Just Press Ctrl Z

Chapter 14: Are You Serious?

Are You Serious?

~

The next day, Zen awoke to the jarring sound of her phone ringing. She groaned, blinking against the sudden invasion of light as she fumbled for the device on her nightstand. Groggily, she held the phone to her ear and answered the call, her voice still heavy with sleep. “Hello?”

“Have you seen it? The Facebook post about you and Cassandra? It’s gone!” Nadia’s shrieking voice came through the line.

“What?” Zen mumbled, struggling to open her eyes.

“Get up and check for yourself,” Nadia insisted impatiently.

“Okay, hold on,” Zen replied, pulling the phone away from her ear and rubbing her eyes before opening her Facebook app. “Where did it go?” she asked in confusion, seeing that the post in question had indeed vanished without a trace. Even the one where Raine was holding Cassandra had been deleted.

“That’s the thing. No one knows. I heard the admins are freaking out because they can’t access the account anymore.” Nadia chuckled. “It’s a bit odd, but hey, it seems like someone’s trying to help you out. You should be grateful.”

“Yeah, I guess,” Zen replied, still half-asleep. “Can I hang up now? It’s Sunday, and I need more sleep.”

“Just hold on a sec. Spill the beans about Cassandra and Raine first. Is the rumour true? Is Raine actually dating her?”

“I don’t know,” Zen gritted out, her irritation rising as Nadia wouldn’t hang up.

“By the way, can we come hang out at your place later?” Nadia requested.

Three seconds passed without an answer as Zen tried to process the question. Then panic burst forth as she recalled Raine’s unexpected presence in her apartment last night. “No way!” she blurted out before she could stop herself, her heartbeat quickening. “Absolutely not! Bye!”

With an abrupt end to the call, Zen tossed her phone onto the bed, her mind racing as memories of the previous night flooded her thoughts. Sleep was out of the question now.

Zen threw off her covers in frustration, swung her legs over the side of the bed and sat up, raking her fingers through her tangled hair. She rubbed her eyes, stifling another yawn, and padded over to the bathroom to begin her day.

-~-

For someone who relished the feeling of privacy, Zen had a sinking feeling that it wouldn’t be granted to her that morning – or even throughout the entire day if her intuition was accurate.

With heavy steps, she descended the stairs, her gaze sweeping the area, searching for any sign of a particular figure — possibly a tall man with dark brown eyes and furrowed brows. She wasn’t trying to hide her presence, no. All she yearned for was a peaceful start to her day, a simple cup of coffee to set the tone. Oddly enough, the prospect of encountering a homophobe on the way didn’t seem to faze her in the slightest.

If there was one thing Zen was good at, it was giving the silent treatment, the sort that didn’t sit well with most, especially women. While numerous females might resort to extreme measures if subjected to her version of silence, like one of them might even come running down the street with a knife to hunt her down—thirty-five stab wounds wouldn’t even suffice—supposing she was the guy in some relationship, she could rest assured for now. One, she wasn’t in a relationship. And two, Raine might even embrace the silence, given his known sentiments toward her; Zen wouldn’t be shocked if he initiated the silent act.