Adrian didn't go home immediately.
He walked until his legs hurt, until the tears dried into a dull ache behind his eyes. The streetlights blurred past him as his mind replayed the same sentence over and over again.
I feel something for you.
He had always known Lia was kind. Gentle. Present. But now he understood-she hadn't been staying out of pity. She hadn't been choosing him.
She had been choosing someone else.
By the time Adrian reached home, the house felt unfamiliar.
A strange pair of slippers sat neatly by the door.
His chest tightened.
Inside, his father's voice floated from the living room-lighter than Adrian remembered it being in months. There was another voice too. A woman's. Soft. Polite. Careful.
"Adrian," his father called when he noticed him. "You're back."
Adrian stepped into the room slowly.
"This is Aunty Miriam," his father said. "She'll be staying with us."
So this was how it happened. No warning. No preparation. Just another replacement slipping quietly into his life.
"Nice to meet you," she said warmly.
Adrian nodded once, unable to speak, then turned and walked straight to his room. He closed the door and finally broke.
He cried the way people do when they're tired of being strong-silently, painfully, clutching his chest like it might tear open. His mother was gone. Lia was gone. And now even his home no longer felt like his.
Across town, Lia sat alone on her bed, staring at nothing.
Jaden's words echoed in her head too. Confession wasn't supposed to feel like destruction-but it had shattered something innocent.
That night, Lia didn't sleep.
The next day at school, Adrian didn't show up at school.
At first, Lia thought nothing of it. People got sick. People stayed home. But by the second day, the absence felt wrong. By the third, it sat heavily in her chest.
Adrian wasn't the type to disappear.
That evening, she went to his house.
A knock came on the door.
He opened the door slowly, as if the effort alone cost him something. Lia's breath caught-he looked thinner, paler, his eyes dull in a way that startled her.
For a second, neither of them spoke.
" You weren't in school," She said finally.
"I needed space," he replied.
She studied his face, her expression softening.
"You look different," she said softly.
He gave a tired smile. "Come in."
Inside, the house felt unfamiliar. Before Lia could process it, a woman stepped out of the kitchen, wiping her hands.
"Oh, you must be Lia," she said warmly.
Lia nodded. "Yes, ma'am."
"I'm Miriam," the woman said kindly. "Adrian's dad has told me so much about you."
She was gentle. Polite. Nothing like the tension Lia had imagined. And somehow, that made everything harder.
After the initial pleasantries in the living room, Adrian gestured toward his room.
"Let's... go there," he said softly.
Lia nodded, following him down the short hallway. The door closed gently behind them, shutting out the rest of the house. The quiet felt heavy but intimate.
Adrian leaned back on his bed, staring at the ceiling for a long moment. Finally, he spoke.
"She... Miriam. My dad's new companion. She's polite, kind. I don't dislike her. But it's different. The house feels different now. I... I don't know where I fit anymore."
Lia nodded softly.
"I can imagine... must be strange, seeing someone else around the house like that."
"It is," he admitted. "Even when she's kind... it doesn't fill the spaces. Not yet. I keep thinking about what's missing... or maybe... who's missing."
Lia's heart ache hearing the weight in his voice. She reached out gently, resting a hand near his.
"You're not alone, Adrian. You have people who care about you. Me, for example."
A small, faint smile flickered on his lips. "I know... I just... I needed someone to... talk to. To feel like things aren't completely upside down."
She nodded. "I get it. And I'm here. Always."
For a long moment, they just sat there, the silence comfortable, unhurried.
"Well," Lia said after a pause, trying to ease the heaviness, "at school... things are moving. Exams, assignments, the new session... everyone noticed you haven't been around. I tried to act like it wasn't affecting me, but it was obvious. People missed you."
Adrian chuckled softly, a faint, hollow sound.
"School keeps moving, even when everything else feels heavy."
"Yes," she said, her voice gentle. "Even when life feels different, it goes on. And... I thought it might help to talk about it, distract ourselves a little."
He turned his head to look at her, eyes meeting hers.
"Talking... it does help. A little. Makes things feel... lighter, even if only for a moment."
Lia smiled, relieved to see him opening up.
"Then let's keep talking," she said softly. "Tell me about the things you want to... not think about alone."
And so, the room filled with quiet conversation - calm, ordinary, and grounding - a fragile bridge connecting two hearts amid the chaos outside.
"You've been... different lately," he said, his eyes fixed on her. "Not in a bad way. Just... I notice it. The way you move, the way you look at things, even the way you... hesitate sometimes. It's like you're holding something back, and I can't reach you."
Lia hugged her knees tighter, her eyes widening slightly. "I... I... what do you mean?" she whispered, voice small, trembling.
Adrian's voice softened, almost a whisper. "I can feel it, Lia. The way you've been... sweeter, more thoughtful, and yet... somehow distant. I don't know why, but I've noticed. And I can't stop thinking about it... thinking about you."
Her fingers twitched against the blanket, and she swallowed hard, heart racing. "I... I don't... I'm not sure..."
"I just... I needed you to know that," he continued, voice breaking slightly. "You've changed, Lia... and I've been trying to understand it. Trying to understand you. And I... I love you. I've loved you through it all."
Lia's chest rose and fell rapidly. She bit her lip, blinking rapidly, unable to speak, letting his words wash over her.
Adrian shifted closer without thinking, and before either of them realized it, their foreheads touched. Their breaths mingled, quick and uneven in the quiet room.
Then their lips met - soft, tentative at first, almost questioning, but it didn't need permission. It just... happened.
The kiss deepened slowly, deliberately, each movement carrying months of unspoken feelings. Adrian's hands cupped her face gently, thumbs brushing her cheeks, while Lia's hands trembled against his chest, feeling the steady beat of his heart.
Time seemed to stretch, filled with warmth, longing, and quiet understanding. Each second lingered, slow and steady, leaving them both breathless.
After a while, Lia stood abruptly, the force of her movement startling them both. Her hands clutched at herself, trying to contain the storm of emotions she didn't know how to name.
Adrian's eyes widened, and before she could step away, he reached out, gently but firmly stopping her. "Lia... wait," he said, voice trembling with desperation and pain. "Why... why is it that in this moment, you act like you want me, but then you pull back like you don't?"
Adrian's voice trembled as he took a shaky breath. "Lia... that night at the party, when you-"
"No!" Lia snapped softly but firmly, stepping slightly between him and the memory. Her eyes were glistening, chest rising quickly. "Not now. Don't... don't talk about that night. I... I can't. Please."
Adrian's words faltered. He looked down, hurt and frustrated, but he didn't push. The room went quiet, heavy with unspoken emotions.
He reached for her hands, holding them gently. "Do you... love him?" he asked, voice low, desperate.
Silence. Her lips pressed together, and she shook her head faintly, unable to respond.
Adrian's chest tightened, but he didn't push. "I overheard your conversation that afternoon," he whispered, voice breaking slightly. "I didn't mean to... I just... I needed to understand. I needed to know... how you feel."
He paused, searching her eyes. "So... tell me, Lia. Do you... love him?"
Still nothing. Her face glistened with unshed tears, her chest rising and falling rapidly. Adrian felt his own control slipping, the tears he had been holding back now rolling freely down his cheeks.
Lia didn't speak, but without thinking, she stepped closer, wrapping her arms around him. He stiffened briefly, then melted into the embrace, letting himself feel the warmth, the fleeting closeness, the emotional weight of the moment.
She pressed a gentle kiss on his cheek, soft and fleeting, then pulled back slightly. "I... goodbye, Adrian. Stay safe," she whispered.
He reached out instinctively, calling her name, but she only gave a faint, sad smile and turned toward the door.
Outside, she met Mr. Edwin. The older man's face softened as he saw her. "Hello, Lia," he said warmly.
"Hello, sir," she replied, giving a polite, small smile.
They exchanged a brief greeting, a small comfort amidst the storm of emotions still clinging to her. Then she turned and left, her steps quiet but purposeful, heading home. Adrian remained behind, clutching the bed where they had shared so much without words, his chest tight with longing and heartbreak.
