The Secret Between Them
Days stretched into weeks, but the night Ethan and Clara crossed the line remained a silent shadow hanging over everything. They moved through their days as if nothing had changed, but the secret between them was a wall growing taller with every passing moment.
Clara was quieter now, her eyes avoiding Ethan's whenever their paths crossed. She laughed less, spoke less, and in the rare moments they were alone, the tension was thick enough to choke.
Ethan felt trapped — caught between the desire to reach out and the fear of pushing her further away. Every interaction was weighted with unspoken words and avoided glances.
They both carried the secret like a fragile, dangerous flame, afraid to let it burn but powerless to extinguish it.
Mark, oblivious for the moment, continued to lean on both of them, sharing his worries about work, dreams about the future, and hopes for their tight-knit circle.
But Ethan saw the distance growing, felt the invisible cracks spreading beneath the surface of their friendship.
The more they pretended, the more the truth threatened to break free.