CHAPTER 8

The silence that followed was thick and heavy, the kind of silence that felt like it could swallow you whole if you let it. Gwen sat beside me, her hand still on mine, offering what comfort she could in the absence of words. I wanted to feel better. I wanted to let go of the gnawing feeling that clung to me like an unwanted shadow. But as I sat there, I couldn't stop thinking about Zero. His face, that eerie calmness, his words that seemed to follow me even in the quiet moments.

I shifted uncomfortably, pulling my hand away from Gwen’s. "I should probably get some sleep," I muttered, though I knew I wouldn't. My mind wouldn't let me rest.

Gwen didn’t argue, though I could tell she wanted to. She simply nodded, a small sigh escaping her lips as she stood up. "Let me know if you need anything, okay?" she said softly. Her concern was evident, but she respected my need for space, just like always.

I nodded in return, my throat tightening with an emotion I couldn’t quite name. As she headed toward the kitchen, I stayed on the couch, my fingers drumming nervously on the armrest. I didn’t know what to do with myself. I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was coming. That something was about to change, and I had no idea how to prepare for it.

Gwen returned a few moments later with a cup of tea, the steam rising in the dim light of her apartment. "Here," she said, placing it in front of me. "It’s chamomile. It’ll help you sleep."

I gave her a weak smile and took the cup, wrapping my hands around it for warmth. I didn’t drink much tea, but tonight it seemed to offer the kind of comfort that nothing else could. I took a sip, letting the warmth spread through me, trying to calm my racing thoughts. But no matter how many times I tried to focus on the here and now, Zero's face kept intruding. His words played on a loop in my mind.

"Look," I began, after what felt like an eternity. "I need to get this out of my head. I can’t keep obsessing over him."

Gwen sat down again, her brow furrowed. "You’re still thinking about him, aren’t you?"

I nodded, setting the cup down on the coffee table. "I don’t want to, but I can’t help it. There’s something about him, Gwen. I don’t know what it is. I shouldn’t even care. He’s dangerous, right? Everyone knows who he is."

"Yeah," Gwen said, her voice low and serious. "Zero Diabros is not someone you want to get involved with. He’s bad news. People disappear when they get too close to him."

I shivered, though I wasn’t sure if it was the tea cooling down or the thought of Zero that sent a chill through me. "But why did he help me?" I whispered, more to myself than to Gwen. "Why would he save me if he’s as dangerous as everyone says?"

Gwen paused, clearly thinking. "I don’t know. Maybe he had his own reasons. Maybe he’s not the monster everyone makes him out to be. But you need to be careful, Cassie. People like that—they have their own agendas. And you can’t trust them, no matter how much they seem to help."

I nodded again, but the doubt was still there. It gnawed at me like a constant itch I couldn’t scratch. Was it possible that there was more to Zero than I realized? Or was I just fooling myself, letting my curiosity get the better of me? I wanted to believe Gwen. I wanted to believe that he was just another dangerous rogue who had no business in my life. But something told me that Zero wasn’t like anyone I had ever encountered before.

As the night wore on, I tried to shake off my thoughts and get some rest, but sleep eluded me. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw his face. His piercing gaze, the way he spoke, the unshakable confidence he carried with him. It was like he had seen the world in ways that I hadn’t, and it made him dangerous in ways I couldn’t comprehend.

I don’t know how much time passed, but eventually, exhaustion began to creep up on me. Just as I was about to drift into an uneasy sleep, my phone buzzed on the table. 

Against my better judgment, I picked up the phone. And as I saw what the notification was, my heart skipped a beat, and I froze. 

I could barely believe my eyes when I saw the notification.

Licht had messaged me again.

I hadn't expected it. After everything that had happened—after how he’d flaked on me and left me hanging for hours—I swore to myself I wouldn't let him back in. Not after everything. Yet, here I was, staring at the words on my phone screen. It felt like déjà vu, the feeling creeping up my spine like a shadow I couldn't shake.

"Hey Cassie, I'm really sorry I couldn't make it earlier. Had to run some important errands for my dad. I swear I didn’t mean to leave you hanging."

I stared at the message, feeling my chest tighten. I didn't want to believe him. I wanted to delete the app, block him, forget about everything. But curiosity gnawed at me, like a splinter in my mind, and before I could even think twice, my fingers were tapping out a response.

“Important errands? That’s what you tell me? I waited for you. I don’t need this, Licht.”

I hit send, my heart racing in my chest. The anger and disappointment I’d felt earlier flared up again, but I couldn’t ignore the way my mind kept wandering back to him. Despite everything, there was something about Licht’s charm, his smooth words, that always managed to creep back in.

Seconds later, another message popped up, and this time, it wasn’t just an apology. He seemed to be trying to explain himself in a way that almost felt genuine.

“Cassie, I know I screwed up. But please, just hear me out. I wasn’t planning on leaving you like that. I’ve been tied up with my father’s business. You know how it is. But I promise, next time, I’ll make it right. You have my word. I’d hate for you to think I’m just some jerk who doesn’t care. That’s not me.”

I stared at the screen for what felt like an eternity, my thoughts battling each other. Part of me wanted to slam my phone down and forget this conversation ever happened. Another part—small, but undeniable—wanted to give him a chance.

I hated myself for it. Hated that my heart still reacted to his words like this. Was I really this easy? This stupid? He had ditched me, and now I was contemplating forgiving him?

I let out a frustrated sigh and responded.

"Okay, Licht. You’re lucky I’m giving you the benefit of the doubt. But don’t think this makes up for what you did."

I instantly regretted it as soon as I sent the message. Was I really just going to let him back in? But it was already too late. He was back in my thoughts, like a magnetic pull I couldn’t resist.

Within moments, Licht replied, his tone soothing, almost pleading.

“Cassie, I get it. I don’t deserve your trust right now, but please, let me show you that I’m not like that. I know I messed up, but I can make it right. Let me take you out. We’ll go somewhere nice, talk, and I’ll prove to you that I’m not the guy you think I am. You deserve better than what I’ve shown you.”

His words wrapped around my heart like a warm blanket, and before I knew it, I was typing.

“Fine. But you better mean it this time.”

There it was. My weakness, right there in the words I had just typed.

I was giving him a second chance.

God, what was wrong with me? I couldn’t believe how easily I’d let him back in, after everything. After all the anger and the frustration, I had just folded like a house of cards. But as much as I hated to admit it, a part of me was relieved. I couldn’t explain it, but Licht had a way of making me want to believe him. To trust him.

The conversation drifted from there, the light-hearted chatter picking up where we’d left off. It was as if nothing had ever happened. As if he hadn’t ditched me and left me waiting in the dark for hours. I found myself laughing at something he said—something completely silly—but in that moment, it felt real. Felt like we had a connection again.

I was mad at myself for letting it happen.

But damn it, I liked talking to him.

We’d spent so many hours chatting in the past, exchanging laughs, stories, and stupid jokes. That was who Licht was—the charming, funny, captivating guy who somehow always made everything feel lighter, easier.

My phone buzzed again, and when I glanced at it, my heart did a little flip.

“Cassie,” he wrote, “I really want to make things up to you. I promise. Let’s just forget about the past and look forward to what’s ahead, yeah?”

I stared at those words, and despite myself, I felt the tug again. That familiar pull that made me want to believe him, to trust that he wasn’t the guy who’d left me hanging for hours, but the guy who really did care.

I almost didn’t notice how fast my thumbs were moving, typing without thinking.

“I’ll hold you to that, Licht. No more games. No more excuses.”

I hit send and immediately felt a rush of guilt flood my chest. Why was I doing this? Why couldn’t I just leave him in the past where he belonged?

But the more I thought about it, the more I realized—there was something inside me that couldn’t let go. No matter how many times he’d hurt me, I was still drawn to him. I was still willing to give him another shot.

And it wasn’t just curiosity. It was something deeper, something I couldn’t deny no matter how hard I tried.

I told myself this was the last time. That I wasn’t going to fall for his sweet words or his smooth apologies. But even as I said that, I knew I was lying to myself.

I just couldn’t help it.

The phone buzzed again, breaking me from my thoughts.

“I’m looking forward to seeing you for real, Cassie. Let’s make sure this time is different.”

My heart skipped a beat at those words, and I immediately started typing.

“Yeah, we’ll see.”

As I pressed send, a strange feeling washed over me—like I was in too deep now. Like I was already wrapped up in this tangled web with him again, and no matter how much I tried to escape, it wouldn’t let me go.

I tossed the phone down on the couch beside me and rubbed my temples. What the hell was wrong with me?

I had just made the decision to forgive him, to give him another chance, and now I was already regretting it. But there was no turning back.

And deep down, I knew the truth.

I wasn’t ready to walk away from Licht. Not yet.

As I sat there, the room feeling heavy with the weight of everything that had happened, the doorbell rang.

My heart jumped in my chest, and I froze.

It couldn’t be… No way I am already falling for someone I haven’t even met.