CHAPTER SIX; UNSPOKEN COMFORT
637 Words
Evening fell gently over the El-Amin mansion, wrapping the estate in a quiet stillness. The heavy clouds from earlier had given way to a starry sky, yet the air remained weighted ; like it was holding its breath.
______________
Earlier when Zayn left Amara’s room, he didn’t go far. He stood just outside her door, the tray of food now resting on a nearby table, untouched. His brows were furrowed, his jaw clenched. Something inside him had shifted the moment he saw her like that ; fragile, hurting, real.
He had meant only to check in. Maybe bring her something warm. But the sight of her sitting there, curled up on the floor with red-rimmed eyes, had knocked the breath out of him.
And now… he couldn’t shake it. Her pain had wrapped itself around his chest like a silent scream.
He leaned against the wall, ran a hand down his face. Why did he care this much?
She wasn’t supposed to matter.
Not like this.
⸻
Inside the room, Amara hadn’t moved much either. The silence was now calming instead of suffocating. Zayn’s quiet gesture ; sitting with her, saying little, but being present ; stayed with her longer than she expected. It wasn’t just comfort. It felt like… understanding.
She looked at the tray he had brought in. Her fingers brushed against the side of the bowl ; still warm. He made sure it was still warm. That thought lingered in her mind, soft and confusing.
__________________
It's 8.47pm.
A knock came . Gentle. Not the sharp, commanding kind that echoed through the El-Amin halls.
Amara stood up from the bed slowly, padded to the door, and opened it.
Zayn.
He stood there again, this time holding a small porcelain teapot on a tray, along with a book. He didn’t say anything at first ; just looked at her with those unreadable eyes, the ones that didn’t seem so cold anymore.
“I thought you might need something to help you sleep,” he said softly, his voice barely above a whisper.
Amara blinked, surprised. “Tea?”
He nodded, then offered her the book. The Secret Garden.
“I read it when I was younger. My mother used to say it heals people quietly.”
She took the book carefully, her fingers brushing his. “Thank you.”
“I could stay… if you want,” Zayn added quickly, almost awkwardly. “Not to talk. Just to be here. In case you… don’t want to be alone.”
That offer made her chest ache. Something about the way he said it ; like he knew loneliness well.
But Amara shook her head gently. “I’ll be okay.”
He didn’t look hurt. Just… disappointed, maybe. Or maybe that was hope he was trying to bury.
Zayn nodded. “Alright. But if you change your mind… just knock on my door.”
Amara watched as he turned and left again, the hallway light catching in the strands of his dark hair. And this time, the silence he left behind didn’t feel heavy ; it felt warm.
⸻
Meanwhile, Zayn didn’t return to his room right away. He found himself standing at the hallway window, staring into the night.
Why do bad things happen?
Why did life had to happen this way?
He couldn’t explain it. He didn’t want to. All he knew was that seeing her hurting had as much as he's concerned, he felt something awakening.
And for the first time in years, Zayn El-Amin wanted to be someone’s comfort, regardless he's guilt , regret and depression.
Not just because he felt responsible for the life she now lived in his mansion…
But because she was Amara.
And she was slowly becoming the one person his heart noticed ; even when he wasn’t looking.
- Writer
