TALE LOVE OF GREY

Chapter 2: Confrontation

Zephire's POV

I sat on my bed, the weight of the day pressing on my chest as I stared blankly at the wall. My thoughts swirled around Caelix, around Zephany, and around the mess that had suddenly taken over our lives. Everything felt so complicated now. Just a few weeks ago, things had been simple—sisters, best friends, always there for each other. But now...

The door to my room burst open, and in stormed Zephany. Her face was flushed with anger, her eyes blazing. Before I could say a word, she pointed a finger at me.

"How could you do this to me?!" she shouted, her voice sharp, filled with betrayal. "I can’t believe you would try to steal the guy I like!"

I froze, shocked by the intensity of her outburst. "Zephany, what are you talking about?" I stammered, my heart pounding. "I’m not trying to steal Caelix from you. You know that!"

Zephany’s laugh was bitter, almost mocking. "Really? Because I saw the way you were looking at him during the picnic. You were practically smiling every time he glanced your way. You think I didn’t notice?" Her voice shook with frustration. "Be honest with me, Zephire. Do you like Caelix?"

I felt a lump form in my throat. She was right. I couldn’t deny it anymore. I stood up, trying to steady my breathing. "Yeah," I admitted quietly, my eyes meeting hers. "I like him too. But I’ve been trying to ignore it because I know how you feel about him."

Zephany’s face twisted in disbelief. "So you do like him! All this time, I thought you were my ally, my sister—someone I could count on. But no, you’ve been hiding this from me. I was wrong about you!" Her voice cracked with the sting of betrayal. "You’ve turned into my rival!"

The words stung, sharper than I expected. I opened my mouth to speak, but she cut me off.

"No, don't try to explain yourself!" she yelled, her fists clenched. "You knew how I felt about him. You knew, Zephire!"

I closed my eyes, trying to keep my emotions in check. "Zephany, listen. I'm not trying to hurt you. I swear." I took a step closer, my voice softening. "But you also know how I feel. I didn’t want to tell you because I didn’t want to make things worse between us. I didn't expect you to get so upset. It’s not like I wanted him to notice me. He just did."

She scoffed, stepping back. "Don't make excuses, Zephire. I know exactly what's going on. You're just enjoying the attention Caelix is giving you. You think you can just steal him away from me because he looks at you. But you’re not fooling me. Stay away from him, or else..."

Her words hit me like a slap, and before I could stop her, she stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind her with such force that I jumped.

"Zephany, wait!" I shouted, but she was already gone. I could hear the echoes of her footsteps retreating down the hall. I collapsed back onto my bed, my hands running through my hair in frustration. What is happening?

I groaned, feeling the weight of the situation crash down on me. Why did it have to be Caelix? Why did we have to fall for the same person? This wasn’t supposed to happen. My sister... my sister, the one person who always had my back, now looked at me like I was a stranger.

Tears stung at the corners of my eyes as I buried my face in my hands. I don’t want to lose her. I don’t want to lose us.

I tried to convince myself that everything would be okay, that we could figure it out, but deep down, I wasn’t sure. Zephany had become someone I didn’t recognize, consumed by jealousy, and I didn’t know how to reach her anymore.

I sighed, staring at the ceiling. What do I do now?