CHAPTER 90

I WAS AFRAID...

The morning sun streamed softly through the windows, lighting the quiet living room in golden warmth. Abigail sat curled in her armchair with a book resting on her lap, though her eyes weren’t moving over the words. She had been trying to read for nearly an hour but found herself distracted by thoughts of Maya’s face the night before. Her friend had been smiling, but something about the smile hadn’t reached her eyes. It was the same haunted look she had carried since returning from her mysterious errand, and Abigail had resisted the urge to press her harder.

Now, she was starting to regret it.

She closed the book and set it aside just as she heard faint footsteps. Maya walked in, still in her nightclothes, hair a little tangled from sleep. She tried to smile when she saw Abigail, but it faltered almost immediately. Abigail straightened, her heart tugging at the sight of her.

“Maya,” Abigail said softly. “You didn’t sleep again, did you?”

Maya sat down on the sofa across from her, clutching a pillow against her chest as though it was her only anchor. “Not really,” she admitted. “I tried, but my head wouldn’t stop spinning.”

Abigail tilted her head. “Is it the same thing? The thing you’ve been keeping from me?”

Maya’s throat tightened, and she nodded silently. Her hands shook where they clutched the pillow. For days she had carried the weight of Obetta’s threats like a stone pressing against her chest. She had thought she could keep it hidden, protect Abigail from the mess of her past. But the longer she held it in, the more it consumed her.

Abigail rose quietly and moved to sit beside her on the couch. She reached for Maya’s hand, wrapping her fingers around it. “You don’t have to carry it alone. Whatever it is, tell me.”

Maya looked into her eyes and saw nothing but kindness, patience, and strength. It made the words rise to her lips, trembling and desperate. Her eyes filled before she could stop them, and she shook her head. “I’m scared, Abigail. I’m scared you’ll look at me differently if I tell you.”

“I won’t,” Abigail promised firmly. “You know me better than that. I could never.”

Maya let out a shaky breath. “It’s Obetta.”

Abigail’s eyes narrowed instantly at the name. “What about her?”

“She she cornered me,” Maya whispered, her voice cracking. “She found me at the café. She told me that if I didn’t stay away from you, she’d ruin me. She said she has… something from my past. Something she can twist. And she’ll use it to destroy me and maybe even drag you into it.”

Abigail’s grip on her hand tightened. “What did she say she has?”

Maya’s chest heaved. Her lips trembled as she forced the words out. “Back in university… I was stupid. I was with a boy who wasn’t any good for me. And when it ended, he spread rumors. Ugly ones. Lies that nearly ruined me. People whispered that I’d done things I hadn’t. I thought I buried all of it, but Obetta somehow knows. She said she’d bring it all back to the surface and make sure everyone believed it if I stayed close to you.”

The tears finally spilled over, sliding down Maya’s cheeks as she buried her face in her hands. “I didn’t want to tell you because I was afraid. Afraid you’d think less of me. Afraid Luke would think less of me. But I can’t keep it in anymore. It’s eating me alive.”

Abigail’s heart ached as she wrapped her arms around her friend and pulled her close. “Maya. Look at me.”

Maya lifted her head slowly, her eyes red and wet.

Abigail brushed the tears from her cheeks. “You are my best friend. I don’t care what rumors someone spread about you years ago. I don’t care what Obetta digs up or twists. I know you. I know your heart. None of that filth changes who you are.”

Maya choked on a sob, clutching her tighter. “You mean that?”

“With every bone in my body,” Abigail whispered fiercely. “You are mine to protect, just as you’ve always protected me. And if Obetta thinks she can scare you away from me, she doesn’t know what she’s dealing with. She’ll have to go through me first.”

Maya laughed weakly through her tears, her body trembling with relief. For the first time since Obetta’s confrontation, the crushing weight on her chest began to lift.

“Abigail…” she whispered. “I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

“You’ll never have to find out,” Abigail said, pressing her forehead gently to hers. “You hear me? Never.”

They sat like that for a long while, holding onto each other, letting the silence settle around them like a shield.

Later, after Maya had calmed enough to speak again, Abigail brought her a glass of water and sat beside her once more. “We’re not going to hide from her,” she said firmly. “If she wants to use lies, then we’ll fight her with truth. If she wants to spread rumors, then we’ll stand together. She won’t win.”

Maya’s lips trembled into a shaky smile. “I don’t know how you’re so strong.”

Abigail shook her head. “I’m not strong alone. I have Luke. I have you. That’s where my strength comes from.”

At the mention of Luke, Maya hesitated. “Will you tell him? About what Obetta said?”

Abigail thought for a moment, then shook her head. “Not yet. If I tell him now, he’ll burn the entire city down to get to her. And while a part of me wants that, another part knows it’s not time. But if she makes one move against you just one I won’t hold him back.”

Maya nodded slowly, wiping her eyes again. “Thank you, Abigail. For not turning away. For listening.”

Abigail smiled softly. “For as long as I breathe, I’ll never turn away from you.”

When the day faded into evening, they found themselves on the balcony, watching the sky melt into shades of orange and pink. Maya leaned her head on Abigail’s shoulder, feeling lighter than she had in days. The secret was no longer her burden alone, and the relief of that truth made the air taste sweeter.

But Abigail’s eyes remained sharp as she gazed out at the horizon. Obetta had gone too far this time. Threatening her was one thing. Threatening Maya was another.

Her jaw set as the last of the sun disappeared. She would not let Obetta’s poison touch the people she loved. Whatever storm was coming, she would meet it head-on.

And she would not lose.