Unlock My Heart

Chapter 4

I had intended to ignore Sean for the rest of the day. After our conversation outside the library, I was convinced that staying out of his orbit was the best way to preserve my sanity. Yet here I was, sitting in the cafeteria with Sally, stealing glances at my phone every five minutes, half-expecting his name to pop up on my screen again.

It didn't.

"Hello? Alura, wetin you dey think," Sally's voice cut through my wandering thoughts, pulling me back to the present. She was staring at me from across the table, her brows furrowed in exaggerated confusion.

"What?"

"You've been weird all day," she said, smirking. "You've hardly touched your food, and you've been staring at your phone like say person owe you money. Who are you waiting to hear from?"

"No one," I said quickly, feeling the heat rise to my cheeks.

Sally didn't buy it for a second. "Ah, it's Sean, isn't it? You're low-key checking to see if he's messaged you."

I rolled my eyes but didn't answer.

"You see?" Sally laughed, nudging my arm. "Na how it dey take start ."

"How what dey start?"

"You start thinking about him when he's not around," she said with a grin. "Next thing you know, you'll be imagining your wedding dress."

"Please, stop." I stabbed at my rice with my fork, trying to change the subject. The truth was, Sally was only half-wrong. Sean had somehow worked his way into my head—more than I was willing to admit. But it wasn't like that. It was just curiosity. Right?

"I'm serious, though," Sally continued, still grinning. "He's cute, and he's clearly interested in you. What's the problem?"

"I told you," I said, lowering my voice. "I'm not interested in any of that. I came to Unilag to focus on school, not get distracted by some guy."

"Okay, madam serious," she teased, taking a sip of her drink. "But don't be surprised if your 'focus' starts shifting soon."

I shot her a look, and she laughed again, clearly enjoying how flustered I was. But before I could reply, my phone buzzed. My heart did a weird flip in my chest.

I glanced at the screen, but it wasn't Sean. It was my mom.

Mom: Alura, you haven't called. What's going on? Are you too busy for your family now?

I sighed, the bubble of tension in my chest expanding. I loved my mom, but her messages were always laced with guilt, like I owed her something more than a simple explanation. I knew what she wanted to talk about: Dad. They'd probably had another fight. Again.

"Everything alright?" Sally asked, noticing my change in mood.

"Yeah, it's just my mom." I didn't offer any more details. Sally didn't need to know the full extent of my family's dysfunction.

Sally nodded, respecting my silence. "You wanna head back to the hostel? You don't look like you're in the mood to hang out anymore."

"Yeah, I think I'll head back," I said, gathering my things. "I need to call my mom."

At the Hostel

I made my way back to my room, the weight of my family's issues dragging behind me like a shadow. When I entered the hostel, I saw Anita's latest message waiting for me.

Anita: Can't wait for you to come home for the weekend. It's been crazy here. Dad's threatening to leave again.

I winced. So the fight was bad this time. I had known it was coming, but I'd hoped that being away at school would shield me from it. But distance didn't stop the drama from creeping into my life.