Chapter: 03

Morning

Sunlight spilled through the sheer curtains of Zayna’s apartment, soft and golden. She stood in front of her mirror, adjusting the collar of her loose black crop shirt. The fabric hugged her frame just right, half-sleeves loose against her arms. She paired it with flowing white palazzo pants that cinched at the waist, giving her an elegant, commanding presence. Her hair was free above the waist, a silver watch wrapped delicately around her wrist. She looked polished, but she didn’t feel calm.

Her phone buzzed again.

Alyssa (3 Missed Calls)

New Message:

“ZAYNA WHERE ARE YOU. CLASS STARTED. IF YOU’RE DOING A SLOW-MO ENTRANCE I SWEAR—”

Zayna laughed softly under her breath and finally called her back. “I'm coming! I just... needed a second.”

“Girl, what second?! The whole lecture is in chaos. Harv is literally twitching.”

Zayna paused. “Twitching?”

“Yup. Like, weirdly serious and lowkey dramatic. Isaac already made three jokes, and he didn’t even flinch.”

Zayna rolled her eyes with a small smile. “Okay, okay I’ll be there in ten.”

**At University **

The classroom was buzzing with chatter. Their professor hadn’t arrived yet, and the group had turned the lecture hall into a casual comedy club. Harv sat in the second row, stiff as a mannequin. A stack of note cards sat in his lap, and he kept flipping through them then tossing them away then picking them back up.

Isaac leaned back in his chair, whispering to Alyssa, “What's happening to him?”

Alyssa smirked. “That's what i am thinking.”

But Fenris, sitting two rows behind, wasn’t laughing. He watched Harv silently, elbows resting on his knees, fingers loosely interlaced. His sharp black henley clung to his arms as he leaned forward just slightly, brows furrowed. He knew that look on Harv’s face.

It wasn’t nerves.

It was intent.

Later – At the Café

After class, the group wandered into the café as usual. The day had warmed up, sunlight dripping through the glass windows and painting their table gold. Zayna sat near the window, sipping her iced latte, half-listening to Alyssa talk about an influencer who’d gotten banned for editing clouds into every selfie. Fenris sat alone again not too far, not too close. Watching Zayna who didnt noticed his appearance. Harv wasn’t there yet. Until suddenly—he was.

He wasn’t his usual bouncy self today. He walked toward them with slow, confident steps. Gone was the playful energy. His outfit matched his mood: a fitted charcoal turtleneck under a tailored navy blazer, black jeans, and clean white sneakers. Sleek. Intentional. Almost too put together. Zayna looked up, surprised by his serious face. “Hey—”

But he didn’t say hey. Instead, he stopped right in front of her, glanced once at Alyssa and Isaac, then turned fully to Zayna. “I know this is a weird place to say this,” he began, voice steady, louder than usual enough for nearby tables to notice, “but I can’t keep it in anymore.”

The café gasped. Someone audibly said, “WHAT?!” Zayna’s eyes went wide. Her face flushed instantly a deep pink that crept up her cheeks to the tips of her ears. She blinked.

Alyssa leaned forward with a soft “Oh my God.”

Isaac muttered, “No way...”

“I like you, Zayna,” Harv said clearly. “I like you, Zayna. Not like… joking or maybe or kind of. I really like you. I think about you constantly. You make everything better.......louder, funnier, warmer. I had to say it. I couldn’t keep pretending.” The café fell into a soft hush. Zayna froze. Cheeks flushed, lips parted, eyes wide like a deer caught in headlights. Her hands fidgeted in her lap. She could feel the weight of everyone’s attention on her but none more than the one burning from across the room.

At the other side of the café, behind his coffee mug, Fenris sat alone. He wore a black full-sleeve henley shirt, sleeves rolled up to his elbows, paired with slate-grey chinos. He looked sharp, unreadable, calm, except for his eyes. His gaze was fixed on Harv. His jaw was tight. The coffee in front of him remained untouched. A single, faint smile curved on his lips, but it wasn’t friendly. It was the kind of smile a storm wears before it breaks. Inside, Fenris was raging. His blood boiled with the kind of anger that doesn’t shout—it simmers. The kind that clenches fists under the table. The kind that imagines flipping that table over. He confessed. Publicly. To her. To Zayna.

Back at the table, Zayna finally blinked and found her voice, though it was quiet, unsure. “Harv... I—I didn’t expect this.”

“I know,” Harv said softly, a faint hope in his eyes. “But I meant every word.”

"So… yeah. I like you. A lot. And I don’t care who hears it.”

The room exploded. Tables banged. Girls squealed. One guy near the coffee machine dropped his sandwich.

“IS THIS REAL?”

“She’s literally the main character!”

“Zayna, you’re LIVING the dream!”

“Marry him!” someone yelled from the corner.

Alyssa had her hands over her mouth. “I can’t breathe. I actually can’t breathe.”

Zayna sat frozen for a second, lips parted, blinking like she was trying to wake up.

A soft gasp echoed from somewhere nearby. Alyssa bit her lip, barely whispering to Isaac, “This is so intense.” Zayna sat perfectly still. Her eyes locked on his. Her face flushed, not just from shock but from how public it all was. Then, slowly, she stood. Her voice was calm but clear. “Harv…” He looked at her, hope all over his face. She glanced around at the eyes staring. And then—to Fenris.

Zayna swallowed. “I…” she started, then stopped, heart pounding in her ears. “Harv, this is—wow, I wasn’t expecting this!” She chuckled in nervousness

He waited, hands folded behind his back like a soldier waiting for orders.

“I don’t know what to say right now,” she admitted honestly, her voice a little shaky. “But… thank you for being honest......hmmmmm ........Really!”

Harv smiled, a small sigh of relief escaping his lips. “Take your time. I just wanted it off my chest.”

She nodded, still a bit overwhelmed. “Yeah.......I will.”

The mood at the table shifted. Everyone returned stopped cheeringand shifted to their drinks and whispered conversations, but Fenris?

He didn’t say a word. He simply stood up, walked outside, and lit a cigarette he didn’t even finish. He wasn’t heartbroken!

He was furious!

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