Forbidden Flames: My Best Friend

Zoe’s P.O.V.“Selena, can’t you skip one class? It’s Sky’s basketball match today.” I plead with my friend as we walk to the classroom together.“Zoe, I can’t,” she denies, shaking her head. “My parents would kill me if I missed it.”Selena is my new but already close friend. I know she’s a bit of a stickler for rules because of her parents, but I’m determined to drag her to the game with me. We’ve only been friends for six months, but our bond has grown quickly. We met at the beginning of our first year in college, and she has been by my side unwaveringly ever since.I wave her concerns away, striding beside her. “Oh, come on! Half the class isn’t going to be there, anyway. Plus, you know the professor loves the basketball team. He’ll probably let us go!”“Zoe, you know I can’t just skip classes. My family is really strict about my attendance,” she responds, glancing at me.She halts as I give her my best puppy-dog eyes and pout, coming in front of her. “Please, Selena? Sky’s game is

Sky’s P.O.V.After leaving with the girl who had been eyeing me, we found a private room upstairs. It was supposed to be a fun night, but I couldn’t stop myself from worrying about leaving Zoe alone.Although Alex is with her, it’s not helping me. I don’t know why I’m feeling so restless. I hope Zoe is alright.As soon as I’m done with the girl, I make an excuse and head back to the club, concerned for Zoe.When I find her in the crowd, I stop.Fuck! She is in trouble again, as expected.I see a guy gripping Zoe’s arm; her face twisted in distress. A wave of anger rushes over me, and I clench my fists. I dash through the crowd towards him, glaring at him with fury.“Get your hands off her!” I yell, shoving the guy away from Zoe. He stumbles back, hitting the floor hard.Seeing my rage, he doesn’t dare to utter a word and disappears.Good for him.I turn towards Zoe, still angry. “Where the fuck is Alex, and why did you drink so much?” I snap, but as I notice her eyes—red and filled wi

Sky’s P.O.V.“What happened to your leg?” I ask Zoe as I take a seat beside her on the desk in the classroom and notice a deep red mark on her shin.“I slipped in the bathroom,” she replies casually, taking a book from her bag.“When? Are you alright?” I freak out, concerned.“I’m fine, Sky. Don’t worry.” She reassures me, glancing at me.Before I can ask more questions, Selena enters the classroom and walks over to us. “Thanks for last night, Zoe.” She glances at Zoe’s leg. “I’m sorry you got injured because of me.”I stare at them, baffled. “What happened last night?”As Selena tells me how Zoe confronted the guy for her, Zoe hides her face behind her hand.That bastard. I’m not going to let him get away with hurting my best friend. He’s going to face my wrath.And what can I say about my dear Zoe? First, she puts herself in danger instead of asking for my help, and then she lies to me.God! This girl. She’s going to drive me crazy.After getting the guy’s details from Selena, I lea

Sky’s P.O.V.After the call, I head inside my penthouse. I need a distraction, something to take my mind off Zoe and the torturous images replaying in my head. Painting always helps me clear my mind, so I decide to give it a try.I hope focusing on a canvas will help me regain some control.I stand in front of the canvas with brushes and paints in my art room, my favourite place. Whenever I have free time, I come here and paint. I inherited this talent from my late mother. Painting makes me feel connected to her. After her passing a few years ago, I left the house we shared and moved into this penthouse. My dad often urges me to return home, but I’m not ready yet.As I begin painting, I try to let my mind wander to anything other than Zoe, but it’s no use. Every brushstroke seems to be guided by my subconscious thoughts of her. Before I realise it, I’m painting her.Zoe, lying half-naked on a bed, her lips slightly parted. Her eyes are closed, and her face is flushed, just like last n

Every fibre of my being desires to devour Zoe’s lips as she sits in front of me, licking her lips while enjoying her favourite ice cream, completely unaware of what she’s doing to me.We came to her favourite cafe after our last class because I promised her I would make up for not giving her time last week.I wonder how her hair would feel wrapped around my fingers when I yank her towards me before capturing her lips and finally knowing how my best friend tastes.Fuck! I want to taste her so badly that it’s driving me insane. Every time she licks her lips, it sends a jolt of electricity through me, making it harder to resist the urge to lean over the table and kiss her.I can’t get the image out of my mind—her beneath me, her lips swollen from my kisses, her body arching towards mine.Zoe is my best friend. My feelings for her were so pure until that night, when everything changed. Now, these wild desires feel so forbidden, so wrong.“Sky…” Zoe snaps her fingers, pulling me out of my