Zain’s eyes swept over the room, checking every corner, every shadow. He wasn’t taking any chances. “We’re safe for now,” he said, but there was a tension in his voice that didn’t escape Kim’s notice.
Kim sank onto the couch, his mind still racing with the threat of their pursuers. He could almost hear their footsteps, feel their breath on his neck. He’d been running for so long, running from his past, from the men who wanted him dead, from the sins he could never undo.
But he had Zain now. He wasn’t alone.
The silence between them grew heavy, and Kim’s thoughts turned inward. He was used to keeping his emotions locked away, buried deep beneath a wall of anger and resentment. But with Zain, something stirred—a flicker of hope he hadn’t felt in years.
Zain looked over at him, his eyes soft but unreadable. “You don’t have to do this alone, you know.”
Kim’s breath caught in his throat. He looked up, locking eyes with Zain, searching for any sign of deceit. But all he saw was truth. “I don’t want to drag you into this. You’ve already done enough.”
Zain shook his head, standing and walking toward him. “You don’t get it, do you?” He crouched in front of Kim, his gaze never leaving his. “I’m here because I want to be. Because... I care.” He paused, his voice quiet. “I’m not leaving you.”
Kim swallowed hard, his throat suddenly dry. He hadn’t heard those words in so long, not from anyone who actually meant them. He wasn’t sure how to respond, how to let someone in when his entire life had been about pushing everyone away.
But Zain wasn’t giving up. He wouldn’t let Kim push him away.
And somewhere, deep down, Kim didn’t want to.
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