Liana sat on her bed, legs folded beneath her, a pen tucked behind her ear. Her Civic notebook was open, and music played softly in the background. But she wasn't focused on homework. Her eyes kept drifting to her phone screen.
Zayne hadn't replied.
She had texted him earlier—just a casual "Hey 😊"—hoping it wouldn't feel awkward, hoping he'd respond the way he always did. But hours passed. No reply. No read receipt.
At first, she didn't care.
Then she got curious.
Then a little anxious.
Was he busy? Did she text at a bad time?
Was he bored of their small talks?
Had she said something wrong yesterday?
She reached for her phone again, just as the screen lit up.
Her heart jumped.
Zayne [6:09 PM]
Hey. Sorry I didn't reply earlier. Today's been… a lot.
Liana smiled, heart calming a little.
Liana [6:10 PM]
It's okay. I hope you're alright?
Zayne [6:12 PM]
Yeah, I'm okay. Just… thinking about life stuff. You know, the kind that confuses you.
Liana [6:13 PM]
😂 Hmm. Sounds deep. Want to talk about it?
Zayne paused, staring at her message.
How could he explain to her that his entire future was being decided behind his back?
That someone, somewhere, had written Stella next to his name like it was a business deal.
That the one person he wanted was the one person he wasn't allowed to have?
Zayne [6:17 PM]
Maybe not today. I don't want to bother you with my dramatic life 😅
Liana [6:18 PM]
It's not bothering me. But it's okay, I get it. When you're ready, you can talk to me.🙂
That message.
It wasn't filled with emojis. It wasn't trying too hard.
It was simple. Warm. Safe.
And that made Zayne want to pour his heart out.
But instead, he asked:
Zayne [6:21 PM]
What about you? How was your day?
Liana [6:22 PM]
Not bad. Linda and Lisa didn't follow me to tutorial today so I felt a little lonely 😅
Zayne [6:22 PM]
Really? I didn't notice 😏
Liana [6:23 PM]
Liar 😂
They laughed.
Shared memes.
Talked about the Civic homework, the annoying math class, and the girl who fell asleep in the front row. The conversation flowed like warm tea on a cold night—natural, calming, honest.
Zayne smiled more in that hour than he had the entire week.
But deep down, guilt curled around his ribs like smoke.
The house was quiet.
The fan above hummed.
The clock ticked.
Zayne stood outside in the compound, phone in hand, staring at the stars.
Then he dialed.
It rang once.
Twice.
Three times.
"Zayne," his mother's soft voice answered, "You're calling at night… everything okay?"
He swallowed.
"Mom… I need to talk to you. Please."
They talked for fifteen minutes.
Zayne explained everything—his feelings, his confusion, the way the arranged marriage felt like a noose tightening around his life.
Then he said the one thing he'd rehearsed all day:
"I'm not refusing. I'll marry Stella… but let me finish my Master's first. Let me just have a few years to live my own life. Please."
There was a pause.
A soft sigh on the other end.
"Zayne… I hear you," his mother said gently. "I'll talk to your father. You know how he is, but I'll try. Just focus on school. Try not to let all this distract you."
"Thank you, Mom."
"But Zayne," she added, voice lower, "don't get too attached to anyone else. It'll only make things harder."
He didn't respond.
Because it was too late.
When he ended the call, he walked back into his room, phone still warm in his hand.
He opened his messages.
Liana had sent one while he was on the call.
Liana [9:37 PM]
Don't forget to revise for Civic tomorrow 😁
He stared at it.
Smiled.
Then whispered to himself,
"Too late, Mom… I already did."