HIDDEN HEARTS

Episode 8:WHISPERS AND HEARTBEATS

The campus was buzzing more than usual the next morning. Maplewood College corridors were alive with chatter, laughter, and the subtle hum of gossip. Amina moved like she always did—head down, backpack tight—but today felt different. She could feel eyes on her, measuring her every step.

“Did you see them yesterday?” a whisper floated from a group of students as she passed.

“Yeah… in the courtyard… at night,” another voice added, low and conspiratorial.

Amina’s stomach sank. Her secret late-night meeting with Zuri had clearly left its mark. Fear pricked at her chest. Why did it have to be me?

She hurried to the library, hoping to lose herself among the books, but her heart thudded when she spotted Zuri already there, seated at their usual table, eyes scanning for her. Relief washed over her—but the whispers didn’t stop.

Tariq was nearby, leaning against a pillar, smirking just enough for Amina to feel it burn into her skin. He caught her glance and raised a brow, casual, taunting.

“Morning,” he said to Zuri, loud enough for anyone nearby to hear. “You two really seem… inseparable lately.”

Amina’s cheeks burned. Her fingers tightened around her books.

Zuri’s eyes met hers across the table. Calm. Protective. Determined. Without a word, she reached for Amina’s hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. I’m here. Don’t worry.

The tension made Amina’s chest ache, but Zuri’s touch grounded her. Slowly, she allowed herself to breathe.

“Some of us are just friends, Tariq,” Zuri said, voice soft but firm.

Tariq smirked, leaning back. “Sure. Just friends.”

Amina bit her lip, unsure whether to laugh or run. But then Zuri’s hand brushed hers again, and the world shrank to the two of them.

“You don’t have to hide from them,” Zuri whispered. “Or from me.”

Amina’s heart fluttered. “I… I don’t want to hide,” she admitted quietly, though the words felt heavy with all the fear she carried.

Zuri leaned closer, eyes locking on hers. “Then we face it together.”

A heartbeat passed. Then another.

“Together,” Amina echoed.

The library doors creaked as a group of students passed by, whispering and laughing. Amina’s stomach twisted, but she didn’t pull away. Instead, she let Zuri’s presence anchor her, feeling a strange thrill in being seen, not just by Zuri, but by the world—rumors, whispers, and all.

The tension between fear and desire coiled inside her, sharp and exciting. Every glance, every brush of hands, every soft word from Zuri made her chest ache in ways she hadn’t known possible.

By the time class started, Amina felt it: she was stepping into a new version of herself—nervous, terrified, but alive. And with Zuri by her side, maybe the whispers didn’t matter so much after all.