FATE

Chapter 4: The Choice

The next few days passed in a haze for Amara, but not the blissful kind she’d hoped for. Her thoughts tangled and twisted like the waves that had pounded the shore that night, each one bringing with it a pang of guilt, a flash of Zayne’s touch, a memory of David’s laugh. She moved through her daily life as if on autopilot, but her mind was miles away—back on that beach, wrapped in the warmth of Zayne’s arms.

By the time she arrived back at David’s place, the sun was beginning to set, bathing the town in a wash of pink and orange. The house felt suffocatingly familiar as she stepped inside, the walls painted with memories of a life that had once felt enough but now seemed to press in on her from every angle. David greeted her with a broad smile, pulling her into a hug. His embrace was steady and warm, like always, but something inside her felt out of place—unsettled, like a bird beating its wings against a cage.

“How was the beach, babe? Did y’all have a good time?” he asked, his voice light as he kissed the top of her head. He smelled like the cologne she had bought him last Christmas—a scent she’d once found comforting but now felt like a reminder of how trapped she was.

“Yeah, it did… nice,” Amara replied, forcing a smile. Her voice sounded strange, even to her own ears, like she was playing a part she no longer fit. She pulled away, pretending to be busy with her bag, but she felt his eyes on her, curious and searching.

He tilted his head, catching the tension in her expression. “Yuh good? You seem kinda… off.”

She felt a lump form in her throat, the words bubbling up, desperate to escape. But how could she tell him? How could she break his heart when he looked at her with such trust, such unwavering belief that she was his and only his? She swallowed hard, forcing down the confession she wasn’t ready to speak. “Jus tiyad, David. It’s been a long few days, yuh know?”

He nodded, letting It go, but the unease lingered in his eyes. “Alright, well, mi mek dinna if yuh hungry. Ya come eat wid mi?”

Amara nodded, following him into the kitchen, but the weight of her secret settled heavily between them like an invisible wall. As they sat down to eat, she tried to focus on his words, his stories about work and plans for the weekend, but her mind kept drifting to the night with Zayne—the way his fingers had traced her skin, the way he had looked at her like she was something precious. The way he sucked her clit with such passion. The way he made love to her, kissing up her thighs and pussy like something she’s never had before. How she still could feel his dick down her throat.

After dinner, she excused herself to take a shower. She let the hot water cascade over her, scalding her skin, as if she could wash away the memory of Zayne’s touch. But every time she closed her eyes, she saw his face—those intense eyes, that easy smile that made her feel seen, like no one ever had before.

She stayed under the water until it ran cold, until her skin prickled with goosebumps, and then she wrapped herself in a towel, staring at her reflection in the foggy mirror. “Get it together, Amara,” she whispered to herself, but even as she said it, a part of her knew that she was already too far gone.

That night, she lay beside David, listening to the rhythm of his breathing as he slept. She tried to match her breaths to his, tried to remind herself of all the reasons she had chosen this life with him—stability, comfort, familiarity. But the bed felt too small, like it was shrinking around her, and her mind kept wandering to the beach, to the wildness she had felt with Zayne. She turned onto her side, facing away from David, and blinked back the tears that threatened to spill over.


The next afternoon, Zayne’s call came through as she was leaving work. She stood by her car in the parking lot, staring at his name flashing on her screen, her heart pounding in her chest. Her finger hovered over the decline button, but something inside her ached to hear his voice, to feel that thrill again. She pressed *accept* before she could second-guess herself.

“Hi,” she breathed into the phone, trying to keep her voice steady, even as her hands shook.

“Wassup, Amara.” His voice was warm, like honey, and she could hear the smile in it. “Been a think ‘bout yuh.”

She closed her eyes, leaning against the cool metal of her car. “Zayne, mi… mi cya do this.”

There was a bit of silence on the other end, and she could hear the distant hum of traffic behind him. When he spoke again, his voice was softer, more serious. “Mi undastand, Amara. But listen, mi mean wah me say. Mi nuh wah force yuh. Just wah give yuh supmn fi tink bout. Mi ago Miami in a few days. If yuh wah to come wid mi… the door open. But if yuh no wah come, mi will respect that.”

Her heart twisted, the weight of his words pressing down on her. He wasn’t begging or demanding; he was offering her a choice, a chance to rewrite her life. A future that was uncertain but thrilling, like standing at the edge of a cliff with the wind in her hair.

“Zayne, Mi nuh know if mi can leave everything behind,” she whispered, her voice breaking.

“Yuh nuh haffi decide now,” he replied, his voice gentle but firm. “Jus tink bout it, Amara. Nuh mek fear wul yuh back.”

He hung up, leaving her standing alone in the parking lot, the phone clutched in her hand like it held the weight of the world. Amara leaned against her car, staring up at the sky as dusk settled in, the clouds tinged with a deep red.


That night, Amara and David fought.

It started small—a simple question about her distant mood, a slight edge in his tone. But it quickly spiraled into something raw and ugly. David’s voice grew louder, accusing, and Amara found herself shouting back, letting out weeks’ worth of frustration and confusion.

“Why ya pull weh from me, Amara? Wah gwaan?” he demanded, his face flushed with hurt and anger. “Yuh even wah deh wid me same way? Wah yuh wah do lef me?”

She stared at him, her breath coming fast, her chest heaving with the effort to hold back the truth. “Mi nuh know, David. Mi nuh know wah me wah nuh more!” she cried, her voice breaking. “All me know is supmn missing, and mi… mi cya pretend like everything good.”

David’s face crumpled, and he took a step back as if she had struck him. He ran a hand through his hair, frustration lining every inch of his body. “So after everything, yuh jus a… lef?”

She shook her head, tears spilling down her cheeks. “Mi nuh know, mi jus… mi need time. Mi need space fi figure tings out.”

He turned away, his shoulders tense, and she could see the pain etched into the lines of his face. “Fine. Tek yuh space, Amara. But nuh expect me fi deh ya when you come back.”

She watched him walk out of the room, her heart breaking with every step he took. The sound of the door slamming behind him echoed through the house, leaving behind a silence that felt like a chasm.


In the stillness of the night, Amara stood in the middle of the room, staring at the empty space where David had been. Her chest ached, her mind a whirl of doubts and regrets, but amid the pain, there was a flicker of something else—something wild and untamed, a whisper of freedom.

She picked up her phone with trembling hands, her breath coming in shallow gasps, and dialed the number she had memorized. Zayne picked up on the second ring, his voice rough with sleep but immediately alert. “Amara?”

Her voice shook, but she forced herself to speak the words that had been trapped inside her. “Zayne, if me come wid you… promise mi it nah go be a mistake.”

There was a pause, then his voice came through, warm and steady. “Mi cya promise yuh the future, Amara. Mi rich so yuh gov.  But mi can promise yuh dis—if yuh come wid mi, yuh nah ever feel like yuh settling again.”

And just like that, Amara felt the ground shift beneath her, a decision solidifying in her chest. She didn’t know what lay ahead, but for the first time in a long time, she felt like she could breathe.

“I’ll see you at the airport, Zayne,” she whispered, her voice barely audible.

As she hung up the phone, she stared out the window at the night sky, the same stars that had witnessed everything now shining down on her, brighter than ever before. She closed her eyes, feeling the weight of her choice settle into her bones, a strange mix of fear and excitement bubbling up inside her.

It was time to take the leap.