A LOVE THAT HURTS

AMARA'S POV : She thought love was supposed to feel like home. She was wrong. The first time Amara saw Ethan, she didn't know that he would become the person who made her believe in love—and later, the person who would make her question whether love had ever been real at all. But that was later. For now, she was just a girl walking through the rain with a broken umbrella, a bag full of books, and absolutely no idea that her life was about to change. “Great.” Amara looked up at the dark sky as another drop of rain landed on her forehead. “Just perfect.” She hurried down the sidewalk, holding her umbrella over her head even though one of its metal spokes had broken and the rain was coming through anyway. Her phone vibrated inside her bag. She ignored it. It vibrated again. “Who keeps calling me?” She stopped beneath the small roof of a closed café and pulled out her phone. Mum: Where are you? Amara sighed and typed quickly. Amara: Almost home. Don't worry. She stared at the message for a moment before sending it. She wasn't almost home. She still had another twenty minutes to walk. But she didn't want her mother worrying. Amara put the phone away and stepped back into the rain. She had always hated rainy evenings. They made everything feel sad. Maybe that was why she noticed him. He was standing across the street beneath the awning of a bookstore, dressed in a black jacket with his hands buried inside his pockets. He wasn't using an umbrella. He wasn't looking at his phone. He wasn't talking to anyone. He was simply standing there, staring into the rain as though he was waiting for something—or someone. For some strange reason, Amara slowed down. Their eyes met. Just for a second. His eyes were dark and serious. Amara immediately looked away. Don't. She continued walking. Don't start imagining things. She had promised herself that she wouldn't fall for anyone. Not after watching her parents' marriage slowly fall apart. Not after seeing what love had done to her mother. Not after promising herself that she would never become the kind of girl who depended on someone else to make her happy. Love was beautiful in books. In real life, it was dangerous. “Amara!” She heard a voice behind her. She turned. The man from the bookstore was walking toward her. Her heart skipped. “Excuse me,” he said. She looked around. “Are you talking to me?” He smiled slightly. “Yes.” “Do I know you?” “No.” “Then why are you following me?” His smile disappeared. “I noticed your bag was open.” Amara looked down. Her bag was indeed open. A notebook was halfway out. “Oh.” He reached into the pocket of his jacket and held something toward her. “This fell out.” It was her small silver necklace. The one her grandmother had given her before she died. Amara's eyes widened. “Oh my God.” She quickly took it from him. “Thank you.” “You're welcome.” She held the necklace tightly. “If I'd lost this…” “You would have been upset.” “You have no idea.” He looked at her for a moment. “Then I'm glad I found it.” There was something about the way he said it. Something soft. Something that made her uncomfortable because she could feel herself smiling. She quickly looked away. “Thank you again.” She turned to leave. “Wait.” She stopped. He hesitated. “What's your name?” Amara raised an eyebrow. “Why?” “I returned your necklace. I think I'm allowed to know your name.” She almost laughed. “That's not how it works.” “How does it work?” “You return someone's property, and you walk away.” He smiled. “Okay.” Amara took two steps. Then he called after her. “I'm Ethan.” She stopped. She didn't turn around immediately. “Now you know my name,” he said. “So it's only fair.” Amara finally looked back. “Amara.” “Amara.” He repeated her name like he was memorizing it. She didn't know why that made her nervous. “Goodnight, Ethan.” “Goodnight, Amara.” She walked away. But for the rest of the journey home, she couldn't stop thinking about him. --- Three days later, Amara saw him again. She was sitting alone in the university library, surrounded by books she wasn't actually reading. Her phone was beside her. Her headphones were in. Her favorite song was playing. And yet, she couldn't concentrate. “Are you going to stare at that page all day?” Amara froze. She slowly looked up. Ethan. She pulled one earbud out. “What are you doing here?” He pointed at the chair opposite her. “Studying.” “This is a library.” “Exactly.” She narrowed her eyes. “You're following me.” He laughed. “Trust me, if I were following you, you'd know.” “That sounds suspicious.” “It wasn't meant to.” He pulled out the chair. “Can I sit?” Amara shrugged. “It's a free country.” He sat. For the next few minutes, neither of them spoke. Amara tried to return to her book. She failed. She could feel him across the table. Finally, she looked up. “You're distracting me.” “I haven't said anything.” “Exactly.” He smiled. “You're funny.” “I wasn't trying to be.” “I know.” She rolled her eyes. Ethan laughed quietly. Something about his laugh made the room feel warmer. And Amara hated that she liked it. “So,” he said, “what are you studying?” “Mass communication.” “Interesting.” “You?” “Business.” “Of course.” He frowned. “What does that mean?” “You look like a business student.” He leaned back. “And what does a business student look like?” “Annoying.” He laughed again. “You've known me for three minutes.” “Three minutes is enough.” “Then I suppose I'll have to change your mind.” “Good luck.” He looked at her. “I like challenges.” Their eyes met. This time, neither of them looked away. And somewhere between the silence, the smiles, and the strange feeling in her chest, something began. Something Amara didn't recognize yet. Something she would later wish she had stopped before it started. --- Weeks passed. Ethan became a part of her life without asking permission. He was there when she needed help with assignments. He sent her random messages at midnight. He bought her favorite snack without ever asking what it was. He remembered little things. The way she hated being called beautiful because it embarrassed her. The fact that she loved chocolate. The songs she played when she was sad. The way she always tucked her hair behind her ear when she was nervous. And slowly, Amara stopped seeing him as the stranger who returned her necklace. He became Ethan. Her Ethan. At least, that's what she thought. One Friday evening, they sat together on a quiet rooftop overlooking the city. The lights below them looked like tiny stars. Amara hugged her knees. “Do you ever wonder where you'll be five years from now?” Ethan looked at her. “All the time.” “Where do you think you'll be?” “Somewhere successful.” She smiled. “That sounds like you.” “And you?” She looked at the city. “I don't know.” “You'll figure it out.” “How do you know?” “Because you're stubborn.” She laughed. “That's your reason?” “Yes.” He smiled. “People who are stubborn don't give up easily.” Amara looked at him. “And if I do give up?” “Then I'll remind you why you started.” Her smile slowly faded. There was something serious in his eyes. “Why are you looking at me like that?” she whispered. “Like what?” “Like…” She stopped. “Never mind.” Ethan moved closer. “Like I care?” Her heart began beating faster. “Ethan…” “I care about you, Amara.” She swallowed. “I care about you too.” “No.” He shook his head. “Not like that.” Silence. Amara's heart pounded. “What do you mean?” He reached for her hand. His fingers slowly intertwined with hers. “I mean I think I'm falling in love with you.” Everything around her seemed to disappear. The city. The cars. The noise. Everything. There was only Ethan. And his hand holding hers. Amara had spent years telling herself that love was dangerous. But in that moment, it didn't feel dangerous. It felt safe. It felt warm. It felt like home. She smiled through the tears gathering in her eyes. “I think…” She took a shaky breath. “I think I'm falling in love with you too.” Ethan smiled. Then he pulled her into his arms. Amara closed her eyes. For the first time in a long time, she allowed herself to believe. She believed in love. She believed in Ethan. She believed in forever. She just didn't know that forever would have an expiration date. And she didn't know that someday, when she remembered this exact moment, she would wonder why happiness always felt so beautiful right before it broke your heart. Sometimes the beginning of a love story is also the beginning of its ending. And Amara's story had only just begun.