Rave & Roses {A Rema Fanfic}

37 - ZARA

I sat frozen on the couch, my phone clutched in my hand, staring at the screen as the headline flashed across my feed:

Breaking News: Insider Reveals Model and Fashion Ambassador Zara Hunter is the Mystery Lady Rumored to Be Dating Singer Rema, After Leaked Photos of Intimate Moments Between the Couple Were Released on Snapchat by Zara Herself.

My heart sank, and I read it again—over and over—my hands trembling. This wasn't supposed to happen. The account that released the pictures wasn't mine. It couldn't be. I never posted anything like that. But the images—clear as day—showed me and Rema, together in ways no one should have seen, especially not like this. They were personal. Vulnerable. Our secret out in the open for the entire world to dissect.

I felt my breath catch as I scrolled through the comments. The flood of messages, the hateful comments, accusations, and rumors poured in faster than I could process them. Some people didn't believe it was me, but others, the ones who didn't hesitate to drag me down, were relentless. They claimed I was trying to sabotage Divine's career, that I was using Rema's popularity to ruin him, and even worse—some were insinuating that I had intentionally leaked the photos for publicity.

It felt like everything was slipping through my fingers. All the effort to keep our relationship a secret, to protect Rema and myself, had been for nothing. How could this have happened?

I paced back and forth, mind racing, heart pounding. Was this a mistake, or had someone done this intentionally to hurt us? To hurt me? The idea of someone betraying my trust, of someone close enough to know about my relationship with Rema, made my stomach churn.

I quickly ran to my social media accounts, desperately trying to figure out where it came from. But there was nothing. No trace of the posts on my own Snapchat or Instagram. Someone must've hacked into my account—or worse, stolen my identity. I felt exposed, violated. I had to get ahead of this, had to find a way to clear my name before the damage was irreversible.

Rema hadn't called or texted yet, and I feared the worst. Would he believe me? Would he understand that this wasn't my doing?

I felt a sharp pang of guilt. He was already going through so much with the fallout between him and Michael, the pressure from the label, and now this. I didn't want to add more stress to his life, but I couldn't keep this secret to myself any longer.

The next thing I did was reach out to Divine, praying he wouldn't see the news before I had a chance to explain. I couldn't imagine how he would react. Would he hate me for what everyone was accusing me of? Would he believe I was out to hurt him?

I barely noticed the tears streaming down my face as I typed the message to him.

"Divine, please, I didn't do it. I never leaked those photos. Someone's framing me. You have to believe me."

My fingers hovered over the send button for a moment before I finally pressed it. I sat back down, my legs shaking beneath me as the fear of the inevitable storm slowly started to sink in.

As if on cue, my phone buzzed—an incoming call from Rema. I froze, my heart hammering in my chest. What was he going to say? Was he angry with me? Did he think I betrayed him?

I took a deep breath, trying to steady my nerves, and answered.

"Hey," I said, trying to keep my voice calm, though it cracked slightly.

"Zara, what the hell is going on?" Rema's voice was full of concern, laced with confusion. "I saw the news. You're not the one who posted those pictures, are you?"

His question hit me like a punch to the gut. Of course he was wondering the same thing. He must have seen the way everyone was accusing me of leaking the photos on purpose.