He Said I’m His
1041 Words
Suspension didn’t feel like punishment.
It felt like silence.
⸻
Zaynab sat by the window, her phone untouched beside her.
For once—
No messages.
No noise.
No whispers.
Just quiet.
⸻
But it wasn’t peaceful.
It was the kind of quiet that made you think too much.
⸻
Her mother hadn’t said much since yesterday.
Which was worse.
Because disappointment?
Was louder than anger.
⸻
Zaynab exhaled slowly and closed her eyes.
She should have felt relieved.
But instead—
She felt like something was missing.
⸻
A knock came at the door.
⸻
Zaynab frowned.
Her mother wasn’t home.
⸻
The knock came again.
More firm this time.
⸻
She stood up slowly and walked toward the door.
Something in her chest tightened.
Not fear.
Just… instinct.
⸻
She opened it.
⸻
Zaid.
⸻
Zaynab blinked.
Once.
Twice.
Like her eyes needed to confirm what they were seeing.
⸻
“What are you doing here?”
Zaid leaned slightly against the doorframe, like showing up at her house was the most normal thing in the world.
“You weren’t in school.”
Her brows furrowed. “So you came to my house?”
“Yes.”
⸻
No hesitation.
No apology.
⸻
Zaynab stepped outside quickly, closing the door behind her.
“Are you crazy?” she whispered sharply. “What if my parents see you?”
Zaid’s gaze didn’t move from her.
“I wanted to see you.”
⸻
That again.
That directness.
It was irritating.
And worse—
It worked.
⸻
“You shouldn’t be here,” she said, lowering her voice.
“And you shouldn’t be dealing with this alone.”
Zaynab crossed her arms. “I told you before, this isn’t your problem.”
Zaid pushed off the wall, stepping closer.
“It became my problem the moment they used my name.”
⸻
Zaynab shook her head. “You’re making it bigger than it is.”
“No,” he said quietly. “I’m seeing it for what it is.”
⸻
She looked away.
Because looking at him too long—
Was becoming a mistake.
⸻
“You should leave,” she said.
“I will.”
He didn’t move.
⸻
Silence.
Heavy.
Uncomfortable.
⸻
“After you answer one question.”
Zaynab sighed. “What?”
⸻
Zaid studied her face.
Not casually.
Carefully.
⸻
“Why didn’t you defend yourself?”
⸻
Zaynab froze slightly.
“That’s not your business.”
“It is if it’s affecting me.”
She laughed softly. “You care too much about something that doesn’t matter.”
Zaid’s expression didn’t change.
“It matters to me.”
⸻
That hit.
Harder than she expected.
⸻
Zaynab’s voice softened—just a little.
“You wouldn’t understand.”
“Then explain it.”
⸻
She hesitated.
Then shook her head.
“No.”
⸻
Zaid stepped closer again.
Too close now.
⸻
“You’re letting them define you.”
“And you think you can fix that?” she shot back.
“I know I can change it.”
⸻
Zaynab laughed again, but this time there was no humor in it.
“You really think people will just stop talking because of you?”
“No,” he said calmly.
“They’ll stop because I’ll give them something else to talk about.”
⸻
Zaynab frowned. “What does that even mean?”
⸻
Zaid held her gaze.
Then said it.
⸻
“I’m going to make it real.”
⸻
Her heart stopped.
Just for a second.
⸻
“What?”
“You heard me.”
“No, I didn’t,” she said quickly. “Because that doesn’t make sense.”
“It does.”
“How?”
⸻
Zaid didn’t look away.
Didn’t hesitate.
⸻
“If they already believe we’re something…”
He stepped even closer.
⸻
“Then we might as well be.”
⸻
Zaynab’s breath caught.
⸻
“That’s not how this works.”
“It can be.”
“No, it can’t,” she said, shaking her head. “You don’t just decide something like that.”
⸻
Zaid’s voice dropped.
Lower.
More serious.
⸻
“I already did.”
⸻
Silence.
⸻
Zaynab stared at him like she was trying to understand whether he was joking.
He wasn’t.
⸻
“You don’t even know me,” she said.
“I know enough.”
“You don’t,” she insisted. “You know what people say. You know what you see. That’s not the same thing.”
⸻
Zaid’s eyes softened slightly.
But his voice?
Still firm.
⸻
“Then let me know you.”
⸻
That—
Was different.
⸻
Not forceful.
Not controlling.
Just… certain.
⸻
Zaynab looked away again.
Because something about that—
Felt real.
Too real.
⸻
“You’re going to regret this,” she said quietly.
“Maybe.”
“And you still want it?”
⸻
Zaid didn’t hesitate.
⸻
“Yes.”
⸻
Zaynab exhaled slowly.
Her thoughts were messy.
Her emotions—
Even worse.
⸻
“This is a bad idea.”
“Probably.”
“Complicated.”
“Definitely.”
⸻
She looked at him again.
⸻
“And dangerous.”
⸻
Zaid’s lips curved slightly.
⸻
“That’s what makes it worth it.”
⸻
Zaynab shook her head.
But this time—
There was no real resistance left in it.
⸻
“Fine,” she said finally.
⸻
Zaid went still.
⸻
“But this doesn’t mean anything,” she added quickly. “It’s just to stop the rumors.”
⸻
A pause.
⸻
Then Zaid nodded once.
⸻
“Of course.”
⸻
But the look in his eyes?
Said something completely different.
⸻
Zaynab felt it.
And that scared her.
⸻
“Now go,” she said. “Before someone sees you.”
Zaid stepped back.
Finally.
⸻
“I’ll see you tomorrow.”
⸻
Zaynab frowned. “I’m suspended.”
⸻
Zaid’s expression didn’t change.
⸻
“That won’t last.”
⸻
And just like that—
He turned and walked away.
⸻
Leaving Zaynab standing there…
With a decision she wasn’t ready for.
And a feeling she definitely couldn’t control.
⸻
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