INICIAR SESIÓNI didn’t expect to see him, definitely not here, not like this. For a second, I just stood there, hand still on the door. Brain catching up. Zanders.Up close, he looked exactly how I remembered, even though I met him just once. Calm and composed. Like nothing in the world could shake him. I didn’t like that."What are you doing here?” I asked finally.His lips curved slightly. Not a smile.“I could say the same about you.”I scoffed under my breath. “Did my mom send you?”I asked straight to the point, no time for games. He didn’t answer immediately.Instead, he looked at me like he was studying something essential.Then “No,” his voice came.I scoffed, A lie, or at least, not the entire truth.“Right,” I muttered. “So you just happened to show up at my hotel?”“I came because I wanted to talk.” He said.I let out a short laugh. “With me?”“Yes.” He replied, still calm.“Why?” I asked.His gaze didn’t shift. “Because I think you deserve answers.”That made something in my chest tight
The house had never felt this quiet before,not even after my husband died. Back then, the silence was heavy and filled with grief. But it was shared. This silence? This was different. This silence felt… divided. I stood in the kitchen, my hands resting on the counter, staring at nothing in particular.The plates were still in the sink, untouched. No one had eaten properly since last night.Not Ethan.Not Ava.Not even Lila.And Mason… I exhaled deeply and closed my eyes briefly. I shouldn’t have let it get this far. That thought had been repeating in my head since yesterday.Over and over. I should have told them earlier, before now. I should have prepared them. I shouldn't have let it take me a whole year to—The sound of my phone ringing broke through my thoughts. I glanced down at the counter. Zanders. Of course it's him; who else cares this much to check up on me every single hour that passes? I hesitated just for a second because I know he will definitely pick out the sadness in
The room felt smaller than it was every single moment. I noticed it the moment I woke up this morning, and the room felt smaller than yesterday. It's still the same walls, same furniture, and same silence.But this morning, it felt… tighter, like the air had gotten heavier overnight.I sat up slowly, running a hand down my face. The sleep didn’t help; if anything, it just made things worse. Because now everything was clearer than yesterday. Too clear.Ethan’s voice replayed in my head over and over again. I can't seem to get how hurt he sounded out of my head, and it's annoying as fuck. “Annoying, or are you feeling guilty?” My subconscious mocked me, and my face went pale.I scoffed under my breath, swinging my legs off the bed. “Still wrong.” I mumbled.But the denial didn’t hit the same. Not like before. I stood up and walked toward the window, pulling the curtain slightly. The city was already awake. People are moving.Cars passing. Everyone was living their normal life as everyth
I knew Ava wasn’t going to let it go. The moment we walked in… So I wasn’t surprised when she knocked on my door ten minutes later.“Come in,” I said quietly. The door opened, and she stepped inside and just stood there watching me.“Okay,” she said finally. “What was that?”I blinked. “… What?”“Don’t do that,” she snapped. “Don’t pretend like you don’t know what I’m talking about.”My stomach tightened. “I really don’t—”“Lila.” The way she said my name.She wasn’t playing.I sighed, looking away. “We were just talking.”Ava let out a dry laugh. “Right. Because that’s how you normally stand when you’re ‘just talking.’”Heat crept up my neck. “It wasn’t like that.”“Then what was it like?” she demanded.I hesitated because I didn’t know how to answer that. And that silence? Ava noticed.“That’s what I thought,” she muttered.“Ava, it’s not—”“What are you doing?” she cut in.The question hit harder than I expected.“I’m not doing anything.” I said.“You are,” she said firmly. “And yo
I knew the moment Ava saw us that things wouldn’t stay the same. The walk back to the house was quiet. Lila walked beside me, while Ava walked ahead. Not saying anything, but I could feel the shift. That awareness made everything worse. I opened the door first, stepping inside without waiting for either of them.The house felt smaller now, like the walls had moved in closer.“I’m going to bed,” I said flatly and turned to leave. Ava glanced at me; Lila didn’t.“Ethan…” Lila started, but I didn’t stop.“I said I’m going to bed.” My voice came out sharper than I intended.Silence followed. Good. Because I didn’t trust myself to say anything else. I walked down the hallway, each step heavier than the last, until I reached the guest room.The door shut behind me with a soft click.And just like that, everything caught up.I exhaled sharply, running both hands through my hair.“Stupid.” I mumbled.I shouldn’t have let it get that far, I shouldn’t have stayed out there, and I definitely sho
I didn't have any weird feelings the moment Lila walked out of the house. The door had barely closed behind her before the silence in the house shifted. The silence in the house became off, with Aunt lost in her thoughts, and I just sat there for a second, staring at the door like it might open again if I focused hard enough.It didn’t.“She shouldn’t have gone after him,” Aunt muttered softly, and I turned to her, but I didn’t respond.Because the truth was, I would have done the same thing. No, I should have been the one to go after him.The thought crossed my mind, and something about it didn’t sit well with me.I pushed myself up from the chair. “I’ll check on them.” I muttered, and Aunt looked like she wanted to say something, but she didn't, so I just strode towards the door and left to look for them.The night air hit me immediately I stepped out, and I closed my eyes for a moment to enjoy the soft blow of the air on my face. I snapped my eyes open when I remembered I was out
I stood outside my brother’s apartment. Pacing around and fidgeting with my hands. I took a deep breath but each time I stepped closer to the door, I chickened out, my hands trembling as cold sweat traveled down my spine. My throat bobbed knowing what waits for me behind that door the moment I ope
“Lila, are you out of your mind? Moving in with a guy? With Jake no less?” Mason roared as I stood in front of him in his living room. The anger was evident in every word that rolled off his tongue, the way his fist clenched, the way his eyes held this content I had never seen before. He hated th
I found the brakes, and we were in the middle of the road. The cars around us kept honking, and the drivers kept yelling.“If you want to die, get off the road,”“Jump over the bridge or something, you losers.”“Hey, fuck off the middle of the highway!”They kept yelling, and it was obvious from th
“Since when were you a jerk?” I sneered, glaring at him. He paused on my ice cream, eyes meeting mine, searching.He remained silent, almost like he could tell that I was disappointed in him and this had nothing to do with the kiss.Ethan was never like this. He was reserved and put together, he ne







