Damn him for effortlessly working into my nerves, breaking through every line of defense I had. My breaths come short and sharp, my pulse pounding in my ears as his words echo relentlessly in my head.“You’re scared.”
“Ugh!”I groan, tossing the pillow across the room.Why does he even affect me?He’s just someone I barely know—a stranger. More accurately, an infuriating, obnoxious jerk.
Yes, I’ve never been in a relationship. Never felt the need for one. Love, romance… all of it had always seemed like adistraction, something I had neither the time nor space for, especially when my focus had always been on my café.
So why him?Someone I’ve barely met. Someone who should mean absolutely nothing to me? And yet here I’m, caught in this strange, unsettling sensation in my chest—something foreign, something I don’t even want to name.
“Focus, Sana,”I mutter to myself as I drop onto the bed, trying to steady my breathing, my fingers gripping the edge of the mattress.
I try to distract myself, letting my eyes roam around my room in a desperate attempt to calm the storm wreaking havoc inside me, but nothing works.God, what’s happening to me?My room is usually my sanctuary, so why the hell does it feel suffocating today?
I take another deep breath and try to focus again, scanning my room—the warm shades of ivory and soft blush on the walls, the plush beige rug covering the wooden floor, my favourite fairy lights strung along the wall, and my neatly stacked romance novels on my bedside table. But still, none of it soothes me like it usually does.
Nothing. Absolutely nothing is calming my racing thoughts. My mind refuses to quieten, and no matter how hard I try, I just can’t erase the memory of his cocky grin. All I can think of are his words, his closeness, the heat of his touch, and the way all of it made my pulse race against my will.
I squeeze my eyes shut, silently praying for an escape. But I don’t think God is in the mood to grant me peace because, in the next moment, I hear my room door creak open.
I open my eyes to see Mom step in with a smile—one that quickly fades into concern. I’m sure it has everything to do with the look of distraction on my face.
Great!Now I have another thing to deal with. I have to brace myself to dodge all her worried questions.
“Sana, is everything okay?” Mom asks gently as she sits down beside me.
I force a smile, hoping it masks the chaos swirling inside me. “I’m fine, Mom. Just have a lot on my mind with work.”
She runs her hand over my head, her touch gentle and knowing. “Are you sure it’s just work? I know that look, Sana. That’s not your usual ‘work stress’ face.”
God, Mom and her uncanny sixth sense.
“Really, Mom. Nothing’s wrong,” I lie, forcing a reassuring smile. “I just need to get dressed and head to the café. I’ve got a full day ahead of me,” I say, pushing myself to my feet, hoping she doesn’t see through me any more than she already has.
“Sana,” Mom says, taking my hands in hers. “If something’s bothering you, you can tell me. You don’t have to carry everything alone on your shoulders.”
I bite my lower lip, hesitating for a split second, torn between confiding in Mom about Aditya and keeping these strange emotions bottled up. But the thought of trying to untangle my feelings for him, of putting them into words, feels like opening Pandora’s box.
Deciding it’s best to keep it under wraps, I offer another quick smile.
“I promise, Mom, it’s nothing. Just some café work. I really need to start getting dressed.”
Mom rises to her feet and presses a kiss to my forehead. “Just don’t let whatever it is eat you up inside. I know you’re strong and can handle anything, but you don’t have to be strong all the time. I’m here whenever you need to talk.”
My heart pounds as Mom’s words cut through my resolve, but I keep my face carefully neutral. “I know, Mom,” I say, my voice steady even as a part of me wavers.
Mom nods. “Get dressed. I’ll have your breakfast ready,” she says before walking out of the room, closing the door softly behind her.
Once alone, I let out a long breath I didn’t realise I was holding.
‘Get it together,’I tell myself firmly.‘You’ve got work to do. Aditya isn’t worth your peace of mind.’
But even as I say the words, a nagging feeling creeps in—like those words won’t hold for long. No matter how much I try to push him out of my mind, I know that deep down... he’ll always find a way back in.
Not wanting to torture myself any further, I shake off the thoughts and head to get dressed, clinging to the hope that work will be the distraction I desperately need.
???
An hour later, I pull up in front of my café. Grabbing my bag, I step out of the car only to freeze in my tracks, a curse slipping from my lips.
Right there, leaning casually against his sleek black Mercedes, is the one person I’ve been trying to push out of my mind.
