CHAPTER FIFTEEN: TROUBLE IN LOVE
What? I was utterly confused by what he had just said.
It felt as though I had gone drunk from shock, the words twisting in my ears. Perhaps I hadn't heard him correctly.
"I'm not sure if I heard you right," I said, unwilling to trust my own ears.
"I knew you wouldn't believe me," Daniel replied, his gaze steady on mine.
Of course. No wonder they called me here—this was their scheme, to tease me, to confuse me.
"I'll just pretend I didn't hear that," I muttered, refusing to give my heart the chance to believe.
This was too much—confusing, heavy, and impossible to digest.
"Joan only met me because I agreed to tutor her in mathematics," Daniel explained, sitting upright, his tone calm. "And then we happened to come across you. You even walked away before I had a chance to talk to you."
I raised an eyebrow, sceptical. "And what about the rumours? How am I supposed to believe you?" I shot back, glancing awkwardly at Francis. My brother was laughing as though this entire thing was some kind of comedy. Was it really that amusing?
"Rumours are irritating," Daniel said with visible disdain. "I chose to ignore them. They began when Joan and your cousin, Gabriella, fought over me. It was ridiculous, especially when I didn't even like either of them. The talk only spread more when Gabriella left for my hometown. Joan kept approaching me, but as a gentleman, I didn't shoo her away." He shrugged, showing how little it mattered to him.
I stared at him, trying to process it all. Had I really missed this much? A pang of sympathy hit me for both Joan and Gabriella—they had fought for someone who, apparently, had no interest in them.
Still, I couldn't trust it fully. My heart warned me not to jump to conclusions. "Why are you telling me all this?" I asked, cautious not to assume more than I should.
Daniel's lips curved into a small smile as he looked directly at me. "Because I don't want you to believe disgusting rumours. It would displease me if you did."
"Awwn…" Francis teased with a grin.
I turned sharply to him, trying not to laugh. "Why are you even here?"
"Come on, I'm not interrupting anything. Besides, your conversation is getting interesting." He shrugged smugly.
I rolled my eyes and faced Daniel again. "I'm honestly surprised these words are coming from someone who couldn't even call or message me when he returned. Not even once." My eyes stayed locked on his, unwilling to miss the tiniest shift in his expression.
"I'm sorry," Daniel admitted, voice low but sincere. "It truly slipped my mind. I should have reached out, but I didn't."
"It slipped your mind?" I laughed bitterly, though the sting of hurt remained lodged inside. "I understand." I forced a smile, masking the ache in my chest.
I wasn't sure we could ever date again. The trust, the closeness—it felt broken. Daniel gave me strange, unsettling vibes.
"Tell us instead about your two years in China," I said, quickly switching the subject. I couldn't handle the ache any longer.
His smile widened, relieved at the change. "Nice of you to ask," he said brightly.
Typical. He was glad I had let him off the hook. He wasn't even daring enough to explain more about this whole "it skipped my mind" nonsense. Not that I cared, of course.
"Yes, tell us," Francis chimed in, annoyingly eager. Did he even care about my feelings at all? If he did, he wouldn't be sitting here laughing while my heart wrestled with itself. Maybe Daniel had already told him everything.
"Wait," I cut in, turning to Francis. "Did Daniel call you about his return to Nigeria?"
Francis hesitated, then finally said, "Yes… but it's not what you think." His eyes flicked to Daniel as if silently passing the blame.
So Daniel had reached out to my brother, but not to me. That was enough proof.
"It's fine, Daniel," I said quietly, though with finality. "Your feelings for me are gone. And that's better than you giving me false hope."
Daniel stared at me silently, his lips pressed, as though he wanted to say something but couldn't.
"Anyway, I should head back to my friends. They'll be wondering why I'm late," I said, already too drained to remain another second with these two.
"We've only been here twenty-two minutes, Floral. That's not long," Francis objected, watching me with an expression that expected me to stay.
"Francis, let me be," I snapped and left before either of them could add more fuel to my irritation.
I strode straight back to where my friends were waiting, my mind set on not looking back.
"Floral, perfect timing," Morayo said as soon as she spotted me. "The timekeeper just rang the bell for lunch." She rose from the bench with Victoria.
"Thank God for that," I said, managing a smile as we walked to the dining hall.
"What happened with your brother?" Victoria asked knowingly, almost as if she could read my heart.
"Daniel was there," I said flatly, answering her question without hesitation.
"What?!" they both gasped at the same time.
"What was he doing there with Francis?" Victoria asked immediately.
"What did he say? Did he say anything cruel?" Morayo clenched her fists, already ready for a fight.
I didn't reply, overwhelmed by the barrage of questions.
"You know, I'll deal with him for you," Morayo muttered, cracking her knuckles.
"Morayo, don't. You'll get suspended if you fight," Victoria cautioned before turning back to me. "Instead, we can talk to him—make sure he never bothers you again."
Their protectiveness made me smile despite myself.
"Then just answer one question at a time," Victoria added with a shrug.
Before I could, Joan's voice cut in suddenly, sharp and unexpected.
"Floral, who exactly is Daniel to you?"