The Distance Between Them
1316 Words
Chapter 7: The Distance Between Them
Zara barely slept.
Every time she closed her eyes, she saw the photograph.
The young woman in it.
The place.
And the name written across the back.
Daniel.
She had spent hours sitting on the edge of her bed, staring at the photograph until the words on it seemed to blur.
She had thought she had buried that part of her life.
She had changed her number.
She had moved.
She had changed jobs.
She had avoided old friends and places that carried memories she didn't want to remember.
Most importantly, she had promised herself that she would never allow anyone to get close enough to discover who she used to be.
And then Kai had appeared.
Somehow, without forcing his way into her life, he had slipped through every wall she had built.
He made her laugh.
He made her feel safe.
He noticed when she was quiet.
He noticed when she was pretending to be fine.
And that frightened her more than the threatening messages ever could.
Because if the people from her past had found her, Kai would eventually become a target too.
Zara looked at her phone.
There were three messages from Kai.
Are you awake?
A few minutes later:
I know you're avoiding me.
Then:
Just tell me you're safe.
She stared at the last message for a long time.
Her fingers moved toward the screen.
She wanted to reply.
She wanted to tell him everything.
She wanted to call him and hear his voice.
But she stopped herself.
Instead, she locked the phone and placed it face down.
"No," she whispered.
She couldn't.
Not now.
The next morning, Zara arrived at work earlier than usual.
She hoped the quiet office would give her time to think.
It didn't.
The moment she entered, she saw Kai standing near the windows.
He turned immediately.
Their eyes met.
For a second, neither of them spoke.
Kai looked tired.
His shirt was neatly pressed, but there were shadows beneath his eyes that hadn't been there before.
"You didn't sleep," he said.
Zara looked away.
"Neither did you."
"I was worried about you."
"I'm fine."
Kai gave a quiet laugh.
It wasn't amused.
"You're getting very good at saying that."
Zara walked toward her desk.
"Kai, I have work to do."
He followed her with his eyes.
"That's it?"
She stopped.
"What do you want me to say?"
"The truth."
Her heart tightened.
"I don't know what you're talking about."
"You do."
Kai stepped closer.
"Last night, you asked me to stay away from you. Before that, you were happy to see me. You wanted me around. You were beginning to trust me."
Zara swallowed.
"And now?"
"Now you look at me like I'm someone you need to escape from."
She couldn't answer.
Because he was right.
Kai lowered his voice.
"Did I do something?"
"No."
"Then what happened?"
"Nothing."
"Zara."
The way he said her name almost broke her.
She looked at him.
"I just need some space."
"Space?"
"Yes."
"For how long?"
"I don't know."
Kai stared at her.
There was pain in his eyes now.
"You don't even know what you're asking me to do."
"I know exactly what I'm asking."
"No, you don't."
His voice remained calm, but she could hear the frustration underneath it.
"You think pushing me away will solve whatever is happening to you."
Zara's eyes filled with tears.
"You don't understand."
"Then help me understand."
"I can't."
"Why?"
"Because I can't tell you."
The silence between them became heavy.
Kai looked at her for several seconds.
Then he nodded slowly.
"Okay."
Zara's heart sank.
He turned away.
She expected him to argue.
Instead, he walked toward the door.
But before leaving, he stopped.
"You keep telling me to stay away from you."
He looked back at her.
"But you're the one who keeps looking at me like you want me to stay."
Zara couldn't breathe.
Kai left.
The door closed behind him.
And for the first time, Zara realized that pushing him away might hurt more than letting him in.
Across town, Kai sat inside his car with both hands resting on the steering wheel.
He wasn't angry.
He was confused.
And underneath the confusion was something worse.
Fear.
He had recognized the voice on the phone.
He knew that man.
He hadn't heard from him in years.
Years.
Until now.
Kai reached for his phone and searched through his contacts.
One name stopped him.
Marcus.
He stared at it.
Then he called.
The line rang twice.
"Hello?"
Kai said nothing.
The voice on the other end changed immediately.
"Kai?"
"Where are you?"
A pause.
"Why?"
"Because I need to see you."
Another silence.
Then Marcus said, "You shouldn't be asking questions about the past."
Kai's jaw tightened.
"I didn't mention the past."
"You didn't have to."
The call ended.
Kai slowly lowered the phone.
Now he was certain.
Whatever was happening to Zara wasn't a coincidence.
Someone was looking for her.
And someone from his own past had suddenly appeared at the same time.
There was a connection.
He just didn't know what it was yet.
That evening, Zara sat alone in her apartment.
The photograph was still on the table.
She had turned it face down.
But she could still feel its presence.
Her phone vibrated.
Unknown number.
She froze.
She didn't answer.
The phone stopped.
Then it rang again.
This time, she answered.
"Hello?"
Silence.
"Who is this?"
A man's voice finally came through.
"You really thought you could disappear?"
Zara's blood ran cold.
"Who are you?"
"You know who I am."
"I don't."
"You're lying."
She stood up.
"Leave me alone."
The man laughed softly.
"You always were good at pretending."
The call ended.
Zara stared at the phone.
Then came a knock at her door.
She froze.
Another knock.
Her breathing became shallow.
"Zara?"
Kai.
She closed her eyes.
Of all the people she wanted to see, he was the one person she couldn't afford to let in.
She walked toward the door but didn't open it.
"What are you doing here?"
"I wanted to make sure you're okay."
"I'm fine."
"Open the door."
"No."
Kai sighed.
"Zara, please."
She rested her forehead against the door.
"Kai, you shouldn't be here."
"Why?"
She couldn't answer.
He waited.
Then he said quietly, "If you're in trouble, let me help you."
Tears slipped down Zara's cheeks.
"You can't."
"You don't know that."
"I do."
"Then tell me why."
She closed her eyes.
Because I love you.
The words came into her mind so clearly that they frightened her.
She had not said them.
She wouldn't.
Not yet.
"Kai," she whispered, "please go."
There was silence.
Then she heard him step away.
She waited.
A few seconds later, she heard the elevator doors close.
Zara slowly opened the door.
The hallway was empty.
She looked down.
Something had been placed outside her apartment.
A small brown envelope.
Her name was written across it.
Zara.
Her hands trembled as she picked it up.
She opened it.
Inside was another photograph.
This one was different.
It showed Zara years ago, standing beside someone she had tried desperately to forget.
Daniel.
But that wasn't what frightened her.
It was the message written underneath the photograph.
He knows where you are.
Zara's hands went cold.
Then she noticed something else.
A second line.
And so does Kai.
She stared at the words.
Her heart pounded.
"No..."
She looked toward the end of the hallway.
Nothing.
Then her phone vibrated again.
This time, it wasn't an unknown number.
It was Kai.
One message.
Zara, don't trust anyone.
She stared at the screen.
Her hands began to shake.
Because if Kai knew something...
Then maybe the question wasn't whether her past had found her.
Maybe the real question was—
How long had Kai known?
- Writer
- chap_listContents
- likeADD