Hardguy

THE SWEET BOY 🍑🍆🔞

Chapter Thirty-Five (35)

As I entered the bedroom, I let out a long sigh.

It was a huge risk I had just taken, and I knew it. But with everything going on, I was exhausted from waiting for both women to make their decisions while I remained stuck somewhere in the middle, unsure of what I was supposed to do next.

I didn't want to lose either of them.

That was the truth I had been trying to avoid.

But at that point, I needed some kind of certainty. My peace of mind needed to know who was actually willing to give this a chance instead of leaving me suspended between hope and confusion.

I stayed in the bedroom for almost ten minutes, staring at nothing in particular, trying to gather my thoughts.

Eventually, I walked back into the sitting room.

Charis and Dotty were both seated quietly, each looking like she was waiting for me to say something.

I looked at them for a moment before speaking.

"Hi, lovies."

Neither of them interrupted.

"Seeing both of you here, I think we all know what this means. We all want this to work."

I paused, making sure they were listening.

"So this is how it's going to work. Starting tomorrow, we'll spend time together as a couple from four to eight every evening. Unless something genuinely important or completely unexpected comes up, that's what we'll do for the next one week."

My voice carried more authority than usual.

Maybe because, for once, I wasn't asking.

I was setting a boundary.

"Yes, babe," Charis replied quietly.

She stood up almost immediately and walked toward me.

For a second, I thought she was going to say something, but instead, she wrapped her arms around me and hugged me tightly.

Then she whispered an apology into my ear.

Before I could respond, she pulled back, kissed me gently, and headed toward the door.

"Dotty, see you soon," she said.

Dotty gave her a small nod.

A few seconds later, the door closed behind Charis.

The room fell silent again.

I looked at Dotty.

She looked at me.

There was something different about her expression, something thoughtful, almost conflicted.

Finally, she spoke.

"Babe, I'm not trying to question your judgment, but you weren't fair with the way you spoke to Charis."

I stared at her.

For a moment, I genuinely thought I had heard her wrong.

"Not fair?"

I leaned back slightly, studying her face.

Was Dotty actually defending Charis?

Of all the things I expected her to say, that wasn't anywhere near the list.

I had expected her to see the arrangement as an opportunity to make things work in her favour. Instead, she was concerned about whether I had treated Charis fairly.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

Dotty shifted in her seat before looking directly at me.

"Babe, let's be real."

She paused.

"If you and a super-rich guy who owns a Range Rover, or some expensive sports car, were both chasing the same woman, and let's say she genuinely loved both of you, do you think there is anything that man could do out of love that would look completely harmless to you?"

I frowned.

She continued before I could answer.

"You wouldn't see everything the same way he sees it. You would question his intentions. You would notice every little thing. You would probably convince yourself that even the innocent things weren't innocent."

She gave me a knowing look.

"That's exactly what Charis is doing."

I remained silent.

Dotty wasn't finished.

"She isn't necessarily angry because she doesn't love you. She may be angry because she's scared."

"Scared of what?"

"Of losing you."

Her answer landed harder than I expected.

Dotty leaned back and sighed.

"Babe, you can't expect her to suddenly become comfortable with all of this just because we've decided we want to try. You're asking her to accept something that most people would struggle to understand."

I looked toward the door Charis had just walked through.

For the first time that morning, I wondered if I had been so focused on getting an answer from both women that I had forgotten they were also trying to understand me.

Dotty looked at me again.

"And if we're being honest," she added, "you don't exactly make it easy for either of us."

I raised an eyebrow.

"How?"

She smiled faintly.

"Because you keep saying you don't want to lose either of us."

She paused.

"But sometimes, babe, the hardest part isn't choosing between two people."

Her eyes met mine.

"It's convincing both of them that they won't lose you."

I didn't know what to say or how to react.

I simply sat there, staring at Dotty for a while as her words settled in my mind. Somehow, the conversation had taken a direction I never expected.

"Babe, you know the truth," she continued. "When two men are competing for the same woman and one of them has significantly more money, almost everything he does can start looking like an attempt to buy her affection."

She paused, watching my expression.

"And I can assure you that's what is happening with Charis."

I frowned.

"What do you mean by that?"

Dotty took a slow breath.

"Babe, she isn't necessarily scared or jealous of what I do. She's cautious because she's afraid I might use my family's wealth to shift things in my favour."

She paused again, choosing her words carefully.

"She probably thinks that because I have access to things you may not have access to, I could make your life easier, give you things she can't, and somehow make you love me more."

That made me uncomfortable.

Because as much as I wanted to argue, I couldn't completely dismiss what she was saying.

Dotty stood up and walked toward me.

She sat beside me, slipped an arm around my neck, then gently took my hand and placed it around her waist.

Her voice softened.

"Charis needs reassurance, babe. Not to be treated like she's some commodity in a competition."

I looked at her.

"Crazily enough, she might actually not believe I'm scared of the love you two share."

I remained silent.

Dotty smiled faintly, but there was something almost vulnerable behind it.

"And maybe she's right."

I raised my eyebrows.

"That love you two have is genuine. It's cute, and honestly, I can see it."

She paused.

"Ours is still an infant compared to what you and Charis have built together."

The honesty in her voice caught me completely off guard.

"I know that if things ever became so difficult that you had to choose one of us without hurting anyone, you'd probably choose her."

She swallowed.

"But I can't let her see that weakness in me."

For a few seconds, neither of us spoke.

Then Dotty looked directly into my eyes.

"Babe, if we're going to make this work, both sides have to put in the effort. It cannot be you trying to convince us while we sit back and judge everything you do."

She gently squeezed my hand.

"Charis isn't necessarily trying to fight me. She's just a woman who's in love and wants her man to show her that she still matters."

That sentence stayed with me.

I didn't answer.

I couldn't.

Dotty eventually stood up and straightened herself.

"I have to go to work."

She looked down at me.

"Take care of yourself, and please think about what I said."

She leaned down, gave me a quick peck, then picked up her things and walked out of the house.

The door closed behind her.

I remained on the couch, staring into the empty room.

I couldn't understand what had just happened.

Of all the things I expected from Dotty, defending Charis was nowhere near the top of the list.

But somehow, she had shown me something I hadn't fully appreciated before.

Dotty was more mature than Charis in her own way.

Not necessarily better. Not necessarily more loving.

Just different.

And perhaps that difference was exactly the balance I needed.

But what really shook me was the fact that she had fought for Charis without Charis even knowing about it.

She had every reason to make herself look like the better woman.

Instead, she had deliberately pointed out Charis's fears and asked me to understand them.

I leaned back into the couch and sighed.

Maybe this wasn't really about choosing between two women.

Maybe it was about learning how to love two people without making either of them feel like they were competing for a prize.

And suddenly, I realized that might be much harder than I had imagined.
I spent the rest of the day outside, moving from one meeting to another.

I had potential clients interested in a major property, and there were five agents working on the deal. It was the kind of opportunity where everyone involved was already calculating the commission in their heads.

If we managed to close it, every one of us would be comfortable for months.

So I couldn't afford distractions.

By the time I finally returned home, it was already very late in the evening. I was exhausted. All I wanted was to shower, lie down, and let the day disappear.

Unfortunately, life had other plans.

Just as I settled down, a knock came from the door.

I sighed.

"Who is that?"

Another knock.

I reluctantly got up and walked toward the door.

When I opened it, I found Charis standing there with a flask in her hand.

She smiled.

"Hi, baby."

I couldn't help smiling when I saw her.

"My love. Good evening. How are you doing?"

"I'm fine, babe."

She hesitated, suddenly looking less confident.

"Well... I wanted to apologize to you for how I acted this morning. I'm just. . ."

I gently placed a finger against her lips.

"Babe, you don't have to apologize."

I pulled her into a hug.

"I'm sorry too. I should have told you where I was going instead of letting you find out the way you did."

She remained in my arms quietly.

"And I want you to know something," I continued. "I'm not planning anything behind your back."

I pulled away slightly so I could look at her.

"I went there because Dotty's parents don't live around here, and she wanted me to meet them. They've apparently been asking to see me, so I went."

I explained everything as calmly as I could, walking her through why I had gone there and why I hadn't mentioned it beforehand.

She listened.

She didn't completely look convinced, but I could see the tension slowly leaving her face.

Sometimes, in relationships, you don't necessarily win an argument.

You simply make the other person angry enough to stop fighting.

And tonight, that was progress.

My eyes eventually fell on the flask in her hand.

"So..." I said, raising an eyebrow. "What exactly do we have in there?"

She smiled.

"I prepared your favourite."

That immediately changed my mood.

I smiled.

"Really?"

She nodded proudly.

I looked at her for a moment before an idea came to me.

"Well, why don't we go out for dinner instead?"

Her smile disappeared slightly.

"Tonight?"

"Yes. Tonight."

"Babe, I already brought food."

"I know."

I grinned.

"But I'm taking you out."

She opened her mouth to protest, but I had already made up my mind.

Within twenty minutes, we were on our way to a fancy restaurant in town. Stopped by boutique got her changed up,

The atmosphere was exactly what I needed, soft music, warm lighting, expensive-looking interiors, and couples quietly enjoying their meals.

Charis and I walked in together.

For the first time that day, I felt relaxed.

We were shown to our table, placed our orders, and settled into our seats.

Charis looked across the table at me with a small smile.

"You really didn't have to do this."

"I know."

"Then why did you?"

"Because I wanted to."

She smiled.

I reached across the table and held her hand.

For a moment, everything felt normal.

Almost too normal.

Then the restaurant door opened.

I glanced up casually.

And froze.

Dotty had just walked in.

With a man.

They weren't together in any romantic-looking way, but they were clearly there together. They walked toward a table positioned a considerable distance from ours and sat down.

My eyes remained fixed on them.

Charis noticed.

"What is it?"

I didn't answer immediately.

I picked up my phone and called Dotty.

Across the restaurant, her phone lit up.

She looked at the screen.

She saw my name.

Then she deliberately declined the call.

My stomach tightened.

I stared at my phone.

What?

I immediately sent her a message.

Me: Babe, what's up. I just called.

A few seconds passed.

Then her response came.

Dotty: I'm at work. I'll get back to you later.

I stared at the message.

At work?

I slowly looked across the restaurant again.

Dotty was sitting with the man.

She hadn't even looked in my direction this time.

I swallowed.

This was going to be interesting.

Very interesting.

I glanced at Charis, then back at Dotty.

My peaceful dinner had just turned into a situation I hadn't ordered.

And judging by the way things were unfolding...

Nobody should hold me.

Because this was about to get really crazy.

Hardguy

Since Saturday, everyone on my WhatsApp has automatically turned to Osun state indigen. Musa dey go Sokoto abeg.

THE SWEET BOY 🍑🍆🔞

Chapter Thirty-Four (34)

I turned and looked at Charis, then at Dotty.

For a few seconds, I said nothing.

My mind was already putting the pieces together. How did Charis know about it? No one had told her. At least, no one who had been part of that conversation.

Then it hit me.

The way she had barged into the house. The timing. The things she had said.

She must have been eavesdropping on my conversation with Dotty.

I moved away from Dotty and walked toward Charis. I stopped directly in front of her, not because I wanted to intimidate her, but because I wanted to talk to her before the situation became another unnecessary war between two women.

Unfortunately, the moment I stood there, every word I had prepared disappeared.

I had nothing.

Charis stared at me with the expression of someone who had already chosen her battlefield and was simply waiting for me to make the first mistake.

I gently reached for her hand and held it.

She looked down at our hands, then back at me.

I stared into her eyes, trying to read what was going on behind them.

There was anger there.

Hurt too.

And perhaps a little fear.

Without saying anything, I slowly began walking toward the bedroom, still holding her hand.

She understood what I wanted and followed.

As we passed Dotty, I stopped.

“Relax,” I told her quietly. “I just want to talk to Charis privately.”

Dotty looked at me, then at Charis. She didn't say anything, but her expression told me she had about a hundred things she could have said.

I continued into the bedroom with Charis.

Once we were inside, I closed the door behind us and locked it.

I turned around and faced her.

For a moment, neither of us spoke.

Then I exhaled.

“Why do you always feel like I'm doing something wrong whenever I do something and you later find out about it?” I asked. “Why must we have a conversation about everything?”

Charis looked at me in disbelief.

“Wow.”

I frowned.

She folded her arms.

“Why am I sensing that you're trying to put the blame on me for something I know nothing about?”

I sighed.

“Babe, please.” I stepped closer. “You just came in, heard that I went to Dotty's house, and immediately it became a problem. Why?”

She stared at me for a few seconds, almost as if she couldn't believe I had actually asked her that.

Then she laughed bitterly.

“Wow. You are really something.”

“Charis. . .”

“No, let me finish.”

I stopped.

She took a breath, her eyes fixed on mine.

“So I'm supposed to be perfectly calm because my man, the man I met before all of this, has someone already stepping ahead of me?”

I opened my mouth, but she continued before I could speak.

“Who knows? Maybe you've already started making introduction plans with her, and I'm here deceiving myself, thinking I actually know where I stand with you.”

Her voice cracked slightly at the end.

That changed something in me.

This wasn't just anger.

She was scared.

Scared that while she was busy believing in us, I was quietly building another future with someone else.

“Charis,” I said softly.

She shook her head.

“No. Don't ‘Charis’ me. I want to understand what exactly is going on before you make me look foolish for asking questions.”

I stared at her.

And suddenly, the argument didn't feel like an argument anymore.

It felt like a woman asking me to reassure her that she hadn't already lost me.

“Can you hear yourself?” I asked, staring at her. “Why is that a problem? Did you even ask me why I went there before deciding what it meant?”

Charis let out a short, bitter laugh and folded her arms across her chest.

“Please, don’t manipulate me here. Let’s see things for what they are.”

I said nothing.

She shook her head, her eyes flashing with the kind of frustration that had clearly been building for a while.

“You’ve sidelined me ever since she came into our lives. Why?” she asked. “My house is barely ten minutes from yours. You can walk there and be back before you even get tired, yet you’ve never come to see me. But Dotty?”

She gave a humourless smile.

“For Dotty, suddenly you have all the time in the world. Well, who am I? After all, the poor never gets anything in this country.”

I stared at her, genuinely shocked.

It wasn’t just what she had said. It was the way she had said it, as though she had already built an entire case against me in her head and was now simply waiting for me to confess.

For a moment, my mind went back to the previous night.

Biggie.

Her accusations. Her sharp tongue. The way she had looked at me as though she had already judged my intentions.

And now Charis was standing in front of me, saying almost the same thing in a different way.

I slowly shook my head.

“Wait.” I studied her face. “Are you trying to say, actually, why am I even asking? You’ve made it pretty clear. You think I’m with Dotty because of her family’s money?”

“I never said that,” she replied quickly.

But I heard the hesitation in her voice.

I also noticed the way her expression changed when she realized how much my words had affected me.

“You definitely meant that.”

I stepped closer.

Not aggressively. I wasn't trying to intimidate her. I simply wanted her to look me in the eyes and understand exactly what she was accusing me of.

I stopped just a few inches from her.

She didn't move.

I could feel her breathing, soft and uneven, as the anger between us suddenly became mixed with something more complicated.

“My love,” I said quietly, “this obsession you have with competing with Dotty isn't going to work.”

Her eyes narrowed.

“I'm not competing with anyone.”

“You are.”

I held her gaze.

“Why are you so insecure about her?”

She opened her mouth, but I continued before she could answer.

“Every time you talk about her, you try to make it seem as though she gets certain privileges because she is rich. You turn everything into a competition between what I do for her and what I do for you.”

I paused.

“But you forget something.”

Her expression softened slightly.

“I've done all those things with you too.”

She looked away.

“Charis,” I said more gently, “if you want to know why I went there, ask me. Don't create an answer in your head and then punish me for something I never said.”

I paused and let out a long sigh. I was tired—not just of the argument, but of the endless cycle that seemed to follow every attempt at peace.

“Babe, you need to know what you want,” I said, looking directly at Charis. My voice was calm, but there was exhaustion underneath it. “I can't love you both the way I want to if you refuse to see things from my angle. If everything I do makes you uncomfortable or makes you cringe, then you need to understand that the decision you make next could change everything.”

I didn't wait for her response.

I walked out of the room, only to find Dotty standing right outside the door.

I stopped for half a second.

So she had been listening.

Of course she had.

The way she stood there, suddenly looking innocent, told me everything I needed to know. I could have asked what she heard. I could have confronted her about eavesdropping. But honestly, I didn't have the energy for another argument.

I simply walked past her.

Without a word.

I headed to the sitting room and dropped onto the sofa, leaning back as I stared blankly ahead.

A few minutes later, Charis finally walked out.

“I'll be going to work,” she said, picking up her things. “See you later. Take care.”

She turned toward the door.

“Not so fast.”

She stopped.

I got to my feet and gestured toward the sofa.

“Sit first. I want us to talk.”

She hesitated, then slowly sat down.

Dotty came over as well, taking the seat on my right while Charis sat on my left.

I looked at both of them.

For a moment, neither woman said anything.

Two women. One relationship. And somehow, I had become the referee in a competition I never remembered signing up for.

I rubbed my palms together and took a breath.

“Okay, ladies. I think we need to establish some boundaries here, because whatever we're doing clearly isn't working.”

They both remained quiet.

“I am tired,” I continued. “I'm tired of solving one issue today only for another one to appear tomorrow. Every time I think we've finally settled something, we're right back here arguing again.”

I looked from Dotty to Charis.

“So this is my verdict.”

The room suddenly became very still.

“If you cannot do this because you feel left out, unloved, or incapable of accepting the situation, then please use the door. There is no shame in admitting that this isn't for you.”

Charis looked at me, her expression tightening.

“But if you're both willing to make this work, then things have to change.”

I leaned forward, resting my elbows on my knees.

“You both have one week.”

“One week?” Dotty repeated, raising an eyebrow.

“Yes. One week without fighting.”

I held up a finger.

“Anyone who starts a fight, deliberately provokes the other person, or even decides that creating unnecessary drama is a good way to spend her afternoon…”

I paused.

“…will be choosing the end of this relationship.”

Silence.

I looked at both of them to make sure they understood.

“There are plenty of men out there who want a one-woman relationship. I'm not claiming to be special. I'm simply telling you what I can and cannot handle.”

Charis looked away, while Dotty folded her arms across her chest.

Now they decide

Hardguy

THE SWEET BOY 🍑🍆🔞

Chapter Thirty-Three (33)

I walked for almost thirty minutes before I finally reached the estate gate. By the time I got there, my legs were tired, but the humiliation I was carrying felt heavier.

The security men stopped me immediately.

They had to call Dotty's house to confirm that I was actually coming from there. Only after speaking with someone inside did they finally allow me through.

I said nothing.

I simply walked out, flagged down a cab, and headed straight home.

I had never been broke-shamed or treated that badly in my entire life.

Biggie really had a way with words. Her mouth could do more damage than some people's fists.

That night, I sat alone, staring into space as I replayed everything that had happened.

For once, my thoughts weren't about the complications of loving two women. They weren't even about what the future held for Dotty and me.

It was the way I had been seen.

A potential threat.

A potential gold digger.

That was what hurt the most.

I had worked hard all my life to build something for myself. I had fought through enough things to become the man I was, and in one evening, someone had reduced everything I had achieved to a suspicion.

As if I had nothing.

As if I was simply waiting for a wealthy woman to rescue me.

That thought broke something inside me.

I couldn't sleep.

Every time I closed my eyes, I heard Biggie's voice again.

Gold digger.

I turned over on the bed and sighed.

The painful part was that, if I were in her position, I might have thought the same thing.

Dotty came from a wealthy family. I didn't.

Her lifestyle was different from mine. Her family's wealth was obvious the moment you stepped into their home.

And I couldn't exactly blame her for being protective.

But there was one thing she didn't know.

Since I met Dotty, I had never asked her for money.

Not once.

Whenever we went out, I paid whenever I could. If she took me somewhere expensive and the bill was clearly beyond my tax bracket, I didn't pretend otherwise. Sometimes she paid. Other times, we split it fifty-fifty.

I had never looked at Dotty and seen a bank account.

I had seen a woman I loved.

That distinction mattered to me.

By morning, I still hadn't slept.

Instead of lying there and torturing myself with the same thoughts, I decided to join the early-morning jogging session.

At least running would clear my head.

Besides, I had already spent the entire night awake. I might as well do something productive with the sleeplessness.

We usually met at the starting point by 5 a.m.

When I arrived, several people immediately looked surprised.

I hardly ever showed up for morning jogging.

Normally, 5 a.m. was the time I was finally getting home from clubbing or the time I was enjoying the sleep I had earned after being awake all night.

One of the guys laughed when he saw me.

"Look who finally decided to join us."

I forced a smile.

"Don't get too excited. I may never come back."

He laughed.

They paired me with another guy, and we started running.

But it didn't take long for me to realize that my partner's mind was somewhere else entirely.

He kept looking toward a particular lady instead of concentrating on the road.

I noticed it but said nothing.

Apparently, he had come for jogging with a little romance on the side.

Unfortunately for him, the lady he was interested in had already been paired with Sandra.

He kept glancing in their direction until, somehow, he managed to change partners.

A few moments later, Sandra came jogging toward me.

She looked at me, then smiled.

"So you're my partner now?"

I shrugged.

"Apparently."

She laughed softly.

"Interesting. You hardly ever come for morning jogging."

"Today is different."

She studied my face for a moment.

"That sounds like something happened."

I looked ahead.

"Something did."

Sandra raised an eyebrow.

"Do I get to know what?"

I gave her a small smile.

"Maybe after we survive this run."

She laughed and shook her head.

"Fine. But just so you know, I run fast."

I glanced at her.

"Good. I need to outrun my problems."

She burst out laughing.

For the first time since the previous night, I smiled genuinely.

Maybe the morning wasn't going to be so bad after all.

We ran almost two laps around the designated area without saying a word. The silence between us was surprisingly comfortable, broken only by the sound of our footsteps and our breathing.

After a while, she glanced at me, then at my outfit.

“Native attire really fits you perfectly. I wonder why you rarely wear it.”

I smiled. “Oh, it is because of my work. I am into nightlife, so you do not expect me to walk into a club wearing agbada.”

That made both of us laugh.

“But yesterday was late at night when I saw you,” she pointed out.

“Oh, that?” I shrugged. “I went out for dinner.”

She laughed. “You just really wanted to impress that date. You booked a G-Wagon just to go for dinner.”

There was a teasing sarcasm in her voice.

I laughed. “I am not a fake-it-till-you-make-it kind of guy. The car belonged to my girlfriend. She sent the driver to pick me up because we were having dinner at her family house.”

The moment I said it, her expression changed.

“So you have a girlfriend?”

She said it casually, almost too casually, as though she had suddenly remembered somewhere else she needed to be. But I noticed the slight shift in her voice.

“Yes.”

She nodded slowly.

That was the end of the conversation.

We barely exchanged another word until I got home.

And then I saw it.

A G-Wagon was parked directly in front of my apartment.

I immediately recognized it.

I walked over and tapped on the passenger window. The glass wound down, revealing Dotty sitting inside.

“Where have you been?” she asked playfully.

I leaned against the door and grinned.

“I went to fry peanuts.”

She stared at me for a second before bursting into laughter.

“You are impossible.”

She stepped out, and we walked toward my apartment together. But as we approached the entrance, I turned my head slightly and my eyes met Sandra's.

She was standing there, watching us.

Her expression was unreadable.

I said nothing.

Neither did she.

I simply unlocked my door, and Dotty followed me inside.

The moment we entered, Dotty went straight into it.

She began apologizing for the way her sister had behaved.

“Babe, you do not need to stress yourself,” I told her. “It is all good. I am not even pissed.”

She looked at me for a moment, still concerned.

“So, how is Zeke?”

I chuckled.

“Come on, babe. You of all people should know that what I said was not true. I just did what I had to do to leave before your sister actually got me naked.”

Dotty's lips twitched, but instead of laughing, she studied me carefully.

“So you lied to my parents?”

Her tone carried a little hurt.

I could hear it immediately.

And suddenly, the playful mood in the room disappeared.

I moved closer to her, my voice calmer now, but the frustration was still sitting heavily in my chest.

“You wanted me to sit there and watch your sister belittle me, call me names, and look at me like I was some jobless youth or a fake Abuja boy? Should I have just kept sitting there and taking it?”

Dotty opened her mouth, but I continued.

“You really do not understand what it means for someone you consider high-class to look down on you. It is not just the words. It is the way they make you feel when they have already decided you are beneath them.”

“Babe, that is Biggie. That is how she is,” Dotty said gently. “She did not mean all those things she was saying.”

“Well, that is good.” I nodded. “You are family, so you understand her. But I am not. You cannot expect me to understand her the same way, especially when I was meeting her for the first time.”

Dotty lowered her eyes.

“I am sorry I could not defend you properly.”

She moved a little closer, and the sincerity in her voice immediately softened something inside me.

“No, I do not blame you one bit.” I shook my head. “You tried your best.”

For a moment, neither of us spoke.

The tension between us had eased, and I thought we could finally have a normal conversation.

Then the door opened.

Charis walked in.

She stopped almost immediately when she saw the two of us standing together.

Her eyes moved from me to Dotty, then back to me.

She gave a slow nod.

“So,” she said, her voice unusually calm, “you went to her family house yesterday.”

Dotty's expression changed.

Charis folded her arms.

“Wow.”

She paused, letting the word hang in the room.

“When were you planning on telling me that?” she asked.

Guys I need help oo

Hardguy