THE NIGHT IT ALL UNRAVELED**
The weekend arrived, but the apartment felt heavier than usual.
Ever since Jane's bold words at school, something subtle had shifted between Amara and Kai. They spoke less. The air between them was thicker, weighed down by something neither of them wanted to name.
Amara noticed how Kai had become more distant—keeping to himself, barely glancing her way unless necessary. She pretended not to care, but deep down, it gnawed at her.
Ethan, oblivious to the tension, was in high spirits.
"Party tonight!" he declared as he barged into the living room, grinning. "Jane's throwing something big. Bella's coming too."
Kai barely looked up from the book in his hands. "I'm not going."
Ethan groaned dramatically. "Oh, come on, man! Don't be such a grandpa. You're always locked up here."
Kai's tone was flat, dismissive. "Not interested."
From her spot on the couch, Amara rolled her eyes. "Let him be. Nobody begged him."
Ethan smirked at her. "Oh, but you're going, right?"
Amara shrugged. "Jane won't forgive me if I don't show up."
Ethan turned back to Kai, refusing to give up. "Seriously, bro. Don't leave me hanging. You're driving us anyway—you can at least pretend to socialise."
Kai's eyes lifted, meeting Ethan's with an unreadable look. "I said no."
But Ethan wasn't backing down. "If you don't go, I'll tell Bella you've been dying to meet her."
Kai shot him a sharp glare.
Amara let out a short laugh despite herself, amused at Ethan's antics.
Ethan grinned wider. "See? Even Amara thinks it's funny. Come on, man, just for tonight."
Kai sighed, long and heavy, as though carrying the weight of the entire room.
"Fine," he muttered. "One hour. No more."
Ethan whooped in victory.
---
Later that evening, the apartment buzzed with activity.
Amara stood in front of her mirror, holding up different outfits, her hair tumbling over her shoulders. She had tried to keep it casual—but something inside her wanted to look… different tonight.
Jane's words still lingered in her mind, twisting in circles.
She finally settled on a soft black dress that hugged her waist, paired with silver earrings. Simple, but striking enough.
When she stepped out into the living room, both Kai and Ethan froze.
Ethan let out a low whistle, grinning.
"Damn," he said, eyes widening with playful admiration. "Who knew you could clean up like this?"
Amara rolled her eyes but couldn't hide the faint blush on her cheeks.
Kai said nothing—but his gaze lingered longer than it should've, his expression unreadable.
He turned away first, his voice curt. "Let's go."
---
They drove through the glowing city in Kai's sleek car, the streetlights casting patterns over their faces.
Ethan, sitting in the passenger seat, was buzzing with excitement.
"I can't wait to see Bella," he said, elbowing Amara playfully from across the seat. "Tonight might be my night."
Amara chuckled, relaxing a little. "You're hopeless."
Ethan flashed a grin. "Hopelessly charming."
Kai remained quiet, his hands steady on the wheel, his focus sharp.
But now and then, his eyes flicked toward the rearview mirror—toward Amara.
---
The party was already in full swing when they arrived.
Music thumped through the floors, the crowd pulsing with laughter and movement. The lights were low, shimmering in shades of violet and gold.
Jane spotted them immediately, her bold red lipstick catching the light as she waved them over.
"You guys are late!" she called out, pulling Amara into a tight hug.
Bella appeared beside her, smiling warmly at Ethan—who wasted no time striking up a flirtatious conversation.
Amara laughed and slipped onto the dance floor with Jane, letting herself get swept into the rhythm. Her body moved freely, her earlier tension melting away with each beat of the music.
Kai stayed by the wall, arms crossed, his gaze steady as he watched everything unfold.
He didn't dance. He didn't speak. He simply watched—especially Amara.
She was laughing now, spinning effortlessly under the lights, her dress catching the glow.
But then, a stranger approached her.
At first, it seemed harmless—a simple invitation to dance. But the man grew insistent, grabbing her wrist when she tried to pull away.
Ethan, too distracted by Bella's company, didn't notice.
But Kai did.
And in the blink of an eye, he moved.
Before anyone could react, Kai's fist collided with the man's face, sending him staggering backwards.
Gasps echoed around the room.
The man stumbled, clutching his face, while Kai stood tall, breathing hard, his jaw clenched in cold fury.
Amara's face flushed with shock and embarrassment.
Without a word, she stormed toward the exit, her heels clicking against the floor.
Kai turned to the group briefly, his voice sharp. "I'll handle it."
He followed her outside.
---
Amara reached the car, yanking the door open and throwing herself inside, her chest heaving.
Kai caught up, his steps quick but controlled.
She glared at him as he slid into the driver's seat.
"I want to go home," she snapped.
Ethan appeared seconds later, surprised by the scene but slipped into the car asking questions but neither getting an answer.
The drive home was silent—thick with tension.
Kai's knuckles remained tight around the steering wheel, his jaw locked.
Amara sat rigidly, staring out the window, her face burning with anger and something she couldn't name.
---
Once they reached the apartment, Amara shoved the door open and stormed inside.
Kai followed, shutting the door firmly behind him while Ethan stayed by the kitchen, sensing the storm about to break.
Amara spun around, her voice sharp with fury.
"What is wrong with you?" she snapped. "Why do you think it's your job to fight every battle for me?"
Kai's brows furrowed, his eyes dark. "I protected you."
"I didn't ask for your protection!" she shouted, her voice cracking. "You always act like I'm some helpless little girl who can't handle herself!"
His expression hardened, something cold flickering beneath the surface.
Kai's voice dropped, dangerously low but steady. "You know what your problem is, Amara?" His words came slowly, deliberately. "You're never satisfied. Nothing is enough for you until you ruin everything."
Amara's breath hitched.
Kai's words kept coming, sharper, cutting deep.
"You destroy everything—without even trying".
Amara's lips trembled, stunned.
Kai's voice cracked, raw and furious. "Everything I've done—everything-was—was because of you. To prove myself to you. To make you see that I was worth something."
His fists clenched at his sides, his chest heaving.
"But it was never enough for you, was it?" His voice turned bitter, hollow. "You still don't see me. No matter what I do, I'll always be nothing in your eyes."
Amara's face crumpled, tears spilling down her cheeks.
Kai took one step back, his expression unreadable but his eyes dark with regret and something far more broken.
Without another word, Amara spun around and fled to her room, slamming the door behind her with a sharp, final thud.
Kai stood there, his breath uneven, the weight of his words hanging heavy in the air.
Ethan watched in stunned silence, unable to speak.
---
Inside her room, Amara collapsed onto her bed, her body shaking with sobs.
Memories she had fought so hard to bury came crashing back in waves.
Her mother's cold voice.
The rejection from her father before she was even born.
The loneliness. The guilt. The shame.
It all collided inside her, breaking her apart from the inside out.
And somewhere, tangled within the wreckage, Kai's words echoed louder than anything else.
"You destroy everything… "
"What's wrong with me ". She sobbed.