The Unforgettable Echoes Of Love

Chapter 8

"Nah, SZA sucks."

I gasped.

My jaw dropped, my eyes widened.

"How can you say that?" I asked, shocked. Zyran chuckled, shaking his head. "I'm just saying, there are better artists than her. Way better," he smirked at me.

"I'm going to need you to listen very carefully." I connected my phone to my JBL speaker and played "Blind" by SZA.

I sat on my bed, and he took a poof next to it. The song started, and I closed my eyes, immersing myself in SZA's smooth voice and the sweet melody. The October sun shone on my skin through the open window, and the wind howled, causing the curtains to dance to the rhythm of SZA's voice in the air around me.

I fluttered my eyes open when the song concluded, turning my head to find Zyran already looking at me, a cute smile playing on his lips with dimples showing.

Staring at his beautiful features, I couldn't help but smile back. "You're so precious," he whispered, sending butterflies fluttering in my stomach.

Getting up, I walked over to him. The poof was big enough for two people, so I settled myself next to him, pulling his arm over my shoulder. I kissed his cheek, eliciting a blush that appeared on his cheeks.

"Zyran?"

"Hm?"

"Have you ever been in love?"

He froze next to me before clearing his throat. "I never wanted to."

"Why?"

" 'Cause I don't know how to love someone." He admitted coldly and I was afraid that my question felt too personal for him to answer.

"Would you ever want to try?" Considering the feelings I had developed for him, I knew that I would fall in love with him in only a matter of time. I just needed to feel that my sentiments were reciprocated.

He leaned back in the poof, dragging me with him. "I know someone who I'm trying a lot for and I think that," his eyes found mine and he looked deeply into them, "I won't hold back from loving them." He whispered as he grazed his finger against my jaw.

As the sun started to set, I found myself running my hand up his muscular body, his eyes following each one of my movements. My hand lingered on his racing heart.

I played with the little golden chain hanging around his neck. It was a cross but there was something written on the back.

Fons vitae caritas

"What does that mean?"

He must had noticed that I was playing with his necklace because he answered, "Love is the fountain of life."

I had heard that sentence before. I didn't know where but I had heard it. It sounded so familiar.

"My grandma gave it to me." I hummed as I continued playing with it. His hands went to my waist and he circled them around me.

He rested his head in the crook of my neck as I ran my hands through his soft black hair. I slightly pulled at some parts, making him release a little groan.

I was turned on. So turned on.

Taking it a step further would likely lead to intimacy, and I didn't desire that. Don't get me wrong, I was very attracted to Zyran, but I cherished our relationship that wasn't centered around sex.

With Xavi, everything revolved around sex. After every fight, he would make love to me as a way of making up, and this cycle led to constant conflicts because the previous ones hadn't been resolved correctly. I didn't want that for Zyran and me.

"To be honest, SZA isn't that bad." He finally admitted, smiling in my neck and I laughed.

I knew it.

******

I woke up to the sound of someone crying, a sound that resembled my mom's voice. In a hurry, I jumped out of bed and ran down the stairs, nearly tripping over Gigi's rollers.

Upon reaching the kitchen, I found Levi and Isaac. "Where's mom?" I asked.

"She went out with dad. They had an important meeting. Why?" Levi responded.

"But... she was crying just a minute ago."

Levi and Isaac exchanged a look before approaching me. "It was probably just an illusion," Isaac suggested.

"It sounded so real." I sat down, and Levi joined me. "I know. It's okay, Ray," he reassured with a small smile.

******

"Okay guys, gather in the living room!" My dad's voice echoed from the living room.

The four of us were in Gigi's room and frowned at each other when he called us.

"What the fuck could he possibly want now?" Levi asked, rolling his eyes clearly annoyed. Gigi got up and I shrugged, following her downstairs.

Mom and dad sat on the couch with mom holding back tears but as soon as we made eye contact she started crying. My anxiety went up in the fucking sky because of this.

"Dad, what happened?" Gigi asked. "We'll tell you in a second."

Levi and Isaac walked in. Levi threw himself on the couch next to me and Isaac took place next to Gigi.

Dad clapped his hands together and his face suddenly got more serious. I could sense that something bad was going to happen. As if the air in the room was suddenly becoming toxic and soon I'd run out of oxygen.

"Raya, it's about you." Dad said and that was enough to form tears in my eyes.

"What about her?" Levi asked as he put a protective arm over my shoulder.

"Raya, y-your biological mom has reached out to us. She wants to see you."

I froze.

My heart stopped beating.

My throat went dry.

I stopped breathing.

(27/12/2023)