chapter 15

The next day after school, I was more anxious than I had been in a long time. As the hours passed in the library, I couldn't help but think about what lay ahead that evening. I had reluctantly agreed to tutor Zayn, a boy whose reputation preceded him—charming, wealthy, and a known troublemaker. Everyone in school knew Zayn, not for his intelligence, but for his reckless attitude and his powerful father.

When I reached his room on the first floor, I hesitated at the door. This was my first time coming here, and I wasn't sure what to expect. I found the door opened when I was about to knock. I entered.The room was enormous, double the size of my room . It almost made me want to turn around and run back. But I couldn't. His family was known for their wealth, that's why his room is different and lot more sophisticated than other's.

The room is empty.

I called out softly, "Zayn?"

No answer again.

I sighed and made my way back to my dorm hoping I escaped . I reached the door, i stopped when I heard the bathroom door open. Zayn stepped out, fresh from a shower, a towel wrapped loosely around his waist. He was running a hand through his damp hair, droplets of water falling onto his bare chest, each drop catching the light in a way that made him look almost… sculpted.

I quickly turned away, my face heating up.

"Not bad," he said, his voice laced with amusement. "You're actually on time."

I gritted my teeth, annoyed by his cocky tone."Don't flatter yourself," I shot back, keeping my eyes on the wall, refusing to look at him. "Just go get changed."

Zayn chuckled, clearly enjoying my discomfort. "Why? It's my room. I can change wherever I want."

I glanced back for a second and saw that he had already dropped the towel and was slipping into a pair of loose night pants, not bothering to move anywhere private. My cheeks burned, and I turned back around, fuming. 

"This isn't a locker room, Zayn," I snapped. "Some of us have boundaries."

"And some of us don't care," he said smugly, his voice coming closer as he finally finished dressing. "Relax, Amira. No one's going to see anything they don't want to."

I closed my eyes for a moment, trying to hold back the urge to scream. **How did I end up in this situation?** It felt like a trap—being here, alone, with Zayn. The tension in the air—it was suffocating. But I had no choice. 

Zayn shrugged, walking toward the door and locking it with a deliberate click.

"What are you doing?" I asked, my voice sharper than I intended.

"Just making sure no one interrupts. Don't want anyone getting the wrong idea, right?"

I blinked, feeling a knot tighten in my stomach. **Why does he always have to make things so uncomfortable?**

I gulped, feeling trapped. There was no way out now. **Just get through this, Amira. Teach him, then leave.** 

I made my way to the study table, sitting down and placing my books in front of me, trying to regain some sense of control. Zayn followed, sitting next to me, much too close for comfort. I instinctively scooted my chair an inch away, but his smirk only deepened.

"Let's start," I said, forcing the conversation back to the material by asking some questions to test his knowledge . "Do you even know what momentum or inertia is?"

Zayn tilted his head, his eyes never leaving mine. "Not really."

I sighed, my frustration building. "Okay… what about Ohm's Law? Voltage? Newton? Thermodynamics?"

His grin widened as he lazily replied, "No idea."

I placed my hands on my head in disbelief. "How are you even in this grade?" I muttered, more to myself than to him.

He laughed, clearly unfazed. "My father's one of the trustees, remember? Passing exams isn't exactly hard when you have the right connections."

**Of course.** That was always the answer with guys like Zayn. Money, power, and privilege could buy them anything—grades, freedom from consequences, you name it. I was starting to see how this tutoring was going to be more of a challenge than I expected. It wasn't just about teaching; it was about navigating this strange dynamic Zayn had created between us.

I took a deep breath, determined not to let him derail me. "Alright," I said, flipping open the textbook. "Let's just get through the first chapter."

As I began to explain the basic concepts of physics, I noticed Zayn wasn't paying attention. His head rested on his hand, his eyes focused on me rather than the book, as if he wasn't even pretending to care. His casual indifference made me question why I was even trying.

"Are you listening?" I asked, trying to keep my patience.

Zayn nodded lazily, though it was clear he was more interested in my presence than the subject. "Sure. I'm listening."

I rolled my eyes. "Really? What did I just say?"

He smiled, clearly enjoying the little power play. "Something about… momentum? Or maybe it was inertia? You know, you talk a lot, Amira. It's hard to keep up."

My jaw tightened, and I had to fight the urge to throw the book at him. **This is going to be impossible.**

I tried to power through the rest of the lesson, explaining concepts as quickly as I could while Zayn alternated between pretending to listen and making subtle, teasing comments that kept pulling my focus away. He wasn't interested in physics. He was interested in getting under my skin.

As I rushed through the chapter, I couldn't help but glance at the clock, hoping time would speed up. **Just finish this and leave.** I repeated that to myself like a mantra.

Finally, after what felt like hours, I closed the textbook with a sigh. "That's it for today."

Zayn sat up straighter, finally paying attention. "Already? I was just starting to have fun."

I ignored him, gathering my things as quickly as possible.

"I am going to sleep"

I gathered my things quickly, determined to get out of this room before he could pull me back into another one of his twisted conversations. But before I could reach the door, Zayn's voice came from behind.

"Amira," he said softly, his voice a low murmur. "You don't have to be so uptight. You know, we could make this a lot more enjoyable for both of us."

I glaring at him. "I'm not interested."

Zayn's smile faded slightly, his eyes narrowing. "You will be. Eventually."

With that ominous remark, he stepped back, allowing me to leave. I didn't wait for another word. I rushed out of the room, my heart racing as I made my way down the hallway.

Once outside, I inhaled deeply, trying to calm the storm of emotions swirling inside me. I hated this. I hated him. But most of all, I hated the fact that no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't escape.