Kinza - The Dark Love

Chapter 7

KINZA

A stinging coldness spread across my neck. I flinched, a gasp catching in my throat. But it wasn't pain, not really. It was the surprise of Nouman gently dabbing cream on the red mark left by...well, by Nico.

Nouman's other personality.

My heart hammered a frantic rhythm against my ribs. This whole situation was bizarre. One minute, Nico was here, all wild and unpredictable, and the next, it was Nouman, his voice soft, his brow furrowed in concern.

"Next time you feel him coming on," he began, his voice low, "Nico, I mean, stay away from me. Okay?"

I stared at him, completely thrown. This was so not the Nouman I knew. The Nouman I knew was aloof, distant, keeping everyone at arm's length. This gentle, caring stranger was messing with my head.

A small smile tugged at my lips. "Actually," I said, surprising myself with my boldness, "I kind of liked Nico. He was...carefree. Cute, even."

The effect on Nouman was instantaneous. His jaw clenched, his eyes hardening into a dangerous glint. He leaned in close, his voice a low growl. "Stay away from him, Kinza. Or things won't end well for you."

I held his gaze, refusing to back down. Maybe a part of me was testing him, this new, unpredictable Nouman. "Oh, are we making threats now?" I countered, a playful smirk dancing on my lips. "And here I thought you hated me."

The intensity in his stare was almost suffocating. For a moment, I thought he might lunge at me. But then, just as abruptly, he stepped back.

"Just apply this cream every day," he muttered, his voice clipped. He threw the tube on my bed and stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind him with a bang.

I stared at the closed door, a bewildered smile spreading across my face. What just happened? One minute he was threatening me, the next he was leaving me with his medical supplies?

Picking up the tube, I examined it. It was a fancy brand of scar cream, definitely not something Nouman would normally use. A strange warmth bloomed in my chest. Maybe there was more to this grumpy guy than I thought.

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My heart hammered a frantic rhythm against my ribs as I pushed open the heavy oak doors to the mansion. The familiar grandness of the living room did little to ease the knot of worry tightening in my stomach. Mom was nowhere to be seen.

Following the faint sound of her voice, I cautiously made my way down the hallway. My steps faltered outside her bedroom door as snippets of a conversation filtered through the thick wood.

"She doesn't know anything yet, and she never will," Mom's voice, laced with a strange urgency, reached my ears. "She has no memory of what happened."

A shiver ran down my spine. Who was she talking about? Was it...me?

"And what if he comes out?" came a gruff male voice.

"We'll end him. He'll never find her again," Mom replied, a steely resolve in her tone that sent a jolt through me.

My stomach lurched. What in the world were they talking about? Was it all connected to the gaping hole in my past, the missing memories from my childhood? Fear gnawed at me, but curiosity burned brighter.

The door suddenly swung open, revealing Mom. Surprise flickered across her face before morphing into annoyance. "Kinza? What are you doing here?"

I blinked, startled. "Just...looking for you," I stammered, my voice barely a whisper.