A couple of minutes past five in the evening, Zen found herself lounging on Kate's apartment desk, her fingers idly hitting Ctrl Z on her laptop's keyboard. She'd been trying to focus on editing some story she'd written ages ago, but all she could think about was the tangled mess of her life - the whole Raine situation, the Kai situation, basically everything.

"Hey, What's eating at you?" Kate asked, approaching Zen with a concerned look.

Zen glanced up and sighed. "You know, Kate, I wish life had a Ctrl Z button, just like in this story I'm trying to fix. I'd hit it and reset everything to a time before all this craziness with Raine, and everything else started."

Kate leaned against the desk, her curiosity piqued. "Talk to me."

Zen paused, gathering her jumbled thoughts. "It's Raine," she began, her voice uncertain. "He's like this puzzle I can't solve. At first, I thought he was just cold and maybe even a bit prejudiced. But then, he goes and defends my reputation when that nasty Facebook post was going around. It's like he has this whole other side, but he's so darn guarded about it."

"Wait, he was the hacker?" Kate asked, a tint of surprise accompanying her tone.

Zen nodded slowly. "I'm not sure if I misunderstood him from the beginning, but now, it feels like there's so much more beneath the surface."

Kate nodded, a thoughtful look on her face. "And what about Kai?"

"Kai's the complete opposite of Raine. He's like an open book - supportive, caring, and not afraid to show how he feels-"

"Do you like him?" Kate interrupted before Zen could complete her sentence.
She shook her head disapprovingly when she received no further response from Zen. "Zen, let me give it to you straight. It's clear as day to me that you've got feelings for Raine. You might be in denial about it, but your actions and your hesitation speak volumes."

"I... I don't even know what you're talking about."

Kate rolled her eyes. "I will hit you, Zen," she stated firmly before continuing, "You just want it to be Kai because it feels safe and right, especially after everything with Raine. But the heart doesn't work that way, Zen. You can't just choose who you have feelings for."

Zen let out a growl of dissatisfaction. "I just wish there was a Ctrl Z for life. Just undo and start over."

"Life might not have an undo button, Zen, but it's got plenty of surprises. Maybe it's about figuring out what you really want and taking it from there."

"What about you, Kate? You dating anyone?" Zen asked.

"Dating?" Kate chuckled. "I barely have time to breathe these days. Girl, I've got enough hospital paperwork to date an entire forest of trees, but that's about it."

Zen raised an eyebrow. "Is it just the work, or is there more to it?"

"Well, you see, there's also this beautiful necklace I ordered online when I had a bit of cash saved up. It was supposed to be my 'treat yourself' moment. But then, I stumbled upon this poor patient at the hospital who needed help with their treatment. Long story short, I gave them the money. So I tried to return my order but its not working. And I am completely broke now."

"How much is it worth? The necklace?"

"Four thousand."

"That's tough, Kate. If there's something I could do to help-"

"Oh, Zen, I know you well." Kate waved a hand and retreated with caution. "You'd sell your left kidney to make sure your loved ones don't suffer a financial crisis, but that's not what I'm looking for here."

Zen opened her mouth to retort but her phone threw a sudden surprise party, causing her to jump in her seat. She lunged for the phone and answered only to be greeted by Madilyn's deeply panic-struck voice.

"Zen! You won't believe what just happened!" Madilyn exclaimed, her voice quivering.

For someone who was always calm and composed, something big must've happened to shake Madilyn up like this. Zen felt her heart race as she tried to calm her down. "Madilyn, take a deep breath. What's going on?"

"Raine! He came to find me at class today, looking all intimidating and shit.
Zen, he was saying he couldn't get in touch with you, and he wants the address to Kate's place because he knows you're there right now."

"What?" Zen's eyes widened, her panic meter hitting the roof. Raine was hardly the drama type, and the thought of him showing up like that in front of Madilyn left her feeling utterly terrified. She glanced at Kate, who looked puzzled by the sudden turn of events, and quickly decided to act. "Did you give him the address?" Zen asked.

"No! Of course not!"

"Madilyn, hold on for a sec. I'll be there as soon as I can."

Without waiting for a response, Zen grabbed her backpack and rushed to her feet. She turned to Kate, who was now thoroughly bewildered, and flashed a wave. "Kate, I need to go. I'll catch you later."

~-~

30 minutes later...

Raine stood before Kate's apartment door, his finger hovering over the doorbell. He took a deep breath, knowing full well why he was there. He rang the doorbell and waited anxiously, his mind racing with thoughts of how this interaction would unfold.

The door swung open, revealing a beaming Kate, not someone he'd expected to see.

When Kate opened the door, she was momentarily taken aback by the sight of the stranger's handsome face that greeted her. For a split second, she wondered if she had placed an unexpected food delivery order, but then quickly realized that wasn't the case. Could this be fate? Kate thought, her heart skipping a beat. A handsome stranger at my doorstep?

"Hi there! Can I help you with something?" Kate asked with a bright and cheery voice, her eyes roaming over his face, completely smitten by the seemingly lost stranger who had miraculously showed up at her doorstep.

"Is Zen here?"

"And who may you be?" Kate asked. Looking a royal knight coming to escort his princess somewhere magical, she thought the last part.

"I'm Raine," Raine introduced himself with a stoic expression.

"Oh," Kate muttered, her voice losing some of its earlier cheerfulness. Zen's baby boy, Kate addressed in her head. That means he's younger than me, Kate thought. Her enthusiasm had taken a nosedive, and her initial interest in Raine resembled a deflated balloon at a birthday party nobody wanted to attend.

It wasn't his connection to Zen that turned her away; Raine was practically a baby compared to her, and that somehow made her see him more as a junior colleague than someone she'd consider for a romantic rendezvous. That was a double whammy of unattractiveness on his part. She still wouldn't make a move on him even if he had no connection to Zen. "So, Raine, what brings you here? Are you a friend of Zen's?" Kate asked, feigning ignorance.

"Yes, I know Zen. We've been friends for a while. I actually wanted to talk to her about something important."

Kate shook her head, her disappointment now fully masked behind a polite smile. "Sorry, Raine, but Zen's not here right now. She went back to the university a little while ago."

"Are you sure?"

"You're welcome to check the apartment if you don't believe me. I have nothing to hide."

Raine hesitated, his eyes darting towards the door, but he ultimately decided against it. "No, it's fine. I'll catch her there."

As Raine turned to make his exit, Kate's Kate's curiosity kicked in full gear. She remembered Zen mentioning about Raine's privileged background. The timing couldn't be anymore perfect. There was no way she was letting this opportunity slip away.

"Wait, Raine," Kate interjected, "before you go, there's something I've been itching to ask."

He paused and glanced back at her. "What is it?"

"Do you have feelings for Zen?"

Raine froze on the spot, caught off guard by the directness of the question. "What does that have to do with you?"

"Language, kid," Kate glared, instantly shutting Raine up. "Zen is my sister. If you have any ill intentions towards her, you'll have to deal with me first, understand?"

"I'm sorry," Raine's apology came instant.

A warm, cheerful grin spread across Kate's face as she continued, "That's more like it. So, do you like Zen?"

Raine hesitated, a subtle blush coloring his cheeks, before he managed a shy nod.

Kate smirked knowingly. "I thought so. Well, if you want her to talk to you again, you might need my help."

"What do I have to do?"

Kate leaned in slightly, her eyes twinkling with mischief. "How much would you be willing to spend for a picture of Zen back when she was in high school?"

~-~

Madilyn and Nadia stared at her from across the bed, their eyes as wide as saucers.

The truth had been out. Everything she'd been hiding about Raine spilled away like water on the floor - no going back now. The silence that followed was crazy loud, and there she was, back in her old university dorm room, sitting cross-legged on the bed, waiting for her two former roommates to react. The room still had that cozy vibe, filled with memories of late-night chats, giggles, and all their juicy secrets.

Nadia's expression had shifted from shock to anger. "Zen, you've been keeping all this from us? You were living with Raine, and we didn't know anything about it?"

"Not exactly living. The guy barely comes home. He stays in the dorm," Zen defended herself.

"And you didn't think to share any of this with your supposed best friends?" Madilyn's voice echoed after Nadia's.

Zen winced, feeling their disappointment and anger like a physical blow. "I'm so sorry, guys. I didn't want to burden you with my problems, and I thought I could handle it on my own. But it's become too much, and I needed to let it out somehow."

Madilyn and Nadia exchanged another glance, and then, to her surprise, they both burst into laughter.

Madilyn wiped away tears of amusement. "Oh, Zen, don't be dramatic. We're not mad at you. Well, maybe a little, but we understand why you kept it a secret."

Nadia nodded, her smile warm. "Yeah, we're just glad you finally opened up to us. So, spill the details! What's the whole story with Raine?"

"And what about Kai? It seems like things are getting pretty complex on that front too," Madilyn cut in.

"Well, I've spilled enough for one day, and I've clarified everything I needed to. I should get going now. And thanks for not telling him the address, Madilyn," Zen said, getting up.

"Oh, about that..," Madilyn whimpered.

"She didn't, but I did," Nadia announced triumphantly. "I met Raine too."

"You mother- shit. He could be there right now. I need to go," Zen dashed for the door.

"Wait, Zen! You can't just drop these bombshells and leave us hanging. We have so many unanswered questions!" Suddenly, Nadia dramatically clutched her chest, "Oh, this is just too much! I can feel the suspense suffocating me," Nadia exclaimed, "Madilyn, quick, pour water on my forehead! I think I'm going to faint!"

Madilyn couldn't help but roll her eyes. "Nadia, you're being so dramatic. It's just Zen's complicated love life!"

"Everything is getting dark, Madilyn! Pour the water before I succumb to the darkness!" Nadia gasped, still feigning near-fainting.

"She's gone, Nadia," Madilyn answered flatly.

Nadia finally relented, sitting up straight. "Alright, fine, no fainting today." Nadia crossed her arms and adopted a dramatic hmph. "I won't be able to sleep tonight, Zen, with all these mysteries hanging in the air!"

~-~

T

urning the next corner, Zen was startled to find Lin standing there in front of her, looking a bit startled herself.

"Hey, Lin," Zen greeted her with a friendly smile. "Sorry. I must've scared you."

Lin recovered quickly and returned the greeting. "Oh, it's okay, Zen. I didn't expect to see you here."

Zen chuckled,"Yeah, just catching up with Madilyn and Nadia. How's everything going in your world?"

Lin sighed in relief. "Good, good. The exams are finally over, so I can breathe a bit easier now."

Zen nodded in agreement. "Tell me about it. Well, I'll see you at Nadia's beach birthday party, right?"

Lin nodded. "Of course, wouldn't miss it. See you there, Zen."

Then with a final wave, Zen headed down the hallway.