Ariana’s POVAlex called just after noon.I was sitting on the edge of my bed, folding the same sweater for the third time without actually putting it away, my thoughts moving in slow, nervous circles. When my phone lit up with his name, my chest tightened before I even answered.“Hey,” I said softly.“Pack a bag,” he said, his voice low and steady. “For two weeks. We’re going to Japan.”For a second, I forgot how to breathe. “Japan?” I repeated, as if saying it aloud would make it real.“Yes,” he said. “We are leaving soon. I’ll handle everything else.”There was something protective in his tone, something final. This was not a suggestion. It was a decision that wrapped around me like armour.“Okay,” I whispered.“Are you sure?” he asked, softer now. “I don’t want to push you to do this.”I looked down at my stomach, at the faint curve that only I seemed to notice, my hand resting there instinctively. Two weeks away with an ocean between us, and everything I was afraid of, and final
Last Updated : 2026-01-10 Read more