Stay

Chapter 22 - Anna

The next morning, Alan woke up with a smile, but his joy quickly turned to worry when he realized Fiza was no longer there. He sat up abruptly, rubbing his eyes and calling out her name. There was no response. He searched the living room and kitchen, finding no trace of her.

His mother's piercing gaze caught his attention. "She said she had to leave early," his mother informed him, her tone filled with an unspoken message.

Alan felt a surge of panic. He could still taste her on his lips. He quickly typed a message to her, asking if she had arrived safely, but received no response. When he called, it rang endlessly before diverting to voicemail. His mind raced with questions. Had he misunderstood her? Had he crossed a line?

She had said, "I want you too." He vividly recalled her words. Maybe it had been too much? But she hadn't stopped him, responding to his every move with desire and pleasure. He paced around his room, growing increasingly anxious, before attempting to call her once again. This time, he hung up after just two rings.

"Get ready for church," his mother called out, interrupting his distressing thoughts. The sound of her voice provided a brief distraction. Alan dialed Shahana's number in desperation. She answered immediately, her voice filled with fury. "What the hell did you do?" she bellowed before even saying hello.

Panicked, Alan asked, "What happened?"

"How would I know?" Shahana responded, her tone now filled with worry. "Fiza has been crying nonstop since she got here. I can't get her to tell me anything."

"Give the phone to her. Let me talk to her," Alan pleaded. Did he do something that she didn't want? Was she regretting their actions from the previous night?

"She won't take the phone," Shahana replied after a few seconds, sounding anxious. "What happened, Alan?"

"Please put me on speaker. Let me talk to her," he pleaded, his voice breaking. A mixture of sadness, disappointment, self-hatred, and rejection overwhelmed him. Once again, Aarthy's voice echoed in his mind "You destroy everything you touch."

As Shahana put him on speaker, Alan heard Fiza's hysterical sobbing. Tears streamed down his face as he listened to her heart-wrenching cries, knowing that he was the cause of her pain. "Fiza, darling," he whispered, his voice rising and filled with anguish. "Baby, I'm heading over. It's okay."

"No," she I think managed to say between sobs, her words fragmented. But he distinctly caught the words "can't" and "won't."

"You are repulsive," Aarthy's words echoed in his head. "Anyone who is with you will regret it in the end. Mark my words. Nobody wants you." Alan's breath grew heavy as he broke down in tears, the weight of his emotions unbearable. He ended the call before Shahana could react.

"Let's go," Alan's mother said, ready to accompany him to church, but she halted in her tracks when she discovered him in tears. Embracing him tightly, she held him close and asked what had happened.

"I don't know," Alan managed to choke out amidst his sobs. Dark thoughts flooded his mind, self-blame and self-doubt consuming him. He believed he should have kept his guard up, never allowed someone to get close to him. He berated himself, feeling repulsive and worthless.

What had he been thinking? Fiza had given him so much-she had saved him from substance abuse, helped him with his studies-and all she had asked in return was for him to respect her boundaries, but he had failed to do so. The weight of his mistakes intensified his tears as his mother held him tighter.

His mother recalled her earlier conversation with Fiza, where she had confided that she couldn't offer Alan more than friendship. "Did she reject you, Alan?" she asked gently, her voice filled with concern. He shook his head, unable to find words. "We kissed" he finally confessed, sparing the details, his voice heavy with regret. "And now she won't talk to me."