CHAPTER 5 — The Night After
726 Words
She didn’t slow down until she reached her door.
And even then—
Her hand stayed on the handle a second longer than necessary.
Like she needed to steady herself.
Or maybe—
Prepare.
Because once she stepped inside…
There would be no distractions.
No noise.
No him.
She pushed the door open.
Silence greeted her.
Heavy.
Unforgiving.
She stepped in and shut it behind her.
Click.
The sound echoed louder than it should.
And just like that—
Everything came rushing back.
Her back pressed lightly against the door as she exhaled slowly.
“Why am I like this…” she whispered.
Her fingers lifted to her lips.
A mistake.
Because the memory hit instantly.
The way he kissed her.
Slow.
Certain.
Like he knew exactly what he was doing.
Like he knew exactly what it would do to her.
Her breath caught.
And for a second—
Just a second—
She let herself feel it.
Then she pushed away from the door quickly.
“No.”
This wasn’t happening.
She wasn’t going to sit here thinking about a man she barely knew.
A man who probably—
Her thoughts stopped.
Because deep down…
She knew that wasn’t true.
He hadn’t looked at her like someone he would forget.
And that was the problem.
That was exactly the problem.
She dropped her bag on the chair and walked further into the room, trying to distract herself.
Water.
She needed water.
Something normal.
Something real.
But even as she moved—
Her mind betrayed her again.
The way he said her words back to her.
The way his voice dropped when he got closer.
The way he looked at her like walking away wasn’t even an option.
Her chest tightened.
“This is stupid.”
She grabbed her phone.
Unlocked it.
Then stared at the screen.
Nothing.
Of course nothing.
They didn’t even have each other’s number.
No way to call.
No way to text.
No way to—
Check.
Her fingers tightened slightly around the phone.
Why did that bother her?
It shouldn’t.
It really shouldn’t.
And yet—
It did.
She dropped the phone on the bed and sat down beside it, running her hand through her hair.
“Forget him.”
She said it out loud this time.
Firm.
Clear.
Final.
But even she didn’t believe it.
—
Across the city—
He stood in the quiet of his room.
Jacket off.
Sleeves slightly rolled.
Everything about him looked the same.
Controlled.
Untouched.
Except—
It wasn’t.
His gaze lingered on nothing in particular.
Distant.
Unfocused.
Unusual.
Because he wasn’t thinking about work.
Wasn’t thinking about anything important.
He was thinking about her.
Again.
His jaw tightened slightly.
Annoyance flickered briefly.
Because this wasn’t supposed to happen.
Not like this.
Not over something so simple.
A moment.
A kiss.
And yet—
His thumb brushed lightly over his lower lip.
A subtle movement.
Unconscious.
Like his body remembered before his mind allowed it.
His expression darkened.
“She walked away.”
The words were quiet.
But they stayed.
Because not many people did that.
Not many people could.
And definitely not like her.
Not without hesitation.
Not without looking back.
But she hadn’t.
And somehow—
That stayed with him more than anything else.
He exhaled slowly, running a hand through his hair.
“This is nothing.”
But the silence didn’t agree.
His mind didn’t agree.
And the fact that he was still standing there—
Thinking about her—
Proved that.
—
Back in her room—
She lay on her bed, staring at the ceiling.
Sleep wasn’t coming.
Not even close.
Because every time she closed her eyes—
She saw him.
Clear.
Close.
Too real.
Her heart picked up again.
Frustrating.
Unwanted.
Unavoidable.
“Why him…” she whispered.
No answer came.
Only silence.
And the quiet truth she refused to say out loud.
She didn’t want to forget.
—
Somewhere in the same city—
He finally moved.
Turning away from the window.
But not from the thought.
Because even as he tried to shift his focus—
It stayed.
Persistent.
Unfinished.
Unresolved.
—
And that night—
They slept in different places.
Different worlds.
Different lives.
But with the same thing on their minds.
Each other.
Even if neither of them was ready to admit it.
- Writer
