The Girl I Wasn’t Supposed to Love
I never planned for her to matter.
That’s what I told myself every time I saw her in the hallway—every time our eyes accidentally met and she smiled like she already knew me better than I knew myself.
Her name was Zoya.
And I wasn’t supposed to feel anything.
Not this pull. Not this chaos in my chest. Not the way my thoughts slowed down whenever she was near.
It started small. Shared classes. Quick conversations. Lingering eye contact that lasted a second too long.
Then it became something I couldn’t ignore.
One evening, we ended up alone in the empty classroom after everyone left. Rain hit the windows softly, like the world outside was trying not to interrupt us.
Zoya looked at me differently that night.
Not like a friend.
Not like a stranger.
Something in between—something dangerous.
“You’ve been avoiding me,” she said quietly.
“I haven’t.”
She stepped closer. “You have.”
I wanted to deny it. I should’ve denied it. But my voice didn’t come out the way I wanted it to.
Instead, I said, “I don’t know what I’m doing anymore.”
Zoya didn’t laugh. She didn’t step back.
She just looked at me like she was waiting for me to stop running.
“You don’t have to figure everything out,” she whispered.
The space between us disappeared slowly, like it was always meant to.
My heart was loud. Too loud.
“I shouldn’t feel this way,” I said.
“Then don’t think,” she replied softly.
And then she was right there.
Close enough that I could feel her breath. Close enough that the world outside the classroom stopped existing.
Her hand touched mine first—gentle, uncertain.
That was all it took.
I closed the distance.
The kiss wasn’t rushed.
It was quiet… careful… like both of us were afraid the moment would break if we moved too fast.
But it didn’t break.
It stayed.
When we finally pulled away, neither of us spoke for a moment.
Zoya’s forehead rested against mine.
“You’re still going to say you shouldn’t feel this?” she whispered.
I shook my head slowly.
Because for the first time, I didn’t want to run from it anymore.