I’m more than a little embarrassed to admit that I may have harboured a tiny crush on Imani after that.Maybe.
We never spoke again but on the odd occasion we passed each other on campus, we’d share a polite smile. I’d like to say that she remembered me from the party and there was a hint of recognition in her eyes, but that would be wishful thinking.
It’s strange, remembering her like that – the soft, small smile whenever we accidentally crossed paths – when the version of her sitting in front of me right now might as well be a different person entirely. I haven’t thought about or seen her since we graduated, so I have no idea why she’s currently staring at me like she’d very much like to sink a knife into my chest right now.
Beside her, Malcolm grits his teeth and shoots his daughter a sideways glance. ‘Imani—’
‘If we’re going to be talking about marriage,’ Imani continues frostily, ‘I think it’s only right we get this all out in the open. Clear the air, so to speak.’
Now it’s my father’s turn to shoot me a sideways glance. His dark eyes narrow and I don’t miss the way his fist clenches slightly under the table. The unspoken message is clear.What the fuck have you messed up now?
Funnily enough, this time I’m not even sure.
Imani shifts in her seat so she’s facing me head on. ‘Do you want to tell them, or should I?’
‘I…’ I glance over at my father. His eyes have narrowed into thin slits and a dangerous vein is bulging on the side of his neck. ‘I don’t know what you’re talking about?’
I don’t intend for it to come out as a weak question, but it does anyway.
Imani rolls her eyes. ‘Typical.’
Typical?
I lean forward and press a hand down onto the table. ‘I’m sorry. Did I—’
‘Your son and I dated during our university days,’ Imani says, sending the entire room into a stunned silence. Well, me and my father at least. Malcolm just looks pissed. ‘Needless to say, things didn’t end well.’
I should be focusing on the absurdity of her claim – that I’ve apparently dated and broken the heart of a woman without even realising it – but something else catches my attention.
She’s talking to my father, but she’s not looking at him.
Her gaze is fixed firmly onme.
And she doesn’t look like she’s five seconds away from throttling me anymore. Her chestnut eyes are wide and imploring and I get the distinct sense that she’s trying to tell me something.
I steal a quick glance at my father, whose expression has morphed into a potent mix of disbelief and simmering anger.
‘I’m not surprised you didn’t mention it,’ Imani continues, still staring at me with wide, desperate eyes. I feel like I’m missing something important here, that would click everything into place. ‘The last time we spoke, I told you I didn’t want to have anything to do with you ever again. But,’ she pauses and spreads her arms with dramatic flair, ‘it seems things are out of our hands now.’
‘We’ve already discussed this,’ Malcolm says through gritted teeth. He shoots my father an apologetic grimace. ‘The two of them dated some ten years ago now.’
From across the table, Imani winces.
‘Ten years ago?’ my father splutters, staring at me in disbelief. He’s quiet for a few moments, but then he shakes his head and lets out a rough chuckle. ‘They were practically children back then.’
Imani narrows her eyes and seems to brace herself for what comes next.
‘Ten years is a long time,’ my father continues. ‘Whatever childish or idiotic thing my son said or did back then, I’m sure you two can move past it as two, mature adults.’
Malcolm sighs in relief. ‘My sentiments exactly.’
‘He broke my heart,’ Imani says swiftly. ‘Crushed it into tiny pieces. That’s just not something you get over.’
Everyone turns to look at me. My father looks like he’s about to explode and even Malcolm looks displeased, an inkling of fatherly rage simmering below the surface.
Either Imani Davies is a seriously unwell young woman or she’s doing this for a reason. I’m praying it’s the latter. She’s got a game plan and I get the sense that she’s not going to let up anytime soon. Not without a fight. She’s staring at me with that desperate look again. I have no idea what game she’s playing but, for now anyway, I can’t deny that I’m not curious to see where this is heading. I clear my throat and fix my features into a sheepish expression. ‘It was a mutual heartbreak.’
Imani’s façade slips for a brief second and I get to enjoythe look of surprise that flits across her face before she pulls her mask back up and twists her lips into a scowl. ‘Ofcourseyou would say that. You were the one who—’
