Shadows Between Us

Why would he kiss me?What does this mean?Felicity’s thoughts tumbled over themselves as she stepped out of the taxi, her pulse hammering in her ears. Leon’s lips had been on hers only hours ago—unexpected, forbidden, shattering everything they had agreed on. Friends. Just friends. That was the boundary. That was the safety net. And he had crossed it.Her palms was slick with sweat as she walked across campus, every step feeling heavier than the last. The memory of his touch clung to her skin, hot and impossible to shake. Did he really mean it, or was she another passing whim in his reckless life?The corridor to her hostel stretched endless ahead. It felt like every door hid whispers, every corner held muffled laughter aimed at her. She knew it was only her imagination, but the guilt burned all the same.By the time she reached the door, her hands were trembling. She fumbled in her bag for her keys—her bag that always seemed to swallow everything whole—when she froze.Voices drifted

Back on campus, Felicity sprawled across her bed, staring at the ceiling while love songs hummed softly from her phone speaker. She thought the music would help her figure it out—help her heart choose. Was it Leon, her unexpected new love, or Imran, her high school sweet-heart? She was torn in two, and she knew she couldn’t keep stalling forever. Sooner or later, she would have to choose before she lost both of them.The door creaked open, and Victoria stepped in with a grin stretched across her face.“Why are you so happy?” Felicity asked, managing a faint smile of her own.“Can I just be happy to see my best friend?” Victoria teased. She lifted up a plastic bag in triumph. “Also I brought snacks.” With a flourish, she tossed her chips and chin-chin onto the bed.Felicity let out a tired laugh. “You always try to bribe me with food.”“And it always works, doesn’t it?” Victoria responded.They both laughed, the heaviness in Felicity’s chest easing just a little.Kicking off her shoes,

Leon’s phone kept ringing. He was terrified to pick up his phone because he knew if his mum had gotten hold of this information, it wouldn’t take a minute before the entire family heard too. His phone was laid face down throughout breakfast, vibrating against the wooden table like an angry insect. He knew all hell was about to break loose.“I guess they’ve heard!” Charity said, laughing, brushing her braids away from her face. “Now we’re going to find out if its good news or bad news to them.”“That’s not funny” Leon responded with a forced grin, though his stomach twisted. “There’s so much going on already.”“What’s going on?” Charity asked, her tone shifting from playful to worried.Leon’s mind flashed quickly to the case about another female—a mess he never wanted Charity to know about. “Nothing. Nothing.” He replied hastily, his eyes refusing to meet hers.While Charity tidied up after breakfast, Leon slipped into the living room. His heart pounding. The chaos had already been eru

The door closed behind him with a soft click, and for a few seconds, neither of them said anything.The room was dim, lit only by the small lamp besides the bed. From the open window came the sounds of the night. From the open window came the sounds off the night—crickets, cars rolling past, someone laughing faintly down the hall before it faded away.Felicity stayed by the door, her hand still resting on the knob. She wasn’t sure if she should hold on or let go. Leon stood a few feet away, shoulders tight, hands shoved into his pocket.He didn’t look like the smooth, confident Leon everyone else knew. Right now, he just looked tired—like he’d been carrying something heavy for too long.“You shouldn’t have come,” she said finally. Her voice was quiet but firm, even though her heart was racing.Leon gave a weak smile that didn’t seem believable. “I told myself that about 10 times before I got here.”“Then why did you?”“Because I needed to see you” he admitted. “I’ve been driving aroun

Charity stood by the window with her arms crossed, her faint reflection shaking in the glass.Leon lingered near the door, turned half ways towards her, his thoughts loud enough to drown out the sound of the wind coming through the windows.For a moment, neither of them spoke. Then Charity let out a slow sigh and finally broke the silence.“Are you going to tell me why you pulled me in here like this” she asked quietly, “or should we just pretend you didn’t just blow up dinner for everyone?”Leon turned slowly. His face was unreadable. “I didn’t ruin anything. It was already ruined.”“You’re not even making any sense.”He reached into his pocket, pulled out his phone, tossed it onto the table between them. “Then explain this.”Charity glanced down. On the screen was Isabel’s message—short, cruel, and straight to the point.“Even if I can’t post them, I can still ruin you and you know I can.Charity lips parted slightly. “What does she mean by that? What happened?”“You tell me. You we