Chapter 5: The things we don't say

I left too quickly.

I knew that the moment I stepped out of the café and the cold evening air hit my skin.

My heartbeat was still uneven.

Not because of the call.

Not entirely.

It was him.

Daniel.

The way he looked at me before I walked away…

Like he wanted to say something but stopped himself.

Like he understood that pushing me any further would make me run.

And the worst part?

He was right.

I pulled my jacket closer around myself as I walked down the street, trying to ignore the thoughts crowding my head.

Cars passed.

People laughed somewhere nearby.

Life kept moving normally around me.

But inside me?

Nothing felt normal anymore.

My phone buzzed again.

I stopped walking immediately.

My chest tightening before I even checked the screen.

Unknown Number.

I stared at it.

Long.

Hard.

Then declined the call.

Almost instantly—

Another message appeared.

“You can keep avoiding me, but eventually we’ll have this conversation.”

I closed my eyes briefly.

God.

Why now?

Why after all this time?

I typed a reply before I could stop myself.

“There’s nothing left to talk about.”

Three dots appeared immediately.

Like he had been waiting.

Watching.

“If that were true, you wouldn’t have answered my call.”

I hated how accurate that was.

Before I could think too much about it, another message came.

“Did you replace me that quickly?”

My eyebrows pulled together instantly.

What?

Then—

“You weren’t alone.”

My stomach tightened.

I looked around instinctively, my heartbeat quickening.

Was he nearby?

Did he see me?

The thought made my skin crawl.

I typed quickly.

“Stop this.”

This time, his reply took longer.

“Then meet me.”

I stared at the screen.

Anger rising slowly in my chest now.

Not fear.

Anger.

Because he always did this.

Pushed.

Pressed.

Made everything feel heavier than it needed to be.

And somehow…

He always knew exactly which words would affect me.

I locked my phone and shoved it into my bag, exhaling sharply.

I needed to stop thinking.

Needed to clear my head.

Needed—

“Bad habit.”

I froze.

That voice again.

I turned around too quickly.

And there he was.

Daniel.

Standing a few steps behind me with his hands in his pockets, looking unfairly calm.

“You keep disappearing,” he said.

My chest tightened again.

“Why are you here?”

He tilted his head slightly. “Interesting way to say hello.”

“I’m serious.”

“So am I.”

I frowned slightly. “Did you follow me?”

A small smile appeared on his face.

“Not intentionally.”

“That doesn’t sound convincing.”

“I was heading this way already,” he replied. “Then I saw you looking like you were about to start a fight with your phone.”

I looked away briefly, annoyed that he noticed things so easily.

“You shouldn’t walk around looking that stressed,” he added. “People will think you’re dangerous.”

Despite myself…

I laughed.

Small.

Quiet.

But real.

And the moment the sound left me, his expression softened slightly.

Like hearing me laugh mattered more than it should have.

“That’s the first genuine laugh I’ve gotten from you,” he said.

“It wasn’t that serious.”

“It was to me.”

The words settled between us.

Soft.

Unexpected.

I looked at him carefully.

“You say things like that too casually.”

“No,” he replied. “You just hear them too carefully.”

God.

Why does he talk like this?

I shook my head slightly, trying to hide the smile threatening to appear.

“You’re exhausting.”

“But you’re still standing here.”

That shut me up.

Because again…

He wasn’t wrong.

Silence settled between us as we started walking slowly down the street.

Not planned.

It just… happened.

Like neither of us questioned it.

The city lights reflected softly against the wet pavement from an earlier rain. Cars moved around us, but everything felt strangely distant.

Quiet.

“You never told me your name properly,” he said after a while.

I glanced at him.

“You never asked again.”

“I figured you’d tell me when you wanted to.”

There it was again.

That patience.

Most people rush.

Demand.

Push.

But him?

He waits.

And somehow, that makes everything feel more intense.

I looked ahead, hands tucked into my pockets.

“…Amara.”

He repeated it softly.

“Amara.”

The way he said it—

Slowly.

Carefully.

Like he wanted to remember it properly.

Something about that affected me more than it should have.

“It suits you,” he said.

“You don’t even know what it means.”

“I don’t need to.”

I looked at him again.

“You really think you know everything, don’t you?”

“No,” he said calmly. “Just enough.”

I rolled my eyes lightly, but I was smiling now.

Actually smiling.

And I hated how easy it felt around him sometimes.

“You look different when you smile like that,” he said quietly.

My steps slowed slightly.

“What does that mean?”

“It means…” he hesitated briefly, looking at me properly now, “…you stop looking like you’re carrying the world alone.”

That hit deeper than I expected.

I looked away immediately.

Because suddenly…

The air between us felt different again.

Closer.

Warmer.

Dangerous.

“You analyze people too much,” I muttered.

“Only the interesting ones.”

I let out a soft breath.

“You flirt too naturally.”

A small smile appeared on his face.

“And you notice it too quickly.”

Before I could reply, my phone buzzed again.

Instantly, the moment shifted.

Daniel noticed.

Of course he did.

I pulled the phone out slowly.

Another message.

“I’m outside your apartment.”

Everything in me went cold.

My steps stopped completely.

“What happened?” Daniel asked immediately.

I couldn’t speak.

Couldn’t breathe properly for a second.

Because suddenly…

This wasn’t just annoying anymore.

This was real.

“Amara.”

His voice was sharper now.

Closer.

I looked up at him slowly.

And whatever he saw on my face changed his expression instantly.

“What is it?” he asked quietly.

I swallowed hard.

“He’s at my apartment.”

Silence.

A dangerous kind.

Daniel’s jaw tightened slightly.

The first real crack in his calm expression.

“Who?” he asked.

I looked down at the message again.

My chest tightening harder now.

And for the first time since this started…

I felt afraid.