Chapter 3:
Ozaire's POV
I didn't expect to end up crouched behind a bush like some cartoon character. But then again, I also didn't expect her to grab my hand like that.
Ophira.
She was fire wrapped in restraint—always composed, always a little too perfect. Except now. Her grip was tight. She didn't even notice.
I could've pulled away. I didn't.
When we ducked behind the bush, her hand stayed in mine. Warm, small, trembling slightly. I didn't say anything. Just watched the scene play out before us—Paicey and Percy sitting together like they hadn't been cracked in two.
Everyone was watching them. But I was watching her.
Ophira wasn't blinking. Her lips were tight, jaw clenched, eyes sharp. There was something desperate behind her expression, like she was bracing for a blow.
Then she realized we were still holding hands. She looked down, then up at me. Like she'd touched fire and didn't know whether to pull away or hold on.
I didn't say anything. I should've.
Instead, I made a stupid joke—"Aren't you a little bit nosy?"—because that's what I do when things get too real.
She snapped. Sharp words, eyes flashing. Called me out for earlier, for choosing a side that wasn't hers.
She wasn't wrong.
And when I laughed—because that's what I do, even when it's the worst possible time—I saw it. The tear.
One. Just one. But it wrecked me.
Then she ran.
And I sat there, surrounded by rustling leaves and the stunned silence of the others, wishing I could chase after her.
But I didn't.
Because if I ran after her… I'd have to admit I saw her.
Really saw her.
And that scared the hell out of me.
So, for the following days I tried to talk to her, to explain, only to be shut off.
Day 1
She didn't look at me.
Not once. Not in the hallway. Not in class. Not even when I "accidentally" dropped my pen near her chair.
I tried to talk to her after lunch. She walked faster. Didn't even break stride.
I called her name. She didn't flinch.
Later that evening, I typed a message. Deleted it. Typed it again. Deleted that too.
What would I even say?
Sorry I laughed when you cried?
Sorry I never believed you until it was too late?
Sorry I don't know how to stop messing this up?
None of it felt like enough.
Day 2
I brought her favorite drink. Left it on her desk before she arrived.
She stared at it when she sat down. Then got up, threw it away without a word.
Ouch.
Still… I deserved it.
At gym class, I was picked to partner with her. She asked to switch. Coach said no.
We did drills in silence. The kind that burns louder than shouting.
When our hands brushed, she recoiled like I was poison.
That stung more than it should have.
Day 3
Yasha caught me staring again.
"You're sulking," she said, biting into an apple.
"I'm thinking."
"You're moping. That's new for you."
I rolled my eyes and walked off. She called after me, "She's not going to forgive you until you stop pretending you don't care!"
But I do care.
That's the problem.
I waited outside the library that afternoon, knowing Ophira always passed by around five.
When she did, I stepped in her path.
She stopped. Cold. Her eyes met mine for the first time in three days.
And they were tired. Hurt. Walls up.
"Just… talk to me," I said quietly.
She looked at me like I was a stranger. "I have nothing to say."
And walked away.
This time, I didn't chase her.
But my chest felt like it was being ripped in two.
Because I finally understood what it meant to lose something before you ever really had it.
Later That Night
The group chat lit up with a call from Yuan. I almost didn't answer, but something told me to pick up.
His grinning face filled the screen. "Dinner at Yasha's place tomorrow. Formal. Her parents'll be there. Send help."
Raiden leaned in with zero hesitation. "I'm in."
Of course he was. Raiden thrived on chaos.
Gared snorted. "Pass. I'd rather be hit by a truck than sit through a dinner with parents."
"Same," Beck muttered. "I've got things to do at the theater. Can't ditch it."
Vayden yawned dramatically. "I have a date. With sleep."
That left Percy. He looked uneasy, fiddling with his bracelet.
"You coming, Perce?" Yuan asked.
Percy nodded slowly. "Yeah. Sure. I'll be there."
The pause that followed was suspicious. Too long. Too calculated. Percy never said yes to anything without five questions and two sarcastic remarks.
Yuan raised an eyebrow but didn't press. "Cool. What about you, Zaire?"
I opened my mouth to say no. The words were already at the back of my throat, ready to escape.
But then I thought of her.
Of how she didn't look at me. How she walked away.
This might be my only chance to get her to listen.
So I said, "Yeah. I'll go."
Six sets of eyes blinked at me.
Even Yuan looked shocked. "You sure?"
"No," I muttered. "But I'll be there."
Because if she's going to hate me, I want her to at least know why I laughed, why I didn't stop it, why I froze up when I should've defended her.
Because even if she never forgives me, I need to try.
One Hour Before the Dinner
I stood in front of the mirror, adjusting my collar for what felt like the tenth time. The black button-up looked fine. The slacks? Passable. But no matter how many times I ran my hands through my hair, it still felt like I wasn't ready.
Because I wasn't.
My reflection stared back—composed on the outside, but inside? It was a storm. I had three days' worth of things to say and only one shot to say them.
"I didn't mean to hurt you."
No, too defensive.
"I should've believed you."
Honest. Raw. Maybe a start.
"I laughed because I panicked."
Still weak. She deserves better than panic.
I sighed and rubbed my face.
What would even make a difference now? She's been avoiding me like I'm contagious. But tonight might be the last time I get her in the same room without her vanishing. If I don't speak up now, then maybe I should stop pretending I ever stood a chance.
"I miss you," I whispered to my reflection.
It sounded pathetic.
But it was the truth.
Just then, my phone buzzed. Raiden: Outside. Don't make me honk.
I grabbed my jacket, stole one last glance in the mirror, and muttered, "Please let me fix this."
Then I walked out the door—carrying nothing but my pride, my guilt, and the stupid, stubborn hope that maybe… she'd still listen.
"I thought running away from my feelings would protect me, but now I see it's only left me colder than before."