Somebody's Someone - Chapter Two

Day by day, Khand felt the grip of his feelings loosening. He realized that, despite how present he had been, Yennia had never truly prioritized him. So, he began to live for himself. He went out more, laughed a little louder, and met new people. He started to feel a bit lighter. One evening, while hanging out with his brother and his brother's girlfriend, they mentioned a friend he should meet—Zahra. At first, Khand hesitated; his heart still felt the echoes of Yennia. But after some convincing and arm-twisting from the couple, he agreed. His brother's girlfriend reached out to Zahra on Khand's behalf, and they ended up talking on her phone. After a brief conversation, Khand gave her his number. Over the next few weeks, they talked and decided it was time to meet. Their introduction was effortless: they exchanged genuine smiles, engaged in easy conversation, and felt a spark of curiosity. In that moment, Khand realized he wasn't dwelling on his loss with Yennia; instead, he was captivated by the possibilities that lay ahead with Zahra. It felt as though this was the day they had both anticipated their whole lives, and from that moment on, the match was made—it was just the two of them. Meanwhile, Yennia's life was unraveling. The man she was so attached to was mistreating her more openly, and she had lost her job because of him. Her finances were dwindling, leaving her with just a few hundred dollars. In a familiar panic, she dialed Khand's number. He didn’t answer.

She texted him. No reply.

For a moment, she wondered if he had changed his number, but deep down, she already knew the truth.

After a big fight with the man she couldn't let go of, she decided to reach out one more time. This time, Khand answered.

"Hello," he said.

"Hey, Khand!" Yennia replied cheerfully.

"Who is this?" Khand asked.

"Seriously? You don't recognize my voice?" Yennia responded, surprised and saddened.

Khand replied, "...Yennia?"

"Yes! How are you, babe?" Yennia asked.

Khand continued the conversation, but his tone was different from what she remembered. His energy was calm and detached—no anger, just…done. She asked why he had gone silent since their argument.

"Really? Maybe ask yourself why you didn't reach out. But for me? That was the last straw, Yen. I'm done. I'm over it. And I'm over you," he answered plainly.

She froze and then asked if he had found someone else.

He said yes.

Just like that, her heart dropped. Something twisted inside her—neither anger nor resentment, just jealousy for the life he was moving into and the chance she had wasted. She remembered his actions and everything he used to say about never giving up on her. She couldn't believe he had moved on, even though deep down she knew exactly why.

Desperate, she made a last-ditch plea: "If you would break up with her and give me a real chance, I swear I'll do right by you."

Khand didn't flinch. "Nah, I'm good. I'm not doing that," he said calmly.

Yennia asked Khand if he loved his new girlfriend.

Instead of answering, he asked if there was anything else she wanted to say before they hung up. "Just… think about it at least, please?" she said.

His response: "Okay, let me think about it quickly… No thanks." Then he politely said goodbye and hung up.

The next day, the man Yennia was seeing decided to go through her phone. He discovered some texts to Khand from her, along with a twenty-minute conversation she’d had with Khand the night before. He immediately called Khand.

When Khand answered, the man went straight to the point, telling him never to talk to Yennia again and threatening to kill him if he ever spoke to her again.

Unbothered and unshaken, Khand just laughed.

"Alright, 'Big Dog,'" he referred to the man, "you win, but don't call me with this shit again!" Then he hung up.

A few months later, while running errands, Yennia spotted Khand in a store. She looked different—still beautiful but emotionally and physically drained.

As they exchanged pleasantries and engaged in conversation, Yen confided in Khand about her struggles: her money was gone, her car was wrecked, and a man had drained her life dry. She was planning to move from Charlotte to another city to live with a family member for a fresh start.

Khand congratulated her and wished her well. Then jokingly, yet half-pleadingly, she said, "You should break up with your girlfriend and let me move in with you. If you say yes, I'll stay instead of leaving." Despite her laughter, he could see the sincerity in her eyes.

He gently dismissed her proposal. "I'm good, Yen. I wish you nothing but the best." And that was the last time he saw her.

As time passed, Yennia settled into a new life in Virginia Beach with her family member. Months turned into years, and she found herself growing in ways that surprised even her. She had a new car, made new friends, found a job she loved, and even began rebuilding her savings from scratch. She was no longer the same woman she used to be, and she knew it. Her focus was centered and deliberate. She had no interest in casual relationships or romantic entanglements—just herself.

Sometimes she thought of Khand. Not often, but when his name slipped into her thoughts, it came with a bittersweet edge. She struggled to reconcile how things had ended between them and didn’t want to confront her own accountability. It was easier to believe that he had hurt her rather than admit that she had pushed him away. She remembered how kind he had been to her—every favor, every kind word, every moment he had shown up when no one else did. But her mind clung to the haunting phrase, "I'll never give up on you." That promise was supposed to be permanent; it was meant to be her anchor.

Now, in the quiet hours, as she scrolled through social media and saw random "hello" requests from faceless accounts, she told herself they were from him. She didn’t have proof and felt no need for it. Her thoughts were already decided. In her mind, Khand hadn’t moved on. He hadn’t healed. He was obsessed.

That idea became her comfort. She convinced herself that he was the one who couldn’t let go and that she had been right to reject him. She believed that pushing him away was necessary, not because of his love, but because of his so-called obsession. With that narrative firmly in her mind, she allowed herself to believe she was the one being pursued, not the one who had walked away from something genuine. Despite her growth in other areas of her life, Yennia remained emotionally displaced concerning the truth about how their relationship had ended.

In the months that followed, Khand was quietly thriving in Charlotte. Not loudly or boastfully; he was simply living a lighter and steadier life. Zahra had become a soft yet grounding presence in his world. She didn’t require repair or feel the need to prove herself through apologies. With her, there was no need to chase or decode; there was just connection and flow.

The past didn’t haunt him, but it did visit occasionally. In quiet moments—like standing in line at the grocery store, driving alone late at night around the city, or folding his laundry—he would remember things about Yennia. He recalled her laugh, the way she'd lightly roll her eyes and twist strands of her hair when deflecting something serious, and how she could look you dead in the eye without really letting you in. Yet, even those memories were losing their sting.

He didn’t look her up on social media, nor did he scroll through her profiles. He didn’t ask mutual friends for updates. It wasn’t anger; it was peace—a choice not to be tied to anything that had once made him feel invisible.

Once, he received a random friend request from a faceless account—no name, no photo, just a wave emoji. He glanced at it for a moment and then dismissed it. It could have been spam or someone from a past life reaching out. It might even have been her. But he simply didn’t care anymore.

What she chose to believe now, how she remembered him, and what stories she might tell herself were no longer his burden. He had shown up time and again, and now he was gone—not out of revenge or retaliation, but because he had finally chosen himself.

He was building something new—something solid. And it felt incredibly good to be loved without having to beg for it.

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🖊️ *Author's Note:*

I deeply appreciate you taking the time to read Chapter 2 of this multi-chapter series.

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Thank you again for being part of the journey.

This story and its entirety was written by me. AI was used solely as a tool for ideation and refinement.

🎨 *Visual Companion:*

Want to see the characters behind the words? Explore the portraits of Yennia and Khand, and the evolving energy of the story through art:

📲 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/izivne/

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The artwork accompanying this story was generated using AI and thoughtfully edited by me to reflect the tone and spirit of the narrative.

Chapter 3 coming Sunday August 3, 2025....