Her Trace

The locker room of the football team's club was quiet except for the distant hum of the showers. The air was damp, carrying the scent of soap and body wash. Most of the students had already left, but I knew Zerref was still here.

I stepped inside carefully, my footsteps barely making a sound against the tiled floor. The overhead lights flickered slightly, casting faint shadows on the lockers.

Then I saw them.

Zerref stood near the lockers, a towel hanging low around his waist. His skin was damp, droplets of water trailing down his toned torso. His dark hair clung to his forehead, still wet from the shower. His posture was relaxed, one hand gripping the towel loosely, as if he had just finished drying off.

And in front of him-Mara.

She stood too close, her face flushed, her fingers barely grazing Zerref's forearm. Her lips were slightly parted, eyes locked onto him with something unreadable. From my angle, it almost looked like she had just pulled away from him.

My stomach twisted.

"What the hell?" The words slipped from my mouth before I could stop them.

Mara jolted, turning to me with wide eyes. "Pixie-"

Zerref, on the other hand, was calm. He slowly looked over his shoulder, his dark eyes meeting mine. "You're here."

Mara quickly stepped back, flustered. "Wait-hindi 'to-"

"El, it's not what you think," Zerref added smoothly, reaching for his shirt on the bench.

I scoffed, crossing my arms. "Really? Kasi from where I'm standing, it looks exactly like what I think."

Mara opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out. Instead, she looked at Zerref, as if waiting for him to explain.

Zerref let out a short breath before putting on his shirt. "If you're here to talk about something, we can do that outside."

My jaw tightened. "No need." I turned on my heel. "I'm obviously interrupting something."

I walked away before either of them could say another word, but my mind was already racing.

It shouldn't bother me.

But it did.

I didn't wait. The air in the locker room was suffocating, and the last thing I wanted was to stand there like an idiot while Mara and Zerref figured out how to explain whatever the hell I just walked in on.

I stepped out, my pace quick but steady. My heartbeat wasn't.

"Pixie-wait!"

Mara's voice rang out behind me, hurried footsteps following.

I kept walking. "Don't."

"Pixie, please, hindi talaga 'yon-"

"I don't care." My voice was sharp, cutting through whatever excuse she was about to say. I didn't turn around. I didn't need to see her expression. I could already imagine it-flushed cheeks, wide eyes, lips pressing together like she was trying too hard to look innocent.

But she wasn't explaining.

She wasn't even denying it.

She was just saying something, like she needed to fill the silence so it wouldn't feel so awkward.

"Basta, it's not what you think! I swear! Pixie-"

I stopped walking. Slowly, I turned to face her.

She almost crashed into me.