~MAYBE I DO~
Raffy's POV:
The room was heavy with silence, broken only by Wateen's sobs against my chest. Her body trembled like a fragile leaf in a storm, and I held her tighter, as if my arms alone could shield her from everything that haunted her.
And then—
*Footsteps.*
The sound of heels tapping against the marble floor outside.
The moment Wateen heard it, she froze. Her grip on me loosened instantly, and she pushed herself back as if my touch had suddenly burned her. Her eyes widened in panic. Before I could say anything, she ran toward the washroom.
"Wateen!" I whispered harshly, catching her wrist just as she reached for the handle. She turned, eyes shimmering with fresh tears, her lips trembling.
"Please, let me go… I can't… I don't want her to see me like this," she pleaded, her voice cracking.
But I pulled her into me again, crushing her trembling frame against my chest. "No. Don't run. Not from me. Not anymore."
The door creaked open.
Haniya appeared, her perfectly calm smile plastered on her face. Her eyes landed on us—on Wateen struggling in my arms, on me refusing to let go.
Her smile faltered. "Raffy?" she said softly, but with an edge.
I looked at her straight in the eye. My voice was firm, colder than I intended.
"Haniya… please. Go. We need some time. Just the two of us."
A beat of silence.
Haniya's eyes lingered on Wateen, scanning her red eyes, her pale face. She nodded slowly, though something unreadable flickered across her expression. "Fine," she whispered, before closing the door gently behind her.
The second she left, Wateen finally broke.
She pushed at my chest weakly, shaking her head. "Why did you do that? Why didn't you let me hide?"
"Because I can't watch you run away from everything," I said, cupping her face, forcing her to look at me. "Wateen… I see you. I see your pain. And I won't let you hide it anymore."
Her tears slipped freely, dripping onto my hands. She tried to cover her face, but I pulled her hands down.
"Look at me," I whispered. "Whatever it is—whatever's destroying you—I'm here. Even if the whole world turns against you, I'm not moving."
She shook her head violently. "You don't understand, Raffy! If you knew the truth… you'd hate me too."
My heart twisted. Her words cut deeper than any blade.
"I could never hate you," I said, my voice breaking. "Tell me, Wateen. Please. Don't punish yourself like this. Don't punish me by keeping me in the dark."
Her chest rose and fell rapidly, her breath uneven, as if she was suffocating. For a moment, I thought she'd finally speak. But then—she stepped back, eyes full of terror, as if something chained her soul.
"You don't know her… you don't know what she can do," she whispered, almost to herself. "Haniya isn't who you think she is."
I froze.
"What do you mean?"
Before she could answer, a sharp knock rattled the door. Haniya's voice floated in, sweet yet chilling.
"Raffy… Wateen… is everything alright?"
Wateen's eyes darted to the washroom door again. She trembled. I held her shoulders firmly.
"Don't," I said. "Don't run from this. Whatever the truth is… we'll face it together."
Her lips parted, her tears falling faster. "You don't understand," she whispered again, her voice almost gone. "If she finds out… you'll lose me forever."
The knock came again—louder, impatient.
And in that moment, I knew. This wasn't just about tears. This was about secrets… secrets that could destroy everything.
I pulled Wateen against me once more, tightening my hold like I'd never let go. "Then let her come," I said, my voice hardening with resolve. "Because I'm not letting you go—not to her, not to anyone."
The door handle turned slowly.
Wateen's gasp tore through me.
The door creaked open. Haniya's footsteps echoed like a warning bell, and when she stepped in, her eyes instantly froze on Raffy's arms wrapped around me.
Her smirk curved sharp. "Oh… so this is what you were hiding."
Raffy didn't even flinch. He tightened his grip around me. "Get out, Haniya. We need time."
But she didn't move. Her eyes glinted cruelly, words dripping poison.
"Time? For what? Lies?" Her gaze darted to me, then back to Raffy. "Do you even know what she did with her own uncle? Should I tell you how much she enjoyed it and now she want's it to enjoy with you?"
The words stabbed me. My breath vanished. My knees wobbled.
Raffy snapped. "Shut your filthy mouth!" His roar shook the room. He moved toward her, fury raging, veins tight at his neck.
Outside, our friends' laughter floated faintly. They were busy with games, unaware of the war erupting inside these four walls.
Haniya smirked, stepping closer. "What? Am I lying? Should I scream it so they all hear?"
Raffy lunged forward, almost trembling with the need to silence her. His fists clenched, his body ready to explode.
"No—please!" I cried, but he didn't stop.
Something inside me broke. I couldn't let this end in destruction. I couldn't lose him.
So I caught his wrist midair, yanked him back with all my strength, and pressed my body against his chest, pinning him against the wall. My hands clutched his collar, my breath heavy against his skin.
"Raffy!" I cried, tears streaming. Then, without thinking, I crushed my lips against his—not soft, not tender, but desperate, raw, shaking with pain.
He froze. The fury drained from his muscles, replaced with shock, then surrender. His fists unclenched, falling useless at his sides, and his arms wrapped around me instead, pulling me closer, anchoring himself in me instead of rage.
Behind us, Haniya's mocking voice faltered. She stared, her smirk dissolving into silence.
The only sound now was our harsh breathing, my sobs muffled into Raffy's kiss.
For once, Haniya had no words. She backed away slowly, muttering, "Enjoy, enjoy just for now." And then, she left.
When the door shut, Raffy broke from the kiss just enough to press his forehead against mine, his voice hoarse. "Don't ever stop me like that again… unless it's like... "
And I collapsed into him, shaking, knowing the storm was far from over.
His breath was hot against my lips when the door clicked shut behind Haniya. For a moment, it felt like the entire world had gone silent—no footsteps outside, no laughter from our friends—just Raffy's heart pounding against my chest.
He didn't let go. In fact, he pinned me harder against the wall, his eyes burning into mine. "You think you can stop me like this?" His voice was low, rough, dangerous.
I shivered. "I had to… I couldn't let you destroy yourself."
He laughed bitterly, pressing his forehead to mine. "You're playing with fire, Wateen."
"Then let me burn with you," I whispered, my hands still clutching his shirt.
That broke something in him. He caught my chin roughly, tilting my face up, and kissed me again—this time not desperate like mine had been, but forceful, consuming. His lips bruised mine, his grip unrelenting as if I was the only anchor stopping him from exploding.
I gasped against his mouth, and that gasp was enough for him to deepen it, stealing the air from me, swallowing my fear. My hands slid up into his hair, tangling in the strands, pulling him closer even as my body trembled.
His hand moved from my chin to the back of my neck, his thumb stroking against my skin with a gentleness that didn't match the wildness of the kiss. "You don't even know what you're doing to me," he muttered against my lips.
My reply came out broken, breathless. "Maybe I do."
He groaned, almost like it pained him, and pressed his body fully against mine, trapping me between the cold wall and the heat of him. My knees nearly gave out, but his grip held me steady.
For a long moment, there was no Haniya, no poison, no secrets—just Raffy and me, colliding, shaking, falling apart in each other's arms.
But then—
A voice called from outside. "Hey, you two! Why so quiet? Come play, you're missing out!"
We froze. My lips still tingled, his hand still cradled my neck, our breaths ragged. His eyes locked on mine, darker than I'd ever seen them.
"Wateen," he whispered, voice dangerous again, "if we go out there now, everyone will know something happened."
And for the first time in my life, I didn't know whether I wanted to hide it… or let them see.