Our Lies

They were never supposed to speak.
Not after everything that happened.
Not after every cruel word, every glare across the room that felt like fire.

Mara and Zane have always hated each other.
She thinks he's nothing but trouble - the kind of boy who breaks rules, hearts, and promises just to see what happens next.
He thinks she's too perfect, too quiet, too cold to ever understand someone like him.

But when fear starts creeping into their small college town - whispers of people disappearing, doors locked early, streets empty by night - everyone starts pairing up, trying not to be alone.
And somehow, the only person left for Mara is the one boy she swore she'd never stand beside.

So they make a deal.
Pretend to date. Pretend to care. Pretend to be safe.

But the longer they keep up the act, the harder it becomes to tell what's real and what's just part of the lie.
Because the way he looks at her doesn't feel fake.
And the way her heart beats when he's close doesn't feel like hate.

Still, something about Zane doesn't add up.
There are things he's not saying. Secrets he's not sharing.
And Mara starts to wonder-
what if the lie they built to survive...
becomes the thing that destroys them both?