Beyond Desire

28- Facts are dangerous.

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Hey lovely people. How are y'all doing?
I just wanted to make it known to you that I have started writing a new book, a historical romance that dated back to the era of warriors, a timeline that merged Queen Amina and Bayajidda, do well in checking it out. The update will start tomorrow. Thank you.

Enjoy🤍

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"Hi." That was the response I got from the anonymous account. Whoever runs it has dragged my father countless times on their page, and I messaged them from my personal account, so there was a high chance they knew who I was.

I chewed on the inside of my cheek, trying to figure out the right way to start this conversation. What exactly did I want from them? I already knew the answer, the truth. They knew something, and I wanted to be fed that same thing.

"How are you?"
I typed it, stared at it, then deleted it. No. I needed to be direct, straight to the point.

"I have followed your posts for a while. You seem to know things the public doesn't. How do you get your information?"

I slipped back to Khalid's chat as I waited for his reply.

"I still think about what you said there, you know."
"It left quite the impression on me."
"If a child is guilty by bloodline, then every leader should start packing."

He remembered that? I couldn't even recall saying that.

"You remembered that?" I typed back, a little faster than I meant to. Truth was, I didn't even know what direction the conversation was heading.

"I remember everything you say." He replied almost instantly. "Especially when you are defending me."

My cheek warmed up as I forced a tiny smile at my screen. "I wasnt defending you, I was simply defending logic."

"No, you were defending me."

I stared at the text, tapping gradually at my keyboard, trying to form a better comeback, when another notification through. Not from him. My heart thudded in rhythm with the vibration of my phone as I clicked out of Khalid's chat.

Truthuncaged: The truth always finds me, why are you asking?

My reply came almost instinctively. "'Because some of your posts hit close to home."

I switched back to Khalid's messages. He had sent another text. "I want to know why."

I stared at his words, trying to read the tone, meaning, and intent in them. With a sigh, I decided to play it safe. "Because what they said about your father was simply unacceptable."

"Not my father Lily, me. Why did you defend me?"

Why did I? He doesn't deserve it, at least not then. He had been nothing but an ass to me. And yet, when it mattered, I had stepped forward without even thinking.

"Because I hate bullies."

"Is that all?"

"What else could it be?" I sent quickly, refusing to let the pause stretch long enough for my irrational brain to embarrass me.

"You tell me."

I hesitated, unsure what he was implying, or even how far he intended to take this conversation. Before I could decide, another message landed.

"You spoke with so much passion. Like you were willing to burn the entire room before letting them drag my name."

"You are imagining things." My chest felt heavy as I typed.