I’ll Do It… But On My Terms

“I’ll do it.”

The words left Amara’s mouth before she could fully process them.

Tobi blinked.

“You will?”

Amara inhaled deeply, then nodded.

“Yes. But don’t get it twisted. I’m not doing this for you.”

A small pause.

“I’m doing it for myself.”

Tobi studied her face.

“Fair enough.”

“And for my job,” she added quickly. “Because I’m not about to go down for something I didn’t do.”

“Understood.”

Amara crossed her arms.

“But I have conditions.”

Tobi’s lips curved slightly.

“I was expecting that.”

“Good,” she said. “Because I’m serious.”

He nodded. “Go ahead.”

“First, no lies to me. If I’m getting involved in this, you tell me everything I need to know. No half stories.”

Tobi hesitated.

That familiar hesitation.

Amara’s eyes narrowed immediately.

“You see? That thing you just did. That’s exactly what I’m talking about.”

“I’m not hiding things for fun,” he said. “Some information is sensitive.”

“I don’t care,” she replied. “If it concerns me, I need to know.”

Silence.

Tobi thought about it for a few seconds.

Then nodded slowly.

“Okay. I’ll be as open as I can.”

Amara didn’t fully like that answer.

But it was something.

“Second,” she continued, “you don’t disappear. If I call, you pick. If I text, you reply.”

“That one is easy.”

“And third…”

She paused.

This one mattered.

“I don’t get arrested,” she said bluntly.

Tobi almost smiled.

“Trust me, I don’t want that either.”

“I’m serious.”

“So am I.”

Amara held his gaze for a second longer.

Then nodded.

“Good.”

A brief silence followed.

Then Tobi asked,

“When do you want to start?”

Amara laughed softly.

“Start? You think I can just walk up to him today and say ‘hi fiancé thief, long time’?”

Tobi chuckled a little.

“Fair point.”

She exhaled.

“I need to think about how to approach it.”

“That’s smart.”

“And I need to calm down first,” she added. “If I see him now, I might actually slap him.”

“That would ruin the mission.”

“Exactly.”

They both went quiet for a moment.

Then Amara looked at him again.

“So what’s the plan?”

Tobi shifted slightly.

“We keep it simple.”

“I’m listening.”

“You reach out first.”

Amara frowned.

“Me?”

“Yes. Casual. Neutral. Like you’re just checking in.”

She shook her head.

“That man will be shocked.”

“That’s good.”

“How is that good?”

“It lowers his guard,” Tobi explained. “He’ll think you’ve moved on. That you’re no longer a threat.”

Amara didn’t like the sound of that.

“A threat,” she repeated.

“Emotionally,” Tobi corrected.

She sighed.

“Okay… then what?”

“Then you rebuild small communication. Nothing intense. Just enough to stay in his space.”

Amara nodded slowly.

“And during that time?”

“You observe,” Tobi said. “Listen carefully. Ask questions naturally. Don’t force anything.”

“And if he doesn’t respond?”

“He will.”

The confidence in Tobi’s voice made her pause.

“How are you so sure?”

Tobi looked at her.

“Because people like Femi… they don’t like losing access to people they once controlled.”

That hit deep.

Because it sounded true.

Too true.

Amara swallowed.

“Okay.”

Another silence.

Then suddenly, her phone buzzed again.

She checked it.

Her heart skipped.

Femi.

Calling.

Amara froze.

“You’re joking,” she whispered.

Tobi leaned slightly.

“Who is it?”

She turned the phone toward him.

His expression changed immediately.

“Well,” he said quietly. “That was fast.”

Amara’s heart started racing.

“He’s calling me.”

“Pick it.”

“What? No!”

“Pick it,” Tobi repeated. “This is perfect.”

“I’m not ready.”

“You don’t have to be ready. Just be normal.”

“There is nothing normal about this situation!”

The phone kept ringing.

Amara stared at it like it was a bomb.

“If I don’t pick, it will be suspicious,” Tobi added.

She knew that.

That was the problem.

“Okay… okay…” she muttered.

She took a deep breath.

Then another.

Then she picked the call.

Slowly.

“…hello?”

“Amara.”

His voice.

The same voice.

Calm. Familiar. Like nothing ever happened.

Her chest tightened instantly.

But she forced herself to stay steady.

“Yeah,” she said. “Hi.”

A small pause.

“I didn’t expect you to pick,” Femi said.

Amara forced a light tone.

“Why? I can’t pick your call again?”

Tobi gave her a small approving nod from the side.

Good. Keep it light.

Femi chuckled softly.

“No, it’s just… it’s been a while.”

“Yeah. It has.”

Another pause.

Then Femi spoke again.

“I heard you saw the post.”

Straight to it.

Amara’s grip on the phone tightened.

“Yeah,” she said casually. “Congrats.”

Tobi’s eyebrows lifted slightly.

Nice.

“Thank you,” Femi replied.

There was something in his voice.

Something Amara couldn’t place.

“Are you okay?” he asked.

That question almost made her laugh.

But she held it in.

“I’m fine,” she said. “Why won’t I be?”

Another pause.

Longer this time.

Then Femi said something that made her stomach twist.

“I was actually hoping we could talk.”

Amara’s eyes flicked to Tobi.

He was already watching her closely.

“Talk about what?” she asked carefully.

“Us.”

Her heart skipped.

“Us?”

“Yes.”

Amara forced a small laugh.

“I thought there was no ‘us’ again.”

Femi exhaled on the other end.

“It’s not that simple.”

That line again.

Always that line.

Nothing is ever simple.

Amara leaned slightly against the wall.

“What do you want, Femi?”

His voice dropped a little.

“Can we see?”

Silence.

Everything inside her froze.

See?

After everything?

After Kemi?

After the engagement?

Tobi mouthed one word silently.

Say yes.

Amara swallowed.

Her heart was pounding too loud.

“This is crazy,” she whispered to herself.

Then she spoke into the phone.

“…okay.”

Tobi’s eyes widened slightly.

“That was fast,” Femi said.

“When?”

“Today.”

Amara blinked.

“Today?”

“Yes. I need to see you.”

Urgency.

There was urgency in his voice.

Amara felt it.

Something about this wasn’t normal.

“I’ll text you the location,” Femi added.

Then the call ended.

Just like that.

Amara lowered the phone slowly.

Her heart still racing.

Tobi stepped closer.

“What did he say?”

Amara looked at him.

“He wants to see me.”

Tobi nodded once.

“When?”

She swallowed.

“Today.”

Tobi’s expression turned serious immediately.

“Good.”

Amara frowned.

“How is that good?”

“Because something is off,” he said.

Her stomach dropped again.

“What do you mean?”

Tobi looked straight at her.

“For someone that just got engaged…”

A pause.

“…he sounds desperate.”

Amara felt a chill run down her spine.

Because she heard it too.

That urgency.

That need.

And suddenly…

This wasn’t just about pretending anymore.

Something was already moving.

Something fast.

Something dangerous.

Amara tightened her grip on her phone.

“…what if this is a trap?”

Tobi didn’t answer immediately.

And that silence…

Said more than words.

To be continued…