The streets were noisy and alive, but Amara felt as though she was walking through fog in slow motion. The world moved around her; cars honked, traders shouted, students laughed on their way home from school; but all she heard was the echo of that last message.
"Sweet dreams, Amara".
It haunted her every second, like a ghost breathing against her ear.
She kept replaying yesterday's moment with Kelechi, his arms steady around her, his eyes burning with concern. The safety she had felt in that moment was real, and it warmed her. Yet beneath it, the memory of Tunde's fire kept coming back, creeping into her thoughts like smoke that refused to clear.
The strangest part wasn't just the fear; it was the longing which unsettled her the most.
Her office felt no different the next morning. Blueprints and other documents littered her desk, and Adaora cracked jokes from across the room, but Amara's mind wasn't here. She scribbled notes on her notepad as her pen digging into the paper harder than she realized.
Her phone buzzed. She froze. A deep breath, then she checked. Relief this time because it was Kelechi.
"Dinner tonight? Just us. Let me take care of you"
Her chest tightened. Part of her wanted to say no, to curl up in bed and hide from the world. But another part craved his presence, his steadiness, the way he made her feel seen.
She replied the text: "Yes"
That evening, she stood before her mirror, brushing her hair until it gleamed. She chose a simple black dress, one that hugged her curves but didn't scream for attention. When she wore her heels, she almost didn't recognize herself. For a moment, she saw not the terrified girl clutching her phone at night, but a woman; desired, powerful, alive.
Kelechi's knock came right on time.
When she opened the door, her breath caught. He wasn't dressed extravagantly, just a navy shirt tucked into dark trousers, sleeves rolled up to reveal strong forearms, but the simplicity worked. He smiled softly, and for a moment, the shadows in her heart eased.
"You look beautiful," he said, his voice carrying that low warmth that always shook her.
She blushed, lowering her gaze. "Thank you."
The restaurant he took her to was quiet, intimate, tucked away from the chaos of the city. Jzz was playing in the background, candlelight flickering across polished tables. It was the kind of place where secrets felt safe to be spoken.
For the first time in days, Amara let herself breathe. They talked about little things at first; work stress, favorite childhood memories, Adaora's loud laugh; but beneath every word was an undercurrent, an electricity that neither could ignore.
Halfway through the meal, Kelechi reached across the table, brushing his fingers against hers. "I meant what I said before," he murmured. "I don't want to just watch from the sidelines anymore. I want to be the man who stands with you."
Amara's heart fluttered. His gaze was steady, unflinching, as though he could see straight through her. "Kelechi… I'm not sure I'm ready."
He squeezed her hand gently. "Then I'll wait. But I won't lie about how I feel."
Something inside her cracked at his words. They were so different from Tunde's fire; where Tunde had consumed her, left her breathless, Kelechi gave her space to breathe. But that didn't make the choice any easier.
When dinner ended, neither wanted the night to end.
"Let me walk you home," Kelechi offered.
She hesitated, then nodded. The streets were quieter now, the city winding down, lights glimmering against the damp pavement. Their hands brushed occasionally as they walked, and each time, a spark darted up her arm.
At her door, she lingered. "Thank you… for tonight."
Kelechi smiled, his eyes soft. "Thank you for trusting me enough to come."
The silence stretched, heavy, charged. Amara's breath quickened. She should have said goodnight, should have stepped inside. But her feet refused to move.
Kelechi leaned closer, his hand gently brushing a strand of hair from her face. "Amara…" His whisper was barely audible, but it carried weight.
Her lips parted, and before she could second-guess herself, his mouth was on hers.
The kiss was slow at first, tentative, as though he was waiting for her permission. But when her hands slid up his chest, clutching his shirt, his restraint cracked. His lips pressed harder, his tongue slipping past her parted mouth, drawing a soft moan from her throat.
The sound startled her as much as it thrilled her. Her body betrayed her fear, leaning into him, aching for more. His hands moved to her waist, pulling her flush against him.
Heat coiled in her belly, familiar and dangerous.
For a moment, she let herself drown in it; the warmth of his kiss, the solidity of his arms, the way her body melted against his. It wasn't reckless like Tunde's fire, but it was no less consuming.
Then the sharp buzz of her phone cut through the haze.
She froze, her lips still pressed against Kelechi's.
Reluctantly, she pulled back, breathless, her pulse racing. She fumbled for her phone in her purse.
One new message.
"You move on quickly".
Her blood ran cold.
Kelechi's brows furrowed. "What is it?"
Her hands shook as she showed him the screen.
His jaw tightened, eyes darkening. "He's watching."
The weight of the truth settled heavily between them. Amara's chest constricted, panic warring with the warmth still lingering from Kelechi's kiss.
"Go inside," Kelechi said firmly, his voice a mix of anger and protectiveness.
She obeyed, though her legs felt weak. Inside, she leaned against the door, heart pounding, tears pricking her eyes.
She wanted to scream, to cry, to deny it all. But one thing was undeniable now.
Tunde wasn't just in her past.
He was here, in the shadows, watching every move she made.
And if Kelechi's kiss had sparked confusion before, now it lit a dangerous fire because Tunde would never let her go so easily.
And Kelechi had just stepped into the middle of a storm.