Trails of fire

Chapter 9

Zendaya sat alone in her room, her thoughts weighed down by the memory of the recent kiss she shared with Chris. The room felt heavy with the echoes of their last conversation, a conversation she wished she could rewind and change.

As she replayed that night in her mind, a mix of emotions flooded her. The warmth of his lips, the tenderness in his touch. But reality tugged at her, reminding her that she had told him she no longer loved him.

How could she have slept with him when her words had conveyed something so different? She buried her face in her hands, the weight of her conflicting emotions becoming almost too much to bear. "Why did I do that?" she whispered to herself, the question hanging in the air.

As she sat there with regret, she wished she could take back what happened. she already told him that she didn't love him and now it was bringing too much confusion to her. 

Chris sat alone in his room, his mind heavy with thoughts of the recent kiss he shared with her. As he reflected on the warmth of her lips and the familiar touch that felt like home, a determination to fight for their relationship began to kindle within him. The separation had been painful, and the kiss had only intensified the ache of their unfinished story.

"Why did we let things get to this point?" he mused, his thoughts consumed by the complexity of their relationship. Chris knew he had to be honest with himself. The desire to be with Zendaya was still alive within him. 

With a resolute expression, Chris decided he wouldn't let this end like this. He wanted to confront the reality of their situation, have an open conversation, and fight for the chance to rebuild what they once had.

As she parked the car, she was trying to hurry up so that she wouldn't see Chris there. All she wanted to do right now was avoid him at all costs. Her daughter eagerly unbuckled her seatbelts, and she helped the youngest unbuckle his seatbelt, ready to spend time with their grandmother. Zendaya opened the car door, and they hopped out, their laughter echoing in the driveway.

They knocked on the door and waited for their grandmother to open the door. Once she opened the door they hugged her and immediately went inside to play. There was a visible tension in the air. Chris's mother, sensing the strain, invited Zendaya to come inside for a moment.

"Zendaya, would you mind joining me for a cup of tea?" she asked. Zendaya hesitated but nodded, following Chris's mother into the kitchen. 

Once seated, Chris's mother gently brought up the subject, "I can see that things have been difficult lately, especially with the huge decision of divorce. Chris has been down and has been spending a lot of time in the studio, so I can't talk to him. How have you been?"

Zendaya sighed, her shoulders slumping, "I honestly don't know how to feel, I can't give you an answer for that." she said and took a sip of her tea 

Chris's mother nodded empathetically, "The both of you are not talking or sharing your feelings, how can we help if we don't know what is going on or know how you feel"

Zendaya looked down, fidgeting with her hands. "I know. It's just... It's complicated, everything is complicated. And I don't want the kids to be caught in the middle."

"I understand," Chris's mother replied. "But have you and Chris had a chance to talk about your feelings, about what led to the separation?"

Zendaya hesitated, then admitted, "Not really. Every conversation feels like walking on eggshells."

Chris's mother reached out, placing a comforting hand on Zendaya's shoulder. "Communication is key, my dear. I know it's not easy, but avoiding it won't make things better. You both need to express your feelings and find a way to move forward, whether together or apart."

Zendaya nodded, appreciating the wisdom in Chris's mother's words. "I guess." she sighed and got ready to leave "Thank you for the tea and the talk" She hugged her goodbye and went to say bye to her kids. 

Chris's mother smiled warmly, "Take your time, dear. But remember, I'm here for both of you. Sometimes, having an open conversation can be the first step towards healing."

With that, she left and went to her car so that she could go home. Just as Zendaya was about to head inside, she noticed Chris approaching from the side of the house. Panic flashed in her eyes, and she quickly looked away.

"Hey," Chris greeted, his voice tentative. Zendaya acted like she didn't hear him and got inside her car and closed the door. "I know you saw me." he knocked on her window

She sighed and rolled down her window. "can we talk?" 

She hesitated, her eyes still avoiding his, "Now is not a good time, Chris. I have to go."

Chris sighed, realizing her reluctance. "Fine, but we need to talk about this at some point. Avoiding it won't make things better."  he acted like he was walking away, and quickly walked around the car and got in the passenger side

"Chris! What the hell get out!" She looked at him with shock

"No we need to talk, you have been avoiding me and avoiding a much-needed conversation"

"I already told you that now is not a good time. Can you just listen?" 

"When are you gonna listen to me, we need to talk"

"Chris what do you want to hear huh??" she sights 

"We need to listen to each other and talk it out" 

It took her a couple of seconds to come up with what she wanted to say, But she was too upset to even think straight. "Since you want us to talk, listen to this. We are over, legally I won't even be your wife anymore, so live your life so I can live mine. After this, you won't have to deal with me anymore. Us sleeping together was a mistake, it should have never happened. Now can you please get out of my car?"

He got out of the car without a response and walked inside the house. She watched him walk away and felt a little bad at how she talked to him. "Why does everything have to be so hard" she thought and drove away...