Howling Moon

The Big Question

Zara POV

I fought it for a long time.

Colton Shepard wasn’t supposed to be my story. He was flashy, flirtatious, and far too used to getting his way. I’d seen guys like him before—money, charm, and zero follow-through. The kind of guy who broke hearts just to feel powerful. So when he started showing interest in me, I didn’t bother hiding my annoyance.

He wasn’t just a walking red flag. He was a whole parade.

But Colton didn’t scare easy.

He kept showing up. At the campus coffee shop. Outside my lecture hall. Somehow even at the library, where I was sure he’d never voluntarily stepped foot before. I rolled my eyes. I told him off. I reminded him, more than once, that I wasn’t some bored sorority girl looking for a hookup.

Still, he didn’t quit.

And unfortunately, my friends didn’t help either.

Tessa and Ria, my supposed allies, practically welcomed him into the group. Ria teased me every time he texted. “He’s hot, he’s rich, and he looks at you like you’re the only person in the room. Why are you acting like this is a bad thing?”

Tessa was sneakier about it. She’d quietly invite Colton to join us for dinner or suggest group study sessions—where somehow, magically, I’d end up sitting next to him. “He’s trying,” she’d say with that soft, knowing smile. “At least give him credit for that.”

Eventually… I did.

He wore me down—not with grand gestures or over-the-top gifts, but with consistency. He remembered the things I liked, the way I needed silence when I studied, and how I hated when people interrupted me mid-thought. He noticed when I was overwhelmed and brought me tea without asking.

Somewhere between the late-night walks and stolen glances, I started to feel something shift.

I didn’t want to. But I couldn’t stop it.

Colton wasn’t just trying to win me. He was trying to know me. And that was something no one else had ever cared to do.

By senior year, we were inseparable. We studied together, cooked awful meals in our off-campus apartment, and planned weekend getaways to escape the pressure of internships and finals.

My parents loved him. Julia respected his ambition; Blake appreciated his work ethic—though he definitely tested Colton’s nerves when he made him help mend fencing during a weekend visit.

Colton never complained. He just got muddy and called it “an experience.”

When he proposed, it wasn’t a production. There were no photographers or grand speeches. It was just us—on a quiet night, wrapped in blankets on the roof of our building, the city humming below us.

“I know I’m not perfect,” he said, holding the ring in his palm. “But I know I want a future with you. All of it. The hard stuff. The real stuff. Will you marry me?”

The ring wasn’t flashy. It was simple and elegant, like he’d actually listened to everything I ever said. And that’s what made me say yes.

Ria screamed when I told her. Tessa cried.

Within days, they were planning colors, dresses, venues. I let them take over. I wasn’t the little girl who dreamed about her wedding day—but seeing how excited they were made me smile.

Colton gave me stability. A future. He wasn’t just my boyfriend anymore. He was my partner. My home.

And yet…

In the quiet moments, I still felt something I couldn’t explain. Not doubt—never that—but a strange kind of emptiness. Like there was a locked door inside me I hadn’t yet opened.

I didn’t tell anyone. Especially not Colton.

I figured everyone had their secrets. Maybe this was just mine.