Sky’s P. O. V.
Zoe and I lie in each other’s arms, naked, a white sheet covering our bodies partially, our legs entangled. After a month of agonising separation, lying like this with her feels like finally coming home after wandering through a torturous desert. The warmth of her body against mine, the rhythmic rise and fall of her chest as she breathes, the softness of her skin-all of it reminds me of what I’ve missed so desperately.
When I arrived at Zoe’s apartment after meeting my father, I was deeply distressed. I was feeling terrible because I couldn’t punish my father for torturing Zoe. But now, I feel content being with my Trouble. At this moment, she is with me, so nothing else matters to me.
I know that to make me feel better; she got ready to confront her deep-seated fear. I’m glad she made this decision because having Zoe as only a friend would be a close second to the pain of not having her in my life at all.
“Thank you, Trouble,” I murmur, caressing her arms. “For making me feel better.”
She raises her head from my chest to look at me. “I can do anything for you, Sky. You mean the world to me.” She strokes my hair, fixing her eyes filled with love on me before pressing his lips on my forehead.
“But, Sky, I’m afraid.” She speaks as she rests her head on my chest and holds my two fingers. “What if your father again tries to kidnap me? I can’t go through that torture again.” Her lips tremble against my chest.
I hold her closer. “Zoe, I won’t let that happen. I promise you, I’ll protect you with everything I have. He won’t ever touch you again.”
The thought of my father again hurting her sends a shiver down my spine, but I push it aside. I have to be strong for her, for us. Now, my sole aim in life is to become more powerful than my father and make him pay for making my Zoe suffer. However, if he tries to hurt Zoe again, I’ll kill him without a second thought.
Zoe’s fingers trace light patterns on my chest and I can feel them trembling. “But how can you be sure? He’s powerful, Sky. What if-”
I cut her off. “Shh… No more what-ifs. I’ll do whatever it takes to keep you safe, Zoe. We’ll figure this out together. You’re not alone in this, okay?”
She nods with a flicker of trust and hope in her eyes. “I trust you, Sky.”
I tilt her chin up so our eyes meet, and I see the fear that still stays in the depths of her gaze. It’s a fear that I feel as well-a fear of losing each other, of the unknown dangers that lie ahead. But beyond that fear, I see something stronger: love, the kind of love that makes you want to fight with everything you have, to protect and cherish the person who holds your heart.
I’m certain when we’re together, we can fight any battle.
I press my lips on her forehead, silently promising her to always protect her from all the trouble.
***
The next day, we enter the college hand in hand, our lips curved into a wide smile. Zoe is still afraid that our closeness will put my life in danger, but she is trying to fight it. And now I’ll do everything in my power to take that fear out of her mind.
However, I’m relieved that she isn’t pushing me away.
“I’m so glad that you guys are back together as a couple,” Selena exclaims, pulling Zoe into a warm hug as we share the news with her and Alex. “You two were always meant to be.”
We all are sitting in the cafeteria. I’m feeling so good from within because, after all the torturous days, we’re finally back together.
Zoe smiles, but I can still see the worry in her eyes. I know this isn’t easy for her, but I’m proud of how strong she’s being.
As Selena pulls back from the hug, Alex places his hand on my shoulder. “I was damn sure that Zoe and you would be back together in a week.”
“We had to.” I take Zoe’s hand in mine and kiss it, fixing my eyes filled with affection on her.
“I love you.” She murmurs, her eyes shimmering.
“Love you more.” I whisper, stroking her knuckles, and our eyes are locked.
Selena clears her throat and Alex laughs, pulling us back to the earth.
“Love birds, don’t forget. We both are also here.” We all laugh at Selena’s words.
After talking for a while, Alex and I come to the basketball court for match practice, and Zoe goes to take the class with Selena.
***
After the match practice, I head to the locker room to grab my stuff. As I walk out toward the bleachers, I spot Alex leaning against the wall near the entrance to the court, a cigarette in hand. It’s unusual for him to smoke on campus, and the look on his face tells me something is off.
His eyes are fixed on the ground, and he takes a long drag from the cigarette, exhaling the smoke slowly, as if trying to calm his nerves.
“Alex, you okay?” I ask, walking up to him.
He glances at me, startled, as if he didn’t notice me coming. “Yeah… just, uh, needed a smoke.”
I can tell he’s not fine, and I’ve known him long enough to see when something’s really bothering him. “You look lost, dude. What’s going on?”
Alex hesitates for a moment, then sighs deeply, flicking the cigarette to the ground and stomping it out with his shoe. “It’s my dad… He’s getting remarried. He dropped the news on me last night like it was no big deal. Said he’d been seeing this woman for a while, and now they’re getting married. How can I give my mom’s place to someone else?”
His voice breaks a little at the end, and I can see how much this is tearing him up inside. The thought of someone else taking her place is clearly too much for him to bear.
He looks at me with a serious expression. “The woman he’s marrying… I don’t trust her. She seems like a gold digger, just after his money.”
I nod. “Alex, I understand. It’s hard to give someone your mother’s place, but maybe you’re overthinking. She isn’t a gold digger.”
He shakes his head. “I don’t know. I can never accept her as my mother. You know she has a daughter too. I’m certain that she will be as fake as her mother. I don’t know how I’m going to live with them.”
I place my hand on his shoulder. “Alex, I get it. This is a lot to deal with, and it’s not something you can just accept overnight. But with time, maybe you accept them.”
***