𝐁𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐡 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐮𝐫𝐟𝐚𝐜𝐞 (𝙱𝚃𝚂 𝙵𝙰𝙼𝙸𝙻𝚈 𝚂𝙴𝚁𝙸𝙴𝚂 #𝟷)

Chapter 29

Joel's POV

I walked back to where Zaria, Lyla and Charles were. Since the show down with Ada, Zaria has been awfully quiet and I was incredibly scared. Scared that Ada's words would have cut too deep. Charles noticed me coming and came to meet him half way.

"Where did you go to?" He asked me.

"I went to confront a tiny demon." I replied him while looking over his shoulder to Zaria. "She still isn't talking?" I asked Charles who shook his head.

"Lyla and I have tried to get her to speak but nothing is working."Charles sighed then looked at me. "How come we didn't know anything about Sam? This is all too confusing." Charles said. I ran my hand through my face in frustration.

"Her parents made her not to tell anyone. I guess they were trying to protect their reputation." I chipped in and Charles grimaced.

"That's messed up!" He exclaimed in anger. I sighed and walked past him to where Zaria and Lyla was. Lyla was holding her hands and speaking encouraging words to her.

"Babe." I called Zaria, sitting close to her and she rose her head up from where it was rested on the table and looked at me.

"Guys, can I have a time alone with Joel, please?" She said. Lyla looked at me then at Charles before dragging him away, leaving Zaria and I alone in the class room. She looked at me. There were no tears of any sort but I feared something was about to happen.

"Zaria, what's wrong?" I asked, taking her hand in mine. They were cold and I so desperately wanted to warm them up.

"I think we need to take a break." The muttered and my eyes went huge as saucers.

"A break?! Why? Because of Ada?" I asked her and she shook her head. Her lips were quivering and it seemed like she was cold.

"No, because of me. Ada just blurted out my secret to the air for whoever has ears to hear and though I'm not showing it but, it's taking a toll on me." She said, tears dropping in beads from my eyes. I was quick to cup her face in my hand.

We are not doing this again. Not again.

"Hey! Let's not do this again. This is why I'm here, okay? This is why I'm with you. To help you get through anything and everything, no matter the cost. I promised to stay and I'm not going to leave you." I said emphatically.

"I'm not asking you to, Joel. I just need a time for me alone. You don't have an idea what I'm going through..." She trailed off.

She's not breaking up with me is sha?

"That's why I'm here, to help you hurt even less, to take the pain away if I can. Don't do this." I pleaded with her desperately. She pulled me close and pressed her forehead against mine and we stayed that way for a while, no words said.

If this is what she wants, what she needs to heal, then I shouldn't stop her.

"Remember what I said. I'll call you at any sign of danger. I Promise." She whispered.

"I'll be there." I told her. I pulled her in for a hug and held her close to me. She held me tight and I pressed a kiss to the top of her head. I made a promise to myself.

I'd never let anything happen to Zaria.

******

Zaria's POV

Exams came and went and everyone went home on a three week holiday. Joel and I tried to keep away from each other, just stealing glances at each other from time to time. Joel texted occasionally to know about my well-being until I decided to take a time off social media. Especially with the fact that Ada was also trying to reach me.