Silent Heart, Hidden Desires

8

The rain is a relentless assault, drumming against the school windows like a thousand tiny fists. It mirrors the storm brewing inside me. Alistair was supposed to be here an hour ago. An hour. My phone remains silent, a cruel mockery of his broken promise. Jeo, ever the steadfast protector, sits beside me, his worried gaze a reflection of my own.

"Bebe, we should go na." he says, his voice laced with concern. "It's nine o'clock, you haven't eaten yet."

I force a smile, trying to mask the growing dread in my stomach. "It's okay, I'll wait a little longer. Maybe he's just stuck in traffic."

Jeo shakes his head, his brow furrowed. "The rain is crazy, it's not safe to be out this late. Come on, let's go."

I know he's right, but I can't leave. Alistair promised. We were going to have dinner. Now, all I feel is a gnawing emptiness, a hollow ache in my chest.

"I'll wait." I say, my voice barely a whisper. "He'll be here soon."

Jeo sighs, but he doesn't argue. He stays with me, his presence a warm shield against the cold rain and the cold dread that's settling in my heart.

Another hour passes, and still, no Alistair. The disappointment is a heavy weight, crushing the hope I'd clung to. Jeo's hand squeezes mine, a silent acknowledgment of my pain.

"Come on, Rea." he says gently. "I'll get you home."

I nod, my shoulders slumping with defeat. As we drive away, I can't help but feel a wave of anger wash over me. He promised. He promised to pick me up. He promised to take me out for dinner. And he broke every single one of those promises.

The house is quiet, a stark contrast to the storm raging inside me. I can smell the enticing aroma of dinner wafting from the kitchen, but I have no appetite. My heart is too heavy, my mind too preoccupied with Alistair's absence.

Then, the front door bursts open, and Alistair stands there, a whirlwind of anger and rain. His eyes are dark, his face flushed, his entire being radiating a fury that chills me to the bone.

"Why did you leave?" he roars, his voice a thunderclap in the quiet house. "I told you I'd pick you up!"

He grabs my face, his fingers digging into my skin. "You left with that fucker! You knew I was coming!"

I try to speak, but my voice is lost in the storm of his anger. His face is inches from mine, his breath hot against my skin.

"Do you even know how mad I am? You don't know?" he growls, his voice laced with venom. "Because, you were thinking about him, weren't you? You were thinking about that fucker!" Akusa niya. He's damn mad. I can't help to be scared of him.

His grip tightens, and I wince, my cheeks burning under his touch. He's not hurting me physically, but the intensity of his anger is a searing pain, a burning brand on my soul.

"A-Alistair," I manage to whisper, my voice trembling. "It hurts…"

The regret in his eyes, a fragile wisp of remorse, vanished in a heartbeat, replaced by a storm of anger that swept over him, leaving no trace of the tenderness he'd shown just moments before. He releases me abruptly, his gaze hardening.

"Stand up. Eat."

He turns and walks away, leaving me reeling in the aftermath of his storm. My heart is pounding, my breath ragged. I can't believe he's acting like this. He's the one who broke his promise, the one who left me waiting in the rain.

But as I watch him disappear into his room, a different kind of storm begins to brew inside me. A storm of desire, a storm of need, a storm that threatens to consume
me entirely.