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ABE DROPPED HIS DISHES INTO THE sink just as he heard a knock on his apartment door. He opened it with a huge smile, which immediately dropped when he saw Edrice standing in front of him.
“Oh,” he said.
“They were drones.”
“What?”
“In the boxes,” Edrice said.
“Oh,” he said as the words finally sunk into his mind. “Sef’s shipment, you mean. They were drones?”
She nodded. “Husani figured it out right after you left headquarters this morning. He was on the phone with a manufacturing plant asking about the list of items, and they said it must it drones. Takara used delivery drones when she first got here, but the Egyptian Council locked them so she couldn’t hack them again. Then, they put an alert on her bank account so they would know if she ever got the parts to make her own drones. She was smart enough to not buy the parts herself, but now she’s working with Sef, and apparently he bought all the parts instead.”
“But Imara set one of the boxes on fire. That had to do something. Maybe we ruined their plans.”
Edrice shrugged. “Maybe. Or maybe it just prevented them from making as many drones as they wanted. They haven’t done anything yet, so I guess we’ll see.”
Abe nodded and leaned against his doorframe. But then he stood up and raised an eyebrow. “Is there a reason you came to my apartment to tell me that? You could have just messaged me.”
“I have something else I need to say.”
He rolled his eyes. “If it’s what I think you’re going to say, then don’t.”
She stomped her foot and clenched her jaw. “Stop messing around. You know you aren’t going to be with Imara forever, so just get it over with already.” She swallowed and stared at the ground before she said, “I miss you.”
He shook his head and let out a sigh. “Edrice.”
But before he could say another word, she grabbed him by the shoulders and kissed him.
* * *
IMARA TURNED THE CORNER to Abe’s apartment, and her mouth dropped when she saw Edrice kissing him. Kissing. Him!
He pushed her away immediately. His eyes grew wide when he saw Imara just down the hall. It was obvious the kiss was neither his idea, nor his desire. It didn’t matter. That didn’t make it any easier to see their faces pressed up against each other like that. Edrice crossed her arms over her chest in a huff. She turned to leave and let out a squeak when she saw Imara.
“We’ll finish our talk later, Abraxas,” she said as she ran off.
Imara stomped up to his door, not sure if she should punch something or vomit.
Abe looked like someone had knocked the wind out of him. “Uh,” he said awkwardly. He ran his fingers through his hair. “Uh, you can...” He shook his head and let out a breath. “Just come inside.”
“I don’t think that’s a good idea.” She had to do this fast, and then she had to leave. If anything else happened, her resolve would crumble to dust.
“She kissed me,” he said grabbing Imara by the shoulders. “I didn’t kiss her back. I was about to tell her it’s over for good, and then she was just on me. I didn’t want it. You have to believe me.”
“I believe you.”
A palpable relief washed over his face. He didn’t ask her to come in again. Instead, he dropped to the ground and pulled his knees up to his chest. “Things are so messed up right now. Sef and Takara are working together. My business is falling to pieces. And then Edrice comes and kisses me. Everything’s falling apart.”
With a deep breath, Imara closed her eyes and tried to still the fluttering of her heart. Abe’s desperation was the last thing she needed to be confronted with. But then again, nothing about this was ever going to be easy.
“I’m going home,” she said.
“You just got here. You can’t leave yet.”
No, nothing about this would be easy. This next part would be worst of all. She rubbed a finger across her eyebrow and opened her eyes. “I can’t keep going back and forth between Egypt and Kenya. It’s not working for me. I know things are bad here, but I have to make Naki a priority. I can’t do that while I’m here. I have to leave.”
It didn’t seem possible, but his face fell even farther than it had before. “What about Sef and Takara? What about my business?”
A pit of guilt festered inside her, but she couldn’t change her mind now. She had made the decision and had to stick with it. “I can’t do this,” she said. “I can’t keep going back and forth. I have to go home.”
He blinked at her without saying anything. He looked to the side while the words seemed to settle in his mind. And then his eyebrows furrowed. “That’s not fair,” he said.
A flash of anger ran through her as her muscles tensed. “Why not?”
“You’re making me choose between my business and you?” His jaw flexed, but his eyes held pain. Anger.
“No,” she said in a softer voice. Her head fell with a sigh. “I could never ask you to choose. I’m just telling you; I can’t do this anymore.”
He curled his hands into fists and blew hard breaths out of his nose. But before the second breath was finished, his face contorted. Every trace of the anger vanished. “Wait a minute,” he said, jumping to his feet. Such a strong energy radiated off him, it seemed solid enough to touch. He took a deep breath, and it shuddered as he sucked the air inside. “You’re breaking up with me?” he asked.
Her hand found itself at the nape of her neck. Picking at the hairs was always easier than answering. “I’m sorry,” she said.
“No.” His voice came out in a tragic, strangled burst. The soft tone was fragile and so vulnerable. “Don’t do this,” he said. “I’ll come to Kenya. I’ll fly my jet down to you every night after work. I’ll come every weekend.”
Tears started forming in her eyes for what seemed like the thousandth time in the past week. She never expected Abe to fight like this. She thought he’d be angry. She thought he’d threaten to get back together with Edrice. All of that she had prepared for.
But now, his eyes glistened, and she couldn’t bear to see it. She turned away and spoke to the ground. “That won’t work, and you know it. Your business means everything to you. You spend almost every waking hour on it. And a handful of hours on the weekend. You can’t focus on me unless I’m here.”
“Then don’t go,” he said as his voice broke. She chanced a look into his eyes, and the moment they met, he pulled her into a tight embrace. “Please don’t go. Please don’t make me choose.”
She hugged him back. She hugged him hard and long, and he hugged harder. Their tears mingled together as their cheeks brushed up against each other. And then they hugged tighter. Because they both knew what was going to happen, and they both wanted to avoid it.
A sob shook through Imara. She had to force herself away. She had to get this over with now or she might never manage it. Already her determination wavered. Abe’s tears had hurt worst of all.
“It’s because of Edrice, isn’t it?” he asked as soon as she escaped his arms. “I know I should have told you. I’m sorry about that, but I don’t have feelings for her. I promise I don’t.”
“It’s not because of Edrice.” Imara swiped her nose with the back of her hand. “It’s because your heart belongs in Egypt.” She clutched her stomach, trying to ground herself. It all hurt much worse than she ever imagined. “You can save Egypt without me anyway.” She turned on her heel and sprinted down the hall before he could protest.
