The late afternoon sun cast a golden glow over the quiet streets of Harmony Estate Enugu, where the laughter of children echoed in the distance. Adaora Okafor walked briskly, dodging the occasional puddle left by the morning rain. She had one destination in mind—David Nwosu's house.

David had been her best friend for as long as she could remember. He was the boy who stole her pencils in primary school, the teenager who teased her mercilessly about her short height, and now, the young man who knew her better than anyone else.

She could still remember the day their friendship began.

Adaora stood in front of the class, her lower lip trembling as she tried to read the passage on the blackboard. The words blurred together, her chest tightening with every second of silence. The giggles from her classmates didn't help.

"Come on, Ada, you can do it," her teacher encouraged.

Before she could try again, a boy in the front row spoke up. "She's just scared. Give her a moment."

That was David.

He was the loud one in class, always quick with a joke, always the first to get into trouble. But that day, he wasn't teasing her. He was defending her.

Somehow, that changed everything.

After class, he strolled up to her, hands in his pockets. "You owe me for saving you back there."

Adaora blinked at him. "I didn't ask for your help."

David smirked. "True, but now you have to be my friend. That's the rule."

She scoffed but found herself smiling. From that moment on, they were inseparable. They walked home from school together, shared their lunch when one of them forgot theirs, and sat side by side during lessons. When David got into trouble, Adaora was always the one to cover for him. When Adaora had a bad day, David was the one to cheer her up.

Their families got used to seeing them together—so much so that even their parents joked about how they were like twins.

And now, over a decade later, nothing had changed. Or at least, that's what Adaora told herself.

As she reached the familiar white gate, she didn't bother knocking. She never had to. Pushing it open, she strolled into the compound, already calling out, "David, you better not be sleeping again!"

No answer.

Frowning, she climbed the short steps to the front door and knocked. A few seconds later, the door swung open to reveal David, shirtless, rubbing sleep from his eyes.

Adaora blinked. "Really? It's almost 4 PM, and you're just waking up?"

He yawned, stretching lazily. "It's Saturday. What's your excuse for disturbing my peace?"

She pushed past him and stepped inside, ignoring the way his dimples flashed when he grinned. "You promised to help me with my project, remember?"

David groaned. "Can't we just chill first? Watch a movie or something?"

Adaora rolled her eyes but couldn't suppress a smile. This was their routine—constant teasing, endless bickering, yet an unspoken bond that neither of them ever questioned.

As she sat down on the couch, David flopped beside her, their shoulders brushing. The moment lasted only a second, but it sent a strange warmth through Adaora's chest.

She ignored it. They were best friends. Just friends. Right?

David turned to her suddenly, his dark eyes glinting with mischief. "What if we made a bet?"

Adaora raised a brow. "What kind of bet?"

He smirked. "That you'll fall for me first."

She scoffed, shoving his shoulder. "In your dreams."

David laughed, but the way he looked at her lingered.

Outside, the sun dipped lower, casting long shadows across the room.