The crackling of the fire was the only sound breaking the silence as Zayn and I sat on the wooden log, both of us staring into the flickering flames. It was peaceful, almost serene, but I could feel the weight of unsaid words hanging in the air between us. I was determined to finish recording the ecosystem tonight, but Zayn didn't seem too concerned about time.
"I really think you should head to the motel," I suggested again. "It's getting late, and I've still got to finish this night observation."
He looked at me sideways, a small smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. "Nah, I'm staying. I might as well enjoy the outdoors too."
I sighed, knowing that arguing with Zayn when he made up his mind was pointless. "Fine, but don't distract me. I need to focus."
Zayn leaned back casually, stretching his arms behind his head. "Yeah, yeah. I'll just sit here, being the perfect picture of silence and respect for your little nature project."
"Sure," I muttered, rolling my eyes. But surprisingly, for a few minutes, we actually fell into a comfortable silence. The sound of crackling firewood mixed with the distant rustling of leaves, creating a kind of calm that was rare between us.
"So why are you doing this?" he asked suddenly, breaking the silence.
I glanced at him. "Doing what?"
"This whole project," he said, gesturing toward my equipment. "I know it's important for your research, but you seem… more driven than usual."
I hesitated for a moment, unsure of how much to reveal. "I guess I just want to prove that I can do it. That I can win this competition, not just for myself, but for—"
I stopped, realizing I was about to spill something personal. Something I didn't want to share with him.
"For?" Zayn pressed, raising an eyebrow.
"It doesn't matter," I replied quickly, trying to brush it off.
Zayn let out a low chuckle. "You're such a control freak, you know that? Always trying to handle everything on your own."
"Excuse me?" I turned to face him, crossing my arms defensively.
"You heard me," he said, his voice light but with an underlying edge. "You're always controlling everything and everyone around you, like you can't let go for even a second."
"You are even controlling me"
I laughed, though it was forced. "I'm not controlling you, Zayn. I'm not your mother."
That's when everything changed. The moment I said those words, I saw something shift in his eyes—something dark and cold. He stood up abruptly, his posture stiff, his fists clenched at his sides.
"Don't ever say a word about my mother," he growled, his voice low and dangerous.
I blinked, taken aback by his sudden anger. "Zayn, I didn't mean anything by it. I was just—"
"I don't care what you were trying to say," he snapped, his eyes flashing with fury. "Just don't."
I stood up too, my heart pounding in my chest.
I opened my mouth to respond, but the words got stuck in my throat. I had never seen Zayn like this before—so raw, so vulnerable. He always had this carefree, playful attitude, but now, it was like I had touched a nerve that ran much deeper than I realized.
Without another word, Zayn turned and stormed off toward the motel, leaving me standing there by the fire, completely stunned.
I stared after him, trying to process what had just happened. My mind was racing, trying to understand why my comment had triggered such a strong reaction. But more than that, I couldn't figure out why it bothered me so much that he was mad at me. Why did his anger hurt?
I sank back down onto the log, staring into the fire as my thoughts swirled in confusion. The flames danced in front of me, and I felt a strange hollowness in my chest, like something was missing.
Suddenly, the fire flared up, spreading quickly to the dry leaves and branches around the site. My eyes widened in panic as the flames grew larger, creeping dangerously close to where I sat.
"Shit!" I cursed under my breath, jumping to my feet.
I could hear the shouts of the village people in the distance, running toward the fire with buckets of water, but they were too far away. The fire was spreading fast, and I was trapped.
Just then, out of the corner of my eye, I spotted a small family of rabbits huddled under a fallen branch, unable to escape the growing flames. Without thinking, I ran toward them, determined to save them before the fire reached their hiding spot.
I crouched down, trying to lift the branch and free the rabbits, but it was too heavy. My heart raced as I glanced up and saw the flames getting closer. I had to act fast.
I heard a loud crack above me. I looked up in horror to see a large branch starting to break loose from the burning tree. I braced myself, expecting it to fall on me, but instead, I felt something—or rather, someone—push me out of the way.
I turned to see Zayn standing where I had just been, his face twisted in pain as the heavy branch crashed down onto his shoulder.
"Zayn!" I screamed, rushing to his side. The rabbits were safe, but Zayn wasn't. He winced, but didn't say anything as he helped me guide the last rabbit to safety. The villagers arrived just in time to extinguish the fire before it spread any further, but I couldn't take my eyes off Zayn.
For the first time since we'd met, I was at a complete loss for words. Zayn had just saved me——and I didn't know how to thank him or even process what had just happened. I was overwhelmed by a mixture of guilt, gratitude, and something else I couldn't quite identify.
Zayn remained silent as we walked back to the motel, the air between us heavy with unspoken tension. I kept glancing at him, wanting to say something, but the words wouldn't come. His usual cocky demeanor was gone,
the villagers arrived and quickly put out the fire, dousing the flames before they could spread any further. The rabbits were safe, and so were we, but the tension between Zayn and me was far from over.