Chapter 26 - Chapter 25

"Raj, you've got to fix this."

I pace the passage in front of room 428, clutching the phone to my ear with one hand, gripping the back of my neck with the other.

"I thought you said you could sleep on the sleeper couch," Raj says, clearly confused. "And that it would be fine."

"I lied."

"What—why would you lie?"

"Obviously," I say, lowering my voice, "because I don't want Naledi to know it's not fine."

"That makes no sense."

"You're not listening."

"Ja, I am. It sounds like you're scared to be in a room for one night with your ex-wife."

"Scared?" I stop pacing. "Pffft."

Great rebuttal.

"You'll be in the sitting room on the couch, and she'll be in the bedroom. I don't understand the problem."

There shouldn't be a problem. I know that, but I can't shake the feeling that if we spend the night in that room together, everything will change ... again.

"You don't seriously think anything will happen, do you?" Raj asks. "I mean, between you and Naledi?"

It's already happening.

The ground has been shifting a little at a time ever since that day in my office. Maybe even before. Being in the same room overnight? One wrong move, and this shift could turn tectonic.

"You think you'd cheat on Vuyelwa. Is that what you're worried about?"

"That's irrelevant." I squeeze the bridge of my nose and force out a long breath. "Vuyi and I broke up."

The small gasp from behind me makes me turn slowly to meet Naledi's wide, startled eyes.

Hhayibo.

I wasn't planning to tell her yet, and certainly not like this.

"Raj," I say, eyeing her warily, "I need to go. We're due for lunch at one, right?"