Tell Me Lies

Fractured

I stood at the counter, spooning cereal into my mouth, the soft crunch echoing through the kitchen as I tried to quiet the thoughts buzzing in my head. My mind kept returning to last night, to the weird tension that hung in the air between me and Omari. And Aiyana... I didn't know how to process what I was feeling.

It wasn't like I could forget about everything that had happened, everything that *was* happening.

I was so lost in my thoughts that I didn't hear Omari come into the kitchen until he was right behind me. I stiffened, the cereal spoon halfway to my mouth, but then I turned and gave him a small, almost hesitant smile. "Hey," I murmured softly, lifting a hand to give him a gentle high-five, more for the sake of politeness than anything else.

He was standing too close, his presence hard to ignore. "How'd your date go?" Omari asked, his voice casual, but there was something deeper there—something more curious, more probing.

I swallowed, trying to keep my cool. "It was fine," I said, keeping my tone neutral. "Nothing special."

Omari didn't seem satisfied with that answer. His gaze sharpened, and for a moment, I swore I saw a flicker of something—jealousy, maybe? "So... do you like him?" he asked, taking a small step closer. His words hung in the air, filled with an intensity that made me uncomfortable.

I set my spoon down with a soft clink against the bowl, unsure how to respond. My mind was spinning, my emotions pulling in different directions. I knew what I *wanted* to say, but the words didn't come as easily as they should have.

"I don't know yet," I finally replied, my voice tight, betraying none of the mess inside my head.

Omari sighed, looking at me like he was about to say something serious, something that would shake things up. "Listen, Zaire," he started, his voice quieter now, almost too calm. "Dakarai... he isn't good for you."

I blinked, surprised by the sudden shift in his tone. "What do you mean?" I asked, my eyes narrowing. "You don't even know him like that."

He shook his head slowly, the muscles in his jaw tightening as if he was trying to hold back something. "I don't have to know him to know that you deserve better. Dakarai is just... he's not the kind of guy you need in your life."

I laughed, but it was bitter, sharp. "You don't get to tell me what I deserve, Omari. How would you know what's good for me? You haven't even bothered to figure that out." My words came out quicker, harsher than I meant. I didn't care. I wasn't letting him off that easily.

Omari took another step toward me, and I couldn't stop the surge of frustration that built up in my chest. "You don't know him, Zaire," he repeated, his voice more insistent this time. "I've seen enough to know he's not right for you. You deserve someone who sees you, really sees you, not just... someone who doesn't appreciate what you have to offer."

My eyes burned with the sting of something I couldn't quite name. "And you think you're *that* person?" I snapped, my heart racing. "You think *you* know what's best for me? After everything that's happened? After you... and Aiyana... and everything you two have?"

The words hung in the air, and I could see a flicker of regret in Omari's eyes. For a moment, I thought he might say something, apologize maybe, but he didn't. Instead, he just stood there, his face hard, the distance between us palpable. I wasn't ready for that. Not after everything we'd been through, not after *this*.

I gritted my teeth, frustration bubbling over. "You don't get to lecture me about what's good for me when I've heard *you* and Aiyana last night. I *heard* you two, Omari. I don't know if you think I'm just going to forget about that, but I'm not. So don't come at me like I'm the problem, okay?"