The Mating Run by Leeka

In His Eyes: Regrets

Zeke’s POV

The room is bathed in a soft, warm glow as the morning sun filters through the

window.

Indifferent as ever, Alina lies on the bed, her gaze fixed on the ceiling, the room filled with a sense of emptiness. We no longer sleep together in the same bed. The distance between us is palpable, a constant reminder of the fragments we’re trying to piece back together.

eat.”

“Hey, Alina,” I say softly, gently shaking her shoulder. “Breakfast is ready. Let’s

No matter what is said or done, her gaze remains steadfast, and she shows no signs of responding. It’s as if I’m a stranger in her world. I continue to persist, yearning for the moment when her eyes will once again hold the recognition I crave.

I prepare breakfast, a simple meal of fish that I caught earlier by the lake. As the fire crackles in the small pit, its warm sound fills the entire cabin, creating a comforting atmosphere. In the midst of cooking, I am occasionally distracted by brief glimpses of her movement from the corner of my eye. Lost in her thoughts, she sits on the edge of the bed, staring into the distance. It feels as if there is an unknown expanse separating us, a void that I long to fill.

“Alina, come on. Breakfast is ready,” I say, setting the plate of fish on the small table. “Do you want to have it there?”

“No… No, it’s fine. Just give me a minute.”

Moving at a snail’s pace, her body casts a shadow against the soft glow of the morning light. The hoodie drapes loosely over her shoulders, swaying with each step she takes. After she settles into the gound, I find myself sitting across from her, the air between us heavy with an unspoken quietness.

I watch her eat, her gaze fixed on the food as she methodically cuts and chews. The act of eating food for her became a monotonous routine, stripped of any pleasure or significance.

“Alina, do you need anything else?”

“I could use some water, I guess.”

Careful not to impose, I ask with a gentle tone, my voice barely audible. I can’t help but notice the shrug of her shoulders, a small gesture that speaks volumes. The vacant look in her eyes resonates in the void that separates us. Each passing day adds weight to the burden I carry, an ache that lingers within me.

I grab a cup, filling it with warm water that steams in the cool air, and offer it to

her.

“Here. Drink.”

“Uhh… thanks.”

Despite taking the cup, her gaze remains unresponsive, lacking any acknowledgement. I sit back, allowing her some room to breathe, while my plate of food remains untouched in front of me. Our shared silence cast a heavy shadow over the cabin, making it feel smaller and more constricting. Each passing moment feels like an eternity, a constant reminder of how far apart we’ve become. As I watch her, a wave of emotion swells in my chest, causing a lump to form in my

throat.

I watch with delight as Alina takes her time, relishing every last bite of her meal. My gaze remains fixed on her, my own plate forgotten and untouched. As she sets the empty plate down, her gaze distant, I feel compelled to break the silence.

“Do you want more? You can have this.” With a nod, I offer her my plate, which is piled high with mouthwatering fish. Alina’s gaze shifted from the plate to me, her face contorted with a peculiar expression. “I’m not that hungry.”

With a skeptical look in her eyes, she scoffs dismissively. She sees my offer, my attempt to care for her, as a complex puzzle that she can’t decipher. She lets out a

deep sigh, the sound reverberating in the stillness of the room, before finally breaking the silence with her words.

“Why are you doing this, Zeke?”

Her tone is sharp, cutting through the stillness.

Unsure of how to answer, I hesitated, my mind racing with possible responses.

“Doing what?”

“Treating me like some child who can’t take care of herself. I’m not helpless.”

a sharp sting pierces through me, and a knot tightens in my chest, causing discomfort. The ache was all too familiar, a painful reminder of how distant we had become.

is weird to me, okay?” I can feel her anger lingering in the air, creating a palpable tension between us. I glance at the untouched plate in front of me, feeling my stomach grumble with hunger. “Zeke, I

growing gap between us. My eyes instinctively wander to the mating mark on her neck, the mark that says she’s mine. Of course, she notices me staring, and her cheeks immediately turn a rosy

on her neck. “It’s really weird! I already told you, I’m still trying

didn’t mean… I didn’t want it to be like this. Sorry.” I murmur, my voice

out a

you don’t have to share your food with me.

“Oh, but…”

“I’m serious. Eat.”

the room. I grab the plate, trying to eat the food as rapidly and silently as possible, fully immersed in its flavors.

can eat more.

you doing all this?”

“What?”

exasperation, Alina repeats her words, gesturing wildly with her hands. “Is this because you got stuck with me as

because I love

freezes. Her cheeks were flushed with a vivid red, a striking contrast to the bewildered expression in her eyes. It’s as if my

“Love?”

as she

upon me.

I love you.”

with it a

my memories,

dangles in the air, a tenuous connection between our past and the present, waiting to be answered. When my eyes met hers, they conveyed a sense of both uncertainty and longing.

never confessed back then. I never knew how I felt, so I never knew how you

her, evident in her changing expression. Breaking the silence again, her voice slices through the stillness with

confessed to me

of pain to wash over me. As

my voice betraying a combination of self–deprecating mockery and a touch of regret. “I guess I am a

loser.”

fixes her gaze

you figure out you loved

feeling the

not like I woke up

a mischievous sparkle in her eye, a sight I had never seen before. She tilts her head to

I can feel her eyes boring into me, their intensity weighing heavily on me. “I guess… I

When you not being there felt

74%

burn with such intensity that it sets my heart racing. Her laughter bubbles out when I clear my throat again, a beautiful sound. that holds me spellbound. If I could

blushing, Zeke. Is that really when

my face flushing with embarrassment. “Yeah, I know it sounds cheesy, but it’s true. I didn’t realize how much I needed

heightening the unspoken emotions between us. The edges of Alina’s guard momentarily lift,

now softer and less accusatory. “If you felt that way, why didn’t you confess before I

my lips as I feel the weight of my own indecision pressing

on me.

I had more time.”

“Huh.”

“What?”

“Nothing.”

unease as I brace myself for another night of restlessness. We have silently accepted the growing distance between us, finding solace in separate beds. The fire’s embers cast

the weight of our new normal settles upon me, a whirlwind of emotions that I can’t escape. The uncertainty hung in the air, mingling with a deep sense of longing and the fragments of what once was. Sleep

you. When you not being there felt like something was missing.”

racing. Her laughter bubbles out when I clear my throat again, a beautiful sound that holds

Zeke. Is that really when you figured

sounds cheesy, but it’s true. I didn’t realize