Straight to her.
My eyes found her, like they knew exactly where to go. Because those hazel eyes were the first to greet me. Wide, bright, and shimmering.
Tshabina’s eyes stared right back at me.
12
Tshabina
With hurried steps, I flung open my bedroom door and bolted for the stairs. My heart raced, my palms were sweating as I clutched Andi’s iPad. What the hell was this?No wonder…
I took the stairs two at a time, only to halt mid-stride—Tsabinu was coming up. He was dressed in a crisp, neat suit, and his tired posture in it made my chest ache for him. On a damn Sunday, of all days?
I stopped mid-step and would have toppled backwards if he hadn’t caught my arm. His brows furrowed in surprise, and he looked at me with his wide-open eyes. But before he could scold me, I shoved the still-glowing iPad in his face, making him squint. “Mas!” I pointed at the headline blazing on the screen with my trembling finger. “Mas, is this real?”
He narrowed his eyes, pushing my hand back to remove the device from his face. Blinking several times, he removed his glasses, clearly dazzled by the screen’s glare. His astigmatism always made bright lights a nuisance. With a sigh, he replaced his glasses. Once he could see properly, his face hardened, a coldness seeping into his gaze.
Oh. I had forgotten that I looked like a total zombie!
He stared at me, steady, and finally spoke. “Dek? What’s wrong?” His voice was low, one of his hands brushing beneath my eye. I didn’t know what to say, and my chest thudded even harder.
Tsabinu couldn’t find out what happened…
Think… think…
Swallowing hard, I forced a casual expression. “Sad movies?” What a pathetic excuse. And of course, he didn’t buy it. His gaze grew colder, pinning me in place. Still, Iforced myself to meet his gaze, to act normal.Twin things, damn twin telepathy—please don’t work now!
He watched in silence for a long while before speaking again. “Andi? I called him earlier. Why was he so furious?”
Of course. The timing couldn’t be worse.
Andi, please, don’t say anything.
I swallowed hard. I was useless at lying; even the pulse in my neck betrayed me. Oh God, please—I shrugged. “Same old. He sulked because I refused to watch what he wanted. Said I broke a promise or something.” I wanted to grimace. What? Sulking over films? What are you, Tshabina—thirteen?! We were twenty-seven!
My legs fidgeted, and my heart skipped a beat as Tsabinu watched me, his eyes unwavering. Sweat trickling down my neck. His eyes pierced me, making me want to cry.
I’m so sorry, Tsabinu…
At last, his shoulders loosened, and he exhaled, a thin breath escaping him. “Alright… if you don’t want to talk yet, that’s fine.” His gaze gentled, and his hand squeezed my shoulder. “But I just want you to know I’m here, always, Dek.”
My eyes stung. He clearly knew I was lying, yet he gave me space. That was more than enough, and I couldn’t imagine life without him.
Clearing my throat and nodding, I snapped back to reality, remembering the urgency that had sent me running in the first place. I pointed back to the iPad. “Mas, is this real?”
He looked long at it, then nodded with a weary sigh. “Yes. That’s why I just came back, I met with people from the office and had meetings.”
I swallowed, and the iPad in my hand dipped when my mind scattered. I looked at my brother again. “So, what now? Have you heard from Zaeem? The office must be in chaos. And their situation… Mas Zaeem, Zeraiah, Zioh… Have you heard anything from them?”
Tsabinu shifted his eyes from the iPad to me, his gaze heavy again. “Don’t overthink it, Dek. Just focus on your office work.” His tone was soft, but firm. “Your team’s struggling too because of this.”
“I know.” My nod was weak. “But I… I’m worried, Mas.” The admission slipped out in a small voice.
He nodded as well. “I understand. But don’t overthink, alright? Focus on your tasks. Tomorrow I’ll even come to your office for a meeting.” His hand ruffled my hair. “I’ll go shower now.” With that, he ascended the stairs to his room.
I let out a weak breath, trying to steady myself. Why did it have to be like this? This news made my chest constrict even tighter because it explained everything.
Explained why Zioh had been so broken that day.
