It wasn't supposed to happen like this.
They were at Zara's apartment, a quiet Friday night, takeout containers on the coffee table, music low in the background. Malik had leaned over to kiss her—soft, familiar, safe.
And that's when the door opened.
Tolu stood frozen in the doorway, holding a bottle of wine and a confused smile that faded instantly.
Zara's breath caught. Malik pulled back. The silence was deafening.
"Oh," Tolu said. Just one word. But it held everything.
Zara scrambled to her feet. "Tolu—I didn't know you were coming."
"I texted," Tolu said, her voice flat. "You said to swing by."
Malik stood slowly. "It's not what it looks like."
Tolu raised an eyebrow. "Really? Because it looks like you're dating my best friend and didn't tell me."
Zara stepped forward. "We weren't ready."
Tolu's eyes narrowed. "Weren't ready—or didn't trust me?"
The question hit harder than Zara expected.
"I'm sorry," she said. "It wasn't about you. It was about us. About not knowing what this is yet."
Malik nodded. "We didn't want to ruin anything."
Tolu looked at them both. "You already did."
She left without another word.
Zara sank onto the couch, her hands trembling. Malik sat beside her, silent.
"She was going to find out eventually," he said.
"But not like that," Zara whispered.
They didn't speak for a long time.
The secret was out.
And now, everything had to change.