Quiet Storms
The sky outside was heavy with clouds, the kind that promised rain but never quite delivered.
It mirrored the way Amelia felt, full of things she couldn't say, moments she couldn't explain, and eyes she couldn't meet.
She found herself by the window, curled into the corner of the reading nook at the far end of the cabin.
Her knees hugged to her chest, her fingers idly tracing the rim of her coffee mug, long gone cold.
The breakfast had ended quietly. Too quietly.
Eli hadn't said a word after she left.
Neither had Harrison.
But their silence spoke volumes, and the echo of their unspoken words still rang in Amelia's ears.
She didn't hear footsteps at first.
Just the shift of weight on the floorboard.
Then his voice, soft, low.
"Hey."
She turned. It was Eli.
His eyes were tired, shadowed.
He had that guarded look he wore when he was trying not to feel too much.
"Can I sit?" he asked.
She nodded.
He didn't sit too close.
Just enough that they could talk without raising their voices.
The storm outside was internal, and they both knew it.
For a while, they didn't say anything. Just listened to the wind through the trees.
Then Eli finally spoke.
"I saw Harrison leave your room."
Amelia stiffened.
He looked at her, not accusing. Just searching.
"I wasn't trying to spy.
I just… I couldn't sleep.
And then there he was.
Coming out of your room.
And I—" He cut himself off and shook his head.
"I don't know.
I guess I'm just trying to make sense of everything."
She opened her mouth, closed it again, then whispered, "It wasn't what it looked like."
Eli gave a dry laugh. "Then what was it?"
Amelia's throat tightened. She looked down at her mug, unable to meet his eyes.
"I don't know."
"That's not like you."
"Yeah," she breathed. "Lately, I feel like I'm not even me."
He let that sink in. Then leaned forward, elbows on his knees.
"I don't want this to mess us up," he said. "You and me. We've always been"
"Safe," she finished for him, a bitter smile tugging at her lips.
"We've always been the ones who never needed to say anything. Just knew."
"Exactly."
"But maybe that's the problem, Eli."
She looked at him now, eyes glimmering. "We never said anything. Not when it mattered."
He frowned. "You mean…?"
"I mean, I didn't know you felt anything more than friendship. Not until you started acting like this."
He looked away.
"And Harrison…" She sighed, pressing her forehead to her knees.
"Harrison said things I didn't expect.
Things from years ago.
And I kissed him.
I didn't mean to.
I just—" Her voice broke. "I didn't know how much of him I'd been carrying all this time."
The silence between them now was louder than shouting.
Eli nodded slowly. "So you kissed him."
She nodded back.
He exhaled hard, jaw tight. "That hurts. More than I thought it would."
"I know," she whispered.
Another long pause.
"I liked you," Eli said.
"I mean… I like you. And I always thought maybe one day you'd see me that way.
But I waited. I waited too long."
Her heart cracked open a little at his words, gentle, honest, and sad.
"I never wanted to hurt you," she said.
"I know. You didn't."
Then he stood.
"Take the time you need, Amelia. Just don't shut me out, okay?"
She nodded.
He walked away without another word.
And Amelia sat there, still and quiet, as the first raindrop tapped against the glass, the beginning of the storm she wasn't ready to name.
Threadbare Truths
The evening light filtered softly into the room, casting long shadows as Amelia stood awkwardly by the doorway to Nora's room.
She hesitated before knocking, the weight of everything she'd been holding pressing down on her chest.
"Nora opened the door with tired eyes, not angry and not cold, just… quiet.
"I—" Amelia started, but Nora simply stepped aside, letting her in.
They sat on the edge of the bed, space between them like a crack waiting to widen.
Amelia broke the silence first. "I'm sorry, Nora."
Nora didn't say anything.
"I didn't mean to hurt you. Lena was right.
Getting close to Eli… It's pulled him away from you.
I saw it. I felt it. I hate that I made you feel less. You don't deserve that."
Nora blinked fast, her hands twisting in her lap.
"Honestly," Amelia whispered, "you've been more than a friend to me.
You're like my anchor in this group. And now it feels like I've undone all of it."
Finally, Nora spoke, calm, steady, but sharp. "You didn't do this alone."
Amelia looked at her, confused.
Nora sighed, pulled out a worn folder from the side drawer.
She opened it slowly, revealing folded papers. Letters.
"I read them," she said. "All the letters Eli wrote to you. The ones he never sent."
Amelia froze. "You… what?"
Nora gave a sad smile.
"You were the one he liked. Not me. He was trying to get over you.
He let himself believe that if he stayed close enough to me, maybe he would stop thinking about you."
Amelia's breath caught.
"He said it once," Nora continued, voice cracking just slightly.
"'Sometimes when I talk to you, Nora, I feel like I'm trying to talk to her through you.'
That's what he told me. I laughed it off then, but deep down, I knew."
Amelia's chest twisted. "Nora, I never knew he felt"
"I know you didn't."
Nora met her eyes.
"And I don't blame you.
I blamed myself for believing he liked me, when I was just to him, a shadow."
Tears slipped silently down Amelia's cheeks.
"But I also don't regret being there for him," Nora said.
"He needed someone. And maybe I did too."
"I feel like I've torn things apart," Amelia whispered. "With Harrison. With Eli. With you."
"You didn't tear anything apart, Amelia," Nora said gently.
"You just happened to be in the center of it when everything started breaking."
They both sat there, the silence stretching, not cold, just heavy.
After a while, Nora scooted closer and took Amelia's hand.
"We're okay. We'll need time, yeah. But we're okay. Just promise me something."
Amelia looked up, eyes red. "Anything."
"When this all clears up, when you figure out who and what you want, don't look back with regret.
Don't choose out of guilt. Choose out of love."
Amelia squeezed her hand, the first shaky smile breaking through. "I needed to hear that."
"I know."
Nora smiled too, finally.
"Now go.
Before Lena comes in here with snacks and turns this emotional moment into a therapy session."
They both laughed softly, the kind of laughter that meant healing had begun.
Spoons, Hearts, and the Anniversary Truce
The living room felt like a pressure cooker.
Breakfast had been awkward, no one meeting each other's eyes.
Eli sat with his arms crossed, pretending to scroll through his phone.
Harrison was flipping channels but not watching.
The silence wasn't just uncomfortable, it was loud.
Then came Kai, strolling in with a bowl of cereal like he hadn't noticed the emotional landmines everywhere.
He took one look at them and sighed dramatically.
"Alright. That's enough. Someone say something before I eat my feelings."
No one responded.
Kai plopped down between them.
"Okay, fine.
I'll say it.
We came down here for our usual routine, our friendship anniversary, remember?
The whole point is to bring ourselves together.
Laugh, roast each other, eat like pigs, and maybe cry over childhood videos if Lena insists.
Not sit here like rejected reality TV contestants."
Harrison cracked a smirk. Eli tried not to.
Kai pointed his spoon at them, dramatically.
"This is not 'Love & Heartbreak: Cabin Edition', alright? This is our Friendship Anniversary.
Not Romance Olympics."
Eli finally glanced up. "You done?"
"No."
Kai leaned forward.
"Listen, I get it.
Amelia's… yeah, she's beautiful.
Smart.
She makes that face when she's thinking, the squint and lip-bite combo? Deadly.
If we weren't friends, one of you would be fighting me right now."
Harrison groaned. "Seriously?"
Kai shrugged.
"I'm just saying, objectively?
She's a whole snack.
But she's also a part of us.
Our group.
Our chaos.
And if we don't handle this right, it's not just her that gets caught in the middle, it's us too."
Silence again.
Kai raised an eyebrow. "What? Did I break you both?"
Harrison leaned forward, dropping the remote. "You're right."
Kai blinked. "I am?"
"I'm not giving up on Amelia," Harrison said, voice firm. "For any reason."
Eli narrowed his eyes. "So that's it?"
"I'm not here to start a war," Harrison added quickly.
"But I'm not walking away like I did before. Not again."
Kai stared between them.
"Oh boy. Okay. You two wanna duel with frying pans? Or just arm wrestle and cry after?"
Eli sighed. "No one's fighting. Not really."
"Not yet," Kai muttered.
"But we've got a group bonfire later. Maybe schedule the emotional breakdown for then?"
Despite himself, Eli chuckled. Harrison rolled his eyes but didn't look as tense.
Kai leaned back, triumphant.
"That's more like it.
Look, guys, she's not a prize.
She's Amelia. And she's not just part of the group, she is one of us.
So don't make her choose like it's some twisted triangle.
If she picks one of you, fine.
If she picks neither, also fine.
But don't ruin this weekend with ego wars."
Eli nodded slowly. "Fair."
Harrison sighed. "Fine. But I'm still telling her how I feel."
Kai smirked.
"Cool. I'll just be over here reminding her I'm funny, emotionally available, and can cook eggs without crying."
They all laughed.
And just like that, the room warmed again, not fully healed, but patched enough to breathe.