UNSPOKEN DESIRES

Chapter:The Aftermath

1Later that day, Lisa found herself walking alongside Zaphyr, the memory of what had happened in the empty classroom still fresh in her mind. The corridor was bathed in the soft glow of the setting sun, casting long shadows across the floor. They hadn’t planned on walking together, but somehow, it had just happened, their steps falling into an easy rhythm.Lisa’s mind buzzed with thoughts, but Zaphyr remained as calm and composed as ever, a faint smirk playing on his lips. He had always been this way—aloof, enigmatic, and yet strangely compelling. Most people didn’t like him, but Lisa couldn’t help but be intrigued by the layers he seemed to hide beneath his confident exterior.She was never timid around him. Unlike with Valentino, where her nerves would flare up, with Zaphyr, she felt more in control of herself. But the almost-kiss lingered, and the silence between them was growing heavy.Finally, she couldn’t hold it in any longer. “I knew you weren’t going to do it,” she said, her voice casual but with a hint of challenge.Zaphyr stopped, his dark eyes glancing over at her, amusement flickering in them. “Oh?” His smirk deepened as he turned to face her fully. “And what makes you so sure?”Lisa crossed her arms, meeting his gaze without hesitation. “Because,” she said, shrugging lightly, “I could tell. You wouldn’t have gone through with it.”Zaphyr’s smirk softened, turning into a more thoughtful expression. He looked at her for a long moment, and then, with a slight shrug, he said, “I would’ve done it.”Her heart skipped a beat, but before she could respond, he continued, his voice lowering just a bit. “But I didn’t want to hurt Valentino.”That admission hit her harder than she expected. She hadn’t thought Zaphyr would care about something like that. The guy was known for being a player, for not thinking about anyone but himself—at least, that’s what everyone said. But here he was, standing in front of her, admitting that he had pulled back out of respect for her relationship.Lisa stared at him, her mind racing. “You… didn’t want to hurt him?” she asked, the disbelief clear in her voice.Zaphyr chuckled, leaning back against the wall, his hands casually tucked into his pockets. “Yeah. It’s not about liking him,” he said with a shrug. “But he’s your boyfriend, and I’m not that much of an ass.”Lisa blinked, taken aback by the honesty in his tone. She hadn’t expected this side of him, hadn’t even imagined it. She had always seen him as cold, distant—a guy who didn’t care about anyone else’s feelings. But this moment made her see him in a different light.For a brief moment, the air between them felt heavy with unspoken words. Zaphyr, as always, broke the silence first, a teasing smile tugging at his lips. “Don’t get me wrong, though,” he said with a wink, his voice slipping back into its usual playful tone. “If it weren’t for Valentino, things might’ve gone a little differently back there.”Lisa rolled her eyes, but a small smile played at the corners of her mouth. “Yeah, sure,” she replied, her tone laced with sarcasm, though she couldn’t fully hide the amusement in her voice.As they started walking again, Lisa felt a strange sense of ease with Zaphyr—like they were playing a game neither of them fully understood. With him, she didn’t feel the pressure she had with Valentino. She could be herself, unfiltered and unapologetic.Zaphyr, meanwhile, kept up his light teasing, his gaze flicking to her every now and then, as if gauging her reaction. “You know,” he said, his voice dropping just slightly, “it’s refreshing. You don’t get all weird around me like most people do.”Lisa glanced at him, raising an eyebrow. “Weird how?”He shrugged. “Most people either hate me or avoid me. You, though… you don’t seem to care much about all that.”She paused, considering his words. It was true. She didn’t feel the need to impress him or be something she wasn’t. With Zaphyr, things were simple. And maybe that’s why it was so complicated at the same time.“I don’t know,” she said quietly, looking ahead. “You’re not as bad as people think.”Zaphyr chuckled again, a genuine sound this time, not just a smirk. “Don’t let that get around. I’ve got a reputation to uphold.”Lisa couldn’t help but smile at that, a small laugh escaping her lips. Their conversation felt easy, natural, and for the first time in a while, she felt lighter. She wasn’t timid or afraid. She wasn’t holding back.But even as they walked, laughing and talking, Lisa couldn’t shake the feeling that this was the beginning of something she wasn’t entirely ready for. She still had Valentino to consider. And though Zaphyr seemed to be giving her space, his playful flirting hinted that the boundaries they had both agreed to wouldn’t last forever.