The streets of Nairobi had a way of making everything feel alive—the honking of Matatus, the chatter of vendors, the scent of roasted maize mingling with car fumes. But Aisha barely noticed any of it as she walked through the crowded CBD, clutching her notebook like it held all the answers to her life.
And then she saw him again.
Daniel.
This time, he wasn't waiting casually. He was leaning against a lamppost outside Java House, looking like he belonged to another world entirely—too calm, too composed, too impossibly familiar.
Aisha froze mid-step, her heart racing like a drumline. She wanted to turn, to disappear, to pretend she hadn't seen him. But curiosity, that sneaky little thief of reason, rooted her in place.
"Hi," he said, voice soft but unmistakably hers. The words carried across the buzz of Nairobi as if they were meant only for her.
She swallowed, trying to regain her composure. "Hi," she said cautiously.
Daniel smiled, but there was something in his eyes this time—a hint of worry, or maybe urgency, she couldn't tell.
"You're avoiding me," he said. It wasn't a question. It was a statement, as if he already knew the answer.
"I… I'm not," she stammered, though her hands trembled slightly.
"Okay," he said slowly, stepping closer. "Then you won't mind telling me why someone slipped this into your bag yesterday?"
He held out the small note she'd found at the Junction Mall. Her fingers itched to snatch it back, but she stopped herself.
"I don't know," she admitted softly. "I—someone must be playing a joke or…" She trailed off, unable to finish.
Daniel's eyes softened, but his jaw tightened. "It's not a joke, Aisha. Someone is watching you. And I… I can't just stand by and do nothing."
She wanted to argue, to tell him it wasn't his problem, that she could handle herself. But the truth was, she couldn't. Her pulse betrayed her, thudding painfully against her ribs.
"Then why keep showing up everywhere?" she demanded, her voice rising slightly.
"Because I care," he said simply, like the words were both an apology and a promise.
Aisha blinked. His honesty, raw and unguarded, made her chest ache in ways she didn't want to feel. She wanted to run, yet a strange pull kept her rooted.
"Do you… always have to make things so complicated?" she asked, half-laughing, half-sighing.
Daniel tilted his head, smiling faintly. "I don't know. Maybe I just haven't met anyone who makes me feel like… this."
The air shifted between them. For a heartbeat, Nairobi's chaos disappeared—the noise, the heat, the people—leaving only two hearts beating in synchrony, dangerously close.
Aisha could feel the tension, the unspoken words, the almost-touch of his hand reaching for hers. She wanted to pull away. She wanted to fight the magnetic pull between them.
And yet…
"Wait," Daniel said suddenly, his voice dropping to a whisper. He leaned closer, eyes locked on hers, and she could feel the warmth radiating off him. "I need to tell you something. Something important. But I can't here."
"Where then?" she whispered, heart pounding.
He glanced around, lowering his voice further. "Meet me at the café tomorrow. Same time. You'll understand everything. I promise."
Aisha wanted to ask more questions—so many questions—but before she could, he stepped back and melted into the crowd, leaving her standing on the sidewalk with her chest aching, her notebook clutched tightly, and a thousand thoughts spinning in her head.
Her pulse had never raced like this before. Something about Daniel—about him—was dangerous. Exciting. Impossible. And terrifying.
As she walked home that evening, she couldn't shake the feeling that her life was about to change in ways she could never predict.
And deep down, she realized:
She didn't want it any other way.
romance • slowburn • kenyaromance • nairobilove • drama • mysteriousboy • ngongroad • strangers-to-lovers • tension • suspense • recommended • newstory