Entangled Love
1446 Words
Amara stood still in the silence of Jason’s living room, her arms wrapped tightly around herself, as if trying to keep from unraveling. The weight of everything pressed on her chest—his anger, his kiss, the emotions he fought so hard to bury. Jason’s presence was still thick in the air, even though he had stormed off to his room minutes ago, slamming the door behind him.
She should have walked out. She had every reason to.
But her feet refused to move.
She turned toward the window, staring blankly at the city lights that danced like distant stars across Lagos. Her heart was pounding too fast. She still felt the heat of his lips on hers, and even more, she felt the sadness behind his touch.
Jason was hiding something. And it wasn’t just his feelings for her—it was something deeper. Something darker.
Amara ran her fingers through her braids, exhaling sharply. “What am I even doing here?” she muttered, mostly to herself.
Just as she turned toward the hallway, ready to leave, she heard footsteps. Jason appeared again—his shirt now off, revealing a tattoo on his chest she hadn’t noticed before. His eyes were softer now. Regret lingered behind them.
“I shouldn’t have kissed you like that,” he said, voice low.
Amara folded her arms. “No, you shouldn’t have. Especially if you planned on treating me like a burden right after.”
“I don’t think you’re a burden,” he said quietly.
“Then why are you always pushing me away?” Her voice cracked slightly, despite her effort to sound strong. “First you act like you care, then the moment it gets too real, you turn cold.”
Jason walked closer, but she took a step back.
“I’m messed up, Amara,” he said, sighing. “I’m not the guy you think I am.”
She narrowed her eyes. “Then tell me. Who are you, Jason? Because I’m tired of the hot-and-cold games.”
He looked away, jaw tightening. “There are things in my past…things I can’t fix. People I’ve hurt. Mistakes that still follow me.”
Amara’s heart clenched. She hadn’t expected him to open up, even this much. “You don’t have to be perfect, Jason. But you can’t keep shutting people out and expect them to stay.”
He looked at her then, his eyes searching hers. “You shouldn’t stay. You should go. Before I hurt you too.”
“But you already have,” she whispered.
Silence.
He stepped closer again. This time, she didn’t move away.
“You confuse me,” he said. “You show up with your smile, your boldness, your questions… and you make me want things I have no right to want.”
“Like what?”
“You.”
The word hung in the air like a confession neither of them could run from.
Amara blinked rapidly. Her chest ached from the weight of everything unsaid between them. “Then want me properly,” she said softly. “Don’t treat me like an afterthought. Don’t pull me in only to push me away.”
Jason’s fingers twitched, as if he wanted to reach for her. Instead, he shoved them into his pockets and sighed deeply. “You deserve better.”
“I’ll decide what I deserve,” she replied, chin lifted.
He gave a faint smile. “Scorpio energy.”
She raised an eyebrow. “Don’t start with that Virgo nonsense.”
They both laughed for the first time in what felt like forever. The tension softened. But it wasn’t gone.
Jason finally sat on the edge of the couch, his hands covering his face. “There’s something you need to know. Something I’ve been avoiding.”
Amara’s heartbeat sped up. “What is it?”
He looked up at her. “Before I moved back to Lagos, I was engaged.”
Her breath caught.
“To who?”
“Her name was Naomi. We met in London. Everything moved fast—we were caught up in the idea of love. But I didn’t know who I was back then. I didn’t even know what love truly meant.”
Amara’s mind spun. “What happened?”
“She left. Two weeks before the wedding.” He gave a bitter chuckle. “No explanation. Just a letter. And silence.”
“And you still love her?”
“No.” His response was instant. “I loved what we had. Or what I thought we had. But when she left, it broke something in me. Since then, I’ve just… been surviving. Not living.”
Amara walked over slowly and sat beside him. She didn’t touch him. She just listened.
“I’ve been scared of opening up again,” he continued. “Then you came, with your loud laugh, your honesty, your stubbornness. And I felt everything I tried to bury.”
Amara looked down at her hands. “You don’t have to be perfect, Jason. I’m not asking you to fix everything. I’m asking you to be real with me.”
“I’m trying,” he said. “But I don’t want to drag you into my chaos.”
She turned to him. “Newsflash—I’m already in it.”
His lips curved slightly. “You really want to deal with someone like me?”
“I want to decide for myself what I can handle,” she replied. “And I want you to stop deciding for me.”
They stared at each other for a long beat. Slowly, Jason reached out and took her hand. This time, she didn’t pull away.
Suddenly, there was a knock on the door.
Jason froze. Amara glanced at him. His expression shifted instantly—from open and vulnerable to cold and guarded again.
The knock came again, louder this time.
“Expecting someone?” she asked, standing.
“No.” He stood too, his jaw clenched.
The knock turned into pounding.
Jason walked cautiously to the door and opened it slightly.
A tall, fair-skinned woman with long braids and fierce eyes barged in without waiting for an invitation.
“Jason! So you’re hiding here while everything’s falling apart?”
Jason’s entire posture shifted. “Zara? What the hell are you doing here?”
Amara blinked in confusion, stepping back instinctively.
Zara turned to her, eyes narrowing. “And who is she?”
Amara straightened. “His guest.”
Jason quickly stepped between them. “Zara, not now.”
Zara folded her arms. “Oh, now you want to act noble? You left without saying a word, without answering calls—and now I find you playing house with some random girl?”
“Watch your mouth,” Jason snapped, his voice low and warning.
“I’m not random,” Amara said, stepping forward. “And I don’t appreciate being talked to like I’m invisible.”
Zara laughed coldly. “So you’ve moved on now? After everything you promised me and Daniel?”
Jason looked like he’d been slapped.
“Don’t bring Daniel into this,” he said through gritted teeth.
“Oh, but I will,” Zara hissed. “Because his life is on the line, and you’re acting like none of it matters!”
Amara looked between them, confused. “Who’s Daniel?”
Jason didn’t answer.
Zara did.
“His younger brother.”
Amara gasped. “You never mentioned a brother.”
Jason ran a hand down his face. “Because it’s complicated.”
Zara turned to Amara. “Complicated? Daniel is in trouble—again. And Jason’s too busy playing house to care.”
Jason stepped forward. “Don’t do this here, Zara. Not now.”
“No,” Amara said firmly. “She’s already here. Someone better start talking.”
Jason looked at Amara, then at Zara, and sighed heavily.
“Daniel was involved with some dangerous people in London. I tried to get him out. That’s partly why I left. To protect him—and myself.”
“Protect?” Zara scoffed. “He’s in deeper now, and they’re asking for you. If you don’t show up, Jason, they’ll come here next.”
Amara’s stomach dropped.
Jason clenched his fists.
“I knew running wasn’t going to solve this,” he murmured.
Zara’s voice softened slightly. “You have to fix this. Before it’s too late.”
Jason looked at Amara. Guilt and fear warred in his eyes. “I didn’t want you to get dragged into this.”
“But I am,” she said, voice steady. “And I’m not going anywhere.”
- Writer
