Tosin turned off the cooker. The soft hiss of the burner faded as she reached for two plates, her movements slower than usual. She hesitated for a moment, then broke the silence.
"I'm sorry about your mom," she said quietly, her back still turned to him. "Must feel like your whole life just cracked in two. Your dad, your sister..."
She placed the plates on the counter, then turned to face him.
"Hell... you kissed her. Wait, don't tell me you guys...?"
Michael ran a hand down his face and let out a long breath. "Half-sister," he said, almost like it would make things less terrible. "And no. We didn't go beyond that."
Tosin crossed her arms, eyeing him with a look that was half disbelief, half sympathy.
She handed him his plate, their fingers brushing briefly-just enough to spark something unspoken between them.
They ate in silence, the clinking of cutlery the only sound in the room. After a few forkfuls, he looked up at her with a soft smile.
"You know you're a great cook, right? There's more to you than meets the eye... just full of surprises."
She didn't respond -just gave a faint smile, the kind that held back a hundred thoughts.
It was past two in the morning and dinner had ended. Michael carried his plate to the sink, rinsed it quietly, then turned to face her.
He didn't move closer, but even from a foot away, she could feel him. It was as though the air between them shifted - thickened. Like her skin had become sensitive to the static in his presence. The space they shared buzzed with something unspoken.
Something electric.
Tosin stepped a few feet back from him. She set her plate down gently, her fingers trembling slightly. Her eyes locked onto his, but her lips struggled to form the words. She tilted her face away, turned on the tap, and began washing the dishes - her back now to him, her silence louder than ever.
"I'm sorry for leaving you behind that night," she said softly, her voice barely rising above the sound of the water. "I'm sorry for walking away at the hospital... for not calling, not checking in."
Her voice cracked.
"It was never my wish to abandon you. I..."
She trailed off.
The tears began to fall, warm and silent, mixing with the water running down the sink. She didn't want him to see her like that - broken, exposed -so she kept her back turned, holding on to the edge of the counter like it was the only thing keeping her steady.
"I've always suffered from self-guilt since I was a kid," Tosin said, her voice fragile, barely holding itself together. "My mom died giving birth to me... right there at the hospital. She left my dad to raise me alone."
She paused, swallowed hard.
"He loved me-God, he did. Treated me like I was the only thing that mattered. But no amount of love or comfort could drown out the whispers. The looks. The names. They called me a monster. Said I killed her before I even drew my first breath. According to them, I was never supposed to exist. A mistake."
She gave a weak laugh, bitter and cold.
"My dad tried to shield me, but the one thing he could never protect me from... was myself. I know it wasn't my fault-what happened to my mom-but after a while, their voices got too loud. Loud enough that... I started believing them."
Tosin turned off the tap. The silence in the kitchen was thick, weighted with the past.
"Anyways, everyone hated me - everyone but my mom's sister. She was the only one who ever looked at me like I was more than just a shadow of tragedy."
She wiped her tears with her palms, steadying her breath before she continued.
"After high school, my dad wanted me to go to Wits University. Said it'd be good for me. But I couldn't. I just... wanted to vanish. Start over somewhere... someplace where no one knew my name or my story."
She finally turned to him, eyes red, face raw with truth.
"I told my aunt I wanted to come stay here in Lagos. She agreed. I had to change my name to fit in. My real name is Anika Tosin Nkosi. I'm South African."
Michael was stunned-another secret, a weight she had been carrying in silence. It was a lot to process, but more than anything, he felt a deep ache for her.
"The truth is... I wasn't proud of who I was back then," she said, her voice trembling. "Not until I met you. Not until we became friends... and I started to feel something more. For once, I thought maybe-just maybe-I could change. Be happy. But it's no good. The bitter truth is... I'm toxic, Michael -as hell."
Her voice cracked. This time, there was no hiding it.
She covered her face with her palms, trying to hold it all in. But the pain came rushing out, uninvited. The tears, heavy and endless, streamed down her cheeks. She squeezed her eyes shut, hoping that would stop the flood-but it didn't. It only made it worse.
Michael stepped closer and gently took her by the arms, guiding her to face him. For a moment, they just stood there-two broken souls in a quiet kitchen lit only by the soft hum of streetlights through the window.
He looked into her eyes, then slowly reached up, his thumbs tracing the wet trails on her cheeks as he wiped away her tears. His touch was warm-reassuring.
Cradling her face in his hands, he whispered, "I never want to see these tears again. I don't know why you'd ever think that way. What happened to your mom... that wasn't your fault. And neither was that accident."
He paused, his voice steady but filled with emotion. "You're not toxic, Tosin. Not even close. You're beautiful, you're funny, you're strong-and honestly? You're the bravest girl I've ever known."
Michael gently cupped her cheek with his right hand, his left resting on the small of her back, tracing it with slow, tender caresses. He pulled her closer, his breath warm against her lips as he whispered, "I love every damn thing about you."
His lips met hers in a kiss that started soft but quickly deepened. She pulled back, her breath shaky, heart racing.
"Michael we shouldn't... We..."
But before she could finish, he kissed her again, more urgently, his hands drawing her in. She melted into him, her body no longer resisting, her breath hitching as they kissed deeply.
Their bodies collided in a heated rush as he pinned her to the wall, both of them gasping for air, their tongues entwining in an urgent, wild dance. The intoxicating scent of her perfume, mingled with the soft, floral fragrance of her conditioner, overwhelmed his senses.
His hands slid up the curve of her brown push-up bra in slow, deliberate strokes, each movement making her shiver. She kissed him back in soft, breathless moans, tracing the lines of his abs, her fingers grazing over his chest. Slowly, she moved lower, her hands slipping into his jeans-searching for the warmth she craved, the heat she desperately needed.
He tossed his shirt and jacket aside, while she yanked her jumper off in a rush, carelessly flinging it into a corner. The rapid, synchronized pounding of their heartbeats filled the room as they fumbled desperately, stripping each other bare in a frantic, urgent frenzy.
Like a princess being carried to her throne by her Prince Charming, he lifted her into the bedroom. The air between them thickened, every breath sharp and heavy. The world outside vanished, leaving only the pulse of their heartbeats and the tension that gripped them both, igniting every sense in a fiery rush.
In the shadows of the cool bedroom, bathed in the intoxicating glow of ambient light, she pulled him toward the bed, her body trembling with an undeniable hunger. Every touch, every kiss ignited an unquenchable fire between them. After all the months spent as nothing more than friends, they were finally in each other's arms, entwined in a connection deeper than either had ever imagined."
And when it was over, when their breathless sighs and racing heartbeats slowly began to subside, the room felt heavier, charged with the lingering heat of their connection. They lay in silence for a moment, eyes locked, as if the world outside didn't exist anymore.
Tosin's voice broke the quiet, barely a whisper, "Did we just..."
Michael's lips curled into a small, knowing smile. His chuckle was soft but filled with a depth of understanding. "I think we did."
A silence stretched between them, thick with unspoken words. They closed their eyes, the warmth of each other's presence pulling them into a peaceful sleep, as if the very act of being together in this moment had changed everything.
The morning broke brighter than the one before. It was Sunday, and the streets were nearly empty. The locals were either home or at church, with only a few shops and supermarkets still open. Like the other estates in the city, Alfred Garden Estate lay peaceful and still that morning.
Olivia, however, had not gone to church. She had been glued to her phone all night, waiting desperately for Michael's text. Since Friday, she'd called and sent countless messages, but there had been no response-not even a sign that he'd been online. Restlessness had kept her awake, her mind racing, and she hadn't eaten anything the night before."
Regina's worry deepened. Why hadn't Olivia left her room all morning? She wondered.
Determined to find out what was wrong, she approached her daughter's door and knocked softly.
"Honey, you haven't come out since yesterday. Can I come in?"
"Now's not a good time, Mom."
"Princess, please. Is this about Michael? Let's talk about it. Open up."
Olivia stayed silent, her emotions tangled in confusion and frustration. She needed someone-someone to understand. Before Regina could turn away, Olivia slowly opened the door.
The sadness in her daughter's eyes struck Regina, and without a word, she walked in and sat down beside Olivia on the bed, gently holding her hands.
"Talk to me, honey. What's going on?' Regina urged softly.
"You're right, Mom. It's about Michael."
"What about him?"
"A few days ago, the day we won the final, he asked me to be his girlfriend."
"He what?" Regina's voice cracked with surprise.
"He did. And then, on our way home, he ran into his ex. He said they hadn't spoken in months. I asked him about it, and he told me things were complicated between them, but he promised to explain everything later. But the next day, when I tried calling him, he wouldn't pick up. It's like he disappeared, Mom. Or maybe... he's ghosting me. I'm... I'm just so scared."
Regina's heart ached as she saw the pain and fear in her daughter's eyes.
"Oh, my princess." Regina's voice trembled with concern. "This is exactly what I feared. I wish I could have helped you understand this sooner, but at some point, we all have to take control of our own lives. It breaks my heart to see you like this, but I don't want to jump to conclusions. Why don't you go over to his place and talk to him? That way, you can clear your doubts."
Olivia hesitated, her eyes filled with uncertainty. "I don't know, Mom. What if... what if he breaks up with me? I really like him, and I don't want to..."
"We have to face the truth sooner or later," Regina interrupted gently. "The longer you wait, the more it'll hurt. And remember, there are so many guys out there... Much better looking."
"It's not about the looks, Mom," Olivia whispered, her voice breaking. "I really like him. He makes me feel like... like I'm... I can just be myself when I'm with him. I don't want to lose him."
Overcome with emotion, she hugged Regina tightly, her tears soaking into her mother's shirt. Regina could feel the weight of her daughter's pain, the hurt so raw it nearly tore her heart apart. But as much as it pained her, she knew Olivia had to face the truth eventually.
"Enough crying now," Regina said softly, but firmly. "I want you to come downstairs to the living room. We can watch your favorite show together, okay?"
Olivia wiped her tears, nodding slowly, though her pain was still evident.
"And take a bath," Regina added with a light, teasing smile. "You look like you've been through a storm."