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 super important. I promise we won’t force you again. Just this once?” She sighs. “Fine! But first, let’s go to class and see how many students are there.” “Thank you.” I give her a quick hug, grinning. As expected, when we arrive at the class, it’s nearly empty. The few students who are present are either disinterested or secretly hoping the professor will let them leave. When the professor walks in, he takes one look at the sparse attendance and shakes his head with a smile. “If anyone wants to go to support the basketball team, I won’t mark you absent. Just make sure you study the material later,” he announces. The room erupts in cheers as everyone scrambles to leave. Selena looks at me. “You really knew this would happen, didn’t you?” I wink at her. “Told you so!” We rush to the basketball court and take our seats. The crowd is buzzing, and I can see Sky warming up with his team. Sky has been my best friend since our school days. I know I can always count on him. He’s the only person who knows all my deepest secrets. But sometimes, he’s pretty annoying when he lectures me for getting into trouble. What’s my fault if trouble likes me so much? He snaps at me like I derive pleasure from being in trouble. Huh! Sky is tall and handsome, and every girl on campus dies for his attention. He has a defined jawline, and his blue eyes are always observant. His skin tone is fair, with a slight tan from spending time outdoors. He has well-groomed, dark brown hair that he often runs his fingers through, especially when he’s deep in thought. His lips are full, and his physique is athletic, with broad shoulders and a lean, muscular build that speaks to his dedication to sports and physical fitness. And what can I say about his talent? He isn’t an ordinary guy. He’s great at everything he does—sports, academics, and even running his family’s million-dollar company. What’s more, he’s a gifted artist, bringing his canvas to life with magical brushstrokes. Sometimes I feel jealous of my best friend, as my only skill is getting into trouble. Why, God, why this discrimination? What sins are you punishing me for? If only you had given me a single talent like Sky’s, I would be so grateful. His friend, Alex, the team captain, gives him a pat on the back. They look confident, ready to take on their rivals. I wave at Sky enthusiastically as he catches sight of us, and he grins, giving me a thumbs-up. “See, Selena? Isn’t this better than sitting in a boring classroom?” I nudge her playfully. “Of course, it’s better. But you know I’m forced not to skip any class.” “Your parents are too much.” I shake my head. I seriously don’t like Selena’s parents. They’re so controlling and strict. Selena is an adult; they should give her some space and freedom. The game starts, and I shout Sky’s name at the top of my lungs, cheering him with excitement. He scores a couple of quick points, making me feel happy. “Go, Sky! You got this!” I shout, cupping my hands around my mouth to amplify my voice, and Selena laughs beside me. Sky is on fire, scoring points effortlessly. The game is intense, with both teams fighting hard. But our team pulls ahead, and in the last moments, Sky makes a winning shot. People are jumping and shouting, celebrating the victory. I jump to my feet, screaming Sky’s name. “You did it! You won!” I shout, waving my arms. Sky looks up at the stands and finds me in the crowd. He gives me a triumphant grin and pumps his fist into the air. I can see the pride and joy in his eyes. Selena sneaked away to the library in the middle of the game, not to study, but to meet a senior secretly for a quick hook-up. She often engages in casual flings with strangers to cope with the stress of her family’s expectations. She is certain that eventually she’ll be forced into an arranged marriage, so she has one-night stands devoid of emotional attachment. Sky comes over to me, still beaming from the victory. “Congratulations, Sky.” I hug him tightly, grinning. “I knew your team would win.” “Of course, I had to win.” A smug smile spreads across his face, and he pulls up his imaginary collar. “You know I never lose.” “I know, I know,” I say, nodding my head. “You’re Mr. Perfect.” We both chuckle and talk for a while, then I remember that I have an important class today. “I’ve got to get to class,” I say reluctantly. “Okay, but stay out of trouble.” “No, I won’t. I’ll put myself in trouble and then call you.” I give him a teasing wink and leave while laughing. *** I had planned to go out with Selena after our last class, but she had to leave for a party with her family. So, I call Sky. “Hey, my plans fell through. Selena had to leave for a party, so I’m free now. Want to chill?” “I have plans to hit a club with Alex for a victory party this evening,” he replies. “Oh, can I come along?” I ask eagerly. “Of course! I’ll pick you up at 7 from your house. Be ready on time. I don’t want to see you running late in front of my eyes like last time. It’s boring.” I frown at his words. “Don’t taunt me. I was only late once.” That’s a huge lie. I’m usually the one running late, while Sky is always punctual. We’re complete opposites in every sense, and I often wonder how we became best friends. He chuckles. “Yeah! Yeah! Only once.” “I’ll be ready on time. Bye.” I hang up, scowling. *** In the evening, I fall asleep and wake up to find it’s already a quarter to seven. I have only fifteen minutes to get ready. Fuck! Not again. Sky is going to kill me for being late. “Zoe, why did you doze off? You’re an idiot,” I chide myself, scrambling to get dressed. As I’m hurriedly getting ready, I receive a call from Sky. “Are you ready, Zoe?” he asks, and I can sense the teasing tone in his voice. “Sky, give me just five minutes,” I reply, trying to sound calm. “I knew you’d be late and make me wait, which is why I told you 7. I’ll be there at 8. Just be ready by then,” he chuckles, knowing me all too well. Fuck! How can he be so smart? But he lied to me. “You’re so bad, Sky,” I retort. “I’m smart, and you know that,” he laughs. There’s no doubt he’s smart, but I won’t inflate his ego. “No, no. You’re a liar.” He finally stops laughing. “Now stop wasting your time arguing with me and get ready.” “Yeah, Mr. Liar. Bye.” I hang up with a sigh.Sky’s P.O.V.After picking up Zoe, I arrive at the club. She’s dressed in a white body-con dress, her straight brown hair styled perfectly, with curtain bangs framing her forehead. Her makeup is flawless. I, on the other hand, am dressed in a simple black t-shirt and jeans, feeling somewhat underdressed beside her.Zoe loves to dress up, and she knows how to turn heads. As soon as we step inside, she pulls out her phone and takes a quick selfie. Then she insists I take a few photos of her.“Okay, okay, but just a few, or we’ll be here all night.” I sigh, reluctantly pulling out my phone and snapping a few photos of her, knowing she won’t leave me until I do.***“Next month, we have a match with the Wild Flowers College team. We have to win that match, Sky.” Alex speaks, sitting beside me on the bar stool, holding a glass of drink in his hand. Zoe is sitting on my other side.Alex has always been the bad-boy type, but I know there’s more to him. Despite his tough exterior, he’s a soft
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, listen to me.” I step in front of Sky just as he’s about to leave the canteen.He snaps, “Why? Do you ever listen to me, Trouble?”I know his anger is justified, but last night I just lost control.“Sky, I started missing my mom last night and couldn’t control myself from drinking.” As I explain with a hint of pain in my voice, the anger instantly disappears from his eyes.He places his hand on my face and speaks in a soft tone, “I’m not angry about that, Trouble. You should have gone home with Alex.”“I know, but it was too early to go home, Sky.”And I don’t like to go there when there’s no one waiting for me. My heart aches to see the empty apartment.He already knows the reason, so I don’t have to explain. His expression softens even more. “You should’ve called me.”“I didn’t want to disturb you.”“You’re important to me, Trouble. You can never disturb me.”I know I’m important to him, but I don’t like to bother him with my problems all the time.“But you have your own life,
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.As I reach home, my mind spins after what I witnessed at Zoe’s apartment. I can’t shake the image of her from my mind—her flushed face, the way her legs were parted, and the way she pressed the vibrator against herself. These images replay over and over, driving me crazy.Fuck! What’s wrong with me? I need to take a shower.I hurl my keys onto the kitchen counter and head straight to my bedroom, hoping a hot shower will clear my mind. But even under the warm water, I can’t stop thinking about her—my best friend, the girl I’ve always protected, the girl I’ve never seen in that way.I groan, frustrated with myself. “Get a grip, Sky. She’s your best friend, not some fantasy.” But my body doesn’t listen. My mind is filled with images of her, and it’s making me hard.Damn! I shouldn’t have seen her like that. It’s wrong. I can’t lust after my best friend. If Zoe ever finds out, I can’t imagine how she’ll react.No. No. She can never know. It would ruin our friendship. I can’t
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
Sky’s P.O.V.I return from my father's private island, where I spent a week clearing my mind. During that time, I came to a realisation—I can no longer see Zoe in the same light. Every night, I had intense dreams of her, and my desire to feel her body against mine, to hold her close and to bury myself deep inside her, has grown stronger.Despite feeling guilty, I can no longer deny the physical attraction I've developed for Zoe. It's overwhelming and uncontrollable.I'm longing to share my feelings because we've shared everything since school times. However, I must keep the truth hidden to protect our friendship. If I have to resist my desire or lie to her, I will. I'll do whatever it takes to save our friendship.I didn’t talk to Zoe much this week because I wanted to clear my mind. I gave her the excuse that I was busy with work.Now I don’t know how I’m going to face her in college. Will I be able to hide my growing feelings from her?Anyway, I miss spending time with her.Although
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