Chapter 45

• "Is it true?" My voice barely registered, a whisper that felt like it was being torn from the deepest part of my chest. "Is it true, Funmi?"
• She didn't answer immediately, her eyes flicking between the door behind me and my face. Her hesitation made my stomach drop. I had never imagined hearing her say anything like this, never thought I would be standing here, fighting to understand what had just come to light. But now, with every second stretching into the next, the words seemed to be taking root, sinking deeper into my mind, poisoning everything I thought I knew.
• "Funmi, please—" My voice cracked. I couldn’t stop it. I needed her to tell me the truth, to stop playing games, to stop hiding whatever it was I needed to know. But she didn’t speak. Her gaze faltered, and that was enough to answer my question.