Adina's POV
The walk to the rooftop was quiet, but not uncomfortable. Zachary didn't seem like the type to fill silence just for the sake of it, and I didn't mind, if anything it was something I was grateful for. There was something oddly peaceful about being around him, even if I was still trying to figure him out.
When we stepped onto the rooftop, the late afternoon air wrapped around us, crisp and cool. The sun hung low in the sky, casting a golden hue over the city below. It was breathtaking, the kind of view that made you forget, if only for a moment, about the chaos of life.
Zachary walked ahead, resting his arms on the railing as he gazed out at the skyline. He didn't say anything, but he didn't need to. There was something different about him up here. He wasn't the usual guarded, sharp-tongued guy I was used to encountering. Up here, he seemed… at ease.
I leaned against the railing beside him, mirroring his posture. For a long moment, neither of us spoke. The only sound was the faint hum of the city beneath us, the distant honking of cars and the chatter of people moving through their evening routines.
Then finally he spoke
"You don't pity me"
His voice was quiet, almost as if he was testing the words aloud.
I turned to him, slightly caught off guard. "No. I don't"
He nodded slowly, like he had expected my answer but still needed to hear it. "Most people do"
I tilted my head, studying his face. "I'm not most people"
A ghost of a smile flickered across his lips, gone almost as quickly as it appeared. "Yeah. I'm starting to see that."
I wasn't sure what to say next. There was something delicate about this moment, like we were teetering on the edge of a conversation that neither of us had fully prepared for.
Finally, I asked, "What's it like?"
Zachary didn't immediately respond. Instead, he exhaled slowly, his fingers tapping lightly against the railing.
"It's like…" He paused, choosing his words carefully. "Imagine waking up in a world where every face is a blank slate. No recognition, no familiarity. Just… strangers. Every single day"
I frowned. "That sounds exhausting"
A low chuckle escaped him. "It is"
I turned my body slightly to face him. "How do you even—"
"Memorize people?" He glanced at me knowingly. "It's not easy. I focus on other things—how they talk, the way they move, small details. Sometimes it's a voice, or the way someone tilts their head when they laugh"
I blinked. "Is that how you remembered me?"
He hesitated, then nodded. "Your voice, yeah. And…" He shifted slightly, as if debating whether to say more. Finally, he continued, "You don't move like other people"
I raised an eyebrow. "Uh. Is that a compliment or an insult?"
A smirk tugged at the corner of his lips. "Just an observation"
I rolled my eyes, but I couldn't fight the small smile forming on my lips. "Noted"
For a moment, silence stretched between us again. But this time, it wasn't awkward. It felt like we were both waiting. But waiting for what? I wasn't sure.
Then, out of nowhere, Zachary said, "Adina, do you believe in coincidences?"
The question caught me off guard. "What do you mean?"
He looked back out at the city, his fingers tightening slightly around the railing. "You and I… running into each other like this. Over and over. Do you think it's random?"
I thought about it. About every strange encounter, every unexpected moment that had led us here to this rooftop, to this conversation.
"No," I admitted. "I don't think it is"
Zachary turned to face me fully, his gaze locking onto mine. "Neither do I"
Something shifted in the air between us. Something unspoken.
And for the first time since meeting him, I felt it—the pull.
The undeniable, magnetic force of whatever this was.
I swallowed. "So what do you think it means?"
He studied me for a long moment before finally replying, "I don't know yet. But I want to find out"
His words sent a shiver down my spine.
I should've been nervous. Should've been wary of the fact that I was standing on a rooftop with someone who had been nothing but a mystery since the day we met.
But I wasn't.
Instead, I found myself saying, "Me too"
Zachary nodded, as if that was the only answer he had been expecting.
Then, as if snapping back to reality, he suddenly looked away, letting out a quiet chuckle. "I bet your friends are probably coming up with some wild theories about us right about now."
I laughed, shaking my head. "Oh, absolutely. Felícia probably thinks we're star-crossed lovers from a past life or something."
"And Greg?"
I smirked. "Convinced you're a government experiment gone wrong."
Zachary snorted. "Wouldn't be the worst theory I've heard."
I turned to face him fully. "And what do you think?"
He considered my question for a moment before replying, "I think I like talking to you"
The honesty in his words made my breath catch.
"Yeah" I said softly. "Me too"
For a while, we just stood there, watching the sun dip lower in the sky. I had no idea what was happening between us, or where it would lead.
But for now, I was okay with not knowing.
For now, this moment was enough.