Shimmer Between Us

Chapter 20

The next morning, Zora was in the middle of folding her clothes when her roommate, Becky, leaned against the wardrobe with her arms folded.

“Zora,” she began, eyeing her closely, “you’ve been in and out of this hostel like a ghost. Plus, with all these dramas following you around… you’ve not even sat down once to gist with us. You always lock yourself in your introvert mode.”

The other roommate, Clara, joined in. “Exactly. We are like your sisters, babe. Why are you treating us like strangers? Hmm?” Tina replied "I wonder oh"

Zora hesitated, staring at her neatly folded dresses. A part of her had always guarded her heart too tightly, but she felt the weight of their concern. Slowly, she told them everything...the saga with Jenny, the tension with Kamari, and the confusion wrapping around her feelings.

By the time she finished, Anita sighed deeply and pulled her into a side hug. “At least now we know you. And you know what? We support you. You’re stronger than you think, babe.”

For the first time, Zora felt lighter. The ice had broken.

She finally admitted, almost shyly, “I… I’ve gotten some money. I found a lodge nearby. I want my own space.”

The three girls gasped in unison.

“Finally!” Tina clapped her hands dramatically. “So I can bring in as many men as I want without feeling your holy eyes judging me!”

Zora rolled her eyes, laughing. “You’re incorrigible.”

But they were happy for her...genuinely happy. That morning, they helped her pack. The new lodge was small, neat, and quiet. Just the privacy she craved. By noon, the girls got distracted by their buzzing phones and boyfriends calling, so they rushed off, leaving Zora with half-unpacked boxes and scattered bags.

It was then Kamari called.

“Did you come for lectures today? I didn’t see you at your hall.”

“I moved into my lodge,” she admitted. “I wanted my own space.”

There was a brief silence before his deep voice broke it. “Send me the location. I’ll stop by. And don’t argue,I’ll bring food too.”

Zora’s lips curved despite herself.

An hour later, Kamari arrived, balancing a bag of takeout in one hand and a mischievous grin. “Your roommates ditched you, huh? Good thing you’ve got me.”

Together, they set to work, arranging the curtains, scrubbing the floor, stacking books, laughing as dust puffed into their faces. At one point, Zora slipped while pulling a box, and he caught her, their bodies colliding, breaths tangling in the quiet pause that followed.

Their eyes lingered. His hand brushed hers when passing a rag. When their shoulders touched, neither pulled away. It was light, playful, but dangerously magnetic.

By the time the room was half-set, evening had crept in. They ate, then played a silly card game on the small table, teasing each other, their laughter filling the space.

But then, the weather turned. Heavy clouds gathered, and soon, the rain poured,violent and unrelenting, drumming against the roof.

Zora glanced toward the window. “You can’t possibly leave in this weather.”

Kamari leaned back, smirking. “So, should I take that as an invitation to sleep over?”

She stammered. “I-I didn’t say...”

“Relax,” he teased in a low voice, eyes gleaming. “What, are you scared I’ll touch you?”

Her cheeks flamed. “Don’t be ridiculous.”

He chuckled, the sound deep, playful, and almost dangerous.

By night, there was only one bed, no chairs yet. Zora shifted nervously as they both lay down, backs turned, a safe distance between them. The rain outside was loud, but the silence inside was louder.

She couldn’t sleep. Every nerve was awake.

Then...his fingers brushed against hers. Light, tentative. Almost by accident. But then, slowly, their hands intertwined, fingers locking.

Her breath caught. She turned,and found him already facing her.

“Zora…” he whispered, voice husky.

Before she could speak, he pulled her closer and kissed her, deep, fervent, filled with the hunger of everything he had been holding back. She gasped against his lips, but her body melted into his warmth.

His hands roamed gently, his lips trailing down her neck, leaving fiery kisses, marking her with tender hickeys that made her tremble. He murmured between breaths, words hot against her skin:

“You’re beautiful… so damn beautiful…”

Zora shivered, overwhelmed by the intensity, the way he looked at her like she was the only girl in the universe. Every whispered compliment, every soft graze of his lips, made her heart pound harder.

The storm outside was nothing compared to the storm between them.

Her fingers clung to his shirt. His mouth trailed to her neck, planting slow, deliberate kisses that made her tremble. Her skin felt like fire under his touch.

He pulled back just enough to look at her, his forehead resting on hers. His voice was husky, controlled.

“Zora… I don’t want to hurt you. I need to know are you okay with this? With me?”

Her heart thundered louder than the rain. She swallowed, nerves and longing crashing inside her, and whispered:

“I’m okay with it… with you.”

His eyes softened, but the fire in them only burned brighter.

“You’re sure?” he pressed, almost painfully careful.

She nodded, cheeks flushed. “Yes, Kamari.”

That was all he needed.

He kissed her again, slower this time, savoring her lips like they were the sweetest sin. His hands traced her curves with a reverence that contradicted the hunger in his touch. The teasing bad-boy was gone...replaced by a man who wanted her completely, but tenderly.

As his lips returned to her neck, leaving trails of heated kisses and faint hickeys, Zora’s breath hitched. She clutched him tighter, overwhelmed, whispering his name like a prayer.

“Kamari…”

He groaned softly, pulling her closer, pressing her against him, their bodies molding together in the dimly lit room. The storm outside raged, but nothing compared to the storm igniting between them.

And when he moved carefully to claim what they both silently knew was hers to give, he paused once more, eyes searching hers with fierce gentleness.

“I’ll be slow,” he whispered. “Tell me if it’s too much.”

Zora exhaled shakily, her lips parting. “I trust you.”

With that, he kissed her again, sealing her words with heat and tenderness as they crossed into a night neither of them would ever forget.