Dinner felt like a ticking time bomb.

  Kay and Zayn sat across from each other at the dinner table, Ravi chattering away about his plans with Bianca, completely oblivious to the storm brewing under the surface.

  Kay pushed her food around her plate, suddenly feeling claustrophobic. Her head was full—of Zayn, of the kiss, of the heat that lingered between them. Every time Zayn shifted in his seat, or his hand brushed against hers as they passed the bread basket, her heart skipped a beat. But she couldn’t—she shouldn’t—think about him like that.

  Zayn, on the other hand, seemed perfectly calm, eating with a casualness that betrayed nothing. His jaw was clenched tight, eyes flickering only briefly to her before returning to Ravi.

  “Kay, you okay?” Ravi’s voice broke through her spiraling thoughts.

  She forced a smile, trying to act normal. “Yeah, I’m fine. Just tired from work.”

  Zayn, though, didn’t seem convinced. His gaze lingered on her for a moment too long before he tore his eyes away, taking another bite of his food. He was doing his best to stay distant, but Kay could feel the tension radiating from him like a second skin. The way his jaw twitched, the way his eyes refused to meet hers for more than a second—it was all wrong.

  Ravi kept talking, but his voice seemed to fade out. It was like Kay and Zayn were in their own little world, even as they sat across from each other, pretending everything was normal.

  The seconds dragged into minutes.

  And then came the moment that made Kay’s pulse spike.

  Zayn’s foot brushed against hers under the table.

  The touch was barely there, but it felt like an electric shock. Her entire body went stiff, and for a second, she couldn’t breathe. She glanced at him quickly, but he was pretending like nothing had happened. His face was completely neutral, the calm exterior fooling no one.

  Kay bit her lip, her leg shifting slightly as if trying to create distance—but it didn’t help. The heat was there. That undeniable pull. It was like gravity, forcing them together despite the lies they were telling themselves.

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  “Everything okay?” Ravi asked again, this time looking between them with suspicion.

  “I’m fine,” Kay said quickly, forcing herself to sound nonchalant.

  "Yeah, me too,” Zayn added in a tone that was far too flat to be convincing.

  Ravi nodded, but there was a flicker of uncertainty in his eyes. Kay couldn’t tell if he suspected anything, but she had a sinking feeling that he could tell something was off. Ravi was close, maybe too close for comfort, and the weight of his gaze made her skin itch.

  The rest of the dinner passed in relative silence, each of them finishing their plates as the air between them grew thick. Ravi was still talking, but Kay’s attention was elsewhere. It wasn’t until Zayn stood up to clear the table that she realized she hadn’t even finished her meal.

  She watched as he stacked the plates, his movements efficient, but there was something more in the way he moved—something tense, like he was barely holding himself together. Like he wantedto say something, do something... but didn’t.

  Ravi looked up from his phone, his brow furrowing slightly. “Hey, I’m gonna head out to see Bianca later. You guys good?”

  Kay and Zayn exchanged a glance.

  “Yeah, all good,” Zayn replied smoothly, his voice careful.

  “Okay.” Ravi stood up and grabbed his keys. “Don’t burn down the house, alright?”

  Kay forced a smile. “We’ll be fine.”

  As soon as Ravi walked out the door, Kay let out a breath she didn’t realize she’d been holding.

  “Finally,” Zayn muttered, running a hand through his hair. “Now we don’t have to pretend.”

  Kay swallowed hard, trying to hold it together. “Zayn—”

  He was already in front of her, his eyes intense, the distance between them gone in an instant. “No more pretending, Kay,” he whispered, his voice thick with something she couldn’t name. “I don’t care anymore.”

  And then his lips were on hers again—slow, deliberate, but every bit as electric as the first time.

  Later That Night – The Unspoken Truth

  The night fell heavier with each passing minute.

  Kay sat on the couch, the air around her thick with unsaid words, a storm of emotion she was trying desperately to ignore. Zayn was across the room, leaning against the wall, arms crossed as he stared at her.

  I’m not sorry for what happened,” he said quietly.

  Kay blinked at him, the words hitting her like a cold splash of water. “Zayn...”

  “I’m not sorry,” he repeated, his eyes burning into hers. “But we can’t keep doing this.”

  Kay's heart raced. “Why?”

  “Because I don’t want to be the guy who hurts you, Kay,” he growled, frustration bleeding through his voice. “But I’m also not going to pretend like I can just walk away from you now. So we either stop right here—before things get even messier—or we let it burn.”

  Her chest tightened, emotions colliding in a chaotic whirl. Stop? Or let it burn?

  Her voice was barely above a whisper. “What do you want from me, Zayn?”

  He took a step closer, closing the distance between them. His hand reached out, gently cupping her cheek as his thumb traced over her skin. “I want you to make a choice.”

  And in that moment, the choice was clear.