Elena had begun to notice the smallest cracks.
Maya's laughter was no longer light, it carried a tremor, a hollow echo. When Elena walked into the room, Maya's voice faltered, her gaze dropped, her fingers fumbled with whatever was in her hands.
That evening, Elena entered the kitchen to find Maya stirring tea. The spoon clinked too fast, her hand trembling.
"You'll chip the cup if you stir it that way," Elena said softly.
Maya jumped, spilling drops across the counter.
"Oh sorry I.. I… I didn't hear you come in."
Elena smiled faintly, but her eyes lingered on the girl's face.
You've been tired lately. Busy?
Maya's throat bobbed as she forced a smile saying, "it's just school… you know" looking suspicious.
The lie was small, but Elena tasted it like ash on her tongue.
Later that week, Elena met Daniel at the cafe. She hadn't planned it.
She had simply walked in, and there he was, tucked in his usual corner with a book. He looked up, his quiet eyes warming at the sight of her.
Elena, good to see you! He said with his voice gentle.
You look… heavier. Spill the 'T' baby girl.
She slid into the seat across from him.
Really! Is it that obvious?
Yes, you carry your silence like a shield. It's so obvious anyone smart could notice. He said.
"But shields get heavy too, you know."
Elena let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding on.
So tell me, Daniel… If someone you trusted was keeping something from you, something that hurt, would you want to know?
Or would you rather stay blind?
Daniel leaned back, thoughtful. Truth is a blade. It cuts through lies, but it cuts the hand that holds it too.
The question is.. are you ready to bleed for it?
She met his eyes, and for a heartbeat, the world stilled. There was no judgment in him, no probing, only an invitation to face her storm with clarity.
Elena's lips curved, not quite a smile.
Maybe bleeding is the only way to feel alive again. She replied.
That night, Adrian returned home late.
Elena sat on the couch, the lamplight soft around her, a book open but unread in her lap. He leaned down to kiss her cheek, but she turned her head just slightly, so the kiss landed near her temple instead.
It was subtle, almost nothing. But Adrian froze, his lips lingering in hesitation.
You're distant, he whispered.
Elena closed her book slowly, her eyes lifting to his.
Am I?
Or are you the one pulling away?
He blinked, startled, words caught in his throat. Before he could speak, Elena rose and walked past him, her perfume trailing in the air like a question left unanswered.
Meanwhile, Maya lay awake in her dorm room, Adrian's shirt still clutched in her hands. The guilt was suffocating now.
Every stolen kiss, every hurried touch, every whispered promise, they no longer tasted like passion. They tasted like poison.
She thought of Elena's sharp gaze, her questions wrapped in silk, and the way her silence seemed louder than words.
Maya pressed her face into the shirt and whispered through tears, " Omg she knows. My God! I know she knows, I can feel it."
In Elena's heart, the pieces were beginning to fall into place. Not fully. Not yet.
But enough to feel the weight of guilt pressing against her skin.
Time's ticking.
And she was ready to let it crush someone else.