Teniola adjusted the strap of her bag as she stepped out of the café, her face calm… almost too calm.
Inside her, nothing was calm.
Another day.
Another man
Another drama
Another disappointment.
"Wait please!"
The voice came from behind her, slightly breathless.
She didn't stop.
"I'm talking to you!"
She paused this time, but only for a second, like she was deciding whether the stress was even worth it.
Slowly, she turned.
The man standing behind her looked decent enough. Well-dressed. Clean. The type that would normally catch attention.
But Teniola wasn't impressed.
"I just wanted to ask if I could take you out," he said, trying to smile. "You seem different."
Different.
She almost laughed.
"I'm not interested," she replied, her tone flat.
The man blinked, surprised at how quickly she shut him down.
"Ah… you didn't even think about it," he said, forcing a small laugh. "At least give me a chance. You don't even know me."
Teniola tilted her head slightly, studying him for a brief moment.
"I don't need to know you."
That smile on his face faded
"I'm not looking for anything," she continued. "Not friendship. Not talking stage. Definitely not love."
Her words came out smooth, practicedlike she had said them too many times before.
"But not all men are the same"
"There it is," she cut in, a faint, tired smile appearing on her lips.
"That line."
He frowned. "What line?"
"That one you just said. 'Not all men are the same.'"
She shook her head slowly.
"They all say that. Every single one of them."
There was no anger in her voice.
Just… certainty.
The kind that comes from experience.
From pain.
The man hesitated, clearly unsure of what to say next
Teniola didn't wait.
She turned and walked away, her steps steady, her expression unreadable.
But if anyone looked closely…
They would see it.
That tiny flicker in her eyes.
Not strength.
Not pride.
Just someone who was tired.
Tired of hoping.
Tired of trying.
Tired of being disappointed.
Across the street, someone had been watching the entire exchange.
Silent.
Still.
Interested.
Kunle leaned slightly against his car, his gaze following her as she walked away.
There was nothing dramatic about her.
No loud makeup.
No desperate need for attention.
No fake smile.
Yet…
Something about her stayed.
The way she spoke.
The way she shut that man down without hesitation.
The way her eyes didn't match her words.
He noticed.
And that alone made her different.
Teniola kept walking, not looking back.
She had mastered this.
Ignore. Reject. Move on.
Simple.
Short
Safe.
No emotions. No attachments. No heartbreak.
That was the rule now.
And she intended to keep it that way.
But for some reason
She slowed down.
Just a little.
A strange feeling crept up her spine.
Like someone was watching her.
Her brows furrowed slightly.
Don't be paranoid, she told herself.
Still, she couldn't ignore it.
She turned her head slightly
Just enough to glance back.
And that was when she saw him.
Standing across the street.
Watching her.
Not smiling.
Not calling out.
Just… looking.
Their eyes met for a brief second.
Something about his gaze was different.
Calm.
Steady.
Unshaken.
Not like the others.
Teniola quickly looked away, her heart beating a little faster than normal.
"Abeg," she muttered under her breath, picking up her pace.
Not again.
She wasn't doing this again.
But behind her…
Kunle's lips curved into the slightest smile.
Not amusement.
Not arrogance.
Interest.
And for the first time in a long time…
Someone wasn't ready to walk away from Teniola.