Chapter 4: The Unexpected Friend Request
Elira hadn't touched her phone much since the incident. Her heart still ached, her body felt heavier, and her soul completely shattered. Every time she closed her eyes, she could still feel the cold hospital sheets, the sterile smell, and the nurse's apologetic voice when she told her the baby was gone.
She had lost everything her trust in people, her peace, her child… and Zayn.
Zayn hadn't contacted her since that day. No apology. No explanation. Nothing. As if she was a mistake he had finally erased.
It was Saturday evening when Elira finally had the courage to open Facebook again. Notifications flooded her screen. Condolences, concerned messages from schoolmates, and the one thing she didn't expect…
A friend request.
From: Zion Kael.
Her heart skipped.
Zayn's twin brother.
Elira stared at the request for minutes. Why would he want to talk to her?
She hovered her finger over the "Delete" button. But something stopped her.
She accepted.
Moments later, a message came through.
Zion Kael: "Hi Elira… I know I'm the last person you probably want to hear from, but please… can I talk to you?"
Her fingers trembled. She took a deep breath and replied.
Elira: "What do you want?"
He responded immediately.
Zion: "I just want to say… I'm sorry. For what Zayn did. I only found out a few days ago. If I had known earlier, I swear I wouldn't have let him hurt you like that."
Tears welled in her eyes. She had expected hate. Blame. Not… this.
Elira: "Why are you even talking to me? You're his brother."
Zion: "Exactly. I'm his brother. And I know him better than anyone. He ran away from his responsibility, Elira. But I won't. You didn't deserve this. You didn't deserve to go through it alone."
Elira didn't respond right away. Her throat tightened was this real? Or another trick?
Zion: "Please… Can we meet? Just to talk. I promise I won't hurt you. I just want to say this to your face."
The next day, Elira found herself at a quiet café in the city. She didn't know what she was doing. Maybe it was closure. Maybe curiosity. Or maybe… a desperate need to be heard.
Zion was already there, waiting.
He stood when he saw her, nervous but calm. His eyes so much like Zayn's were filled with something his brother never had.
Guilt.
"Hi," he said softly.
Elira nodded and sat across from him.
"You look tired," he said, careful with his words.
"I haven't been sleeping," she replied honestly.
Zion lowered his gaze. "I'm really sorry for your loss."
Elira looked away, her jaw clenched. "Why do you care?"
"Because you were left to suffer alone. And I don't think anyone deserves that. Zayn told me he got a girl pregnant, but he didn't say who. I found out the truth later... and it broke me."
Silence fell between them. Zion looked at her with sincerity.
"I want to help," he said. "Not because I pity you. But because I admire your strength. You carried his child. You faced the shame. You faced the pain. And he just… vanished."
Tears silently rolled down Elira's cheeks. She tried to wipe them away quickly, but Zion offered her a tissue.
"I'm not Zayn," he added. "I never approved of how he treated people. And if you ever need someone to talk to… or just sit with in silence, I'll be there."
Weeks passed.
Zion and Elira talked more often sometimes about life, sometimes about nothing at all. He never pushed. Never asked about the baby unless she brought it up. He just… stayed.
And somehow, that mattered more than anything else.
Elira was healing.
One afternoon, after school, Elira was sitting on a bench reading when Zion walked over with a smile.
"You know, I still remember the first time I saw you," he said.
"When?" she asked.
"At the cafe. You were lonely. I thought you were the most peaceful person I had ever seen."
Elira chuckled. "That was probably when I was thinking about your brother. I used to do that a lot."
"don't do that again," he said gently. "Your words might save someone else."
They looked at each other, and for the first time in a long while, Elira felt something unfamiliar in her chest.
Hope.
Later that night, she wrote in her diary:
"I lost something precious. But somehow, I gained something else someone who listens, who sees me, not my scars. I don't know what this will become. But I know I'm not alone anymore."