Tanny followed slowly, her mind still lingering on Owen’s awkward grin and Zara’s cryptic tone. She was barely halfway to the front door when she heard her mother’s voice—light, excited, chatting with someone.
“Ahh, that angle is perfect! If we capture it with that soft blur you mentioned, it’ll give exactly the dreamy effect I want for the ‘Faces of Oruntria’ cover!”
Tanny raised a brow.
Faces of Oruntria? Magazine?
As they stepped into the living room, she was met with the sight of their mother, stylish as ever, seated comfortably on the couch beside a man in a denim jacket and faded black jeans. A sleek camera rested on the glass table in front of him.
The man turned casually, and their eyes met.
Tanny froze.
There was something… something terribly familiar about him. She couldn't place it, but his face sparked something sharp and distant in her mind. Maybe a dream. Or a forgotten photo. Or a memory buried in shadows.
The man’s lips curved into a smile—charming, genuine, maybe a little too perfect.
“Hello there,” he said warmly. “You must be Tanny. Your mum never stops talking about you.”
Tanny blinked. “Yeah... Hi.”
He held out a hand, firm and steady. “Masquit Leigh. Photographer and artistic magician, at your service.”
Macklin dropped a bag of rice on the floor.
“You’re who now?”
Their mother laughed. “Oh Mack, don’t be silly. Masquit’s doing a shoot with me next week for Oruntria Magazine. They’re featuring creative mothers who balance art and family.”
Masquit chuckled softly. “I’m flattered she called me creative. Really, I just press buttons.”
But even as he joked, Tanny couldn’t shake the feeling tugging at her chest.
That face. That voice. That smile. It was all too clean, too smooth. Like a painting hiding something behind the colors.
Masquit glanced at her again, eyes resting a little longer than necessary.
And for a moment—just a breath—Tanny thought she saw something dark flicker behind those sweet, honey-brown eyes.
But then he blinked and it was gone.
Just like that.
---
Their mother insisted Masquit stay for dinner.
He accepted with the kind of charm that made it hard to say no, and soon they were all seated around the dining table, laughter echoing between spoon clinks and the warm scent of jollof rice and roasted chicken filling the room.
Masquit fit in too easily. He complimented the food, teased Macklin about eating too fast, and even told a funny story about accidentally photographing the wrong wedding once.
Tanny tried to act normal, but every time she looked at him, something gnawed at her from the inside. That familiar face, the odd flicker in his eyes, the way he always seemed to notice her, even when she wasn’t looking.
“So, you’re in high school?” he asked mid-meal, directing the question at her.
Tanny nodded slowly. “Neville High.”
His smile deepened, his fork pausing mid-air. “Ahh. That school has quite the reputation. Lots of gifted kids. You must be one of them.”
She didn’t answer. Her gaze narrowed slightly.
Why do you care?
“Yeah, she’s smart,” Macklin said through a mouthful of food. “Annoyingly smart.”
Masquit chuckled, eyes still on her.
Her mother didn’t seem to notice the strange undercurrent. She was too busy going on about next week’s magazine shoot and wardrobe choices. Tanny just kept nodding, waiting for the night to end.
---
After dinner, as Macklin disappeared upstairs and their mum walked Masquit out, Tanny lingered by the staircase, half-listening.
Masquit’s voice was low, smooth. “It was a lovely evening, thank you. You have an amazing family.”
“Come by anytime,” her mother said brightly. “Especially before the shoot—maybe we can test some lighting here at the house.”
Tanny leaned against the rail, arms crossed. When Masquit stepped out the door, he turned back slightly. His eyes caught hers.
And he smiled.
Sweet. Friendly. But something was wrong.
Like that smile was stitched over something else.
Something colder.
Something waiting.
As the door closed behind him, Tanny pressed a hand to her chest. Her heart was beating too fast.
And in her mind, a question refused to be silenced.
Where have I seen that face before?
---
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