When I saw the photo, my eyes blinked wide open in disbelief. I wouldn't lie; it shifted something inside me. That kind of bold, reckless energy... Nicki had always been wild and dirty in a way that stirred things I rarely admitted out loud.
Zayn wasn't like that. Not that wild. Not that crazy. Nicki and I had crossed so many lines, tried things I wouldn't even dare speak of, but those memories, no matter how intense, no longer defined me.
Because at that moment, I realized something.
I love Zayn. He's trying, he might not bring chaos, but he brings calm. He may not know the thrill of dangerous nights, but he gives me peace, and I crave that more than I crave anything Nicki ever gave me.
Another photo came in.
My breath hitched. I almost slipped, almost let the past drag me under. My fingers twitched with the memory of touches long gone. But I didn't give in.
Instead, I switched off my phone.