The days following the confrontation with Zayden were filled with a strange mix of relief and uncertainty. Riley had expected the doubt to eat away at her, but instead, she found herself almost at peace. Zayden's reassurance had been everything she needed to hear, but there was still that lingering feeling of being on the edge, wondering when the other shoe would drop.
She spent the next few days in a bit of a haze, her thoughts constantly returning to Zayden. Was she enough for him? Could someone like her, a scholarship student from a world so different from his, really hold his attention? Or was she just a fleeting phase in his life? Despite all his words, Riley couldn't shake the feeling that she might not fit into his perfect, polished world.
The tension between them had subsided, but a new kind of uncertainty had taken its place. Zayden seemed to notice the shift in her demeanor, the way she had become more reserved, less open. He tried to get her to talk, but she deflected every time. It wasn't that she didn't want to talk, but rather that she didn't know how to express the fear and doubt swirling inside her.
One afternoon, after a long day of classes, Riley found herself sitting under a large oak tree on the edge of campus, her bicycle leaning against the trunk. She hadn't meant to be alone, but it was the only place where she could clear her thoughts without anyone prying into her life. It wasn't until she heard footsteps that she looked up, expecting to see one of her classmates or maybe a teacher, but when her eyes met his, the sight of Zayden approaching made her heart race.
He looked serious, more intense than usual, and it made her stomach tighten. He stopped in front of her, looking down at her with something unreadable in his eyes.
"Riley," he said softly, sitting down next to her without waiting for an invitation. "We need to talk."
The air around them seemed to thicken with anticipation. Riley's heart was already pounding as she turned to face him. "What about?"
"I can tell you're pulling away from me," Zayden said, his voice steady but filled with concern. "Is it because of what Jessica said? Or is there something else going on? You don't have to hide it from me."
Riley opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out at first. She didn't know how to explain the emotions raging inside her, how everything felt so overwhelming. Instead, she simply shook her head.
"I'm not hiding anything," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "I just... I don't know what to think anymore."
Zayden took her hand in his, his touch warm and steady. "What do you mean?"
"I'm not like them," Riley said quietly, the weight of her words hanging in the air. "I don't belong in your world. I don't know if I ever will. And I don't want to drag you down."
Zayden's gaze softened as he took in her words, and for a long moment, he said nothing. When he finally spoke, his voice was firm, unwavering. "You don't have to belong to my world to be with me, Riley. You're everything I need. You don't have to change anything about yourself. You don't have to become anyone else."
His words hit her like a wave, washing away some of the doubt that had been building inside her. She had spent so much time comparing herself to the others, feeling out of place, but Zayden didn't want her to change. He wanted her for who she was, just as she was.
"I'm not perfect," Riley said, her voice shaking slightly. "I'm not like you. I don't have your life, your friends, your... everything."
"You don't need to be perfect," Zayden replied, his grip on her hand tightening. "I don't need someone perfect, Riley. I need you. That's all that matters."
The sincerity in his voice, the way he was looking at her like she was the only thing that mattered in that moment, made something inside her finally give way. She felt a weight lift off her chest, a weight she hadn't even realized she had been carrying. It wasn't about being perfect or fitting into his world. It was about them, about what they shared.
"I'm scared," Riley admitted, her voice barely above a whisper. "Scared that I'm not enough for you. That I'll mess everything up."
Zayden's thumb gently traced the back of her hand, calming her frayed nerves. "You're more than enough for me, Riley. You're everything I need. You don't have to be afraid."
Tears welled up in her eyes, but she quickly blinked them away, unwilling to let her vulnerability show. She had always been the strong one, the one who never showed weakness. But with Zayden, it felt different. She could be herself, all of her, without fear of judgment.
"I'll try," she whispered. "I'll try to believe you."
Zayden smiled softly, his eyes filled with warmth and understanding. "That's all I need."
For the first time in a long while, Riley allowed herself to hope. Maybe she wasn't out of place in his world after all. Maybe, just maybe, they could find a way to make this work.
As they sat together under the oak tree, the tension between them finally eased. Riley realized, for the first time, that she didn't need to be perfect for Zayden. She just needed to be herself.