ZONI
A chuckle escaped my lips before I could stop myself. It was a dry, raspy sound that barely cleared the lump of cynicism in my throat.
From my vantage point outside the café window, I watched the scene play out like a twisted rerun of a movie I'd already seen, and hated.
Mia leaned across the small table, her eyes sparkling seductively. She held a strawberry slathered in a thick, decadent mountain of whipped cream, teasing it just out of Jack's reach.
With a playful flick, she dabbed a bit of the white foam onto the tip of his nose.
Jack let out a boyish giggle, his face glowing with a warmth he never quite managed to project when with me.
'What a sweet pair' I thought, a smirk tugging at the corner of my mouth.
The sight should have broken my heart, but after everything I had endured in my previous life, it only made my stomach churn with a profound sense of disgust.
They were so predictable. So cliché.
I took a deep breath, smoothing out the fabric of my outfit. It was time to step onto the stage.
I quickly practiced a nonchalant, innocent expression in the reflection of the glass. The classic 'Zoni' look: soft, unsuspecting, and easily manipulated.
Satisfied with the mask, I pushed open the heavy glass door and stepped into the air-conditioned space.
I strutted straight toward the counter without a care. I didn't need to look at their table to know the exact second they spotted me. I felt the shift in the room's energy. Hell, I practically smelled the ozone of Jack's sudden, panicked adrenaline.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw him stiffen. Mia, ever the graceful snake, fumbled her spoon. She half-rose from her chair, her eyes darting toward the exit, then sat back down with a jerky, unnatural motion. She was probably contemplating a run. I almost wanted to cheer her on.
Go, girl. You a trackstar.
I couldn't help smiling as I reached the counter. The young barista blinked, clearly taken aback by the sudden brightness of my expression, and offered a shy, flustered grin in return.
He probably thought the smile was for him.
That made me smile harder. Oh well.
"Hi. I'll have a double-shot iced latte and the strawberry shortcake, please. Extra cream," I said, my voice chirpy and light.
I gave him a playful wink as I handed over my card, enjoying the way his ears turned pink.
Time to showcase my acting talent.
I turned slowly, as if just noticing the rest of the room. My gaze swept over the occupied tables until it landed, with calculated precision, on the two lovers.
I let my face transform. The smile vanished, replaced by a mask of pure, unadulterated surprise. I let my jaw drop slightly, my eyes wide and blinking.
I looked at Jack, then shifted my gaze to Mia. She had retreated into her drink, staring into the depths of her iced coffee as if it was the cause of her failing kidney. Her shoulders hunched with guilt.
I stayed frozen for a few beats.
The "scorned but confused" fiancé to a T. Hehe
"Your order is ready, Miss," the counter boy's voice rang out, breaking the silence I had weaponized.
"Oh. Thanks," I said, my voice dropping back into a soft tone.
As I picked up my food, my mind raced. Decisions, Decisions...
Part of me (the part that valued my dignity) wanted to turn around and walk out the door. I had already confirmed what I came here for; The timeline was holding steady. All previous life events were happening accordingly.
The other part wanted to stay and see them squirm like the roaches they were.
Before I could make a move, Jack made the decision for me. He cleared his throat, a sound that lacked any of his usual bravado, and waved me over with a tight, nervous smile.
"Zo? Hey!"
I maintained my 'deer caught in headlights' face, my steps hesitant as I walked toward their table.
"Jack? I didn't expect to see you here."
I sat down, the air between us becoming so thick and awkward it felt like breathing through wool. I looked at their half-eaten food, the shared plate of creamy strawberries, and then at their faces.
'Damn', I thought.
Everything is exactly as it was. Only a few minor details had changed due to my current interference in the timeline, but the core of the rot remained the same.
"Um..." I said softly, looking between the two of them, waiting for the lies to start.
"Zoni, wow, what a coincidence!" Jack started, his voice an octave higher than usual. He gestured vaguely toward Mia, who finally looked up with a pale, rehearsed smile. "You remember Mia, right? She's a... she's a close family friend. My parents practically raised her."
A bubble of hysterical laughter threatened to escape my chest.
You parents barely raised you, Jack...
In my last life, I had nodded and smiled, feeling guilty for even suspecting otherwise. How could I have been so catastrophically stupid?
"Oh, of course," I said, my voice dripping with a sweetness that felt like acid. "The 'sister' I've heard so much about. It's lovely to see you again, Mia. You're looking... flushed."
Mia's grip tightened on her glass. "It's the heat, I think."
"Right, the heat," Tissue head jumped in, desperate to reclaim the narrative. "Mia actually reached out because she's been going through a really rough patch. Her mom, you know, she's been quite ill—um.. some chronic issues. She came to talk about the medical bills and the specialists. You know how it is, her mother was like a second mother to me. I told her I'd do everything in my power to help. Um... I couldn't just turn my back on family."
I was just confused. So who exactly raised who?
He was blabbling now, his words tumbling over each other as he tried to exonerate himself before I could even voice an accusation.
It was a masterclass in manipulation, or at least it would have been if I didn't already know the ending of this story.
"That's so sweet of you, babe," I said, tilting my head. "To spend your afternoon eating strawberries and cream while discussing such... heavy medical burdens. You're too kind. Isn't he just the sweetest?" I turned to Mia.
Jack flinched in guilt, but quickly smoothed it over. "Um... yeah I—um, I figured she needed a distraction, right?"
I nodded.
"Life isn't all gloom, right?" He avoided eye contact.
"Right," I agreed, nodding harder, as I savored my cake. "Life is full of surprises."
After a few more minutes of agonizing chitchat where Mia barely spoke and Jack wouldn't shut up, Mia finally excused herself. "I should...um, get back to the hospital," she murmured, gathering her things. "Nice seeing you, Zoni."
"Good luck with everything, Mia," I called out after her. "I hope your 'mum' gets better"
Once she was gone, the silence between Jack and me thickened.
This was worse than when Mia was present.
I just kept eating, focusing on the sweetness of the cream, and occasionally schooling my face back into the role of the easily manipulated girl whenever I felt his gaze lingering.
"So..." Jack said, leaning forward, trying to regain his footing. "How are you feeling?"
"Fantastic."
"How's the preparation for the surgery going? Wasn't today supposed to be your final checkup?"
"It went well," I said, wiping a bit of stray crumbs from my lip. "The checkup ended earlier than usual. I'm cleared."
Jack frowned, a touch of his usual controlling nature peeking through. "Then why are you out here? You should have gone straight home to rest, Zo. You need your strength. I don't like you wandering around the city alone when you're supposed to be preparing for the surgery."
Right.
I looked at him, and for a moment, the sarcasm was impossible to suppress.
"Oh, Jack. But If I had gone home, I wouldn't have been lucky enough to see your gorgeous face today. And after seeing you and Mia together, well..." I leaned in, my eyes locking onto his. "Isn't Fate romantic?"
The color drained from his face. For a split second, I saw real, naked guilt in his eyes. He suspected I'd seen more than I was letting on.
Panicked, he did what he always did when cornered: First, he doubled down.
"Baby, listen," he said, his voice dropping to a low, husky register. He reached across the table, grabbing my hand with a caressing grip. "I know it might have looked... funny. But you're the only one for me. You know that, right? This surgery, your health—it's all I think about. I want us to have a future. A real one."
Oh, lord in heaven. You'd think this surgery was benefiting me more than him—I mean, her.
Second, he'd start love-bombing me.
Throwing out compliments and empty promises like they were confetti.
"Sweetheart, I've never felt like this before, you're so damn perfect. I rather die than lose you, Zo." His eyes almost watered. Gosh, it's like there's invisible onions aiding him.
Then, he switched, and delivered the kicker.
"Actually," he continued nonchalantly, as if he were discussing the weather. "I was thinking... why wait? After the surgery is over and you're back on your feet, we should just get married. Properly. What do you think?"
It was the most low-effort, fake proposal I had ever heard. Just a desperate attempt to tether me back to him before I could slip away with my free kidney.
I looked up to the ceiling, counting the number of light bulbs present. If it was an even number, I would accept his proposal. If it was an odd one, I would just kill him right here, and be done with this bullshit.
But killing him would be a waste since my work tools were not here yet.
Adin was not here yet.
I stopped counting halfway, and was about to drop my reply when a sensation washed over me and stopped the breath in my lungs.
It was a physical force, so strong, and terrifyingly cold. It felt as if an invisible hand had gripped my chin and forced my head to turn.
I couldn't fight it. My gaze was dragged away from Jack and toward the window beside us.
There, standing by the side of the opposite building, was a boy. He looked no older than 17, short in stature with a wild mane of black curls.
At first glance, he looked like a regular teenager, perhaps waiting for a friend.
But his blazing, red eyes instantly told me he was not of this world.
Adin.