts, and Ezinne looked up as her father walked into the room. He was dressed casually in dark trousers and a polo shirt, his reading glasses held loosely in one hand. His expression softened slightly when he saw her, but almost immediately, his gaze travelled past her toward the suitcase by the door.

“Good morning, Sir,” Ezinne greeted as she stood.

“Morning, Ezinne,” the Colonel replied distractedly, still looking toward her luggage. He gestured toward it with the glasses in his hand before turning his puzzled gaze back to her. “Where are you going with your bags?”

“Back to Abuja,” Ezinne answered calmly, sitting again after he lowered himself onto the sofa opposite her. “I came to tell you before I leave.”

Her father's brows immediately drew together. “You're leaving today?” he asked, leaning back slightly as though the idea had genuinely caught him by surprise.

“Yes, I've booked my ticket already,” Ezinne replied simply, her fingers tightening slightly around the strap of her handbag.

“I thought you would stay for a few days,” he said, watching her closely. “I'm still here for another two days.”

Ezinne gave a small nod to show she had heard him, but her expression remained unchanged. “I know.”

Her father waited, perhaps expecting her to say more. When she didn't, he shifted forward on the sofa and rested his forearms against his thighs.

“I thought you could spend some time with Oge and her family,” he continued, his tone becoming more persuasive. “You haven't seen them properly in years, and you barely know her children anymore. It would be good for you to spend another day or two with them and get reacquainted with your cousins.”

“I spent time with them yesterday,” Ezinne replied, keeping her voice polite as she adjusted the bag on her lap. “Aunty Oge and I talked for quite a while, and I met all three of the children. It was nice seeing them again.”

“Exactly,” her father said, lifting one hand as though she had just strengthened his argument for him. “So why not stay a little longer? Oge was very happy to see you.”

Ezinne inhaled slowly through her nose.

“Because that wasn't the plan, Daddy,” she explained, her tone still respectful but noticeably closed. “I came to Lagos for your event. The event is over, so I'm going home. I can visit another time.”

The Colonel's eyes remained fixed on her face, and Ezinne immediately recognised the familiar scrutiny in them.

She hated it.

“Besides, my convocation is in a few days,” she added, shifting slightly in the chair. “I need to prepare for it. There are things I still need to sort out before then.”

Her father remained quiet.

Ezinne looked away from him and glanced toward the television, although she wasn't paying the slightest attention to whatever was being discussed on the morning programme. She could feel him studying her, and with each passing second, her shoulders became a little stiffer.

Eventually, he released a long, weary sigh.

“Ezinne,” he began, rubbing one hand slowly over his chin before looking at her again. “Are you going back just because of the convocation?”

Her eyes returned to him immediately.

A small frown formed between her brows as she wondered what he was asking.

For a few seconds, she simply stared at him.

“What else would I be going back for?” she asked quietly, tilting her head slightly as she held his gaze.

Her father shifted uncomfortably. “I'm only asking you a question.”

“Are you?” Ezinne asked, her fingers slowly curling around the edge of her handbag. She stopped there for a moment, visibly restraining herself before she said something she would regret. “I've told you why I'm going back already, so I don't understand the question. Or you think I'm going to see him? Mofe?”

The General's mouth tightened slightly at the direct mention of his name, but he did not deny it.

Ezinne gave a faint shake of her head and looked away.

She’d deliberately mentioned Mofe's name to gauge her father's reaction. To see if he knew something he wasn't supposed to. If he knew or suspected she and the guy he disapproved of were back together.

Clearly, he didn't; otherwise, he would have told her what he knew.

“I have my convocation in a few days,” she repeated, turning back to him. Her voice remained calm, but the firmness in it made it clear she had no intention of explaining herself any further. “I want to go home and prepare for it. I didn't plan to spend several days in Lagos, and I don't want to.”

Her father looked at her for a long moment before lowering his gaze to the glasses in his hand. He turned them absently between his fingers, his shoulders dropping slightly as he released another tired breath.

“Fine,” he said eventually, giving a slow nod. “If you want to go back today, you can go.”

“Okay,” Ezinne replied softly.

There was no triumph in getting her way. No relief either.

Just that same uncomfortable distance.

She stood, slipping the strap of her handbag properly over her shoulder, and her father looked up at her again. For a brief moment, something passed over his face that made her hesitate. He looked tired, suddenly older than he had the night before when he had stood surrounded by friends and colleagues, smiling broadly while people celebrated him.

There was a time when seeing him like that would have made her go to him immediately.

She would have hugged him. She might even have changed her mind and stayed another day simply because he asked. But that instinct wasn't there anymore.

Or perhaps it was still there, buried underneath too much hurt for her to reach it. Ezinne looked away first.

“I'll be going then,” she murmured, taking a step toward the door.

Her father nodded slowly. “All right.”

She walked across the living room and wrapped her hand around the handle of her suitcase. As she straightened, she paused for the briefest moment.

This felt wrong. Leaving her father without hugging him felt wrong. Walking out with nothing more than a polite goodbye felt wrong. But somehow, forcing affection she did not currently feel capable of giving seemed worse, so she reached for the door.

“Ezinne,” her father called behind her, his voice quieter than it had been throughout their conversation.

Her hand stopped on the handle.

She turned her head and looked back at him.

The Colonel was still sitting on the sofa, his glasses resting between his hands as he watched her. His expression had softened, and for a second, Ezinne wondered whether he was finally going to say something about the distance between them.

Instead, he gave her a small nod.

“Have a safe trip,” he said, his voice gentle. “Call me when you get home.”

Ezinne stared at him for a moment before her expression softened despite herself.

“Okay,” she replied quietly. “I will.”

Neither of them said anything else.

Ezinne opened the door and pulled her suitcase into the corridor, letting it close softly behind her. She stood there for a moment, her hand still wrapped around the suitcase handle as she stared at the patterned carpet beneath her feet.

A heaviness settled in her chest.

There had been no argument. Her father had not shouted at her or tried to stop her from leaving. Compared to some of their conversations over the past few months, this one had been remarkably peaceful.

Yet she somehow felt worse.

Ezinne released a slow breath and began walking toward the elevators, the wheels of her suitcase making a soft, repetitive sound against the carpet.

She didn't know how they were supposed to come back from everything that had happened. She didn't even know if they could.

All she knew was that she had once been her father's little girl, and now she could stand three feet away from him and feel as though there was an entire world between them.
****

By the time Ezinne reached the hotel lobby, the heaviness from the conversation with her father had settled into a dull ache somewhere in her chest. She refused to dwell on it, however. She had spent enough of the past few months thinking about everything that had gone wrong between them, and right now, she wanted to focus on leaving Lagos.

She wheeled her suitcase across the polished marble floor, passing a few guests gathered around the reception desk before choosing an empty armchair close to the glass entrance doors. The lobby was relatively quiet at this time of the morning, and sunlight poured through the tall windows, brightening the cream-coloured floor.

Ezinne placed her handbag beside her and pulled out her phone. She opened the Uber app, entered the airport as her destination and waited while the app searched for a driver. Someone accepted the trip almost immediately, twelve minutes away.

She leaned back against the chair and released a long breath, her shoulders finally relaxing.

In a few hours, she would be back in Abuja. She wouldn't have to worry about anyone asking where she was going or when she planned to return.

More importantly, she would have Mofe almost entirely to herself.

That thought improved her mood immediately.

Her thumb moved to his name, and a small smile curved her lips as she opened their conversation.

Ezinne: I'm on my way to the airport now. I'll be home in a few hours. And I'm reminding you once again that I'm spending the next two nights with you, so don't suddenly develop amnesia.

She barely had time to lower the phone before the typing indicator appeared.

Mofe: Lol, @amnesia. I haven't forgotten. But there's been a slight development.

Ezinne's smile faded suspiciously.

Ezinne: [/b]Hmm … I don't like developments.

Mofe: You haven't even heard it yet.

[b]Ezinne: [/b]Anything standing between me and the two nights I was promised is automatically bad news.

[b]Ezinne: What happened?

Mofe: [/b]My aunt got back yesterday.

Ezinne stared at the message for a moment before sitting slightly straighter.

[b]Ezinne: Oh.

Mofe: Yeah.

Ouch, this was disappointing.

A few seconds passed before she typed again.

Ezinne: So my overnight privileges have officially been revoked?

Mofe: Unfortunately, yes.

Ezinne: Completely?

Mofe: [/b]Completely.

[b]Ezinne: [/b]What if I promise to be very quiet?

[b]Mofe: [/b]Ezinne.

She grinned.

[b]Ezinne: I'm only asking.

Mofe: [/b]You and I both know quiet isn't the problem.

Her mouth fell open slightly before she laughed, covering it quickly with one hand.

[b]Ezinne: Wow.

Mofe: What?

Ezinne: Nothing. Look at you feeling yourself.

She could picture him chuckling at her words.

Mofe: I'm just stating facts, babe. Keeping things hush-hush is not a problem for us.

Ezinne: [/b]Okay, then I'll just sleep in the sitting room.

[b]Mofe: Not an option.

Ezinne: Floor?

Mofe: Never.

Ezinne: Kitchen?

Mofe: Absolutely not.

She giggled, knowing they were just playing now.

Ezinne: [/b]You could just tell her I'm stranded.

[b]Mofe: And conveniently, my stranded girlfriend needs to sleep in my house for two consecutive nights?

Ezinne: Exactly. You understand quickly. It's one of the things I love about you.

Mofe: You're still joking, right?

Ezinne: I'm extremely serious.

Mofe: [/b]I enjoy being alive, Zinny. I intend to remain that way.

She smiled, although disappointment was beginning to settle in despite all the joking.

[b]Ezinne: [/b]Coward.

Mofe: Proudly.

[b]Ezinne: So what are we going to do now? I've been looking forward to staying with you since I left Abuja.

There was a slightly longer pause before his response appeared.

Mofe: [/b]We’ll still spend time together; I've cleared my schedule for the next two days.

The simple message softened her immediately.

[b]Ezinne: Cleared it how much?

Mofe: Completely. I'm yours for two entire days.

Ezinne's smile returned.

Ezinne: Mine, mine?

Mofe: Yours, yours.

Ezinne: Morning till night?

Mofe: [/b]Morning till evening-ish

[b]Ezinne: And then you send me home like a parcel?

Mofe: A very beautiful parcel, yes.

Ezinne: I still don't like this arrangement.

Mofe: Yeah, me neither, but we'll survive.

Ezinne: You sound very confident for someone who claims to have missed me.

Mofe: I've missed you terribly, babe. You know I have. I'm just making lemonade out of lemons.

His words reassured her.

Ezinne: Better.

Mofe: So, we'll hang out during the day and then I'll return you home at night like a respectable boyfriend.

Ezinne laughed again, imagining him saying it with that annoyingly responsible expression he wore whenever he had decided something was non-negotiable.

Ezinne: And who asked you to be respectable?

Mofe: Nobody. It just comes naturally.

Ezinne: That's unfortunate. I preferred you the last time we were together.

Mofe: I have no idea what you're talking about.

Ezinne: Liar. You remember every single moment we spent together.

Mofe: I do. I cherish every single moment we spend together. I've got to go now, but have a safe flight, troublesome woman. And sorry about the change of plans.

He didn't have to apologise since he really had no control over the situation, but he did anyway. She smiled.

Ezinne: [/b]I'll think about forgiving you before I land.

[b]Mofe: Take your time. You're still coming to meet me anyway, so I'm not bothered about that.

Ezinne: So arrogant.

Mofe: And yet here you are flying across the country to see me.

Ezinne stared at that one for a second, fighting the ridiculous smile spreading across her face. They could tease themselves like this all day, but she knew he had to go.

Ezinne: Bye, Mofe.

Mofe: 😂 Love you too.

She was still smiling when her phone suddenly began vibrating in her hand.

The moment Ekene's name appeared across the screen, the warmth left her expression.

Ezinne stared at it until the call ended. She had absolutely no desire to speak to him.

After the way he had behaved the night before, the last thing she wanted was another conversation in which he shouted at her because of Mofe.

Not that his temper had surprised her. If anything, Ezinne had expected something close to it from the moment she realised he had seen Mofe's message.

She knew Ekene. She knew how quickly his anger could change him, especially whenever Mofe was involved. It was one of the reasons she had learnt to choose her words carefully around him, constantly measuring how much she said and how she said it.

Walking on eggshells around someone she was supposed to love had become exhausting long before she finally admitted to herself that their relationship needed to end.

She had already given him another chance once, but it had ended with him threatening her and physically assaulting her.

She had never forgotten it.

So no, the rage at the event had not shocked her. The insults had hurt, and the way he had flung her phone at her had infuriated her, but none of it had come from some version of Ekene she had never seen before. That version was precisely why she no longer wanted him.

Her phone started ringing again. Ezinne's jaw tightened as she watched his name flash across the screen for a second time.

She could ignore him. She wanted to, but another thought stopped her.

He knew about Mofe now. And strangely, he hadn't told her father … yet.

Ezinne frowned slightly as she looked toward the glass doors of the hotel. Her father's questions earlier had been suspicious, but they had been his usual suspicions. If Ekene had told him outright that she and Mofe were back together, there would have been nothing subtle about the conversation upstairs.

Her father would have confronted her. There would probably already have been an officer waiting to escort her back to Abuja.

Why had Ekene kept quiet?

The phone continued vibrating.

With a small sigh of frustration, Ezinne swiped to answer and lifted it to her ear.

“What?” she asked, her voice flat as she settled back into the chair.

There was a brief silence on the other end, as though Ekene had not expected her to answer with quite so little enthusiasm.

“You're leaving this morning?” he asked finally, surprise evident in his voice. “Your dad just called and mentioned you just left.”

“Yes,” Ezinne replied, glancing toward the Uber app still open in the background of her screen. “I'm going back to Abuja.”

“Today?” he repeated, and she heard what sounded like a door closing somewhere around him. “I thought you were staying until your dad left.”

“I wasn't,” she answered, shifting slightly in her seat. “I came for the event. The event is over.”

Ekene was silent for a moment.

“I was hoping we could see today,” he said eventually, his voice noticeably more careful. “I wanted us to talk.”

A humourless scoff escaped her before she could stop it.

“Talk?” Ezinne repeated, her brows lifting as she stared straight ahead. “After the performance you gave outside the bathroom yesterday? No, thank you.”

“Ezinne, I’m sorry about last night. I know I shouldn't have yelled at you that way.”

She frowned slightly. “Do you?”

“Yes,” he replied, releasing a slow breath. “That's why I'm calling.”

Ezinne said nothing. She wasn't particularly interested in making the conversation easier for him.

“I shouldn't have spoken to you like that,” Ekene continued, his voice quieter than usual. “I lost my shit when I saw the message. I was angry, and I went too far.”

“You think?” Ezinne asked coldly, crossing one leg over the other as her fingers tightened around the phone. “You picked up my phone without permission, waited for me outside a bathroom, then started shouting at me and calling me names.”

“I said I know.”

“And I'm supposed to do what with that?”

“Nothing,” he replied quickly. “I'm apologising.”

Ezinne's eyes narrowed slightly. His apology this morning actually surprised her more than the outburst had.

Ekene losing his temper was familiar. Ekene admitting afterward that he had been wrong was not. He usually doubled down on how she was the one who had pushed him to it. Still, she wasn't foolish enough to mistake an apology for change.

“Fine,” she said after a moment, keeping her tone guarded. “I've heard you.”

Another silence settled between them.

Then Ekene cleared his throat. “I had time to think last night,” he said, and something in his tone made Ezinne sit a little straighter. “About you and him … Mofe. About everything.”

Her expression hardened at the mention of Mofe's name.

“I still don't understand what you see in that guy,” he continued, bitterness slipping beneath the calmness of his voice. “After all the trouble that relationship has brought into your life, you still went back.”

Ezinne rolled her eyes. “I don't need you to understand it.”

“Fine, I know.”

“Do you?” she asked pointedly.

“Yes,” Ekene answered after a pause. “I do now.” The calmness in his voice made her more uncomfortable than his anger had.

“I've decided not to interfere,” he continued. “Do whatever you want with him. It's your life.”

Ezinne remained silent, waiting for the rest. Because there was going to be a rest. With Ekene, there almost always was.

“No wahala,” he added, sounding almost casual now. “I won't even tell your father.”

Ezinne's eyes narrowed instantly, and her posture changed. “Excuse me?”

“You heard me.”

“Yes, I heard you,” she replied, her voice sharpening as she sat forward. “I'm asking what that's supposed to mean.”

Ekene sighed. “It means I'm not going to tell him.”

The words came out quietly, but the warning in them was unmistakable.

“Are you threatening me?” She had to ask.

Ekene was silent for half a beat. “No.”

“Because it sounds very much like a threat,” Ezinne continued, her fingers tightening around the phone. “You're saying you won't tell my father like you're doing me some kind of favour.”

“I'm not threatening you, Ezinne,” Ekene replied, irritation creeping into his voice despite his attempt to remain calm. “I'm covering for you.”

Ezinne gave a short, disbelieving laugh. “Covering for me?”

“Yes.”

“I didn't ask you to cover for me.”

“I know you didn't.”

“Then don't talk like I owe you something because you've decided not to run to my father.”

Another pause followed.

When Ekene spoke again, his voice was lower. “Oh, but you do owe me.”

Ezinne went completely still. For several seconds, the sounds of the hotel lobby seemed to fade into the background as she stared through the glass doors.

“What did you just say?” she asked slowly.

“You owe me, Ezinne,” Ekene repeated. “I'm keeping this from your father. We both know exactly what will happen if he finds out you're back with Mofe.”

Her stomach tightened. She hated that he was right about that one thing.

Her father finding out now would destroy the small amount of freedom she had only just regained. The officer would return. Every movement she made would be questioned, and every excuse she had used over the last few weeks would suddenly be examined under a microscope.

Worse, she had no idea what her father might do to Mofe this time.

Ezinne's jaw tightened as anger and unease twisted together inside her. “What exactly do you think I owe you?” she asked, her voice quieter now.

“Relax,” Ekene replied, and she immediately hated the word coming from him. “I'm not asking for anything right now.”

“Right now?”

“Don't twist what I'm saying.”

“I'm not twisting anything,” Ezinne shot back, lowering her voice when a couple walking past glanced toward her. “You're the one telling me you're keeping something from my father and then saying I owe you for it. How exactly am I supposed to take that?”

“As me helping you,” he answered, his patience beginning to thin. “That's all.”

Ezinne pressed her lips tightly together. Every instinct told her to tell him exactly where he could shove his favour.

She wanted to remind him that she had never asked for his protection. She wanted to tell him that whatever choice he made about speaking to her father was his own and she would not allow him to turn it into some imaginary debt she had to repay.

But the words remained trapped behind her teeth. Because this was Ekene, and she knew what happened when his temper was provoked.

She had spent enough time walking carefully around that temper to recognise when a conversation was approaching dangerous ground. More importantly, she couldn't afford to push him into making an impulsive call to her father just to prove that he could.

So Ezinne said nothing.

Her silence stretched long enough that Ekene eventually spoke again.

“I'm not your enemy, Ezinne,” he said, his tone softening as though he were trying to reassure her now. “Believe it or not, I'm trying to help you.”

Her mouth twisted bitterly. There had been a time when she might have believed that. Not anymore.

Through the glass doors, she saw a dark Toyota pull into the driveway, and a quick glance at the registration number on her Uber app confirmed that it was her ride.

“My car is here,” she said abruptly as she stood, pulling up the handle of her suitcase with one hand.

“Ezinne, listen..”

“No,” she interrupted, slipping her handbag over her shoulder as she began walking toward the entrance. “I've listened enough.”

“I apologised.”

“And I heard you.”

“Then why are you still acting—”

“Goodbye, Ekene.” She ended the call before he could finish.

Ezinne stopped just inside the doors and stared at the phone in her hand for a few seconds, her chest rising slowly with a deep breath.

She was angry. She was more than angry.

The idea that Ekene believed he could hold her relationship with Mofe over her head made her skin crawl. She did not owe him anything, no matter how many times he said otherwise, and the very idea of him deciding to ‘cover for her’ as though she needed his permission to live her own life infuriated her.

But underneath that anger sat an uncomfortable truth. For now, she needed his silence.

Not because she trusted him, and certainly not because she believed his apology meant anything had changed.

She needed his silence because she knew exactly how quickly her father could close every door around her again.

Ezinne slipped her phone into her handbag and walked outside, where the driver had already stepped out to help with her suitcase.

As he loaded it into the boot, she pulled her phone out one more time to see that a new message from Mofe was waiting.

She frowned; had he not just told her he had to go?

Mofe: Have you started missing me yet, or should I give you another ten minutes?

Despite everything, a small smile tugged at her mouth. She shook her head and climbed into the car.

Ezinne: [/b]Shut up, Mofe.

His response appeared before the driver had even pulled away from the hotel.

[b]Mofe: That's a yes.

Her smile transformed into a full grin. Gosh, this guy.

Ezinne rested her head against the seat as the car moved toward the hotel gates, letting the conversation with Ekene retreat to the back of her mind. She would deal with him later. For now, she was going home.

*****

@Repogirl, welcome back 😊
Thank you for the update and we are waiting for more 👏👏👏

Frankcallys:
@Repogirl, welcome back 😊
Thank you for the update and we are waiting for more 👏👏👏

Expect it by 6.00pm today, or earlier. No delays this time

Present Day



It was early evening, and the garden behind the house was already full of music, laughter and conversation. The smell of food drifted from the buffet tables under the canopies. Rachel had returned home two days earlier after finishing culinary school, and although she had insisted that she did not want anyone making a big deal about it, Ezinne had ignored her. Rachel was always there for everyone else. She deserved to have the people who loved her celebrate her for once.

It was not a very big party. They had only invited close friends and family, along with a few of Rachel’s friends. Aunt Moni had arrived early and immediately started taking charge of things nobody had asked her to handle. Dara was there with her children, Anthony had brought a bottle of wine, and Maureen sounded much more relaxed than she usually did at the centre. Eric had also arrived with a rather expensive gift for Azora.

Children shouted and laughed somewhere to Ezinne’s left while the adults talked around her. Naija music played from the speakers, and every few minutes, she heard something buzzing above them before dropping lower again.

Eric’s gift. A remote-controlled helicopter.

Apparently, an ordinary gift was not good enough for a child who had just won a science competition.

“No, no, don’t touch that button!” Azora shouted excitedly. “My cousin Eric said that’s the emergency landing!”

One of Dara’s children yelled something back, and all the children burst into laughter before the helicopter started buzzing through the air again.

Ezinne smiled and settled deeper into the soft garden chair. For once, she allowed herself to simply enjoy what was happening around her instead of worrying about whether everyone had enough food or whether something needed her attention.

Then Mofe laughed somewhere across the garden, and her attention went straight to him without her even trying.

She could pick his voice out of a crowded place too easily now. It did not matter how many people were talking or how loud the music was. Somehow, she always heard him.

And it was not only his voice anymore. She knew the sound of his footsteps. She knew the smell of his cologne. She even knew the gentle way his fingers rested on her elbow whenever he helped guide her somewhere, never making her feel as though she could not manage on her own.

She knew far too much about him again. The worse part was that she liked it.

Ezinne pressed her lips together to stop herself from smiling. The last few days between them had been good. Almost too good.

Mofe had somehow entered her life and made many things easier. He showed up. He remembered things. He noticed when she needed help, but he was finally learning that helping did not mean taking control. He still overstepped sometimes because that was simply Mofe, but at least he was learning when to back off and allow her to make her own decisions.

And when it came to Azora, she could barely complain about anything.

Seeing how easily he had fitted into their daughter’s life sometimes made Ezinne sad for all the years they had lost. Azora adored her father, and Mofe seemed determined to make up for every year he had missed.

His latest plan was for Azora’s birthday. A normal parent might have planned a nice party with cake, food, games, and a few friends.

Mofe Johnson was trying to rent Magic Island for an entire day so Azora and her friends could have the water park and amusement resort completely to themselves.

Ezinne had told him it was too much. He had agreed, and then he had continued with the plans anyway.

Apparently, knowing that something was too expensive and unnecessary did not mean Mofe had any plans to stop.

She had accused him of spoiling their daughter, and he had calmly reminded her that he had ten missed birthdays to make up for. Ezinne had not known what to say after that.

That was Mofe now. A man rich enough to rent an entire amusement park for his daughter’s birthday and somehow think it made perfect sense. Yet under all the money, power, and confidence, she could still find pieces of the young man she had fallen in love with years ago.

Maybe that was the real problem.

Since their conversation in the study a few nights earlier, the walls she had built around her heart were no longer as strong as before.

Mofe had told her that he had carried her with him for years, and that information had stayed with her since that night.

He had gone to America, built another life, become more successful than either of them could ever have imagined when they were younger. He had met Eve, fallen in love with her in his own way, proposed and planned a future with her.

Yet Ezinne had still been with him. So much so that even Eve had known.

Mofe had admitted that he probably would have gone ahead with the wedding simply because he was stubborn if Eve had not been brave enough to end it herself. She had understood what Mofe had refused to admit for a long time.

That his heart still belonged somewhere else, with someone else. With Ezinne.

Even now, remembering the simple answer he had given when she asked made something warm move through her chest.

"With me?"

"Yes."

How was she supposed to hear something like that and feel nothing? She was not made of stone.

She even felt sorry for Eve whenever she thought about it. The woman had never truly had a fair chance if Mofe had spent their relationship still carrying her in his heart.

Then again, Mofe had done almost the same thing to her. He'd ruined her for anyone else.

Men had approached Ezinne over the years. She knew she was still a beautiful woman, and becoming a young widow had not stopped men from showing interest in her. Some had been kind. Some had been attractive. A few might even have made good partners. But none of them had ever made her feel the way Mofe did.

For years, her anger had helped her hide that truth from herself. She had been so hurt by what he had done that it had been easier to hate him than admit she still felt something for him.

But most of that anger was gone now. And without it, there was very little protecting her heart.

She had fallen deeply in love with Mofe once ... Was it really strange that she could fall in love with him again?

Even without her sight, Ezinne knew Mofe was a very attractive man. She still remembered what he looked like when they were younger, and from everything she had felt and heard since his return, age had only made him more attractive.

She knew how broad his shoulders were from the times he had held her. She knew the strength of his arms and how easily they wrapped around her without making her feel trapped. She remembered the rough feel of his beard under her fingers when she had touched his face in the hotel suite. She had also become far too familiar with the clean scent of his cologne.

And then there was his voice. That voice was another problem entirely.

But attraction was not what worried her most anymore. It was how much she had started enjoying having him around.

Her life felt easier with Mofe in it. Problems did not seem as heavy once she shared them with him. She loved hearing Azora talk excitedly about her father and seeing how happy their daughter had become since he returned. Even when Mofe annoyed her, he somehow still found ways to make her laugh.

She might be falling down a slippery slope for him but she told herself that she was not going to simply throw herself into his arms because he had told her he loved her and kissed her until she could barely remember why she had been trying so hard to resist him.

There was still too much history between them. Too many secrets had already come out, and she still had the feeling that there were parts of Mofe she did not completely know.

That alone was enough to make her careful. But once again she remembered his confession in the study, and her heart ached a little.

She had heard the love and regret in his voice when he told her he had carried her in his heart for ten years.

If only she'd been able to see his face, maybe she could have understood the depth of his words.

She wanted to know what he had looked like while saying those words. Had he looked scared? Sad? Relieved? Had his expression shown the same emotion she had heard in his voice?

She would never know.

Ezinne lifted her glass and took a slow sip. She did not need to decide anything tonight. One day at a time. For now, that was enough.

Another burst of Mofe’s laughter carried across the garden, followed by Rachel loudly accusing him of stealing something from one of the serving trays before dinner had properly begun.

Ezinne smiled again. Ten years ago, she would never have imagined this.

Mofe in her garden –well, it was technically his garden because he's bought the house. Mofe arguing with her about their daughter's birthday. Mofe playing video games and helping Azora build Lego robots and cheering embarrassingly loudly when she won a science competition.

She was still smiling when Eric lowered himself into the empty chair beside her.

“Should I be worried about that smile?” Eric’s voice came from her right, breaking into her thoughts.

Ezinne quickly straightened and turned toward him. “What smile?”

“That one.”

“Oh .. I was just listening to the children.”

“Hmm.”

She heard the amusement in his voice as he lowered himself into the empty chair beside her.

“You sound suspicious.”

“I am naturally suspicious.”

“That explains a lot about you.”

Eric laughed.

Another cheer erupted from the lawn, followed by Azora yelling that everyone needed to move because the helicopter was coming down.

Eric groaned. “I probably should have bought her a book.”

Ezinne laughed. “You created this problem. Now you have to live with it.”

“Well, what was I supposed to do when I heard my smart cousin won a science contest? I couldn't show up empty-handed.”

Ezinne laughed, and for a few moments, they simply listened to the children. The helicopter buzzed overhead again before moving farther away, and somebody yelled for Azora to let them have a turn.
Ezinne relaxed deeper into her chair. “So,” she said, “how is Mariah?”

“She’s good, actually. She left Abuja for Lagos yesterday.”

“And the wedding?”

Eric released a long, theatrical sigh. “Still happening.”

Ezinne smiled. “You sound very enthusiastic.”

“I am enthusiastic. I just didn't realize getting married required this many decisions.” He shifted in his chair. “Flowers. Colours. Table arrangements. Invitations. Apparently there are different shades of white, Ezinne.”

“There are.”

“You’re part of the problem.”

She laughed.

“Yesterday, she asked if I preferred ivory, pearl or something called eggshell.”

“And?”

“They all looked white to me.”

Ezinne burst out laughing. “I would strongly advise you not to tell your fiancée that.”

“I already did,” he said with a groan.

“Oh, Eric.” Ezinne said in sympathy, already knowing what would come next.

“She looked at me the way Mofe looks at people when they say something stupid.”

That made her laugh harder. Eric joined her for a moment before his voice softened. “But it's going well. She's handling most things with her sisters, thankfully. I just show up wherever I'm told.”

“Smart man.”

“Exactly. I know my boundaries and don't plan to cross them.”

There was another burst of applause from the children, and Eric glanced toward the lawn. After a moment, Eric added, “And congratulations again on Azora.”

Ezinne's smile returned immediately. “Thank you.”

“That science win is a big deal.”

Ezinne turned her glass slowly between her hands. “Mofe deserves a lot of the credit. He really worked with her on it. She came up with ideas, and he helped her figure out the programming and all the technical parts she was struggling with.”

Eric was quiet for a moment. Then he said softly, “He’s good with her.”

Ezinne nodded. “He is.”

“Better than I expected,” Eric confessed.

That made her laugh. “Why?”

“Because Mofe has always seemed like someone who would interrogate a child instead of playing with one.”

“Right? But he's really good with kids. He practically becomes ten when he’s with her sometimes.”

Eric chuckled. The laughter faded slowly, and when he spoke again, his tone was different. “You know, I still appreciate what you’ve done.”

Ezinne frowned slightly. “What have I done?”

“With me,” Eric said, releasing a small breath. “You didn't have to let everything go the way you did. I know I've said it before, but I'm still grateful you decided to put everything between us behind you. I got off much easier than I deserved.”

“Eric … There’s nothing to gain from keeping the fight going forever,” she told him.

“I know, still …”

“And I understand why you did what you did back then.” She cut him off as she turned more fully toward him. “You thought you were protecting him. You believed I was bad for him. I don't agree with what you did, Eric, but I understand that you thought you meant well.”

Eric gave a quiet laugh, but there was no amusement in it. “That explanation sounds better when you say it.”

“It doesn't make everything right.”

“No.” He paused. “It really doesn't.”

The music changed to a slower song behind them. Eric remained quiet for long enough that Ezinne realized his thoughts had gone somewhere else.

“When I actually sit down and think about the things I did back then,” he eventually said, “I get angry with myself.”

Ezinne’s brows drew together.

“If I'd simply stayed out of Mofe's business, none of this might have happened.”

“You can't know that.”

“Ezinne, I’m very sure your lives would have taken on a different route.”

“Maybe, but not necessarily the right one. Remember, my father was also against the relationship back then; it wasn’t just you.”

“Yes, but I actively worked against the two of you, Ezinne.” His voice had become more serious now. “I didn't like the relationship. I thought Mofe was throwing away everything he had worked for. He had the opportunity to leave Nigeria, build something for himself, and all I could see was him risking it because he was madly in love with General Onu's daughter.”

Ezinne remained quiet.

Eric continued. “I thought I knew what was best for him. That was the problem. Instead of telling him I disagreed and then minding my business, I kept interfering.”

He rubbed his hands together before exhaling. “And now I look at Azora running around this garden and think that if I had simply stayed out of it, maybe Mofe wouldn't have missed ten whole years of his daughter's life.”

Ezinne immediately shook her head. “You cannot put that on yourself.”

“No. Some of it belongs to me.”

“You didn't even know I was pregnant.”

Eric fell quiet.

“None of you knew,” Ezinne continued. “Not Mofe. Not you. Not even my father at first. So don't sit here and act as though you knowingly took a child away from him. You didn't participate in that.”

Eric looked at her strangely. Then he frowned. “You must have forgotten the things I did back then to keep you two apart.”

Something in the question immediately made Ezinne cautious. “What do you mean?”

“When I went as far as working with your father,” he reminded her as if it would jog her memory.

Her body went very still. Anytime someone mentioned her father, it sent a flash of dread through her. She had no idea what Eric was talking about.

Eric apparently took her silence for recollection because he continued. “I went as far as conniving with your father to get Mofe arrested, Ezinne. I knew exactly what I was doing.”

Ezinne felt something cold settle in her stomach. Arrested? Mofe had gotten arrested? When … how … Why?

⬇️

She kept her expression as neutral as she could. There had never been any mention of an arrest. Not from Mofe. Not from anyone. Not once.

She could have asked Eric immediately what he was talking about, but instinct stopped her. Eric already seemed uncomfortable discussing the past. If he realised she had no idea what he was referring to, he would probably become guarded and refuse to say anything else until he spoke to Mofe.

So Ezinne slowly nodded. “Oh .. Yes, that time.”

Eric sighed, apparently reassured that she remembered. “I still hate thinking about it. God, I was such an idiot.”

Ezinne kept her hands relaxed in her lap even as her pulse began to quicken. “You thought you were helping him,” she said carefully.

“I thought I was ending the relationship for good.”

Eric leaned back in his chair, his expression tightening with regret. “When the two of you disappeared, everyone was looking for you. Your father was furious, and I knew Mofe was involved somehow.”

Ezinne listened without moving.

“So I went to your father,” Eric continued. “I told him that I suspected you were both hiding somewhere together since you’d both seemed to go missing at the same time. Honestly, when I went to him, I didn’t know he would take it much further than I expected.”

He'd gone to her dad? She thought to herself, but instead she said, “Of course, why wouldn’t he? My father has always been a very thorough person.”

Eric sighed. “Yeah, I definitely found out later.”

Ezinne's heartbeat stumbled. She kept her face turned toward him, forcing herself not to react too strongly.

The noise of the party seemed to recede. Ezinne could still hear the music. She could still hear Azora and the other children shouting somewhere on the lawn. Someone laughed loudly near the food table, and the helicopter buzzed overhead before one of the children screamed for Azora to bring it lower.

But all of it had become background noise. She needed to get Eric to tell her the entire story.

“It was such a long time. When exactly did this even happen again?” Ezinne asked, keeping her voice light and uninterested.

Eric frowned slightly. “When you two were hiding. About two days after Mofe returned home bruised, He claimed he was mugged by unknown people. They gave him a good beating.”

She nodded slowly as though she remembered. But her mind was already racing through memories she had not examined closely in years.

Then she remembered; the events vividly lining up in her mind.

She’d thought staying away from home would make some kind of point to her father and Ekene after her ex had sent hugs to rough Mofe up. She’d come up with a plan to hole up at a guest house, and Mofe had gone along with it even though he’d known it had been a poorly conceived idea.

Eric continued, apparently too caught up in his own guilt to notice how carefully she was choosing every response. “To get Mofe to show up, your father and I came up with a plan.”

A strange uneasiness began to crawl through Ezinne. “What was the plan?”

Eric hesitated before responding, “Me.”

Her brows drew together.

“We made him believe I'd been arrested.”

Ezinne went completely still but Eric continued, apparently mistaking her silence for recognition rather than shock. “The idea was simple. Mofe would hear that your father had had me picked up by the police, and he'd come out of hiding. We knew he wouldn't leave me there to suffer for something he'd done.”

Her attention had narrowed completely to Eric. “So you weren't actually arrested?”

“No.” Shame entered his voice. “That was the lie.”

Ezinne's heartbeat began to quicken, and a memory surfaced with startling clarity. Mofe leaving her at the hotel. She remembered asking questions. She remembered his urgency. The sudden change in him. The tension she'd felt without fully understanding what was happening. They’d even had a fight about something before he’d left.

Ezinne wet her lips. “So, that was why Mofe was arrested,” She supplied even though she didn’t know about any arrest.

“Yes,” Eric said.

She had believed for years that he had simply left her there and gone to her father. But he hadn't. He had left because he thought Eric was in danger.

“Eric continued. “Imagine my surprise when I learnt that your father had actually reported to the police that Mofe had kidnapped you. I was shocked because I hadn't expected things to go that far. I thought they would frighten him, question him, force him to tell us where you were. I didn't know how far your father was prepared to go. He was so furious he threatened Mofe with making sure it was permanently on his record. ”

Ezinne swallowed, not sure what to say anymore since this was all new news to her.

Eric sighed before speaking again. “Good thing Mofe came up with some type of deal and convinced your dad to let him off. He bargained the hell out of that mess.”

That word, ‘Deal’. It was the same word she’d heard her father say that day at the centre, when they’d not known she’d been listening.

Her fingers curled against her palm. ‘Deal?’ … ‘Bargained how?’ she wanted to ask, but instead said, “That’s Mofe; he can talk himself out of anything, if he can get you to listen long enough. I don’t even remember how he got my dad to let him off again.”

Eric hesitated. It seemed he was also trying to remember. “I wasn't there for that discussion, so I can't tell you exactly what was said between them. But Mofe managed to negotiate his way out of it. He finally got your father to drop the kidnapping allegation.”

Ezinne barely heard the rest as she suddenly now fully recalled the confusion she’d felt that afternoon after Mofe had left. The confusion.

The hours she had spent awake wondering where he had gone and why he hadn’t returned. And then afterward, learning that he had gone to her father and returned with the officers who’d taken her home.

For years, she had believed something entirely different. She had thought Mofe had gone to her father voluntarily. She had believed that perhaps the pressure had finally become too much for him. That he had decided that he didn’t want to go along with her plan and had gone to her father because he was ready to give up her whereabouts or negotiate some way out of their situation.

But that wasn't what had happened. He hadn't simply gone to her father. He had been arrested because her father had accused him of kidnapping her.

“Ezinne?”

Eric's voice pulled her sharply from her thoughts.

She forced herself to turn her face toward him. “Yes?”

“You okay?” He asked.

“I'm fine.” She replied, but it came too quickly. So she made herself relax her fingers and gave him a small smile. “I was just thinking about how young and stupid all of us were.”

Eric laughed softly, apparently accepting the explanation. “Mostly me.”

“I'm not going to argue with you about that,” She said lightly, earning a dry laugh from him.

“Ouch. But I totally deserved that.” Eric said before relaxing again, but her mind did not.

Because the more she thought about it, the more something bothered her. Mofe had never told her where he had been that night.

Even during all their recent conversations about the past, when he had supposedly been trying to become more honest with her, he had never mentioned being arrested by her father.

He had told her about her father interfering with his life. He had told her about losing his job. When she’d pushed, he had confessed to buying her father's company before bringing criminal charges against him. He had admitted things she had never expected him to admit.

But not this. Why?

Her anger began quietly.

It wasn't the explosive kind that came when someone shouted or said something deliberately cruel. It was slower than that, building beneath her ribs as she replayed recent conversations with Mofe.

How many times had she asked him for the truth? How many times had he promised her there would be no more secrets? Yet every few days, another piece of their past seemed to fall into her lap from somebody else's mouth.

What else was there?

Only hours ago, she had been thinking about how close they were becoming. About the things he had confessed to her in the study after career day. He had kissed her forehead before leaving, and Ezinne had sat there afterward feeling something she had been desperately trying not to name.

Trust.

She had been beginning to trust him.

Now she sat beneath the warm afternoon sun listening to the same man laugh across the garden while another secret opened beneath her feet. Her father had had him arrested. He had been accused of kidnapping her. He had bargained his way out of it.

And Mofe had never told her.

Ezinne slowly turned her face in the direction of his voice. She could not see him, but she knew exactly where he was.

Her jaw tightened. Mofe Johnson had some serious explaining to do.
*************

Dear readers,

The next post comes up today. Yay!

It should be up sometime on or before noon.

Chapter 38

Eleven years ago

Mofe stepped through the wide glass doors of the hotel lobby and slowed almost immediately, his eyes moving around the large, elegant space with a mixture of curiosity and confusion. This was definitely the hotel Ezinne had sent him, but standing inside it made her choice even stranger. Everything about the place looked expensive, from the polished marble floor beneath his sneakers to the massive chandelier hanging several floors above the centre of the lobby. Soft music played somewhere in the background, and the staff moved around in perfectly pressed uniforms, speaking quietly to guests who looked like they belonged there.

He reached into the pocket of his jeans and pulled out his phone to check Ezinne's message again, even though he already knew he had the right address. She had called him barely an hour earlier after getting home from the airport and told him to meet her here. When he had naturally asked why, she had refused to explain anything and simply told him to come.

Mofe had come straight from home, still dressed in the simple dark T-shirt and jeans he had been wearing when she called. Now, standing in the middle of a five-star hotel, he was beginning to wonder if he should have at least asked what she was planning before agreeing.

He was about to call her when his gaze moved toward the lounge area.

There she was.

Ezinne sat comfortably on one of the cream-coloured sofas near the tall windows, one leg crossed over the other and a glass of red wine resting between her fingers. Her handbag sat beside her, and she looked so relaxed that for a moment Mofe simply stood there staring at her.

Almost as if she felt him watching her, Ezinne lifted her head.

Her eyes found him immediately.

She released a slow sigh.

Not because she was tired, although the trip from Lagos had been exhausting. It was because Mofe had absolutely no business looking that good in something as simple as a T-shirt and jeans.

She watched him start toward her and shamelessly allowed her gaze to travel over him. The dark T-shirt stretched nicely across his broad shoulders and chest, while his jeans fitted his long legs without looking like he had made any special effort at all. His skin looked even darker against the shirt, and there was something about the easy way he walked toward her, tall and confident without even trying, that made her stomach flutter.

Maybe it was because she hadn't seen him in over a week.

Or maybe she had simply forgotten how ridiculously good-looking her boyfriend was.

Either way, to Ezinne, he looked as though he had walked straight out of some jeans advertisement and into the hotel lobby.

She raised the wineglass to her mouth and took a small sip, mostly because she needed something to do besides sit there openly staring at him.

God, she had missed him.

It had only been a little over a week, which was hardly enough time to justify the ridiculous excitement building inside her, but it felt much longer. And now that her father was still in Lagos and she had successfully solved the problem of Mofe's aunt returning home, she intended to enjoy every minute of the next two days.

The moment Mofe got close enough, his face broke into a wide smile.

That was all it took.

Ezinne quickly placed her glass on the table and jumped to her feet.

“Finally, you're here,” she breathed with a laugh, closing the small distance between them before throwing both arms around his neck.

Mofe barely had time to steady himself before she pressed herself against him. His laugh came out warm and surprised as his arms automatically closed around her waist, lifting her slightly onto her toes before settling her firmly against him.

“Jesus, Ezinne,” he murmured, his shoulders shaking with laughter as she squeezed him even tighter. He bent his head toward hers and added teasingly, “Anybody watching us would think I've been missing for six months.”

“I don't care what anybody thinks,” she replied against his shoulder, making absolutely no effort to release him. She turned her face into the side of his neck and inhaled softly before admitting, “I missed you.”

The teasing smile on Mofe's face softened at once.

His hold around her became gentler, and one hand moved slowly up and down her back as he pressed his cheek briefly against her hair. “I missed you too,” he said quietly, the amusement in his voice giving way to something warmer. “Very much, actually.”

Ezinne stayed there for a few seconds before reluctantly pulling away. Even then, she didn't move far. Her hands remained on his shoulders while she leaned back and looked properly at him again.

Her eyes travelled over his face and down his chest.

“You look very good,” she told him, narrowing her eyes slightly as though this was somehow his fault.

Mofe gave her a puzzled smile before glancing down at himself. “I'm wearing jeans and a T-shirt, babe,” he reminded her, lifting both hands slightly as though presenting the very ordinary outfit for inspection.

“Yes, I have eyes,” Ezinne replied, and the appreciation in the way she looked at his chest made his smile widen. She slowly shook her head. “That's exactly why it's irritating. You didn't even try.”

Mofe laughed and slipped one hand around her waist again. “So looking good is now an offence?”

“When you do it this easily, yes,” she answered seriously, although the smile tugging at her mouth betrayed her. “You look like you just walked out of one of those jeans adverts where everybody is unnecessarily attractive.”

His eyebrows lifted. “Unnecessarily?”

“Very unnecessarily.”

Mofe laughed again, drawing her briefly closer before releasing her. “Thank you. I think.”

“You're welcome,” Ezinne replied proudly as she returned to the sofa and picked up her wine.

Mofe sat beside her, close enough that their thighs pressed together. For a moment he didn't say anything. He simply turned toward her and watched her take another sip of wine, a quiet smile sitting on his face.

Ezinne eventually noticed.

She slowly lowered the glass. “What?” she asked, glancing at him from the corner of her eye.

“Nothing,” Mofe replied, shaking his head, though his eyes remained on her.

“You're staring.”

“Yes, I am.”

Her brows rose. “And?”

The smile on his face softened as his gaze moved over her features. “You look breathtaking,” he told her quietly, reaching across to rest one hand on her knee. His thumb moved gently against it as he added, “And I'm just happy you're back.”

Ezinne's expression softened despite herself. She placed her hand over his and squeezed his fingers lightly. “I'm happy to be back too,” she murmured, holding his gaze for a few seconds before a playful smile returned. “Especially since I've spent most of today thinking about these next two days.”

That reminder made Mofe look around the lobby again.

His brows slowly drew together.

“Which actually brings me back to something,” he said, turning toward her and shifting slightly on the sofa. “Why exactly am I meeting you here?”

Ezinne's lips twitched.

She lifted her wine and took another slow sip instead of answering.

Mofe watched her suspiciously. “You said you didn't want us going anywhere,” he reminded her, leaning one arm along the back of the sofa while he studied her face. “You said you wanted us to spend the next two days alone.”

“I do,” Ezinne replied calmly, lowering her glass.

“And I thought you were coming to my place.”

“I was.”

Mofe waited, but Ezinne simply looked at him.

“But?” he prompted, his eyes narrowing as he noticed the smile she was trying to hide.

“But I changed my mind.”

“Why?”

Her smile grew.

Mofe immediately pointed at her. “See that face?”

“What face?” she asked innocently, widening her eyes.

“That face you're making right now.” He leaned closer, studying her as though he could force the answer out of her by staring long enough. “You have done something.”

Ezinne laughed softly and placed her glass back on the table. “I might have.”

Mofe's suspicion deepened. “Ezinne.”

“Mofe,” she replied sweetly.

“What did you do?”

She didn't answer. Instead, she reached for her handbag, opened it and searched inside for a moment before pulling out a hotel key card. Holding it between two fingers, she slowly lifted it in front of his face.

Mofe stared at it, at her, then back at the card.

“What is that?” he asked, although his expression said he already knew exactly what it was.

Ezinne's brows lifted. “What does it look like?”

“A hotel key.” He found himself answering his original question.

“Very good.” She nodded approvingly and patted his arm. “See why you're the overall best graduating student?”

Mofe's face immediately tightened in warning. “Don't start.”

Ezinne burst out laughing. “Sorry, Mr. Overall Best Graduating Student.”

“Ezinne,” he groaned, dragging her name out as he leaned his head back for a moment. “Now is really not the time.”

“I know,” she replied through her laughter. “That's why it's funny.”

“It is not funny.”

“It is very funny.”

Mofe looked at her sternly for perhaps two seconds before her laughter got to him and the corner of his own mouth lifted. He shook his head, trying to recover his seriousness. “You are never going to stop, are you?”

“Probably not.”

Mofe laughed despite himself, but his attention returned to the card still held between her fingers. He reached out and gently lowered her hand.

“Okay. Seriously. Why do you have a hotel key?”

Ezinne leaned closer, her eyes bright with excitement now that she had finally reached the part she had been waiting to reveal. “Because I got us a room.”

For a moment, Mofe simply stared at her.

“A room?” he repeated slowly.

“Yes.”

He glanced around the lobby again as though there might be another hotel hidden somewhere nearby. “Here?”

Ezinne laughed. “Yes, Mofe. Here.”

His eyes came back to hers, still filled with disbelief. “For tonight?”

She shook her head, enjoying every second of his reaction. “For the next two nights.”

Mofe's eyebrows shot upward. “Two nights?”

“Two whole nights,” she said happily, shifting closer until her shoulder pressed against his arm. “Your aunt ruined my first plan by coming home, so I came up with another one.”

Mofe looked at her, then at the key card, then around the lobby once more.

Ezinne could almost see him calculating.

“This place isn't cheap,” he said finally, his tone changing from amused surprise to genuine concern.

“Yup, it definitely isn't.”

“How much?”

She hesitated for the briefest second, and that was enough.

Mofe's eyes narrowed. “How much, Ezinne?”

“About three hundred a night,” she admitted casually, reaching for her wine again as though the amount was not worth discussing.

"Three hundred thousand naira?" He asked.

"Three hundred dollars."

Mofe stared at her. The glass had barely reached her lips when he caught her wrist gently and lowered it.

“Hold on.” His brows pulled together as he looked at her more closely. “You just paid for two nights in a three hundred dollar a night hotel?”

Ezinne pressed her lips together, trying not to smile at the expression on his face. “Yes.”

Mofe's concern deepened. “With what money?”

This time she looked away. It was only a small movement, but he caught it immediately.

“Ezinne.”

She sighed and turned back to him. “My father's card.”

The change in Mofe was immediate. The amusement disappeared completely from his face, and his hand slowly left her wrist.

“You did what?”

“I think you actually heard me, Mofe.”

Mofe sat straighter, lowering his voice even though there was no one particularly close to them. He glanced around once before looking at her again. “You used your father's card to book this room?”

“He gave me the card,” Ezinne pointed out, her expression already becoming defensive.

“That isn't what I'm asking.” He leaned closer, keeping his voice low and serious. “Doesn't he get alerts on that card?”

Ezinne's fingers paused around the stem of her wineglass, and Mofe saw it.

“Exactly,” he murmured, his jaw tightening. “A charge from a hotel like this isn't going to look like lunch or shopping. It's two nights in a five-star hotel in Abuja while he's still in Lagos. What happens if he sees it and starts asking questions?”

Ezinne shifted slightly, but Mofe wasn't finished.

“What if he calls you?” he continued, his expression growing more troubled as the possibilities began stacking up in his head. “Or calls the hotel? What if somebody checks the statement and the hotel name is sitting right there? Zinny, this isn't something you can easily explain away if he decides to look into it.”

She glanced down at the glass in her hand. She had thought about some of that. Not all of it, admittedly.

When the idea had first come to her, excitement had moved much faster than caution. She had been angry about losing the two nights she had been looking forward to, and the solution had seemed almost perfect. Her father had given her the card for expenses. She had used it before without needing to explain every purchase.

But Mofe was right about one thing. This was not an ordinary purchase. If her father paid attention to the transaction, there would be questions. And lately, questions from her father were rarely simple questions.

Mofe watched her expression and knew immediately that she understood the risk. “Ezinne,” he said more gently now, reaching for her hand. “You know this could become a problem.”

Ezinne was quiet for a moment, then she released a slow breath and lifted her chin. “He's in Lagos for another two days,” she said, squeezing Mofe's fingers before giving him a stubborn look. “By the time he notices anything, I'll deal with it.”

Mofe stared at her. “That is not reassuring.”

“It should be.”

“It really isn't.”

Her mouth curved slightly. “Mofe, relax.”

“No.”

“Just a little.”

“No. I can't relax.”

Ezinne sighed dramatically and turned more fully toward him, one leg folding beneath her as she faced him on the sofa. “Mofe, he gave me the card to use, and I used it.”

“For a hotel room with me.”

“He doesn't know that part, nor does he need to know.”

Mofe raised a brow, and she had to bite back a laugh because he looked so genuinely alarmed.

Mofe saw it and frowned. “Why are you smiling?”

“Because you're doing that thing again.”

“What thing?”

“That responsible father slash husband thing you do when you're worried about something.” She reached up and smoothed the small crease between his brows with one finger. “You'll give yourself wrinkles before you're thirty.”

Mofe caught her hand and lowered it, though his mouth twitched despite himself. “I'm being serious, Ezinne.”

“So am I.” Her expression softened for a moment before something firmer settled into it. “I'll handle my father if he asks. I can simply say Dara and I booked our stay in the hotel to treat ourselves before convocation. We needed to use the spa, pool, and other amenities, and it was cheaper to pay for a room.”

Mofe continued watching her, unconvinced.

Ezinne looked down at their joined hands before speaking again. “Besides, he deserves it.”

Mofe's eyebrows rose again. “Deserves what?”

“To pay for my weekend.”

He gave her a look.

Ezinne shrugged, the stubbornness returning to her face. “He kept me like a prisoner for months, Mofe. I couldn't go anywhere without somebody following me. I couldn't drive. I couldn't see you. Every little thing I did became something I had to explain.” Her voice stayed light, but there was still hurt beneath it as she shook her head. “Six hundred dollars for two peaceful nights sounds like very small compensation to me.”

Mofe's expression softened immediately. He knew she was joking about the compensation, but he also knew the frustration underneath it was real.

“Zinny,” he murmured, rubbing his thumb gently over the back of her hand. “I'm not saying you don't deserve to enjoy yourself. I just don't want this to create another problem for you.”

“I know.” She leaned closer and rested her shoulder against his. “And I love you for worrying.”

Mofe closed his eyes briefly. "This girl ... You are simply trouble waiting to happen."

Ezinne laughed and rested her chin against his shoulder.

“Alright, come on,” she coaxed, nudging him gently. “I've already paid. The room is already waiting. My father is hundreds of kilometres away, and we have two days to enjoy the hell out of this hotel. We need to get our money's worth. Or rather, my father's.”

Mofe turned his head toward her and laughed softly.

Ezinne brightened immediately when she heard it. She lifted her head and pointed at him. “See? You're already coming around.”

“No, I'm not.”

“You are.”

“I still think this is reckless.”

“But?”

“There is no but.”

She smiled slowly. “Once you see the room, there will be.”

Mofe shook his head, but the firmness in his expression was already weakening.

Ezinne leaned forward and pressed a quick kiss to his cheek. “Trust me.”

He turned toward her with an amused look. “That sentence has become very dangerous coming from you.”

She laughed, picked up her handbag and stood, then held out her hand toward him. “Come and see what six hundred dollars bought us before you condemn my financial decisions.”

Mofe stared at her outstretched hand for a moment. Then he looked up at her smiling face.

“You're impossible,” he muttered, though he reached for her hand anyway.

Ezinne's fingers closed around his immediately, and she pulled him to his feet with a delighted grin. “And yet you love me.”

“Unfortunately.”

She gasped dramatically and smacked his arm.

Mofe laughed as she dragged him toward the elevators.

By the time the doors slid shut behind them, the tension over her father's card had not completely disappeared from Mofe's mind. He was still thinking about it, still wondering whether they should turn around before this became another problem neither of them needed.

Then he looked at Ezinne.

She was standing beside him with the hotel key card in one hand and a smile she was doing a terrible job of hiding. She looked so pleased with herself that some of his worry softened despite his better judgement.

Ezinne caught him staring and slowly turned toward him.

“What?” she asked, leaning her back against the mirrored wall.

Mofe moved a little closer. “Nothing.”

“That means something.”

He smiled. “I'm just wondering when you became this much trouble.”

Her eyebrows lifted. “Excuse me? You knew exactly what you were getting into.”

“I definitely did not.”

“You did.” She reached out and hooked one finger into the front of his T-shirt, drawing him half a step closer. “And you missed the trouble while I was gone.”

Mofe's hands settled naturally at her waist. “I missed you,” he corrected softly.

Ezinne's teasing expression changed immediately.

“How much?” she asked, tilting her face toward his as her hands slid slowly up his chest.

Mofe looked down at her for a moment, his smile becoming quieter. “A lot.”

“That sounds better.”

She rose slightly onto her toes and kissed him.

Mofe responded almost immediately, one arm tightening around her waist as he drew her closer. The kiss remained soft at first, warm and familiar, carrying all the affection and longing that had been building through days of calls and messages. Ezinne smiled against his lips when he pulled her even closer, her arms settling loosely around his neck.

She drew back just enough to whisper, “You know there are probably cameras in here.”

“I know,” Mofe murmured, his forehead resting against hers.

“And yet your hands are still on me.”

His mouth curved. “Your hands are on me too.”

Ezinne glanced down as though she had only just noticed her arms around his neck. “Interesting.”

Mofe laughed quietly and kissed her again.

The elevator chimed before either of them was ready.

They separated quickly as the doors opened, though Ezinne was still smiling when she stepped out. Mofe followed her, clearing his throat and tugging lightly at the hem of his T-shirt.

She glanced back at him as they began walking along the carpeted corridor.

“You look guilty,” she whispered, amusement dancing in her eyes.

Mofe gave her a look. “You were there too.”

“I look innocent.”

“You have never looked innocent a day in your life.”

Ezinne stopped walking long enough to turn and stare at him in mock offence. “That is a terrible thing to say to your girlfriend.”

Mofe walked past her with a grin. “Find the room, Ezinne.”

She laughed and hurried after him.

A few moments later, they reached the room. Ezinne held the key card against the sensor, and when the light flashed green, she pushed the door open with obvious excitement.

“Okay,” she said as she stepped inside, immediately turning toward Mofe while he followed her. “Before you start complaining again, let me show you around because the room is actually amazing. There's this huge bathroom and the view from the—”

She barely got the door closed before Mofe reached for her.

One arm wrapped firmly around her waist, and Ezinne let out a startled laugh as he pulled her against him.

“Mofe!” she exclaimed, her hands automatically landing against his chest.

He looked down at her, smiling now in a way that made her forget whatever she had been about to say.

“We'll look around later,” he murmured, keeping her close.

Ezinne's eyes narrowed playfully even as her fingers curled into the fabric of his shirt. “Excuse me? I paid an unreasonable amount of money for this room. You are going to appreciate it.”

“I will.”

“When?”

“Later. After I've finished appreciating you.”

Her smile widened slowly as he lowered his head and kissed her again, and within seconds, Ezinne's carefully planned tour of the room had been completely forgotten.

*****