Chapter 5 The secret
Novie was starting to see him differently.
Zayn.
The boy everyone saw as strict, composed, always in control—the team's proud coach, the guy who never let emotions show.
But with her?
He was soft.
Goofy, even.
He smiled without restraint. Teased her over little things. Got quiet just to admire the way her eyes squinted when she laughed. It was adorable.
And eventually he became nicer to everyone, it was a good change.
He was adorable.
And she was falling… hard.
But every fairytale has its villain.
And his name was Manu.
He wasn't just her past—he was the one mistake that refused to fade. A boy she once liked, trusted, and kissed behind the library one cloudy afternoon. But he'd ruined everything when he ran his mouth and turned it into gossip amongst his friends. He humiliated her.
Now he was back, "wished that sprained ankle of his made him bedridden!". She cursed under her breath.
Worse than ever.
⸻
He caught her after class, cornering her near the lockers with that same smug grin that used to charm her—before she knew better.
"You've been acting like you don't know me, Novie."
His voice dripped with mock hurt.
She didn't even stop walking.
"Because I don't. Not anymore."
He followed.
"You really think Zayn will still want to be around you when he finds out we kissed?"
She froze. Her heart skipped.
He leaned closer, voice low and sharp.
"You're going to come back to me. Or I'll ruin you… and take him down with you."
Her eyes widened.
"You're not really-gonna do that(swallows hard).
"Your choice, Novie."
He turned and walked off like it was a regular conversation.
But it wasn't.
It was war.
⸻
The next day, Zayn took her swimming.
A quiet resort in town—nothing fancy, just clean water, sun, and his ridiculous attempts at backflips.
She laughed more than she had in weeks.
But every few minutes, her smile would falter. She'd zone out. Worry written all over her face.
Zayn didn't press. He thought maybe it was school stress.
He didn't know.
Not yet.
⸻
The following afternoon, it happened.
Manu caught her in the hallway, pulling her aside with a twisted smile and a brown envelope in his hands.
"Still playing happy girlfriend, huh?"
She backed away.
"What do you want from me?"
He didn't answer. He pulled out the photo.
Her.
Manu.
Locked in a kiss. Clear as day, "it must have been taken from outside the library " she thought silently.
Her heart dropped.
She reached for it, but he held it up a second longer.
"You must be as stupid as I thought to think this is the only copy," he said, finally letting her grab it.
"Here's the deal. Dump his sorry butt, or I'll make you both look like fools.
He winked.
"Think fast, princess, or should I say?..Queen.
And just like that—he was gone, with only his cackle cracking through the halls.
⸻
Novie stood there, staring at the photo in her hands like it had burned her fingers.
Tears filled her eyes, hot and angry. She wanted to scream. She wanted to vanish.
But instead, she wiped her face, took a deep breath, and stuffed the photo into her backpack.
No more running.
She wasn't going to lie. Not to Zayn,
Not again.
She'd tell him everything—at the faculty picnic.
Under the open sky, with laughter in the air and nowhere left to hide.
It might hurt him.
But the truth was the only way forward.
And she owed him that.