Zina was not what Amara expected.
And somehow…
That made everything worse.
The first time they spoke wasn't planned.
Amara had gone to the library that afternoon, hoping to distract herself with books she wouldn't read and notes she wouldn't understand.
She needed somewhere quiet.
Somewhere safe.
But life had a funny way of bringing you face-to-face with the things you were trying to avoid.
"Hi… you're Amara, right?"
Amara looked up.
And there she was.
Zina.
Standing right in front of her.
For a moment, Amara forgot how to respond.
"Uh… yeah," she said slowly. "And you're… Zina."
Zina smiled warmly. "So he talks about me."
The statement wasn't meant to be offensive.
But it still stung.
"A little," Amara replied.
Zina pulled out a chair and sat down across from her.
There was no tension in her body.
No hostility.
No sign that she saw Amara as competition.
And that confused Amara more than anything.
"I've heard about you too," Zina said casually.
Amara blinked. "You have?"
Zina nodded. "Daniel talks about you… a lot."
Amara's heart skipped.
She didn't expect that.
"Oh," was all she could say.
Zina studied her for a moment.
Not in a judging way.
But like she was trying to understand something.
"You really hurt him, you know," she said gently.
The words were soft.
But they landed hard.
Amara looked down at her hands.
"I didn't mean to," she whispered.
"I believe you," Zina said.
That response caught Amara off guard.
"You do?" she asked.
Zina nodded. "Yeah. You don't look like someone who hurts people on purpose."
Amara let out a small, bitter laugh. "Still doesn't change the fact that I did."
There was a pause.
Then Zina leaned back slightly.
"Can I be honest with you?" she asked.
Amara hesitated.
Then nodded. "Okay."
Zina smiled faintly.
"I'm not trying to take him from you."
Amara frowned. "What?"
"I mean it," Zina continued. "I'm not in competition with you."
Amara stared at her, confused.
"Then… what are you doing with him?" she asked.
The question came out more emotional than she intended.
Zina didn't react negatively.
Instead, she answered calmly.
"I'm giving him what you couldn't."
The truth.
Simple.
Direct.
Painful.
Amara swallowed hard.
"That's… honest," she said.
Zina nodded. "Daniel deserves someone who is sure about him."
That sentence stayed in the air.
Heavy.
Unavoidable.
"Are you sure about him?" Amara asked quietly.
Zina paused.
Then shook her head slightly.
"No."
Amara looked up, surprised.
"I like him," Zina continued. "He's kind. He listens. He's genuine."
She smiled softly.
"But his heart isn't really with me."
Amara's chest tightened.
"What do you mean?"
Zina leaned forward slightly.
"It's still with you."
Everything inside Amara froze.
"No," she said quickly. "That's not true."
Zina raised an eyebrow. "You really don't see it, do you?"
Amara shook her head.
Because believing that would change everything.
And she wasn't ready for that.
"He's trying to move on," Zina said gently. "Not because he stopped loving you… but because he thinks you'll never love him the way he needs."
Amara felt her throat tighten.
She didn't know what to say.
Because for the first time…
Everything made sense.
The distance.
The coldness.
The sudden shift.
It wasn't because Daniel stopped caring.
It was because he cared too much.
"Why are you telling me this?" Amara asked.
Zina smiled softly.
"Because I don't like fake things."
The words hit deep.
"And right now," Zina continued, "you're pretending you don't love him."
Amara's heart pounded.
"I—"
"You do," Zina said, not harshly, but firmly. "It's obvious."
Silence.
For a long moment, Amara said nothing.
Then finally…
"I'm scared," she admitted.
The words came out small.
Barely above a whisper.
Zina nodded.
"I know."
"I've been hurt before," Amara continued. "And I just… I didn't want to go through that again."
Zina's expression softened.
"That's the risk of loving someone," she said. "You either get hurt… or you heal with the right person."
Amara let out a shaky breath.
"And what if I lose him?"
Zina held her gaze.
"You already are."
That truth hit harder than anything else.
Amara closed her eyes briefly.
Trying to steady herself.
Trying to think.
Trying to breathe.
When she opened them again, Zina was standing.
"I should go," she said.
"Wait," Amara called.
Zina paused.
"Why are you helping me?" Amara asked.
"Wouldn't it be easier to just… keep him?"
Zina smiled.
But this time, there was something deeper in it.
Something honest.
"Because love shouldn't be forced," she said.
"And I don't want someone who is still looking at someone else when he's with me."
Amara's chest tightened again.
Zina picked up her bag.
Then added one last thing before leaving.
"If you really love him… stop pretending."
And just like that…
She walked away.
Amara sat there for a long time.
Thinking.
Replaying everything.
Feeling everything.
For the first time…
She wasn't hiding from the truth.
She loved Daniel.
And now?
She had a choice.
To keep pretending…
Or finally be honest.