Unexpectedly His

Chapter Seven: A knock at the Door.

Chapter Seven: A knock at the Door.

Ken stood outside Lisa's apartment pacing like a restless child. His palms were damp, and his heart kept pounding as though it wanted to break free from his chest. He raised his hand and knocked again, each thud echoing louder than the last in the quiet hallway.

Inside, Lisa sat curled on the sofa, hugging a throw pillow. The television was on, but she hadn't been paying attention to it. When she heard the knock , her brows furrowed instantly.

“Oh, God. What does he want now?” she muttered under her breath. She had promised herself she was done with antics, yet here he was pounding on her door like the building was on fire.

She stayed still at first, hoping he would give up and walk away. But the knocks grew louder, sharper, more insistent. After the fourth knock, Lisa slammed the pillow aside and stood up with a heavy sigh. “ Fine. lf it's a fight he wants, he'll get it,” she grumbled, storming toward the door.

When she yanked it open, her eyes narrowed instantly at the sight of him. His head was slightly bowed, his posture awkward, like someone standing on trial.

“ Ken , what are you doing here?" Haven't you done enough damage already?” Her voice was sharp, laced with the kind of anger that had been simmering all night.

Ken lifted his gaze briefly, then dropped it again. He looked…small. “ Lisa , please l come to apologize.l was wrong yesterday. l said things l shouldn't have said. l hurt you.

Lisa folded her arms across her chest, learning lazily from the door frame, though there was nothing lazy about her glare. “Apologize? You think one sorry erases the nonsense that came out of your mouth? Do you even hear yourself sometimes? Women are not toys, Ken. We are not trophies you dust off and put away when you're bored”.

Her words hung heavily in the air, cutting sharper than a knife.

Ken swallowed hard. He wanted to defend himself, to explain, but for once words failed him. When he finally spoke, his voice was softer, filled with a kind of humility.

“ You're right, women aren't toys. They're strong, beautiful, independent, amazing. And l was wrong, I'm sorry, Lisa. l swear it won't happen again. “

For a moment, she just stared at him, her chest rising and falling with controlled breaths. Part of her wanted to slam the door in his face, to let him stew in his regret. But another part…one she wished would just shut up…noticed the way his eyes looked a little too honest.

“ Words are cheap, Ken," she finally said, her tone still firm.” If l let you in , it's on one condition. You promise me that from now on, you will respect women…not just me, but every woman you meet. Do you understand me?”

Ken lifted his head fully now, his gaze meeting hers with uncharacteristic sincerity. “Lisa, l do respect women. l just ..

. Let my stupid jokes get in the way. That's why l came here…to admit l was wrong. And Lisa… His voice faltered for a second, his chest tightening as he searched for her eyes. “ There's one woman l know, who is truly strong, beautiful and amazing. And that woman is you.”

Her breath caught before she quickly masked it with a laugh, shaking her head.” You're unbelievable. So dramatic”. Still, her lips curved into a reluctant smile. With a small sigh, she stepped aside. “ Fine, come in before you wake up the neighbors.”

Relief washed over Ken's face as he stepped into the apartment. He sank onto the sofa, stretching his arms like he owned the place. “ By the way, " he teased,” that water you poured on me yesterday? It completely destroyed my watch. “

Lisa raised an eyebrow, smirking. “ Oh, please don't start. You can buy ten of those watches without blinking.. Don't guilt-trip me over your luxury toys.”

Their laughter rang out, warm and familiar, softening the heaviness between them. For the time being, the air between them didn't feel suffocating.

But across town, the air was anything but light.

Faith sat on the edge of her bed, restless. Kunle’s phone rested on the nightstand beside her, buzzing faintly as a new message came in, she wasn't the type to snoop…at least, she hadn't been before. But lately, everything in her felt unsettled. Maybe it was the pregnancy hormones making her overly sensitive, maybe not either way, suspicion had been eating at her more than she cared to admit.

Her eyes darted toward the bathroom door where Kunle was still showering. She picked up the phone hesitantly, her thumb scrolling through his contact list. She wasn't even sure what she was looking for…until her eyes froze on one odd name.

Carpenter

Her brows furrowed.” Carpenter? Since when does Kunle have a carpenter?” She whispered to herself. He hadn't mentioned fixing anything in the house. Something about it didn't sit right.

Curiosity itched at her fingers. Against her better judgement, she tapped the number and pressed call.

“ Hello Dear,” A woman's voice answered… Smooth, soft, unmistakably feminine.

Faith's whole body stiffened. The phone nearly slipped from her, as anger shot through her like a wave. “ Who are you?” she screamed, her voice trembling with fury.

The shouting dragged Kunle out of the bathroom, water dripping from his hair. He rushed toward her, panic in his eyes. “Faith ! What is wrong?”

Her hand shook violently as she shoved the phone toward him. “ Don't you dare lie to me, Kunle. You're cheating on me! You even saved her number as a carpenter, so l wouldn't suspect it. Do you honestly take me for a fool?”

Kunle froze, caught off guard. For a moment, his expression was blank, almost unreadable. Then he stepped closer, his tone low. “Honey, listen to yourself, you're letting your emotions control you, please, calm down."

“Calm down?” she exploded, tears spilling down her cheeks. “ Another woman just answered your phone! Do you think I'm blind? Who is she, Kunle? Tell me the truth. “

Something flickered across his face too fast for her to catch. Fear? ,guilt?. She couldn't tell. He reached out, pulling her into his arms, holding her tight.

“Shhh…Faith. Have l ever given you a reason to doubt me? Don't l come home to you every night? Don't l take care of you especially now with our baby? You're the only woman l love. Please, believe me."

Her sobs softened, her anger giving way to guilt… she clung to him, torn between suspicion and shame. “ l don't know what is wrong with me. Maybe it's the hormones. l feel insecure all the time. Please forgive me."

He kissed her forehead, stroking her hair. It's okay, love. I'll never betray you. Never”

She tilted her head up, meeting his eyes through her tears.” I'm sorry Kunle. l shouldn't have doubted you”

Their lips met in a slow, fragile kiss, an attempt to stitch together the crack between

n them. She leaned into him, convincing herself he was telling the truth.