Chapter 21

• "Funmi," Cole says my name in a tone I don’t quite recognize. It’s not cold, but it’s distant, like the words are fighting to stay connected. I turn away from the window, feeling the weight of the silence between us. The evening sun spills through the curtains, casting shadows over the living room, and I know this moment means something I don’t want to face.
• "Yeah?" I respond, trying to sound casual, but my voice cracks, betraying the tightness in my chest.
• He takes a deep breath, not quite meeting my eyes. His gaze drifts toward the floor, then back to the window, then to his phone, but he doesn’t say anything for what feels like an eternity. I hate this. I hate the way things have been slipping between us. The intimacy we once shared, the laughter that used to fill the spaces, now replaced with cold, calculated pauses.