Kevin studied the woman sitting across from him in Granny's Cafe, studying her facial features and all the emotions that were running through her expression. Her normally full face was now a mask of misery.

It looked gaunt and haggard with bags under the eyes, suggesting that she hadn't been sleeping well for a couple of days if at all.

He had a very good reason why that was so.

“You must know something, Kevin.” She said desperately, lines of frustration and weariness crinkling around her eyes. “You must know why Zain is doing this. Why he's pushing me away. Why he won't be with me even when I know he wants to.”

Kevin remained silent and stared at her, his mind racing with conflict. On one hand, he did know the true motives behind Zain's actions, inasmuch as he didn't agree with them. On the other hand, he still had his loyalty to Zain to consider.

“Did it ever occur to you that perhaps he really doesn't feel anything for you anymore?”

“That's bullshit. Zain feels as much for me as I feel for him. You and I both know that.” She spoke with her jaw set firmly. “I know I hurt him once, Kevin. Is that it? Is that why he wants nothing to do with me. I know that's the most logical explanation but sometimes it just feels like there's so much more he's not telling me. And because of that, I can't reach him. Please help me, Kevin.”

Leaning forward, Kevin placed his elbows on the table, nodding his head. If he'd had any doubts that Emma was in love with Zain, then all that doubt was gone now. This type of concern was genuine and didn't just disappear when times got tough. At least he hoped so.

“Look, Emma. Zain's my best friend and trusts me to keep his secrets safe. I can't tell you much. All I can say is that he needs you. You need to prove to him that you're real, that you won't hurt him again. That you're here to stay no matter what the future brings.”

Her forehead creased in a frown. “What could happen that would be so bad?”

“Like I said, don't give up on him. let him know you love him. And be there for him.” He reclined in his seat. “I have a meeting coming up in some minutes. I need to go.”

Emma nodded dazedly as Kevin stood up. He left the cafe, hoping, praying that his best friend got the happily ever after he deserved. No matter how short it might be.

***

Zain picked up the shot of stiff scotch that the bartender had pushed his way and downed it in one gulp. The liquid burned as it slid home, yet it did nothing to cremate the misery he was feeling.

It'd been four days. Four fucking days since the last time he'd spoken to Emma. Zain had known pushing her away was going to be hard, but it was so much harder when she was all he thought about all the damn time.

From the moment he woke up to the moment he slept, she was all he thought about. Yesterday, at a shoot, he'd had to beg off and ask for a reschedule because the sheer number of retakes he'd had to do due to lack of focus had been exhausting.

The first two days, Emma had tried several means to contact him but he'd made sure to thwart them all. The last two days of her silence had been so much harder.

More than once he found himself wondering about the wisdom of his decision, whether he was making the right choice. That alone was alarming.

He could only hope that it would get better with time. Two years ago, losing Emma had left him broken and miserable but with time the ache had dulled and he'd stopped thinking about her somewhat. He hoped he could write the same story this time too.

Placing the glass in his hand down, he signalled the bartender for another shot. His phone began vibrating in his pocket. Dipping his fingers in, he fetched the device out. He swiped up on the screen and brought it to his ear without bothering to check the caller.

“Zain...” The sound of Emma's voice greeted him, and he went rigid. Then he heard breathing that sounded rugged and painful. A chill went down his spine.

“Emma?”

“Zain...”

Fuck, she didn't sound good.

“What's going on?”

“I... I don't know. My body hurts. There's pain everywhere, and I...”

Her voice and breathing stopped coming through. Zain's heart was beating wildly. What the heck was happening. Why had she suddenly gone quiet??

“Emma. Fucking talk to me.”

He got off the bar stool he was on. He had to see her. He turned and was on his way out of the bar when the bartender shouted about him not paying.

Zain could barely hear him. Not when ice-cold dread was running through his veins at the thought of how Emma had sounded. Thankfully, he got a cab almost immediately after he stepped outside.

He gave the driver directions to Emma's building, remembering the day he dropped her off in front of it. He couldn't sit easily, his fingers getting clammy as the seconds ticked. The driver screamed at him a few times because Zain wouldn't stop telling him to fucking step on it.

Once the cab reached, Zain couldn't have gotten out faster after throwing a hundred-dollar note at the driver. That was when he realized he didn't know the floor on which Emma lived.

He went around helplessly, asking random people if they knew the floor she lived on. Finally, someone in one of the elevators told him. Zain could've kissed the man.

Once he got to Emma's door he knocked wildly, calling out her name. He grabbed the doorknob and turned it, and the door surprisingly opened.

He stormed inside, calling out Emma's name and came to a stop when she emerged from a room, wearing a red silky nightwear. He ran to her side.

“Are you okay? What happened?" He could barely hide his anxiety, glancing around her body to see if anything was out of place.

He looked back at her face when she didn't answer, only to find her smiling at him. “I knew you cared.”

“Of course I do. What ha...”

He stepped away from her when it finally dawned on him; he'd been played. She'd pretended not to be okay just to get him here.

“The fuck, Emma?” He bellowed at her, pissed off that she'd put him through such a wringer.

“You came so fast. You do care.” She said, obviously not regretting having worried him so much.

“This is not a fucking game, Emma. Don't ever fucking do that again.” He screamed in her face, gesticulating wildly with his hands. “What the fuck is wrong with you. You don't know what I was going through just thinking that something might have happened to you. You don't...”

“So why, Zain? Why are you trying so hard to push me out of your life? Why shut me out?” Her eyes looked at him desperately.

He turned away from her, not knowing what to say. He raked his hand through his hair, feeling his anger dissolving. He felt Emma step up behind him.

“I don't know what you're going through. But whatever it is, I'm sure I can help you in some way. I'm sure I...”

“You can't help me, Emma,” Zain whispered, knowing his voice was hoarse from all the emotions switching inside.

“Zain, how can you be sure. Perhaps I...”

He spun around, wanting her to just stop pushing him so much. “I said you can't help me.” He screamed.

“How would you know when you won't give me the chance to. When you won't let me close to you. How?” She screamed right back at him, her voice raw.

A tear slid down her cheek. Then another and another. “I want to be with you, Zain.” She said through a sob. “Why won't you let me?”

“You want to know why?” He glowered at her, striving hard against the tears that burned the back of his throat, threatening to fall. “You fucking want to know why?”

“Yes." She nodded earnestly.

“I'm sick.” He yelled, finally letting the tears win. ”I'm dying. I have a disease, and in a few years, I'm no longer going to be the Zain you know, and you wouldn't want to be with me anymore. That's why!”

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