Chapter Four: Quiet Questions.
284 Words
The rain tapped gently against Maya’s window as she and Alex sprawled across the floor, surrounded by open magazines and half-eaten snacks. Nights like this had become their ritual—no schedules, no responsibilities, just stories and laughter.
“Would you ever leave Lagos?” Alex asked suddenly, staring at the ceiling.
Maya paused, twirling a strand of hair. “Sometimes I dream about it. Paris, London… anywhere. But Mum would never forgive me.”
Alex smirked. “Mothers always forgive. Eventually.”
Maya chuckled. “Not Jade. She’d find me and drag me back by the ear.”
The two dissolved into laughter, the kind that made their stomachs ache.
Later, when the laughter faded, Maya asked softly, “What about you, Alex? Ever think of leaving?”
For a moment, Alex’s eyes darkened, something unreadable flickering there. “Every day,” she whispered, almost to herself. Then she caught Maya’s puzzled look and quickly smiled. “But I’d miss you too much.”
“Every day,” she whispered, almost to herself. Then she caught Maya’s puzzled look and quickly smiled. “But I’d miss you too much.”
The answer warmed Maya, though she didn’t think much of it. Alex had always been dramatic, after all.
The next morning, Daniel picked Maya up for brunch. He listened politely as she recounted the night with Alex but frowned slightly when she mentioned how late it had been.
“You two spend a lot of time together,” he said carefully.
“She’s my best friend,” Maya replied, her tone sharper than intended.
Daniel dropped the subject, but Maya noticed the way his jaw tightened. The smallest cracks were beginning to show.
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