The next few days passed in a blur for Aria. Kade's absence weighed heavily on her chest, but Malik's presence lingered at the edges of her mind. She found herself thinking about him the way he leaned casually in her doorway, the calm precision of his words, and the quiet intensity of his eyes.
It was strange, unsettling even, how he seemed to appear in her thoughts even when she didn't want him there. And yet, something about him made her feel… alive, in a way she hadn't since Kade left.
That evening, the soft glow of streetlights spilled through her balcony window as she returned home from her evening class. She paused at the door, hand hovering over the lock, half-expecting it to be open. But it was shut.
Still, as she stepped inside, she froze. Malik was sitting on the small rug by her living room window, casually flipping through a notebook she didn't recognize.
"You're here again," she said, surprised and wary. "How did you..?"
"I live here," he said simply, not looking up. "I noticed the door was closed, and I thought I'd check."
Aria swallowed, trying to keep her chest from racing. There was a calm confidence in the way he sat one that made her nervous and oddly curious at the same time. "I… wasn't expecting company," she admitted.
He finally looked up, dark eyes meeting hers. "Clearly," he said, his tone measured, almost teasing.
The quiet apartment suddenly felt smaller, warmer, as if his presence filled it without him trying. Aria shifted awkwardly, brushing a strand of wavy brown hair behind her ear. "What are you doing with that notebook?" she asked, nodding toward him.
Malik shrugged, closing it gently. "Nothing important. Just scribbling thoughts." His lips twitched into a faint smirk. "Though I suppose you'd call it spying if I said I was observing you."
Aria blinked, unsure whether to be annoyed or flattered. "I don't know why anyone would observe me," she said softly.
"Maybe because you're… interesting," he replied, and there it was — that subtle edge of attention that made her stomach flutter.
For a long moment, they just sat there, the apartment quiet except for the distant hum of the city outside. Aria found herself stealing glances at him, noting the slight curl of his hair, the careful way he sat, the way his dark eyes shifted subtly when he spoke. He seemed calm, untouchable even, but there was something underneath that careful exterior something she wanted to understand.
"So…" she started, hesitantly. "You… you've lived here long?"
"Long enough," Malik said, shrugging. "But not long enough to get bored of people." His eyes held hers for a beat longer than necessary. "Even neighbors like you."
Aria laughed softly, and for a second, the tightness in her chest eased. "I don't even know you, really," she said.
"Maybe that's part of the fun," he said quietly, leaning back against the wall. "Getting to know someone without them expecting it."
It was strange, how much her heart reacted to him. She wanted to argue, to tell herself he was just another stranger, but every word, every glance, made her pulse race. And she noticed the subtle ways he watched her — not in a way that made her uncomfortable, but in a way that made her feel… seen.
Hours passed without either of them realizing it. They talked about everything and nothing: school, books, the city, dreams, music. Aria found herself laughing more than she had in weeks, and she noticed a shift a tentative trust forming, a connection she hadn't expected.
Yet beneath it all, there was tension. She couldn't forget Kade, couldn't stop thinking about him. And Malik… he was a puzzle she wasn't sure she wanted to solve.
Still, as she watched him gather his things to leave, she felt a strange pang — disappointment that the moment had ended so soon. "You'll be back?" she asked, almost without thinking.
He paused at the door, smirk playing on his lips. "Maybe," he said, then added softly, "if you don't lock me out next time."
Aria's green eyes widened, and she laughed quietly. The sound felt lighter than it had in weeks.
And for the first time, she allowed herself a thought she hadn't dared in days: maybe this stranger this calm, mysterious, slightly frustrating boy could be someone worth letting in.