It was shortly after three in the morning when the cops left our apartment, promising their best to chase Fiona down. Zane and I both knew that Fiona was long gone by now and may even have left the country. She was like a tornado who left a trail of chaos in its wake, except that trail would be difficult to follow.

Zane sat at the couch, elbows resting on his knees and head in his hands. He had made it very clear that he didn't care about the missing items. As long as we were safe, nothing else mattered. But there was something bugging him and I wondered whether it was the missing ring. 

Cautiously, I approached Zane and sat beside him and stared at the empty spot where the TV had been. "You okay?" I asked without turning towards him. 

"If I'm being completely honest, I feel like crap." Zane let out a sigh and dropped his head back against the couch. "My head is killing me." 

A fluttery feeling started to build at the pit of my stomach. Grabbing a throw pillow from the ground, I placed it on my lap and patted it. Zane hesitated at first but then dropped his head on the pillow. My heart started beating faster and I couldn't think straight. This was the closest I had ever been to Zane. 

"I feel stupid for trusting her. After everything she did, I still wanted to help." His eyes were closed and he was breathing heavily.  

"That doesn't make you stupid." I pushed Zane's hair back and felt him tense at my touch. "It means you're a good person who cares about people." 

"Good people don't get very far in life," Zane said, looking up at me with dark eyes. I couldn't help but laugh. Zane was a living contradiction of that very statement. For someone who was so smart, he really could be oblivious at times. 

"You're joking, right?" I said, shaking my head. A small smile appeared on Zane's lips, which made me feel strangely warm all over. "You're so kind and have gotten pretty far in your life."

Zane closed his eyes again and I took that opportunity to study his features. He had a strong jaw that was covered with a shadow of a beard. I ran a finger over his eyebrow, his cheek and then across his jawline. This time, I saw him visibly relax at my touch. The sudden wave of feelings was overwhelming and I moved my hand away. 

"Don't stop," he muttered, fixing his gaze on me. His eyes moved across my face, landing briefly on my lips. My heart was in my throat and no words could come out. Zane reached his hand out and ran a thumb across my lips. 

My phone started buzzing and the spell was broken. Clearing my throat, I awkwardly reached for my phone as Zane moved away from me. My chin slammed against his forehead and we both howled in pain. Leave it to me to ruin a moment 

"Oh my god! I'm so sorry." Zane held a hand against his forehead, a baffled expression spreading across his face. 

"Pretty sure that cleared the headache for me," he declared. My jaw was still vibrating from the blow. We stared at each other with wide eyes and lips turned upward. Once again, the moment between us passed when my phone buzzed. 

It was Hannah, reminding me about her engagement party tomorrow. With everything going on at work and home, I had completely forgotten about her party. The engagement was something my friend was really excited about and I didn't want to rain on her parade. 

After assuring Hannah that we would be there tomorrow, I immediately started looking for a last-minute gift. Zane got up from the couch and stretched, revealing a hint of his tummy. The butterflies returned but I pushed the thoughts away. Searching for a present was the mission right now. 

A few weeks ago, I ordered a glass figurine of Snow White for Hannah, thinking it would come in time for the party. Obviously, that plan didn't work out so now I was back to square one. 

"Hannah's party is tomorrow, right?" Zane asked, shoving his hands into his pockets and leaning against the counter. There was a pink splotch on his forehead but he seemed more relaxed than he did before. 

"Yup! And my gift is still in transit." He raised his eyebrows slightly, amused at my mini-freak out. 

"We could pick something up tomorrow morning if you want." We. Not you. For the second time tonight, I thought about what it would feel like to kiss Zane. 

|| Author's Note ||

Sorry for such a late update! Things have been busy and stressful on my end for the past few months. Hope everyone is doing well and staying safe.

I just wanted to thank everyone who has been reading Gently and dropping the occasional vote. It means a lot. <3

Please feel free to share your thoughts and feelings, either about the story or in general. 

~Amara