AFLOAT Season 4 E.8 (Ongoing)

It is better to have less thunder in the mouth and more lightning in the hand

                — Apache Proverb 

______________________________

Maitama, Abuja

Tricia took a step toward her nightstand and the phone she had switched to Do Not Disturb the moment she got home, then stopped. 

Calling Alex to tell him about David's folly suddenly felt like a stupid idea. 

Besides, she had single-handedly built her own life from the ground up and handled her own battles—much to Alex's displeasure, of course. But, she wasn't built to be weak, and she certainly wasn't about to cower on a soft rug in her own home just because David had a crush and the audacity to knock on her door at midnight.

When the handle turned a second time, Tricia's frown deepened. 

Them no born this guy well! She muttered to herself as she walked straight to the door, unlocked it with a firm click, and pulled it open.

David stood in the semi-dark hall, looking tense, but Tricia didn't flinch. She leaned slightly against the frame, crossed her arms, and looked him dead in the eye.

"What do you want, David?" 

Her voice was steady, ice-cold, and entirely stripped of any timidity or fear he probably expected.

David swallowed and for a moment, he seemed to have forgotten why he had come. Then he mechanically held out his phone, the screen glowing between them.

"Alex," he said, his tone flat, "He couldn't get through to your line."

Tricia's gaze dropped to the phone in his hand. She looked at the screen, then up at David's face. Without a word, she snatched the phone cleanly out of his hand, stepped back into her room, and slammed the heavy door right in his face.

The sharp thud echoed down the quiet corridor, followed by the immediate, decisive turn of the lock.

David didn't move. He simply stood there, staring at the dark wood of the door.

After several seconds, he lowered his hand.

A wave of conflicting emotions rushed through him, but two stood out. The humiliation of having the door slammed in his face and an agonizing, persistent thrill from the sheer intensity of her eyes when she had looked at him.

If only he had been able to think of an excuse to keep her staring at him...

Stop it, man!

His mind warned him as the reality of the situation hit him hard.

The moment Alex's call had come through on his phone downstairs, David had thought the worst. He had been certain Tricia had already called him to report everything that had happened that night. The relief he'd felt when he realized she hadn't spoken to Alex all evening had been immediate.

But...What if she tells him now?

David exhaled slowly and rubbed the back of his neck. The thought sent a raw spike of fear through him.

"Dude you need to get your act together before this escalates," He muttered under his breath.

Glancing once more at the closed door, he sighed quetly then turned and walked away.

CONTINUE