She's Not The Same

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• Chasing After My Best Friend’s Sister    Epilogue

  Mia’s POV (Two Months Later)It had been two months since we left, two months of co-parenting, compromise, and cautious conversations. Dylan even went to therapy to get over most of his childhood trauma and he learnt how to manage his emotions, especially his anger.My parents also supported our decision even though they were a bit disappointed we didn't just let go of our past completely to focus on moving on as a family.Well, on the surface, things were really good. Peaceful, even. Truth was thriving and okay with the fact she could still see both of her parents, but to be honest, I was... barely surviving.Behind every smile at a school pickup, every shared laugh during drop-offs, there was a quiet longing. For him.Dylan and I were doing everything right for our daughter’s sake, but everything else still felt wrong. Like pretending not to miss the feel of his arms wrapped around me at night. Like ignoring the way my heart pulled when I heard his laugh. Like biting my tongue when

• Chasing After My Best Friend’s Sister    Letting Go to Begin Again

  Dylan's POV The morning light crept softly through the curtains, casting pale shadows across the room. I hadn’t slept much because my mind kept replaying last night like a bad record, stuck on Mia’s confession and the inevitability of what today meant.I stared at the ceiling for a long time, numb in a way that didn’t feel new anymore. Truth’s door creaked open. Her steps, light and cautious, padded across the hall.She didn’t come to me right away.I found her sitting at the edge of her bed, hugging her knees, her small frame wrapped in her oversized hoodie. Her eyes were open, wide and thoughtful, staring at something I couldn’t see.“Good Morning, My beautiful princess,” I said gently, kneeling beside her.She turned to look at me, her expression calm. Sad, somehow. Her eyes didn’t carry blame. Just quiet understanding. “Good morning, Dad.”It was the way she said it. Soft, yet strong, that hit me in the chest.“Are you okay, sweetheart?” I asked, brushing a strand of hair from h

• Chasing After My Best Friend’s Sister    The weight of Love

  Dylan’s POVShe left me standing there before I could say more, with nothing but the echo of her words.“Loving you has never been enough to save us.”The door clicked softly behind her, sealing the finality of the moment. I stood frozen, unable to move or even think. It felt like my heart had been cut in half, shredded in a way that words couldn’t describe.I couldn’t hear anything over the deafening silence that settled between us.I guess I should’ve seen it coming.Mia had been building her walls up for years. And yet, I’d convinced myself, foolishly, that I could break them down. That love would be enough to tear through the fortress she’d built around her heart. But now, standing in the empty, quiet aftermath of our conversation, I understood that love wasn’t the key. Not the way I thought it was.I wanted to chase after her. Grab her, pull her into my arms, and beg her to stay, to tell me this was just a fight, that we could fix it, that we could somehow make it work. The need

• Chasing After My Best Friend’s Sister    Time's Up II

  Mia's POV “I’m really sorry, my love. It's my fault we're in this mess in the first place.”“Enough with your apologies dad, just fix things already. If my mom leaves, I'll be leaving with her and that'll be it. I don't think I'll try to convince her then. You’re a nice guy to some extent, and you're so rich, but I'll choose her over you anytime.”“It's okay, I can understand that. You don’t have to convince her for me either. I'm just glad you like me now.”“I'm kind-hearted like my mom, so I couldn't hate you for so long.”“Thank you so much, Truth.”“You're welcome. Now we need to make a plan to help you get mom back.”I couldn’t take it anymore. I rushed back inside and threw myself into setting up the dinner table, letting muscle memory take over. My hands moved. My mind spiraled.Then, like fate had a cruel sense of timing, I pulled open the wrong drawer and came face-to-face with it.The article.I stared at it. The edges sharp and clean like it was brand new. I’d avoided r

• Chasing After My Best Friend’s Sister    Time's Up I

  Mia's POV Finally.Our one month was over. A month of playing house, of pretending this little bubble was ours forever. We’d shared laughs, dinners, and responsibilities. We’d breathed life into something that almost felt like a family. But now time was running out, and reality was starting to hit me hard in the head.Still, I kept Dylan at arm’s length.Yes, we flirted. We teased and we might have kissed more than we should have.But whenever the moment began to tilt into something deeper, heavier, more consuming, he’d pull back. And as much as I hated the sudden distance, a part of me was entirely grateful for it. If we made love, it would tangle us up even worse than we already were and worse, what if I got pregnant again?We were careful around Truth. We didn’t touch or anything in front of her, but our daughter is too smart. She didn’t need to see us holding hands or sharing a kiss to know love still lingered between us. Just like my parents could feel it too. Our love is avoi

• Chasing After My Best Friend’s Sister    A Proper Reunion II

  Dylan’s POVThe air was crisp, golden with the warmth of the sun, and laced with the peace and laughter. Truth was in the driveway, steadying herself on her bike, her helmet slightly off. Every time she lost balance or fell down, she’d push herself up again without complaint.“She’s a determined one, isn't she?” Mia’s dad said beside me, his voice filled with pride and admiration.“I know. She gets it from her mom,” I replied, unable to stop the smile tugging at my mouth.He chuckled, his arms crossed casually over his chest as we both stood by the porch steps. “Maybe. But that fight in her? That’s got some of you in it too.”I didn’t know what to say to that. For a long moment, I watched my daughter try again with her brows furrowed. If we let her, she'd be throwing curse words left, right and center. Just like me indeed. My throat tightened.“She shouldn't be like me. I don't even deserve the love she's slowly giving me now. I messed up and I missed everything,” I finally said. “He