Just for you

Chapter Four

I stared at Nathan for two long, quiet seconds, watching the muscle tick in his jaw.

"An accident," I repeated softly, letting the word hang in the tense air between us.

I could have pushed him. I could have brought up the shop, Favour's parents, or the sheer terror in his eyes when Melody uttered that name. I could have turned that kitchen into a war zone right then and there.

But I didn't want to escalate the matter. Not yet.

If I made a scene now, Nathan would lock down every corner of my life. He’d monitor my movements, step in between me and Favour's family, and pull every string he had to find me a commercial space on the opposite side of the city. He needed to believe I was still the obedient, clueless little sister who took his evasions at face value.

So, I let my shoulders drop, softening the sharp glare in my eyes.

"Right. Just an accident," I said, putting on a quiet, reassuring smile. "Well, be careful cleaning up the glass. I'm going to head back upstairs to rest a bit."

"Yeah," Nathan said, taking a visible breath as his shoulders unknotted slightly. "Go rest. I'll take care of this."

I nodded, gave Melody a soft, comforting look as I passed the living room, and made my way back up the stairs.

The moment I stepped inside my room and turned the lock, the gentle expression vanished.

I had played along, but the game was already in motion.

Nathan thought he had cut off the pass, but all he did was force me to change my strategy. I couldn't rely on Melody to bridge the gap, and I certainly couldn't ask my brother for Favour's number.

I have to figure this out entirely on my own.

I waited until I heard the heavy thud of the front door and the rumble of Nathan’s car pulling out of the driveway the next morning. As soon as his car turned the corner for work, I unlocked my bedroom door and went straight downstairs to find Melody.

She was standing at the kitchen counter, methodically chopping vegetables on a wooden cutting board, the rhythmic thump-thump-thump of the knife filling the quiet room.

"Melody?" I called out softly, stepping into the kitchen.

She paused, keeping her eyes fixed on the task as she wiped her brow with the back of her wrist.

I walked over and stood near the counter, my face filled with genuine concern. "Are you okay? About what happened earlier... I feel so terrible. I feel like I put you in such a tight, uncomfortable position between you and Nathan."

Melody immediately shook her head, waving her hand off in the air as if brushing the whole incident away. "Oh, don't worry about it at all. Honestly, it was just a silly misunderstanding. You don't need to apologize."

"No, I really do," I insisted gently, leaning against the edge of the counter. "I hate that it caused a fight. But... if it's still alright to ask, could you tell me where the shop is actually located?"

Melody’s hand slowed down on the handle of the knife, a small flicker of worry crossing her eyes as she looked up at me. "Joanna... you saw how Nathan reacted. He really doesn't seem to want you renting that space. I don't want to cause any more issues between you two."

I offered her a reassuring, completely innocent smile, softening my posture.

"Don't mind Nathan," I said smoothly, keeping my voice soft and convincing. "He's just being overly protective, like always. He doesn't want me going far from his sight while I'm back home—it's just classic big brother instinct. You know how he gets."

Melody looked at me for a long second, letting out a small, relieved laugh as she fell for the excuse.

"Well, when you put it that way..." she murmured, setting the knife down and reaching for a small notepad sitting near the spice rack. "It's right on the main High Street, just past the central plaza." She quickly scribbled down the exact address and handed the paper to me.

I took the slip of paper, my fingers curling around it tightly.

Nathan thought he could lock the door, but he forgot I already knew how to pick the lock.

An hour later, I stepped onto the pavement of High Street. The late morning air was crisp, pulling at my jacket as I navigated past the bustling storefronts and crowded cafes.

It didn't take long to spot it—a sleek, prime commercial space nestled right past the central plaza, bounded by large glass windows that flooded the empty interior with natural light. Taped right in the center of the front door was a bold FOR LEASE sign with a phone number scribbled across the bottom.

A triumphant smile spread across my face as I pulled out my phone and dialed the digits.

"Hello? High Street commercial properties, how can I help you?"

The smile wiped off my face in an instant. It wasn't Favour. It wasn't his mother, either. It was a completely unfamiliar, crisp voice of a property manager.

"Uh... hello?" I stammered, my confidence faltering. "I’m calling about the shop space on High Street for lease? Is there any way I could get in direct contact with the owners? The family? I’m actually a close family friend."

"I'm afraid not," the agent answered smoothly. "The family has explicitly delegated all management and inquiries to our agency for a reason. All communications go through us."

The words hit me like a splash of ice water. My plan had completely crumbled into dust. I stood frozen on the pavement, staring at my reflection in the dark, empty glass of the shop.

It was Futile.

I wasn't going to get to him this way. If every back door was locked, I’d just have to smash through the front.

I waited at home until the moment I heard the front door click shut that evening and the familiar sound of heavy footsteps heading up to the master bedroom. I marched down the hallway, pushed his bedroom door wide open, and let it slam against the wall with a loud THUD.

Nathan jumped, spinning around mid-button on his work shirt.

"I need to talk to Favour," I demanded, my voice sharp and unyielding. "Give me his number, Nathan. Right now."

Nathan blinked in disbelief before a nervous, incredulous laugh escaped his lips. "Whoa, easy there, dramatic," he said with a smirk, trying to laugh off the tension. "Favour is a married man now, Joanna! You can't just go charging around demanding to see another woman's husband like this."

Melody appeared at the doorway, her brows knit together. "What on earth is going on in here?"

Melody didn't interrupt further—she stood frozen, letting every single piece of information spill freely into her hands as the air in the room turned ice-cold.

I turned back to Nathan, my face completely stripped of pretense. "Why couldn't the agent give me the family's contact, Nathan? Did you call Favour already? Did you go behind my back and tell them not to talk to me? You've always been a giant puddle in our relationship! Seven years ago, you couldn't stand it, and you're still doing the exact same thing now!"

Melody gasped, her hand flying to her mouth.

Nathan's eyes went wide with panic. "Joanna, shut up!"

"If you want to know what's really happening, Melody, here it is," I said, turning straight to her. "Favour wasn't just Nathan's best friend. He was my first. He was the one who disvirgined me, and we were lovers long before he ever met Maya."

"You couldn't stand it, could you?" I spat, turning my glare back to Nathan. "You just couldn't stand the fact that your best friend was sleeping with your little sister! That's why you broke us apart!"

"That wasn't the case!" Nathan snapped back, his voice cracking like thunder. "It wasn't about my pride, Joanna! It was what Favour was doing to you that made me react! It was what he was turning you into that made me step in!"

The words hit me like a solid wall. A single, hot tear escaped my eye, tracking down my cheek. I caught it immediately with the back of my hand, wiping it away with a fierce, desperate swiftness.

Without another word, I spun on my heel and tore out of the master bedroom.

I bolted down the hallway and slammed into my room, pulling the door shut with a deafening BANG. The second the lock clicked, a raw, ragged scream tore right out of my throat—a sound filled with seven years of anger and suffocating frustration.

Out in the hallway, silence settled heavy and suffocating. Melody stood frozen, completely lost and confused by the storm that had just detonated in her home, while Nathan stood in the quiet, perfectly aware of the dark history they had all been running from.