The Love We Hide

CHAPTER 7

The Confession

The city skyline twinkled in the distance as I made my way to the rooftop. Zachary had chosen this spot for our meeting—a secluded, quiet space where we could talk without prying eyes. The air was cool, carrying the faint hum of the city below, but I barely noticed as I stepped onto the rooftop. My mind was racing, replaying the cryptic tone of his message that had led me here.

Zachary stood near the ledge, his back to me, staring out at the glittering cityscape. His posture was tense, shoulders drawn tight, as if he were carrying the weight of the world. I took a deep breath, trying to steady the rapid beating of my heart.

“Zachary?” I called softly, my voice catching in my throat.

He turned slowly at the sound of my voice, his eyes locking onto mine with a mixture of intensity and vulnerability I hadn’t expected. His usually confident expression was stripped bare, replaced by something raw and unguarded. I had never seen him like this before.

“Alison,” he said, his voice low and strained. “I’m glad you came.”

I stepped closer, my pulse quickening. “What’s going on? You sounded... different.”

Zachary exhaled sharply, as if he had been holding his breath. He ran a hand through his dark hair before turning to face me fully. “I’ve been thinking. About us. About this whole mess with our families. And I can’t do this anymore.”

My chest tightened. “What do you mean?”

“I can’t keep pretending,” he said, taking a step toward me. “Pretending that what’s happening between us isn’t real. That it doesn’t matter. Because it does.”

My breath hitched. The words I had been denying to myself, the ones I’d tried so hard to bury, suddenly hung in the air between us, impossible to ignore. “Zachary, we can’t—”

“I know,” he interrupted, his voice thick with emotion. “I know our families would lose their minds if they knew. But I don’t care anymore, Alison. I care about you. I can’t just walk away and act like this... whatever this is... doesn’t matter.”

His words sent a shockwave through me. It was everything I had feared, everything I had secretly hoped for. My instincts screamed to back away, to remind him of the consequences of what he was saying. But my heart, pounding in my chest, refused to listen.

“I don’t want to hurt you,” I whispered, my voice barely audible. “We’re playing with fire, Zachary. If our families find out...”

“I don’t care,” he said again, stepping closer until there was barely any space between us. His eyes locked onto mine, searching, pleading. “I care about you, Alison. More than I should. And I know you feel it too.”

His confession sent a jolt of electricity through me, my pulse quickening with every word. The truth was out there now, raw and exposed, and there was no going back. “Zachary... I—”

“Don’t,” he said softly, his voice breaking through my hesitation. “Don’t push me away. Just tell me the truth. Do you feel the same way?”

I stood frozen, every rational thought colliding with the emotions swirling inside me. There was no denying it anymore. I couldn’t hide from this, couldn’t keep pretending that what we shared was something I could ignore. Slowly, I nodded, my heart thudding in my chest. “Yes,” I admitted, my voice trembling. “I feel it too.”

Zachary’s expression softened, a mix of relief and something deeper flickering in his eyes. His hand reached out, gently brushing against mine, sending a rush of warmth through me. “Then let’s stop fighting it,” he whispered.

Before I could respond, he closed the gap between us, his hand cupping my face as he lowered his lips to mine. The kiss was soft at first, hesitant, as if we were both testing the boundaries of what we had just confessed. But the moment our lips met, everything else faded away—the rivalry, the danger, the weight of our family legacies. It was just us.

My breath caught as the kiss deepened, his other arm wrapping around my waist, pulling me closer. I melted into him, the warmth of his body against mine making my heart race. Every touch, every second, felt like a release—a breaking free from the walls we had built around ourselves for so long.

I slid my hands up his chest, feeling the steady beat of his heart beneath my fingertips. The world around us ceased to exist. All that mattered was the way we fit together, the way our emotions poured into that kiss—desire, fear, hope, and something more that neither of us had the courage to name yet.

When we finally pulled apart, both of us were breathless, our foreheads resting against each other’s as the city lights twinkled around us. My heart was still racing, and I could feel the rapid thrum of his pulse through his chest.

“This is dangerous,” I whispered, my voice shaky. “But I can’t stop.”

“I don’t want to stop,” he murmured, his thumb brushing lightly across my cheek. “We’ll figure it out, Alison. Together.”

I nodded, my heart swelling with a mixture of fear and exhilaration. There were still so many unknowns, so many risks. But for the first time in a long time, I didn’t feel trapped by them. Instead, I felt alive, standing on the edge of something new and terrifying with Zachary by my side.

As we stood there, the city stretching out before us, I realized that there was no turning back. Whatever came next, we would face it together.