Miranda hadn't spoken to anyone all day.
She stayed in her room, phone on silent, and her eyes were puffy from crying. But the image that haunted her wasn't the kiss itself. It was that look…the way Joanne smirked.
The way Elon didn't push her away fast enough. The hesitation.
Yet when Elon finally showed up at her door late in the evening, breathless and desperate, she let him in.
"Miranda, please. Just listen," he said as he stepped inside. "It wasn't what it looked like."
She stayed silent.
"She kissed me. I swear it. I pushed her away, but before I could explain, you were already gone."
Miranda's arms were folded across her chest, her eyes rimmed red. "Then why didn't you run after me?"
"I did! You were too fast and…Miranda, please…I didn't want her. She tricked me with a note, told me it was important."
"And you just went? I can't believe that you went ahead to see or even give her attention." she said, voice cracking.
"I was curious," he admitted, ashamed. "But I didn't cheat, I swear, I do love you."
There it was…that soft truth in his voice she had always believed as it was the same boy who bought her roses with coins and who walked her to class in the rain. Who went ahead to say that she was his home.
She wiped her eyes. "I forgive you," she whispered.
Elon stepped forward and pulled her into his arms.
"Thank you. I promise, I won't even look in her direction again."
But in the silence that followed, even as Miranda hugged him, Elon's mind began to stir in a selfish manner.
...
Later that night…
Elon sat on the edge of his bed, his head in his hands.
He had Miranda back, the girl who loved him even now he still had nothing but Joanne's voice lingered like smoke in his ears.
"I can give you your own apartment, a car. Pay for your full tuition. New clothes, real food, real life."
"Why be poor and faithful to a virgin who won't even sleep with you when you could have it all?"
His chest tightened.
He had never told Miranda, but he was months behind on fees. His part-time job barely covered groceries, let alone books or rent.
And Joanne…she had power, influence. Her father sat on the school board as one word from her could change his future.
No, he told himself. This isn't who I am.
But the temptation... it was real. And it clawed at him.
Then came the knock, it was a soft, sultry knock on his door.
Elon blinked as he wasn't expecting anyone by this ungodly hour, as he looked more confused and stood slowly.
When he opened it, his breath caught Joanne and their eyes met in a weird way way.
She stood in a satin rose-pink gown that barely reached mid-thigh, her perfume sweet and intoxicating. Her skin shimmered, and her smile was wicked.
"You said you didn't want to see me," she said, stepping forward, "but your eyes say otherwise."
"Joanne, I... Miranda…" he stammered, stepping back.
She brushed past him and closed the door behind her.
"I know she forgave you. I heard," she said, rolling her eyes as she ran a manicured hand along his chest.
"But be honest, Elon… how long will love feed you?"
He didn't answer. Couldn't.
She took another step forward, close enough for him to smell the jasmine on her neck.
"I can give you what she can't. All you've ever dreamed of."
Her lips found his neck, and he inhaled sharply and his resistance wavered.
Then it broke, without wasting much time, it was Elon Dax who started to fondle her boobs. He quickly carries her up and pinned her to the wall of his room.
" Hmmm… fiesty, looks like someone has been starved of sex for decades now.'' Joanne said as she joked.
...
Early the next morning, Outside, Miranda walked up the dorm stairs carefully, a warm container of homemade snacks in her hands.
Chocolate chip cookies…Elon's favorite. She had baked them in the dorm kitchen after forgiving him, wanting to surprise him. More like a peace offering.
We're okay, she told herself. Things will be better.
She reached his door and turned the knob gently without knocking and the door unlocked.
The moment she stepped inside, her heart shattered into a thousand pieces.
There, tangled in Elon's bed sheets, were two bodies…naked.
Joanne was on top of Elon, her boyfriend who she had just forgiven last night.
The man who had just told her he loved only her.
The snack container slipped from her hands and hit the floor with a crash.
The noise jolted Elon awake, He sat up, blinking, disoriented. Joanne also got up beside him, lazily wrapping a sheet around herself with a satisfied smirk.
Elon looked up…and froze as he saw Miranda.
She stood there and was shaking with her eyes wide with disbelief and her mouth opened and closed like she couldn't find air.
"Miranda…" he began but there was nothing left for him to say.
But this time she didn't give him the chance.
"Why?" she choked out. "Why would you do this to me? After I forgave you! After I trusted you again!"
Elon stood up slowly, pulling on a shirt. His face didn't carry the guilt she expected. No panic. Just a tired frustration.
"You know what?" he said coldly. "I'm tired of pretending. You're a little girl, Miranda. A virgin who's still dreaming about fairy tales and broken dinners."
Her face became pale immediately.
"You were never going to give me what I needed. Joanne can and let me remind you that she already has everything she wished for."
Tears slid down Miranda's cheeks. "So that's it? You're choosing her?"
"I already chose her," Elon said, with a look she had never seen on him before…cruelty.
"Now get out."
Miranda's knees buckled slightly, but she caught herself. She stumbled backward, her chest tightening as she doesn't know what to do anymore.
She turned and ran…as she was out of the door, down the stairs, across the quad, trying to breathe…But she couldn't.
Her throat closed up.
She reached for her purse, fumbling for her inhaler, but her fingers shook too much.
Her vision started to blur and her legs gave way and what she started to see next was a blur of car's light and a loud honking of cars as if it was a special car that was passing by, in fact it was a convoy.
And in the middle of the empty road, under the cold streetlight, Miranda collapsed.