A Step Outside

The night had stretched longer than Alexa intended, and she could feel the weight of it in her bones. The conversation with Zaiyo wasn't over—it never was. But her mind felt foggy, her skin tight with the awareness of his presence.

The girl he had been with earlier had disappeared—vanished, as if she was never there. Alexa couldn't remember when she had left, or why she even cared. Zaiyo had a way of making everyone fade into the background when he decided who mattered.

"I need some air," Alexa muttered, though she wasn't sure if she was speaking to him or herself.

Zaiyo watched her, that unreadable smirk never leaving his face. He didn't move as she stood, but he didn't need to. His gaze followed her like it had always done. Unyielding. Watching. Always just a little too close.

As she made her way out of the bar and onto the quiet street, the cold night air hit her like a slap. It wasn't enough to clear the fog, but it gave her a moment—just a moment—to breathe.

She walked a little faster, as if escaping was an option.

But Zaiyo was already there.

He stepped out from the shadow of the doorway, moving smoothly toward her. No rush, no urgency. Just the calm, steady pace of someone who knew exactly where he was going.

"Don't," she said, her voice low and sharp. "Just… don't follow me."

He didn't answer right away. Instead, he caught up to her in a few long strides, falling into step beside her.

"Isn't this what you wanted?" he asked, his voice too calm, too measured. "To get away? To run?"

She swallowed the lump in her throat. "I'm not running."

Zaiyo laughed softly. "Oh, I know. You never run. But you're trying to escape something."

"I'm not trying to escape anything." The lie fell from her lips easily, too easily.

Zaiyo stopped walking, standing in front of her, blocking her path. His eyes locked onto hers. "Lying isn't your thing, is it?" His voice was low, controlled.

Her breath caught. He had said it.

And there it was. The first crack in her armor. Because he knew.

Alexa shifted uncomfortably, looking past him, but Zaiyo was already there—close enough that she could feel the warmth of him, too close for comfort.

"You really think you can walk away from me?" he asked softly.

She didn't answer right away, her heart pounding louder than the city noises around them.

But when she spoke, her voice was steady, though her words betrayed her.

"You'll never make me forget," she said. "You're not that powerful."

Zaiyo's lips curled into a grin. "I don't need to make you forget, Alexa."

He stepped back, his eyes still locked on hers, the tension between them thick and tangible.

"I just need you to stop pretending you can outrun me."