The apartment felt unusually quiet that evening, the faint hum of the city below like a distant heartbeat. Aria leaned against the balcony railing, the cool air brushing against her cheeks, and tried to focus on her thoughts. But her mind kept wandering, inevitably circling back to Malik.
She couldn't explain why he lingered in her thoughts so much. He wasn't Kade not even close. Yet something about him had stirred something in her chest, a pull she couldn't resist. It wasn't just curiosity. It was the way he seemed to notice the smallest details about her: the way her hair caught the light, the quiet way she carried herself, the unspoken tension that still clung to her after Kade's departure.
A soft knock at her door startled her. She blinked, heart skipping. "Who?"
Malik stepped inside before she could finish the question, holding a notebook in one hand. His expression was calm, unreadable, but his dark eyes lingered on her with subtle intensity.
"You left your notebook downstairs," he said simply, placing it on the small table near the door. "Thought you might want it back."
"Thanks," she said softly, taking a step closer. Her fingers brushed against it as she reached for it, and the contact lingered longer than necessary. Her pulse quickened, and she quickly stepped back, embarrassed.
Malik's lips twitched into a faint smirk, though he didn't comment. Instead, he leaned against the wall, arms crossed, watching her with that same sharp curiosity that made her feel exposed and, strangely, alive.
"You've been quiet lately," he said after a moment, his voice low, measured. "Not like last time."
Aria hesitated. She wanted to tell him how much her heart ached for Kade, how hollow the apartment felt without him, how lonely her nights had been. But she couldn't. Not yet. Instead, she shrugged lightly, trying to mask the vulnerability that threatened to spill.
"Just… thinking," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.
Malik tilted his head, studying her. "Thinking about him?"
Her green eyes widened slightly. "Maybe," she admitted finally. She hadn't expected him to read her so easily, and part of her felt exposed. But another part… another part felt relieved. Relief that someone finally seemed to understand, even without knowing everything.
Malik's expression softened just slightly. "You can't keep carrying that," he said quietly. "Not alone."
Her heart clenched. The words weren't just advice. They were… care, concern, something deeper she didn't yet have the language for.
For a moment, silence stretched between them not uncomfortable, but intimate. She noticed the way his posture relaxed, the way his gaze softened, the subtle shift that made the air around them feel heavier, charged.
"I'm… not used to this," she admitted, her voice trembling a little. "Feeling… seen."
"You deserve it," he said simply. The bluntness of the words made her chest ache. "You deserve to feel seen, and not just by someone who leaves."
Her breath caught at the implication, and she had to look away. The truth in his words hit harder than anything Kade had left behind. Malik didn't know Kade's full story — he didn't even know Kade was his cousin yet — and still, somehow, he understood the emptiness.
Aria felt an unexpected warmth creep into her chest, a tiny spark of hope. Maybe she could let someone in again. Maybe she could trust again. And maybe… just maybe… this stranger, with the calm confidence and piercing gaze, could help her heal.
They spent the next hour talking quietly, laughing softly at small jokes, sharing stories she hadn't told anyone before. Each word, each glance, each subtle brush of movement felt heavier than it should more intimate, more meaningful.
When Malik finally stood to leave, the air between them felt charged. "I'll see you around," he said, almost casually.
Aria's chest tightened. "Yeah," she whispered, knowing she was already counting the moments until she saw him again.
As the door clicked shut behind him, she leaned against it, heart racing, realizing for the first time in weeks that maybe her heart wasn't entirely Kade's anymore.