~ILL-FATED~
The hotel room exploded with chaos the moment we stepped in. Two beds, one tiny couch, and six teenagers with zero sense of peace—it was bound to turn into a warzone.
Maheen and Ayan immediately claimed one bed, Zain and Zara grabbed the other, and before I knew it, Raffy and I were left staring at the couch.
"Told you," Raffy said calmly, leaning against the wall, "no matter what happens, you'll end up with me."
I rolled my eyes, but my chest tightened at his words.
We dumped our bags, ordered snacks, and gathered for games. Truth or Dare started sweet but quickly turned into pure chaos.
"Raffy—truth," Maheen grinned, "what was your first impression of her?"
He barely blinked before answering, "Annoying."
I gasped. "Excuse me?"
"But now…" he added smoothly, eyes catching mine, "she's tolerable."
The group howled, teasing until my cheeks burned.
Then it was my turn. Zara smirked devilishly. "Princess, dare—you have to sit on Raffy's lap for one minute."
The whole room went quiet. My heart pounded so loud I was sure everyone heard.
I walked toward him slowly, placed one hand on his shoulder for balance, but then suddenly stood up on the bed and blurted, "Nope, not doing that!" before collapsing onto the mattress and pulling the blanket over me. "Goodnight!"
The crew exploded with laughter while Raffy just smirked, biting his lip like he'd expected this stunt from me.
The night dragged on with more dares, secrets, and endless jokes until everyone grew too tired to continue. One by one, the lights dimmed, and the room quieted.
I ended up curled on the tiny couch. Raffy, true to his word, spread some sheets on the floor and stretched out. "Sleep," he said simply, eyes closing.
For a while, I tried. But lying there alone on the stiff couch felt strange. The room was too quiet now, and my mind wouldn't stop racing. After shifting for what felt like forever, I finally gave up.
Quietly, I slipped down from the couch and onto the floor beside him. There was plenty of space, and being near him felt less… lonely.
Raffy cracked one eye open as I settled down. "Can't stay away, huh?" he whispered, a lazy smirk tugging at his lips.
"Shut up," I whispered back, though I was smiling in the dark.
We lay there side by side, whispering about the dares, the jokes, even the snacks we'd eaten earlier. It felt like our own secret conversation while the whole world slept around us.
Then, out of nowhere, Raffy's voice dropped lower. "You know… about that lap dare…"
My heart skipped. I turned to face him, even though I could barely make out his expression in the dark.
He was already watching me, smirk softened into something unreadable. "You almost did it," he murmured. "One more second, and you would've sat."
I froze, heat rushing up my neck. "I wasn't going to—"
"Sure," he interrupted, a glint in his eyes I could still see in the dim light. "Keep telling yourself that."
I glared at him, but he just chuckled quietly, lying back down. "Doesn't matter. One day, you won't run away so fast."
He drifted into silence soon after, his breathing evening out. But I couldn't close my eyes. My thoughts spiraled, sharp and heavy.
*So I love him? Oh, God… why? I'm going to ruin our friendship, our street crew, everything. Why do I always have to let go of what I love?*
Suddenly, Raffy turned towards me, half-asleep, and gently tapped my head. "Don't overthink. Sleep."
I froze, staring at him in the dark. My hand reached up instinctively, brushing against his where it rested on my head. His eyes flickered open, startled.
"I'm scared," I whispered. "Tooo…scared ."
He smiled faintly, then closed his eyes again. But I couldn't stop staring at him. I brushed my cheek against his hand before holding it tightly against me.
*Why can't I have him? Isn't it beautiful, the way this feels? Why can't he be the one who falls for me… the one I finally get?*
The thought tore me apart. Without thinking, I slid closer, wrapping my arm carefully around his waist. His eyes opened again, locking on me. I buried my face against his chest, hiding.
His hand lifted, fingers brushing gently through my hair as he pulled me closer. My chest ached as tears spilled quietly, soaking into his shirt.
*I wish he were all mine. Why, God, am I so ill-fated?*
My body trembled with silent sobs until Raffy felt the wetness against him. He shifted, pushing me back just enough to tilt my chin up with his hand.
And in that moment—his eyes on mine, steady and unshaken—I couldn't run from the truth anymore.
His fingers were warm beneath my chin, tilting my face up, forcing me to meet his eyes. The room was silent, the soft snores of our friends in the background making it feel like time itself had stopped.
"Wateen…" Raffy whispered, voice low and steady. "Why are you crying?"
I tried to look away, but his grip was gentle yet firm, holding me in place. "I—I don't know," I stammered, my voice cracking. "I just… I'm scared. Scared of losing what we have. Scared of ruining everything."
His gaze softened, the usual teasing smirk nowhere in sight. "You're not going to lose me. Ever."
My chest tightened painfully at those words. I wanted to believe him so badly. But my mind kept whispering that it was too good, too impossible. "You don't understand," I murmured. "Sometimes I feel like the universe hates me. Like happiness… isn't meant for me."
Raffy wiped away the tear trailing down my cheek with his thumb. Then, without warning, he pulled me closer, wrapping his arms around me, holding me as if letting go wasn't an option. His chin rested against my head, his hand rubbing gently through my hair, pressing me tighter to his chest.
His voice was barely a whisper, trembling with something he was trying to hide. "I can never let you go."
I froze, breath caught in my throat. His words weren't playful. They weren't casual. They carried a weight that made my heart ache. He sounded worried, as if the thought of losing me terrified him.
I clung tighter, my arm around his waist trembling. "You don't get it," I whispered into his chest. "If I let myself love you, I'll destroy everything. Our friendship. Our crew. The only good thing I have."
His chest rose and fell beneath my cheek, and then he sighed, long and heavy. His fingers threaded through my hair slowly, soothing, grounding.
"Maybe you already do," he said quietly.
My heart stopped. I lifted my head, eyes wide. "What?"
Raffy looked at me, steady, unreadable, worry still lingering in his gaze—but his hand never left my hair. "Maybe you already love me. And maybe… it's not the end of the world if you do."
I stared at him, searching his face, waiting for the smirk, the joke, the laugh—but it never came.
Instead, he leaned in, his forehead resting lightly against mine, his arms still locked around me. "Sleep, Wateen. Before you drive yourself crazy."
Tears welled again, but this time they weren't just from fear—they were from the fragile hope his words lit inside me. I closed my eyes, feeling his warmth, his breath, the steady beat of his heart against mine.
And for the first time in a long while, I let myself believe—just a little—that maybe I wasn't so cursed.