Forbidden Desires

EPISODE 17

*Zayana's POV*

After saying goodbye to Stacy, I waited a long time for Atticus, but he seemed to have disappeared entirely. Growing restless, I finally called him again, and this time, he answered almost immediately.

The moment he picked up, I started scolding him as if he were some servant who owed me loyalty. “It’s been the whole day, Atticus! You haven’t even texted. I called you this evening, and you didn’t pick up.”

But he didn’t respond. I thought maybe the call had disconnected. Pulling the phone away from my ear, I saw the call was still connected.

“Atticus? Are you even listening? Hello?”

The silence on the line felt suffocating, and then his voice drifted through, pulling the air from my lungs with his words. 
“Zayana, why are you so worried? Can’t stand to be without me?”

I questioned myself silently… Why was I even worried about him? After all, we only talk—nothing more. Maybe this growing attraction was one-sided, and Atticus was starting to feel pressured by it. Trying to rein in my emotions, I replied, “Obviously, after Stacy, you're my best friend. I was just concerned, not knowing where you were.”

(How could I tell him I was at a place in love where the tenant finds an empty house, but the owner remains unaware?)

Atticus’s response stopped my breath, almost as if he were pulling unspoken words right out of my chest. 
“Zayana…do you believe that love can happen without ever seeing the person? It’s not just lust or desire, right?”

“Of course, it’s possible,” I replied without a moment’s hesitation, but something about him felt off, as if he were drunk or burdened by something heavy. 
“Atticus, are you alright?”

In a soft voice, he assured me, “…I’m fine. Zayana…what if I said I don’t feel complete without you?”

I froze, my pulse racing as I sat up abruptly. Trying to dismiss the intensity of the moment, I laughed, hoping he’d reveal it was a joke, just in case he didn’t mean it seriously. I didn’t want to risk revealing my own feelings.
“Hahaha, don’t be silly,” I said, brushing it off with a laugh.
 
“I’m serious,” he insisted. “I was at a party, but all I could think about was you. I left the party and came straight here.”

Part of me was terrified—I couldn’t start a relationship. My family wouldn’t approve, and besides, everything was happening so quickly. Hoping to redirect his thoughts, I said, “Atticus, isn’t this a bit too soon? You haven’t even seen me yet.”

He replied with a calm reassurance, “Someday, we will. Hope keeps the world going, right?”

How could I tell him that it was impossible, that even if I were to die, I could never meet him? But I could only say, “Why do you think I’m joking?”

“Forget about that,” he replied gently. “I like you, Zayana, and I’ll do whatever it takes to be with you.”

There, lost in my own tangled thoughts, drowning in emotions, I tried to confess in my own clumsy way that, yes, I did have feelings for him. Yet, as always, my words and my emotions seemed to abandon me.

"Atticus…I don’t know if this is love or what it is, but there was this restlessness all day that vanished when I heard your voice. What kind of magic do you practice?”

He chuckled, playing along, “Oh, of course! I was a hot witch in my past life; all the witches were crazy about me!”

“Right! That must be why you have that wicked laugh,” I teased, laughing with him. The playful exchange melted away any lingering tension

and then Atticus spoke again, his voice as sincere as ever, with a heartfelt tone.
“Zayana…I like you…a lot.”

Pretending to be unaffected, I teased, “Good for you!”
I could tell he was a little miffed, so I quickly followed up, not wanting him to take it too seriously. 
“I like you too, Atticus.”

And with that, I sank into the intoxicating euphoria of this newfound affection, forgetting entirely about tomorrow, about school, and the exams looming ahead. Love had taken hold, and practicality had slipped through the cracks.

Atticus, however, seemed unwilling to let me sleep, continuing our conversation until I finally convinced him to let me go. 

As I hung up, I remembered Stacy had asked for Atticus’s picture. I asked him for one before ending the call, and shortly after, his photo arrived. I quickly sent it to Stacy...

Atticus also mentioned that he had something to tell me tomorrow. I made a mental note to call him after school...

Imagining a dozen fake scenarios involving him and me, I drifted off to sleep without even realizing it.

---

The Next Morning

I awoke to a text from Stacy: Zayana, get to school early. I have something very shocking to tell you… it’s going to shake your world.

.

.

.

______________________

WHAT'S NEXT???
STAY TUNED 😀
TOODLES ❤️