Chapter: 04

Without a word, Fenris stood up. Not rushed. Not dramatic. Calm. Almost too calm. He slid his chair back slowly, grabbed his jacket from the back of the chair, tucked his hands into his pockets, and walked out of the café shoulders squared, steps measured. No eye contact. No goodbye. Just a storm in silence. Only Isaac noticed.

“Bro…” he murmured under his breath, eyes following Fenris as he moved through the doors like a shadow peeling away from the scene. Outside, the cold air hit Fenris like a slap. He didn’t stop walking. His jaw clenched so tight it ached. His chest heaved, but he kept his expression unreadable. Outside, he paced near the campus garden, the cold air doing nothing to cool the fire inside him. His fists were clenched in his pockets, jaw grinding so tight it ached. He hated this feeling. Jealousy. And worse helplessness. He’d waited too long. Thought he could stay on the sidelines. Thought Zayna would just know how he felt. But Harv beat him to it. And in front of everyone. Now all he could do was swallow it down. He leaned against a lamppost, exhaled slowly, and whispered under his breath, “Too late, huh?”

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Back at the cafe

Zayna sat stiffly at the table, her hands folded so tightly in her lap they’d gone numb. Her cheeks were still pink, her lips parted like she was still trying to form a reply even though Harv had walked off minutes ago. Alyssa was right beside her, eyes wide with half-shock, half-excitement. Isaac sat across from them, arms crossed, a smirk tugging at his lips.

“Well,” he said, breaking the silence, “that was... dramatic.”

Alyssa nudged him. “Not helping, Isaac.”

Zayna finally looked up, blinking like she just came back to Earth. “I… I didn’t expect him to do it like that."

Isaac raised an eyebrow. “He didnt even told us.” Alyssa leaned closer to Zayna. “Are you okay? You looked like your soul left your body for a sec.” Zayna laughed nervously. “Because it kinda did. I mean—Harv? Really?" Isaac gave her a look. “You never felt?”

Zayna shook her head. “NEVER! Not like that. Not so serious.” Alyssa stirred her iced latte with a straw. “Well, he looked dead serious. Like… ‘I-wrote-poetry-about-you’ serious.” Zayna let out a slow breath, eyes scanning the door Harv had exited from.

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The apartment was calm, painted in the soft glow of the night lamp on the shelf. The hum of the city filtered in through the slightly cracked window. Alyssa sat cross-legged on Zayna’s bed, her wet hair tied in a bun and a tub of chocolate ice cream between them.

Zayna leaned back on her elbows, still in her formal black crop shirt and white palazzo pants from earlier hair undone, but makeup smudged just enough to hint that today had been a lot.  Alyssa looked at her, voice quieter now.

“You okay?” Zayna let out a long, conflicted sigh. “I don’t know, Lyss. I just… I wasn’t expecting that. Not in front of everyone.”

Alyssa gave her a soft, knowing smile. “Yeah, but… wasn’t that kind of Harv's thing? Loud heart, zero filter.”

Zayna looked down at her hands. “I didn’t even know what to say. Everyone was watching." She just nodded gently.

“I get it,” she said. “But maybe it’s okay not to have all the answers right away.” Zayna met her best friend’s gaze, grateful. Alyssa got up, stretching. “I’m gonna take a quick shower. Don’t overthink while I’m gone. Zayna smiled weakly. “Too late.”

The apartment lights were dim, and the soft hum of Alyssa’s shower echoed in the background. Zayna lay on her bed, staring at the ceiling, still half-stuck in the whirlwind of that afternoon. Her fingers subconsciously traced the hem of her black shirt, and every now and then, she’d replay Harv’s words in her mind. Her phone buzzed.

Harv:

“Hey. Just checking in… You okay?”

She stared at the message, heart suddenly skipping. Before she could even gather her thoughts, another one arrived.

Harv:

“I know today was kind of wild. I didn’t mean to put you on the spot. I just… I couldn’t hold it in anymore.”

Harv:

“You looked so pretty today. It actually made my brain stop working. Not even kidding.”

Zayna blinked, lips parting slightly.

Harv:

“I swear I’ve typed and deleted this text like six times. Just wanted to say… I meant everything I said. But if you’re not ready to talk, I’ll wait. No pressure.”

She sat still, phone glowing in her palm.

A rush of emotions flooded her — surprise, guilt, butterflies, confusion, and something softer beneath it all… something that made her cheeks flush.

She began typing.

Deleted it.

Typed again.

Stopped.

Her thumb hovered over the screen, unsure of whether to say thank you, me too, or I need time. In the end, she just heart-reacted the last message.  And set the phone gently down on her pillow, exhaling deeply.

Her mind was chaos.

But somewhere in it, was a single constant:

Harv was brave. And she?

Still figuring out how to catch up.

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