But because when your heart snaps in half like that, there’s a certain numbness that follows. A kind of silence so loud it drowns out even your own sobs.
I’d been through that before with my very own family. I would survive it a second time, I knew that. But it was still different.
I wasn’t angry. Not anymore. I was… tired. Like every ounce of energy I had poured into Eden had been sucked out all at once, leaving me nothing but hollow.
The worst part, I couldn’t even call anyone because I had no one.
Asiya and I hadn’t talked in weeks. I didn’t see a need to apologize for what she did—though the version of me who didn’t know what having Eden in her life felt like, would have apologized without a second doubt.
I hated that he actually taught me something. I hated that I knew my worth now. Or I hated thathetaught me I was worth more than I used to think. I liked that I didn’t let people walk all over me anymore.
If our friendship meant anything to Asiya, she would’ve reached out by now, especially since she knew she was at fault here. But as much as losing her hurt, I didn’t need a fake friend in my life.
And I didn’t need Eden either!
Yes, I did.
A knock at my door came exactly three hours after I got home. Just one.
I stared at the door.
Don’t answer it, my brain said. Don’t do it. You already know.
But my legs moved anyway, slow and mechanical. I opened the door, and there he was.
Eden.
His eyes were wild, red-rimmed like he’d been rubbing at them too hard. His curls were a mess. His jaw tight. The sweatshirt he wore was half-zipped over the collar of a T-shirt I’d bought him two weeks ago. The one he said made his shoulders look hot.
I didn’t say anything.
“Alana—” His voice broke immediately, and he cleared his throat like he could fix it. “Alana, please. Just—can I come in? Just for five minutes. I swear I’ll leave after that.”
I didn’t move. “Why?”
“Because,” he breathed, stepping closer. “Because I didn’t do it. I didn’t cheat on you. I didn’t lie. I… I can’t lose you.”
My chest burned. Not from hope. From the ache of wanting to believe him and knowing I couldn’t afford to.
I stepped back without saying anything and left the door open.
He walked in like someone stepping onto glass, like the floor might shatter beneath him at any second. And maybe it would. Maybe we were already standing on broken pieces pretending it wasn’t cutting us open.
I closed the door and crossed my arms. “You’ve got five minutes.”
He nodded quickly, wringing his hands together like he couldn’t figure out what to do with them. “Okay. Right. Um…” He paced once, then stopped in front of me. “Tori’s lying. I haven’t talked to her inyears. Those pictures? They’re from freshman year. I didn’t even remember half of them until I looked again. And the screenshot of my text? I swear to God, it’s fake. I haven’t texted her. Ever.”
I didn’t say anything.
“She’s been holding onto this shit for God knows how long, waiting for a chance to use it. And now, when things are finally good—whenwe’regood—she just throws it all out like she’s beendyingto publish this bullshit.” His hands reached out as if he wanted to touch me, but Eden stopped himself before they could.
Still, I said nothing.
Eden exhaled hard. “You really believed it, didn’t you?”
My jaw clenched. “What else was I supposed to believe?”
“The truth!” he snapped, eyes desperate. “That I would never do that to you. That I wouldn’t even think about doing that to you. You’re all I want.”
