Chapter nineteen: Seth

The watch—brand new, sleek, and polished—glistened under the morning sun, snug around my wrist. The same one Jessica gave me the day before my birthday. I hadn’t expected anything, not really, but when she handed it to me, I was… happy. Like, genuinely happy.

It wasn’t just a watch. It was the exact model I’d been raving about to Ryan last week. The Tudor black bay. A watch I’d only ever imagined owning. And suddenly, it was mine.

But it’s been a week now. A week since I last saw Nyla.

She stopped coming to school. Missed every tutoring session. No texts, no calls. I tried calling her. Messaged her more times than I can count. No reply.

Out of worry, I even called her mom. She sounded rushed—said Nyla’s been “a bit off” and had to hang up quickly for a meeting. That was it. That was all she said.

Still, I couldn’t shake the weird feeling in my chest. Something was off.

I keep thinking about the way Nyla looked that day at the café. She was quiet. A little too quiet. When I was bursting with excitement, showing off the gift to everyone around, she just sat there. No reaction, not even a smile.

And now… I don’t know.

Why does it feel like I’ve lost something I didn’t even realize I had?

It felt wrong coming to school without her, even though I’d been ignoring her lately. Just catching a glimpse of her—her ponytail swinging behind her, the perfectly crisp uniform, her beautiful face, those deep brown eyes—somehow, that used to make my day better. But it’s been seven days. Seven whole days, and she hasn’t shown up once. Not even a shadow of her.

It’s just been me and Jessica at the café, bent over math problems that I don’t even pretend to care about. Jessica keeps talking—rambling about her life, her cousins, her dog, what she had for breakfast. And I just sit there, nodding at the right moments, completely zoned out. My mind drifts before I even realize it. And every time, it drifts to her.

This Tuesday, my father will leave me. He’s heading back to Chicago for his business affairs. I should’ve been upset, but honestly, I felt relieved. The day finally near. He had extended his stay longer than expected, but now he is going back and I could finally breathe in my own house. Properly.

It was a bright Friday morning, and I had shifted my tutoring session to earlier—starting from 7, till an hour just before school. Jessica was already there, scribbling numbers onto her notebook, yawning every few seconds like the equations were putting her to sleep.

"Jessica," I said, watching her scratch out a mistake, "do you know why Nyla isn’t coming anymore?"

She looked up lazily. "No, Mr. Seth. I actually don’t have any contact with her. Maybe she’s sick or something? I’m not really sure."

"But it’s been a week. If it’s just sickness, would it really last this long?"

She shrugged, nonchalant. "Who knows? I don’t know. Just... why don’t you ask her yourself?"

"I tried. She’s not picking up my calls, and she isn’t replying to any of my texts." I stared down at the table, my voice softer than intended. "I’m just… worried."

Jessica smirked lightly. "See, something’s going on between you two. Come on, I know it—spill the tea."

"Jessica," I cut in sharply, sitting straighter. "If you were in this situation, I’d have called you too. Because I’m worried for my students. Not because she’s anything more than that. She’s just like you to me."

Her expression shifted, suddenly awkward. "Oh. I’m really sorry, sir. I didn’t mean to step over any line."

"It’s okay," I muttered. "Just… mind your words sometimes."

And then silence. Heavy, uncomfortable silence.

The silence from Jessica stretched longer than it should’ve, but I didn’t say anything more. I packed my books and stood up, giving her a quick nod before walking out of the café.

The streets outside buzzed with their usual life—cars honking, people chatting, someone blasting music from a cycle speaker—but it all felt muted to me. I walked slowly, letting the breeze graze my skin as I kept my hands stuffed into my pockets. My feet knew the way home, but my mind wasn’t with them.

I kept thinking about her.

Nyla.

The last time I saw her.

She had that same low ponytail, her uniform ironed perfectly like always, and her eyes… God, her eyes. They looked hollow. She smiled, but it didn’t reach them. I didn’t see it back then. I didn’t think twice. I was too caught up in the damn watch.

The watch.

I glanced at my wrist. It still looked brand new, polished and proud under the sun. A gift from Jessica—at least, that’s what I thought. But the way Nyla disappeared… the way she looked at me that day…

A strange ache bloomed in my chest, heavy and uncertain.

I remember jumping with excitement, hugging Jessica without even thinking. I didn’t even glance at Nyla properly. She was just… there. Quiet. And then gone.

What if—

No. That can’t be it.

But what if it is?

What if the one who gave me the thing I’d been wanting for years wasn’t Jessica at all?

I stopped walking.

No. It’s crazy. Why would Nyla…?

And even if she did—why would she ask someone else to give it?

Unless…

Unless it hurt to hand it over herself.

And suddenly, I didn’t want to go home. I wanted to go back. I wanted to find her. I wanted to look into her eyes again and ask the questions I should’ve asked that day.

But it was already too late.

And the watch still ticked on my wrist—mocking me.

I ran back to the café, heart pounding, breath sharp in my chest. I skidded to a stop in front of the door, panting heavily.

Inside, Jessica was packing up her things. She drained the last of her coffee and slung her bag over her shoulder. She walked towards me.

“Oh! You scared me,” she said, pushing the door open.

“Jessica…” I breathed, trying to steady myself. “I really need to ask you something. Be honest with me.”

She blinked at me, confused.

“Who—who actually gave me this watch? Whose gift is this… really?”

There was a beat of silence. Her eyes flickered down to my wrist.

“Speak, Jessica,” I urged, voice low but sharp.

And what she said next—

It shattered everything.