CHAPTER TEN:*Smoke& Silence
725 Words
The rooftop was cold, quiet — the one place Zayne could breathe.
He lit a cigarette, holding it between his fingers but never bringing it to his lips. The smoke drifted lazily upward, curling into the dusky sky like a ghost of something he couldn’t name.
He didn’t even smoke.
He just liked the burn. The distraction.
Down below, the world kept moving — people laughing, texting, existing like everything made sense.
But inside him?
It was chaos.
He leaned against the metal railing, head tilted back, eyes closed.
Why did he snap at her?
Why did she get under his skin so easily — challenge him, talk back, make him feel things he wasn’t supposed to?
Amara was... different. Not like Brielle, who was predictable. Easy to manage. Easy to lie to. She liked what he showed her — the mask, the mystery.
But Amara? She didn’t want the mask.
She looked through it.
And that terrified him.
He remembered her eyes when she walked away — hurt, confused. Like he’d disappointed her. And he had. On purpose. Because maybe if she hated him, he wouldn’t feel like this.
He hated this.
The wanting. The wondering.
He stared at the cigarette until it burned out between his fingers.
He didn’t feel it.
He didn’t feel anything — except her absence.
The door behind him creaked. He turned slightly.
It was Brielle.
She leaned against the frame, arms crossed, perfect as always. “Thought I’d find you here.”
Zayne didn’t respond.
She walked over, slow and deliberate, and stood beside him.
“You’re quiet,” she said, her voice soft but full of expectation. “Everything okay?”
Zayne looked out into the city. Lights flickered on like stars waking up late.
I’m fine.”
“Good,” Brielle smiled, slipping her arm through his. “Because I’ve been thinking... maybe we could spend some more time together. Alone.”
He didn’t answer.
Not yes. Not no.
But he didn’t pull away either.
If pain was the only way to silence what he felt for Amara...
Then maybe this was exactly what he deserved.
---
The morning sun streamed through the classroom windows, but Amara barely noticed. Her mind was tangled in a mess she couldn’t shake.
Lila plopped down beside her, smirking like she already knew.
“Okay, spill. What’s going on with you and Zayne? You two have this weird... electricity thing happening. And today? He looked like he was ready to explode or run.”
Amara rolled her eyes, trying to act casual. “Nothing’s going on. He’s just... complicated.”
“Complicated is one word for it,” Lila teased, nudging her. “You’ve been spacing out all day. You don’t usually get this quiet.”
Amara sighed, running a hand through her hair. “It’s just hard, Lila. I don’t even know him, but there’s something about him... and today, after the project, it all just... blew up.”
Lila smiled knowingly. “Girl, you’re caught up in one hell of a storm. Just wait — it’s gonna get messy, but also kind of... exciting.”
Amara frowned. “I’m not sure I want exciting.”
Lila laughed softly. “You’ll change your mind.”
As the bell rang, Amara felt a flutter of nerves and something else — anticipation.
Something was coming. She could feel it.
---
Zayne sat alone in the empty library, fingers tapping rhythmically on the wooden table. His jaw clenched as the memory of the argument with Amara replayed in his mind.
Why couldn’t he just stay distant like he planned? Every time she opened her mouth, something inside him twisted. He hated feeling vulnerable — hated that she made him feel anything at all.
His phone buzzed. A message from Brielle: “Dinner tonight? I know you’ve been busy, but you need a break.”
He stared at it, torn.
Brielle was easy. She didn’t ask questions, didn’t dig into his shadows. She was distraction — the perfect shield from feelings he wasn’t ready to face.
But every time he thought about her, his mind flashed back to Amara — that fiery glare, the way she refused to back down.
Zayne slammed his fist on the table. This was a war he was losing, and he didn’t even know who the enemy was
- Writer
