Amara tried to avoid him.
Not in an obvious way.
Not in a way people would notice.
But in the little things.
She changed her usual routes.
Sat in different places.
Left immediately after lectures.
Anything to keep distance.
But Kieran?
He didn't make it easy.
"Are you going to keep running?" he asked one afternoon, stepping into her path.
Amara stopped.
Not because she wanted to.
But because avoiding him forever wasn't realistic.
"I'm not running," she said calmly.
Kieran raised an eyebrow.
"Really?"
"Yes."
"Because it feels like you are."
Amara sighed softly.
"I'm just choosing what's best for me."
That answer made him pause.
Because this version of her…
Was different.
Stronger.
More careful.
And harder to reach.
"I said I'd take whatever you give me," he reminded her.
"And I haven't given you anything," she replied.
Silence.
That stung.
But Kieran didn't walk away.
"I'm not asking for everything," he said quietly.
"Just… don't shut me out completely."
Amara looked at him.
Really looked at him.
And for a moment…
She saw it again.
That honesty.
That softness he rarely showed.
But she quickly pulled herself back.
"You don't get to come back into my life slowly like nothing happened," she said.
"I'm not pretending nothing happened."
"Then act like it."
Another silence.
This one heavier.
"Okay," he said finally.
That wasn't the response she expected.
"Okay?" she repeated.
Kieran nodded.
"I'll stop pushing."
That should have made things easier.
But somehow…
It didn't.
Because now, instead of chasing her—
He stepped back.
And for some reason…
That felt just as hard.
That night, Amara lay in bed, staring at her phone.
No messages.
No "Are you okay?"
No "Did you get home safe?"
Nothing.
Just silence.
She turned to the side, frowning slightly.
"Isn't this what you wanted?" she whispered to herself.
Distance.
Space.
Peace.
So why did it feel…
Empty?
Meanwhile, Kieran sat alone, staring at his phone.
He had typed her name three times.
Opened their chat.
Closed it.
"I said I'd stop," he muttered.
And for once…
He meant it.
But keeping that distance?
It felt harder than walking away.
Because now…
He had to stay close enough to see her—
And still not reach for her.
And that…
Was a different kind of pain.