*chapter 4*
The TV played in the background, low and distant, but I couldn't make out a single word. The sound felt muffled, like the air between us swallowed it whole. We sat in silence, the kind that stretched and folded itself over time, neither of us quite sure how to break it. I pretended to scroll through my phone, my thumb dragging across the screen with no real purpose.
He didn't say anything.
I didn't either.
Until I couldn't take it anymore.
*"So… we're just going to sit here and not talk?"* I said, my voice light, teasing—more playful than I felt.
He glanced over and smiled, a low chuckle escaping his lips.
*"I wanted to see how long it'd take you to say something first,"* he replied.
That made me laugh. The tension between us loosened a little, like a knot gently coming undone.
From there, the conversation took off, like it had just been waiting for permission. He spoke about his younger sisters—how loud they were, how protective he felt of them, how they drove him crazy and yet grounded him. There was something warm in his voice when he mentioned them, something vulnerable that he didn't even try to hide.
But when it came to himself, to the deeper things—he held back, careful. His words were measured, deliberate. Like he wanted to stay just far enough away.
Still, I listened.
Then came the question.
*"So how did you and Victor meet?"*
I hesitated for just a second, then smiled.
*"Through a friend… early on when I got into school."*
I skipped the rest. The part that mattered a little too much. I wasn't sure what he'd think if he knew there was more to that story.
He didn't ask again.
A little later, he picked up his phone without saying a word. A few taps, then he looked up at me.
*"I ordered food. I figured you'd be hungry."*
I blinked, surprised. *"You didn't even ask what I wanted."*
*"I didn't need to."* His voice was calm, sure. *"You've been talking for over an hour. I know you haven't eaten."*
I didn't know what to say to that, so I smiled.
Time had slipped through us like sand. The sun was already higher in the sky, and I hadn't even noticed.
He made it easy. Being around him.
Too easy
---
The food arrived not long after—a simple bowl of jollof rice and grilled chicken with a chilled bottle of water. He handed it to me like he'd done it a hundred times before, like it was the most natural thing in the world. I muttered a soft "thank you," trying to keep my smile under control.
We sat on opposite ends of the bed, and as I ate, he scrolled through something on his phone. Occasionally, he'd glance at me, and I could feel it—but I didn't look up. I didn't trust my face to hide how flustered I was.
*"You eat like you've been starving all week,"* he said eventually, amused.
*"That's because I basically have,"* I said through a mouthful, laughing. *"School's been draining me."*
He nodded, his tone shifting. *"Nursing, right?"*
*"Yeah. Final year guys love to say we stress more than them. But they don't even see what we go through."*
*"I see it now,"* he said, locking eyes with me for a second too long.
---
The hours slipped by almost unnoticed as we talked. The late afternoon sun filtered softly through the narrow window, casting warm, golden patterns that danced gently on the walls. The air was thick with the kind of stillness that makes everything feel like it's suspended—like time itself is holding its breath.
Matthew's voice was calm, steady, but there was an intensity beneath it, a quiet sincerity that made me lean in, listen closer. He wasn't interested in the surface—the usual questions about what I studied or where I was from. Instead, he asked the questions that lingered just beneath the surface, the ones no one else seemed to care about.
"What's it really like, moving away from everything you know?" he asked softly, his eyes fixed on mine, waiting patiently.
I hesitated, then spoke slowly. "It's like... losing your roots and having to grow new ones, but not knowing if they'll ever hold."
He nodded thoughtfully, his gaze never leaving me. "I get that. I've always been restless, like I'm chasing something I can't quite name."
The room felt smaller somehow, but not in a bad way. It was as if the space between us was charged, alive, but quiet—respectful. We didn't reach out or touch, didn't inch closer, but the energy between us hummed with a tension I couldn't quite name.
He listened like he really wanted to understand, not just waiting for his turn to talk. When there was a silence, he didn't rush to fill it; he just let it hang, giving me the space to gather my thoughts.
I found myself opening up more than I expected, sharing parts of myself I usually kept tucked away. The late afternoon shadows stretched longer, the room darkening but neither of us noticed. I was too caught up in the slow unraveling of this conversation, the unspoken possibilities that seemed to hover just beneath the surface.
I placed the empty pack aside and wiped my hands. *"So, what happened to that date you asked me about?"* I asked, trying to sound casual.
He leaned back, a slow smile creeping across his face. *"I was waiting for you to bring it up."*
*"Well, I just did."*
*"Good. You free this weekend?"*
I hesitated. I was, technically. But something about this moment—about him—made me nervous in a way I didn't want to admit.
*"I think so,"* I said.
*"Then it's a plan."* He checked his phone. *"We'll go somewhere calm. Just talk. Eat. I won't kidnap you, promise."*
I laughed, shaking my head. *"That's comforting."*
The air between us shifted again. There was something deeper in his gaze now, something unreadable. He opened his mouth like he was going to say something, but then stopped.
*"What?"* I asked.
He hesitated. *"Nothing. I just… didn't expect you to be this easy to talk to."*
That caught me off guard. *"Why?"*
*"I don't know. You seem guarded. But now, here… you're different."*
I didn't know how to respond to that. So I didn't.
Instead, I smiled and looked down at my lap.
Whatever this was, whatever it was becoming—it felt dangerous and gentle at the same time. Like something I wanted to fall into but also wanted to protect myself from.
Then, just as the light outside began to fade into dusk, the door creaked open.
Victor stood in the doorway, his eyes flicking between us. The expression on his face was hard to read—part curiosity, part something else I wasn't sure about.
"You're still here," he said quietly, more an observation than a question.
I blinked, suddenly aware of how long we'd been talking. "I didn't mean to stay so late. We just got carried away."
Victor gave a slow nod, then stepped inside and grabbed his charger and a book from his desk. His presence was calm but charged, like he was weighing something he didn't want to say aloud.
"You okay?" he asked me softly.
I forced a smile. "Yeah. I'm fine."
He didn't push. Instead, he just nodded again and left, closing the door behind him with a quiet click.
Silence settled over the room once more. I felt a strange mix of anticipation and unease settle in my chest. The conversation with Matthew had opened something up, but Victor's glance lingered in my mind—like a warning, or maybe just concern.
I didn't stay long after Victor left. Gathering my things, I stepped out into the cooling evening air.
***
About an hour later, my phone buzzed.
*Matthew:* "I've decided. We're going out tomorrow."
I stared at the message for a moment, a smile tugging at my lips despite the nervous flutter in my stomach.
*Me:* "Just like that?"
*Matthew:* "Just like that. I want to see you again. I don't want to wait."
The way he said it felt both bold and sincere. It made me feel exposed, vulnerable in a way I hadn't anticipated—not scared, just... open.
*Me:* "Alright. Let me know the time."
His reply was almost immediate.
*Matthew:* "Stay beautiful, sweetheart."
I stared at the screen, the words settling in deeper than I expected.
Not long after, my phone rang. Victor's name flashed on the screen.
"Hey," his voice was calm but carried an edge.
"You good?" he asked.
"Yeah, why?"
"Just checking in. You were with Matthew all day."
There was a pause.
"I'm not saying anything's wrong. Just… be careful, Cat."
I took a deep breath.
"Victor, I hear you. But I need to make my own choices. Okay?"
He didn't argue.
"Alright. Just… don't let your guard down too fast."
"I won't," I promised him.
But even as I said it, part of me wondered if I already had.
---