Raisa’s POV

“Wait!” I called out, rushing after Zayn, who was already halfway across the café. My heart pounded in my chest, the remnants of our last conversation replaying in my mind. “Zayn, please! Just… just listen for a second!”

He paused but didn’t turn around, his back tense and rigid. The afternoon sunlight poured through the café’s large windows, illuminating the empty chair opposite me as if mocking my inability to bridge the emotional distance between us. The vibrant chatter of customers around us faded into a dull hum, amplifying the silence that hung thick in the air.

“Raisa,” he said finally, his voice low and strained. “I just need time.”

I felt a pang of desperation. “Time? But we were making progress! I thought…” My voice faltered, uncertain. I wanted to reach him, to break down the walls we had built, but each word felt like a misshapen tool trying to carve through stone.

“Ah, I know what you thought,” he replied, his tone sharper than intended. “But I can’t do this right now. Not when everything feels so… tangled.”

Tangled. The word echoed in my mind, a perfect representation of the mess we had stumbled into. The connection we had was electric, yet the timing seemed perpetually off. I took a deep breath, reminding myself that patience was necessary, but my heart screamed otherwise.

“Zayn,” I started, but he cut me off again.

“I’m sorry, Raisa. I need to figure things out, especially with Kendra… and my work.” He turned to leave, the weight of his decision hanging between us.

“Zayn!” I called out again, my voice a mixture of frustration and longing. But it was too late. He stepped outside, leaving me in a whirlwind of emotions.

Kendra’s POV

I watched from the corner of the café, the tension between Zayn and Raisa palpable even from a distance. I sipped my coffee slowly, a knot forming in my stomach. I knew they had something special, something real, but seeing them struggle made my heart ache for both of them.

“Thud!” My camera bag slipped from my lap, crashing to the floor.

“Ah!” I exclaimed, hastily picking it up. Just as I did, I caught a glimpse of Luca entering the café, his tall figure cutting through the crowd. My breath hitched in my throat. Despite everything that had happened, there was something about him that still made my heart race.

“Hey, Kendra,” he said, flashing a warm smile. “You okay?”

“Yeah, just… you know, capturing moments,” I replied, forcing a smile to mask the turmoil within. “How was your meeting?”

“It went well, surprisingly,” he replied, leaning against the counter. “But it feels strange to be in a room full of people yet feel so disconnected. You know what I mean?”

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

I nodded, understanding all too well. “Absolutely. It’s like the world expects us to be engaged, but sometimes it just feels empty, right?”

“Exactly,” he said, his gaze lingering on me. “Maybe we should escape this digital age for a bit. Just you and me. What do you think?”

“Escape?” My heart raced at the thought. The idea of being alone with Luca thrilled me, yet uncertainty flickered in the back of my mind. “Where?”

“Maybe a day trip to the coast? We could take some photos, enjoy the sun, and just… breathe.”

I hesitated, feeling the weight of my emotions for both him and Zayn. But a small part of me whispered that perhaps this was the distraction I needed. “Okay,” I agreed, my voice barely above a whisper. “Let’s do it.”

Zayn’s POV

I stepped outside the café, the cool air hitting my face as I wrestled with my feelings. I couldn’t shake the image of Raisa’s pleading eyes from my mind. I wanted to hold her, tell her everything would be okay, but the complications with Kendra clouded my judgment.

“Thud!” I heard a noise behind me, turning to see Luca emerge from the café. “Zayn!” he called, jogging to catch up.

“What’s up?” I replied, trying to sound casual, though my heart wasn’t in it.

“Did I catch you at a bad time?” he asked, glancing back at the café. “You seemed… intense.”

“Yeah, just dealing with some things,” I admitted, running a hand through my hair. “Raisa and I… we had a moment, but it didn’t go well.”

“Moments can be tricky,” Luca mused, his tone sympathetic. “I’ve had my fair share of those.”

“Yeah?” I raised an eyebrow, curious. “With who?”

“Let’s just say it’s complicated.” He paused, looking off into the distance. “But I think you should talk to her. Whatever’s happening, it’s worth it.”

I sighed, the weight of his words resonating within me. “I know. I want to, but I’m not ready to deal with everything. I have too much going on.”

“Fair enough,” Luca said, his expression thoughtful. “But don’t let the opportunity slip away. You never know how things might change.”

“Right,” I said, though doubt lingered in my mind.

Raisa’s POV

The café door swung open again, and I instinctively looked up. My heart jumped as I saw Zayn standing there, uncertainty etched across his face. He hesitated, then stepped inside, and time seemed to slow.

“Raisa,” he began, his voice trembling slightly. “Can we talk? I didn’t mean to—”

“Of course,” I interrupted, my heart racing.

“Listen,” he said, taking a deep breath as he moved closer. “I’m sorry about what I said. I was overwhelmed.”

I felt a surge of hope but tempered it with caution. “So, what do we do now?”

Zayn looked into my eyes, searching for something. “Can we just take it one step at a time? I don’t want to lose this… whatever this is.”

I nodded slowly, my heart swelling with a mix of excitement and fear. “One step at a time sounds good. But I need to know you’re in this too.”

“Yeah,” he whispered, stepping closer. “I’m in this.”

Suddenly, the world outside felt far away, the noise fading as our eyes locked. In that moment, I realized love didn’t always come wrapped in perfection; sometimes, it arrived like an accident, unexpected but beautiful.

But just as I thought we were on the same page, a familiar face interrupted us.

“Uh, hey!” Kendra exclaimed, catching us both off guard. “I didn’t mean to interrupt…”

“Thud!” I could almost hear my heart drop. The moment we shared shattered, the weight of our unresolved feelings crashing down around us.

“Wait!” Zayn said, glancing back at me, his eyes filled with confusion.

I took a deep breath, feeling the tension crackle in the air. We had just found a moment of clarity, yet everything felt about to spiral once more. “What now?” I whispered to myself, feeling the weight of love and chaos collide under the same sky.