𝐂𝐡𝐩𝐭 𝟏𝟐

I sat in my house, pretending to study, but my eyes kept skimming over the same paragraph without taking in a single word. Every time I thought about Kamala being over at Stanley's, a knot tightened in my stomach. I trust Kamala completely—of course I do—but the thought of Stanley made my skin crawl. What if she tried something? What if she already had?

I had sent Kamala a message hours ago, just to check in. No reply. I kept telling myself it was nothing, but the silence was like an itch I couldn't scratch.

One hour passed. Then another. By the third, my chest felt heavy, my pulse a constant, irritating drumbeat in my ears.

The quiet of the house pressed down on me. My pen rolled off the desk, hitting the floor with a hollow clink. I barely noticed. Finally, unable to take it anymore, I grabbed my phone and dialed her number, the weight of dread settling over me like a storm cloud.

It rang. Once. Twice. Over and over. But there was no answer.

My chest tightened as I stared at the phone. What the hell? Why wasn't she picking up? Is she okay?

I swallowed hard, my thoughts spinning. Maybe her phone died. Maybe she's just busy. Or... maybe something happened.

My fingers hovered over the screen before I quickly typed out another message, my thumbs trembling slightly.

Allura: Hey, are you okay? Please let me know you're safe.

I hit send, staring at the screen for a long moment before setting the phone down with a frustrated sigh. Waiting wouldn't make her reply any faster. Exams were around the corner, and I couldn't afford to fall behind.

I pulled my bag from the corner and spread my notes across the desk, trying to force my brain to focus. The words blurred together as my thoughts wandered back to Kamala.

Then came a knock at the door.

The sound startled me, making my heart jump. For a split second, I imagined the worst—Stanley, Kamala, bad news—but I pushed the thought away and walked to the door.

When I opened it, my nerves eased slightly. It was Riah, standing there with her backpack slung over one shoulder and a takeout bag in her hand.

"I figured you'd need help and maybe a break," she said with a small smile, stepping inside without waiting for an invitation.

I nodded, grateful for the distraction. "Yeah, I'm glad you came. I need help with my work, and honestly..." I hesitated. "It's just good to have someone here."

"You ready to lock in with this work?" She placed her bag down on the couch as she reached for the remote and set the pizza down on the table.

"What's wrong? You seem worried about something," Riah asked, dropping her bag on the floor and setting the food on my desk.

I let out a deep sigh, running a hand through my hair. "I'm worried about Kamala. She went to dinner with Stanley's bitch ass, and now she's not responding to my texts or calls. Like, what if something happened and I don't know?"

Riah smirked, though I could tell she was trying to keep a straight face. "Wait. Are you worried something happened to her or something happened between her and Stanley?"

The question hung in the air, heavy and unspoken for a moment too long.

"Honestly, both," I admitted, rubbing the bridge of my nose. "It's just not like her to ignore me like this."

Riah leaned back against the chair, crossing her arms. "Maybe she's busy, or something came up. Don't stress yourself too much, Lura."

I exhaled slowly and nodded, though the tension in my chest didn't quite loosen. "You're right. Finals are coming up, and I really need to lock in." I picked up my notes, trying to will myself into focus.

Riah perked up. "Speaking of finals, I heard they're supposed to have a tutor down in the English hall soon."

I turned to face her, one eyebrow raised. Of course, Riah would know this. She had a way of keeping tabs on everything at school. "Oh, for real? That would actually be great because I've been struggling a bit with this material."

"Well, now's your chance to get ahead," she said, her smirk returning. "I'll keep an ear out for the details."

"Okay, bet." I replied with a small smile, grateful for the brief distraction.

Kamala's pov ───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────

I stepped into the house, closing the door behind me with a soft click. The silence inside was overwhelming, pressing down on me as I headed straight for my room.

My phone buzzed in my pocket, again and again. Allure's texts were coming in one by one, her concern practically radiating from the screen. I wanted to reply—I really did—but I couldn't. Not now. Not after what just happened.

My mind was a whirlwind, spinning so fast I could barely grasp a single thought. The guilt was suffocating, a heavy weight in my chest. I couldn't face her right now, not her words, not her voice.

I sank onto the edge of my bed, staring blankly at the wall. My fingers trembled as I scrolled through my contacts. There was only one person I could call—someone who would understand, who might help me make sense of the mess I'd just created.

My sister.

"Hey, sissy. Are you okay?" Maya's voice was soft, filled with concern.

I let out a long sigh as I sank deeper into the bed, running a hand through my hair. My breath was uneven, the words tangled in my throat. "Maya... I need advice."

"Okay, I'm all ears. What's going on?"

I hesitated, staring at the ceiling as if the right words might materialize there. "Well... there's this student I really care about. I mean, I love her. Things have been amazing, but—"

I stopped, the silence stretching just long enough to make my chest feel tighter.

Maya broke it first. "You mean the one you've been telling me about?"

"Yeah." My voice was barely above a whisper. "Yeah, her. So, I got invited over to one of my colleagues' houses, and she wasn't too happy about it. I promised her nothing would happen." I swallowed hard, the weight of the confession settling over me. "But... she kissed me. And everything just happened so fast."

The words spilled out like a dam breaking, and I closed my eyes, fighting the wave of shame rising inside me.

Maya's end of the line was quiet, but I could hear her sharp intake of breath. "Wait, are you saying... you kissed her back?"

I nodded, even though she couldn't see me, my gaze fixed on the ceiling. "Yeah. I didn't plan for it. But it happened, and now I don't even know how to face her."

Maya took a deep breath, the kind that told me she was choosing her words carefully. "Okay, well first off... did you like the kiss?"

I hesitated, the question hitting harder than I expected. "I did—at first," I admitted, my voice barely above a whisper. "There's always been this tension between us, but I never planned on anything actually happening. I didn't want this."

Maya sighed, and I could hear the disappointment in her voice. "Kamala, it doesn't matter. She trusted you. Trusted you enough to go to that woman's house without acting on whatever desires you had. And you broke that trust. What were you thinking?"

"I wasn't," I said, my voice cracking as I pressed my palm to my forehead. "And that's why I'm so mad at myself. I wasn't thinking, and now I've messed everything up."

The silence on the other end was heavy, thick with unspoken thoughts.

"You've got to fix this," Maya finally said, her tone softer but firm. "And fixing it starts with being honest. Not just with her, but with yourself. Do you even know what you want, Kamala?"

I stared at the ceiling, the guilt swirling with confusion. "Yes," I whispered. "I do."

"But what if she hates me?" I said, my voice trembling. "What if she doesn't want anything to do with me ever again? I just... I can't risk that. The thought alone scares me."

Maya sighed, her tone shifting from frustration to something gentler. "Kamala, I get that you're scared. But you can't be selfish and decide that for her. She deserves to know the truth, and she deserves the chance to decide for herself whether or not she wants to continue."

I swallowed hard, my throat tight with emotion. "I know you're right," I murmured, my fingers clutching at the edge of the blanket. "But what if she doesn't give me that chance? What if I've already lost her?"

"You won't know unless you try," Maya said firmly. "It's better than living with this hanging over your head. If she means that much to you, Kamala, you owe her honesty. And if she loves you the way you love her... she'll hear you out."

Her words hit me like a punch to the gut—truthful, painful, and necessary. I closed my eyes, trying to summon the courage I wasn't sure I had.

"Listen," Maya said, her voice soft but steady. "I'll be there sooner than you know, and I'll be by your side to help you figure this out. But you have to remember what I said, okay? Be honest. She deserves that."

I nodded, even though she couldn't see me. "I will," I said quietly, my chest feeling a little lighter.

"I love you, Kamala," she added, her tone filled with warmth.

"I love you too," I replied, the words carrying a mix of gratitude and relief. "Talk to you soon."

As the call ended, I sat in the quiet of my room, the weight of what I had to do still pressing down on me. But for the first time, it didn't feel impossible.