「 𝙤𝙘𝙚𝙖𝙣 𝙬𝙝𝙞𝙨𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙨 」

Light Between Us

Rayyan leaned against the cool metal railing of the school balcony, his heart racing as he spotted Ayana across the soccer field. Her laughter rang out like music, a sound so sweet it cast a spell over everything around her.

But today, that enchantment was shared with someone else. A tall, broad-shouldered boy sat beside her on a weathered wooden bench, their heads close together, lost in conversation. Jealousy coursed through Rayyan’s veins like wildfire, igniting a confusion he couldn’t quite understand.

“I can’t believe he’s making her laugh,” Rayyan muttered under his breath, feeling a twinge of bitterness. His eyes narrowed as he watched Ayana toss her head back, the sun glinting off her dark curls, making her look ethereal.

He had tried to distance himself from her, but watching her smile with someone else stung more than he could admit.

Beside him, Sophie shifted uneasily, her hand slipping from Rayyan’s grasp. Rayyan tightened his grip unconsciously, feeling the warmth and softness of her hand like an anchor to reality.

But the intensity of his emotions for Ayana overshadowed his affection for Sophie, and that irritated him. He knew he should be focused on the upcoming prom—the reason he had asked Sophie to come—with her bright smile and playful banter that, for a moment, had made him forget Ayana.

“Hey, Ray?” Sophie’s voice pulled him from his thoughts. “You’re squeezing my hand a bit too tight. Are you okay?”

'Ray’,the name she used to call.Kind of funny to hear it out from someone else,

“Yeah, I’m fine,” he replied quickly, forcing a casual smile. But it felt hollow, almost like a mask.

The truth of his unacknowledged feelings was too messy to unravel. He could hear his inner voice whispering accusations that made him squirm: “What if you do have feelings for Ayana?”

Sophie raised an eyebrow, her eyes searching for him. “It’s just... you seem a little distracted. Is it because of Ayana?”

Rayyan scoffed, shaking his head vigorously. “Come on, Sophie. Why would I have feelings for her? She’s just... Ayana. The Ayana—star of the science club with a head full of dreams and a heart full of theories, It's like she’s from another planet,” he said, trying to convince himself more than her.

“Okay, but is that a bad thing?” Sophie asked, her tone probing but gentle.

“Please.Why would I want to mess things up by catching feelings for someone who’s way out of my league?” Rayyan scoffed again, but that didn’t ease the tightening in his chest.

The moment the words left his mouth, he realised the truth behind them. He hadn’t just shut the door on Ayana; he had bolted it and built a wall around it too.

Beside him, Sophie’s expression shifted from concern to something warmer. “Well, right now, you’re with me,” she said softly. “You should focus on us, right?”

Sophie remained silent for a moment, the weight of his words settling heavy in the air between them. She regarded him with an expression he couldn’t quite read—was it disappointment? Understanding?

Finally, she sighed. “You have to be honest with yourself, Rayyan. You’re trying to shove it all down, but it won’t just disappear.”