Shadows of Desire I 18+

Running in the Rain

Lila's POV:

The night was thick with tension, a quiet storm brewing both in the air and within Lila's heart. Rain pelted the dark streets, soaking her to the bone as she walked aimlessly through the city, her head down and her hands trembling. She barely felt the cold. The turmoil swirling inside her was far worse.

Ryan's proposal echoed in her mind, his words hanging like a shadow. „Marry me, Lila." The sentence had lodged itself in her chest, but instead of excitement or joy, it brought nothing but doubt. She didn't know why she had hesitated. It should have been an easy yes. But her body and mind had screamed against it, and before she could respond, she'd made some vague excuse and left his apartment.

And then there was Zane. She had gone to his office, fully intending to decline the job offer and put distance between them. But the look in his eyes had disarmed her. That intensity, that quiet command, made her feel exposed in ways she wasn't prepared for. She had run again, just like she had from Ryan. From everyone, it seemed.

Lila didn't know what was wrong with her. The rain mixed with her tears, falling silently down her cheeks as she kept walking, lost in her own world.

Suddenly, a pair of headlights sliced through the downpour, making her squint against the glare. A sleek, black car slowed down beside her, and Lila's breath caught when the window rolled down. It was Zane. His sharp eyes locked on her, cutting through the rain and the dark like they could see right into her soul.

"Lila!" His voice, low and commanding, snapped her out of her trance. "Get in the car."

She stopped, staring at him. Of course, it would be Zane. It was always Zane who showed up when she was teetering on the edge. But tonight... she couldn't. She shook her head and started walking again.

"Lila, stop!" His voice grew louder, more insistent. But she couldn't turn around. Not now. Not after everything.

A door slammed behind her. Footsteps pounded against the wet pavement. Before she could react, his hand was on her arm, spinning her around to face him.

"Why are you always running?" he demanded, his voice harsh but not angry. His hair was soaked, raindrops clinging to his brow as his gaze bore into hers. "Why do you always run away from me?"

Her heart raced, her chest tightening as she looked up at him. His grip on her arm was firm, but not painful. His presence, even drenched and frustrated, made her stomach flip.

"I'm not—" She stopped, shaking her head, unable to finish the sentence. She was running, and they both knew it. Running from him. Running from the feelings she didn't want to admit she had. Running from Ryan. From the truth.

"I can't... Zane, I can't do this," she whispered, her voice breaking. "I don't know what I'm doing."

Zane's jaw clenched. "You don't know what you're doing?" His voice was almost a growl now, but underneath the frustration, there was something else. Something raw. "You think I don't see what's happening here?"

Her eyes flickered with confusion. "What are you talking about?"

Zane took a step closer, the rain pouring down between them, but neither of them seemed to care. His hand still held her arm, anchoring her, but it was the intensity in his eyes that rooted her to the spot.