Nairobi was the city that kept giving. The weather was as unpredictable as a toddler. One day it was blazing hot and the next it was bone-chilling cold. It was a Saturday. A web of clouds, backlit by the falling sun, mist billowed through the trees and over the fields and hung low in the air, masking the backyard. The downpour started in the morning and continued through the day, a heavy pelting of water that thundered against rooftops and drowned out the sound of all else. By morning, the city streets would be shallow rivers rushing to find an exit.

At first, the thrill of staying in a new, beautiful place had kept me busy. Two months in and my mind was muddled mush from filling up on the couch like a potato and wasting away on a Netflix solo party haze. New day, old feeling, same life. My heart was restless from resting.

"Hello?" Valentine popped her head into my room. "Can I come in?"

I sat, closing the book I read. "Yes."

She walked into the room and looked around with curiosity. "Wow! They turned this room into something cosy, didn't they?"

"I guess so." I scratched my scalp uncomfortably. "I didn't know what it looked like before."

Valentine stuffed her hands into the back pockets of the fancy designer jeans snuggling her frame. "It was a dump, really, full of boxes and any other kind of junk. Edward doesn't do much with this beautiful house. It's sad."

For the past three weeks, Valentine spent her Saturdays with Edward. She and I were in a boxing ring fighting for his attention. I didn't want to be in it, but every time she was around, I was reluctantly dragged back into the ring.

"Mama Wanjiru told me to come to get you for dinner. It's ready."

"Thank you. I'll be right down."

She glared at me for a second too long before walking out with a tight smile. Quickly, I changed and went downstairs.

"You look nice. Do I sense some competition?" Mama Wanjiru asked, wrapping her scarf around her neck.

"There is no competition. Look at her." Valentine and Edward were on the dining table, laughing. "How can anyone be so delicately beautiful, yet utterly vapid at the same time."

"There needs to be more to a person than just beauty."

"Right? Anyway, I put on a dress so that she wouldn't use it against me in this war we're in."

She looked at me with a little mischief in her eyes. "I believe you."

"It's the truth," I pushed.

"Yes, yes...If you say so. Go eat and I'll see you on Monday."

Mama Wanjiru had been a mother figure during my stay. She was equally compassionate and stern. Already, I had come to love and respect her.

"Have a good weekend."

Edward smiled as I took a seat. "The princess awakes."

I rolled my eyes.

"Are we moody today or do you just not like hearing my voice?"

"I swear it must be the voice. Before you spoke to me, I was in such a good mood."

Laughing softly, he took my arm, pulling me closer to his face. An electric-like spark zinged through my body. "There is a very thin line between love and hate, Maria."

Valentine cleared her throat, picked a plate, and handed it to him. Her tone was cut and tight and her eyes were murderous when I finally turned to look at her. "Shall we eat?"

We served in silence.

Valentine tried to make small talk. Edward's eyes were fixed on me. My brows furrowed. He stretched his hand and slowly wiped something from my lower lip and gave me this 'I want to kiss the breath out of you' smile. What I felt right after were not butterflies. It was as if the whole zoo had taken up space in the pit of my stomach.

"Excuse me." Valentine stood. "Washroom."

Edward's hand on my thigh was what pushed me to pull air into my lungs. "Breath."

"What's wrong with you?"

"What?"

"You're very inconsiderate."

"What do you mean? The gravy on your lips was just beginning for me to lick it off. It was either wipe it off or lick it off. I think I made a very considerate decision."

I scoffed, wordless. Valentine was completely smitten by him and they had a history. I did not want to get in the middle. The way she looked at me sometimes warned me of her vindictiveness. If given the opportunity, she would subtly slice me open like a fish and watch me die.

"Besides...I'm single," he said. "I can do whatever the fuck I want, with whomever I please."

"This isn't fun for me."

"It's so infuriating how you don't take me seriously."

"There is nothing to take seriously."

Edward's expression morphed from amused to irritated. "Real life isn't like the books you read, Maria. I can't just ignore the steps you want me to ignore and get to certainty. I like you, but I don't know you enough to be sure what you are to me. Your lack of experience in real relationships is showing right now."

Valentine walked in before I could say anything, and the room went silent. We ate. Edward cleared the table.

"You're not into him, are you?" Valentine moved over to me and whispered with feigned concern. "Don't get me wrong, I'm not being spiteful or anything. It's just that Edward isn't the boyfriend material kind. He likes a challenge and once he gets what he wants he is gone. I just feel like you should know what you are in for."

I understood jealousy, so there was no way I could blame her for trying to knock me down. But I sure as hell wasn't going to make it easy for her.

"Don't worry. Edward isn't my type, but I'm sure that I'm his. I'm not your problem." The fake smile dropped from her face. "Excuse me, have a nice evening."

"You're going to bed?" Edward asked.

"Yeah."

"Stay," he said. "Watch a movie with us."

Valentine glared at me, daring me to say yes.

"Sure, why not."

I had no interest in watching a movie but if staying made things worse for Valentine then I couldn't pass up the opportunity.

"I have to head home," she said. "I have some work to take care of. Thank you for dinner Edward."

"You're welcome." He pulled her in for a hug. "See you soon."

"Have a good evening, Maria."

She left. Tick. Tock. The clock struck 7:30. Edward slumped into a sofa in the living room and turned on the T.V.

"You can choose any movie you want to watch."

"Fine."

We settled on a film and watched it in silence for the next two hours.

"What?"

He stared at me from across his. I popped in some popcorns into my mouth and wiped the tears from my face.

"You do realize that it's just a movie, right?" He rubbed his hands down his stomach and adjusted his seating position.

"It was sad. Weren't we watching the same thing?"

He shook his head. "I don't know how I was talked into watching a movie called beyond the lights, I should have known better."

I threw my pillow at him. "You're so heartless."

He let out a deep laugh. I took in his muscles, the scruffy square jaw and tuned into his deep voice. Strategically, I moved a little bit further from him just in case the devil tried to tempt me to sin.

"About earlier..." he said.

"Edward."

"My delivery was wrong, but I still stand on my words," he continued. "Just because my critic made you feel some type of way doesn't mean it's inherently bad. If you got your ego out of the way, you'd accept it. I don't want to have to make things palatable every time, especially not with you."

"I'm not going to argue with the fact that I lack relationship experience. That's true. What I don't want is to be strung along by a man with options. My feelings are my feelings."

He continued to glare with me unsmiling. "You're the only option."

His face was still hidden in shadows, but there was little mistaking the tension in his frame. I smiled, he smiled back and leaned into the sofa.

"You look cute in that little shirt." He pointed at my chest. I was in a tight, black tank top written coconut across my chest.

"You like coconuts?"

"Yeah, I like coconuts. Big round coconuts are my favourite."

We both laughed.

"She does look really cute in that shirt." A strange voice startled both of us.

Three tall, serious-looking men in black suits stood behind us. Edward stood fast. In an instance, his demeanour changed. His back was straighter, muscles were tense, and his jaw clenched together as if he was in the presence of an enemy.

"What are you doing in my house?"

"We need to discuss some business. It wouldn't be the first time," one of the men said to Edward but still stared at me. All of them were stared at me as if I was a nuisance. I sunk deeper into the sofa.

"Who's this beautiful woman?" The guy in the middle asked with a stern voice. He seemed like the shy, quiet one at first but something about his eyes scared me. Unlike the other two, he was short and slim. Despite his less intimidating physic, he seemed to be the one with all the power.

"Gentlemen wait for me in my office," Edward said. "I will be with you in a minute."

"Fine," another said.

They ventured to his office. Edward grabbed my arm hauling me up and dragged me away as fast as he could. He was so focused on his mission that he completely forgot how badly I injured my leg. I tried limping faster to keep up with him, but it was an impossible task.

I pulled my arm out of his grip. "You're hurting my leg. What is wrong? Who are they?"

"Unexpected guests."

Edward swept me into his arms and jumped up the stairs. He looked rattled and that scared me. He made his way into his bedroom. He pressed a button on his nightstand which opened a door to a secret room. Grabbing my arm, he shoved me inside.

The room was painted grey, and it had no window. On the grey desk sat a desktop computer, a notebook lying open, and a stack of papers sitting under a turtle-shaped paperweight. In a corner, the air conditioner was blasting at medium, and there was a swivel chair against the wall.

Out of one of the drawers on the desk, he pulled out a small gun, shoving it down his pants. He pushed me on the swivel chair, took my chin and said, "you're in a panic room. Don't be too alarmed, but under no circumstance can you leave."

"No." I stood. "You're not leaving me in this small space, I'm very claustrophobic."

All humour was lost in his voice when he said, "it wasn't an option"

"Why? Who are those men?"

"No one you were ever meant to meet. But I'll fix this."

And with that, he was gone.