The Top Boy Is My Mate

Chapter 8: The confrontation

Zara’s POV

I didn’t even make it halfway down the corridor before Atlas found me. Talia had told me she needed to use the restroom so we separated.

It wasn’t like I didn’t hear him coming, his boots echoed on the stone floor like a drum, but somehow, I thought maybe if I kept walking, kept my head down, he’d just let it go. He didn’t.

“Zara.”

His voice. Low and rough.

I kept walking.

“Zara!”

A hand clamped around my wrist, pulling me back so fast I stumbled. My back hit the wall with a soft thud, the cold stone biting through my uniform. His hand braced beside my head, his other still gripping my wrist.

His eyes — gods, his eyes.

That stormy gray, swirling with something I couldn’t read. Anger? Confusion? Hunger?

I didn’t know. But it left me breathless.

“Let go of me,” I said, trying to sound steady.

He didn’t.

“What the hell are you really doing here?” His voice was harsh, but not loud, like he didn’t want the others to hear. Like this was our secret.

I glared up at him. “What does that even mean?”

His fingers tightened. Just enough that I felt it, sharp and real.

“You shouldn’t be here. At Blackwood. You shouldn’t be anywhere near me.”

“Why? Because you say so?”

“Yes because I said so.”

I laughed. A shaky, bitter sound. “You don’t tell me what to do. In case you hadn’t noticed, I didn’t exactly ask to be here.”

His jaw clenched. His grip shifted, not tighter, but firmer, like he was trying to keep me still, keep me from slipping through his fingers.

“You don’t understand—”

“Then explain it!”

His breath hitched. For a second, the storm in his eyes calmed, just a fraction.

But then his hand on my wrist…It did hurt.

“Let go of me. You’re hurting me,” I said, voice low, biting off each word.

His eyes widened , just a second, and his hand fell away like I’d burned him.

I rubbed my wrist, glaring at him, but my heart was hammering so loud I swore he could hear it.

We stood there. Close enough to each other. Too close.

Neither of us spoke. The tension wrapped us both, pulling, and pulling.

Until the sound of footsteps down the hall broke it.

Atlas stepped back, running a hand through his hair, looking everywhere but at me.

“I shouldn’t have grabbed you,” he said finally, voice rough with regret.

“No,” I said, still glaring. “You shouldn’t have.”

Then I turned and walked away, leaving him standing there with his fists clenched at his sides.

….

Later that night….I couldn’t sleep.

Not because of what happened with Atlas, though the memory of his eyes, his voice, his touch haunted me.

But because of the symbols. The second one scratched on my window tonight.

A circle. An X through the middle. Like a mark, more like a warning.

I couldn’t just sit there and wait for whoever , whatever, was leaving them.

So I slipped on my boots, grabbed my jacket, and crept out into the night.

….

The halls were empty mostly. Kai found me before I made it to the courtyard.

Why was he out this late though?

“Out after dark, new girl?” His grin was all teeth. “Brave. Or stupid.”

“Go away, Kai.”

He stepped in front of me, blocking my path. “Or what? You’ll run to Atlas again?”

I stiffened.

His smile widened. “Thought so.”

“I don’t have time for this,” I snapped, trying to push past him.

But he caught my arm. Not hard, but enough to stop me.

“What’s the rush, Mira? Oh! It’s Zara now. Looking for more symbols on your window?”

I froze.

“How do you know about that?”

He laughed. “Everyone knows. You’re the most interesting thing to happen here in years.”

What?

His gaze dropped to where his fingers circled my arm.

“And I’m not done with you yet.”

Before I could retort, a voice rang out.

“Back off, Kai.” It was Atlas.

Kai let go, smirking. “Look at that. Your knight in shining armor.”

Atlas didn’t smile. He just stared Kai down, radiating menace.

Kai raised his hands in mock surrender. “Fine, fine. She’s all yours.”

And then he was gone, disappearing into the shadows.

I let out a shaky breath. Atlas stepped closer, his voice softer now.

“Are you okay?”

Huh? Did I hear right?

I met his gaze, heart still racing. “Why do you care?”

He hesitated. Then:

“Why ain’t you sleeping?”

And somehow, that was the most honest thing either of us had said all night.