A little thing called FIRST LOVE ft.Avneil

Chapter 21

Chapter 21

As Neil held Avni in a firm but gentle embrace, the world around them seemed to melt away. The steady rhythm of his heartbeat filled her ears, drowning out the chaos that had been suffocating her thoughts for days. In that moment, wrapped in his arms, she felt a sense of safety, a small, fleeting escape from the storm raging inside her.

Neil's voice broke the silence, soft yet steady. "Avni?" he whispered, still not loosening his hold on her, as if afraid that any distance would shatter the fragile calm they had found together.

Avni responded with a quiet hum, her face pressed against his chest, not wanting to break the connection, not yet. She wasn't ready to pull away from the only thing keeping her grounded in this moment.

Neil hesitated for a second, unsure if he should proceed. But he knew he needed to. "Avni, I actually came here to ask you something. I don't know if this is the right time... but I want to know what you think about it."

Avni slowly lifted her head, her eyes meeting his, though her arms remained around him, refusing to let go. Her brows furrowed slightly, curiosity and a hint of apprehension in her gaze. "What is it, Neil?"

He kept his tone soft, as if not wanting to shatter the delicate space they were sharing. "I want to know... what you want to do about everything that's happened. Do you want to fight, Avni? Or... do you want to let it go?"

Her breath caught in her throat. The question hit her hard, forcing her to confront the storm she'd been trying so desperately to avoid. She lowered her head again, her hands gripping the fabric of Neil's shirt as if that alone could keep her steady.

"I don't want to fight, Neil." Her voice was quiet, almost a whisper, and the weight of her words hung heavy in the air. "I'll let it go. I don't want to fight."

There was a pause. A long, silent moment where Neil could feel her pain, her exhaustion. He didn't need to say anything to understand the battle she was waging internally. He tightened his embrace, as if his arms alone could shield her from the world, from the pain she carried.

"It's okay, Avni. I understand," Neil murmured softly, his voice filled with warmth and understanding.

Avni buried her face in his chest again, grateful for the reassurance in his words, the strength in his arms. He hugged her even tighter, offering her the only comfort he could in that moment—the promise that she didn't have to face it all alone.

For now, the fight could wait. What mattered was this—this moment of quiet, where she could feel something other than the weight of her past. And for the first time in a while, Avni felt like she could breathe, just a little.

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The dense jungle loomed on either side of the narrow, dark road, the moonlight barely breaking through the thick canopy of trees. The loud thumping of rock music reverberated inside the lone car speeding through the deserted stretch. Inside, the driver, a man in his early-20s, was completely immersed in the music, singing along at the top of his lungs, fingers drumming on the steering wheel.

The road ahead seemed empty, a shadowy tunnel of trees. But in the blink of an eye, the figure of a man appeared, standing directly in the middle of the road, barely illuminated by the headlights. He was holding a gun, his posture unnervingly still, as if waiting for something.

The driver's eyes widened in shock, and his reflexes kicked in. His foot slammed down on the brake, the tires screeching loudly against the pavement as the car came to a sudden halt. The music inside the car stopped abruptly, drowned out by the deafening sound of the tires skidding. Heart pounding, the driver stared in disbelief at the man who hadn't moved an inch.