Hyacinth sat on the edge of her bed, staring blankly at the half-written message on her phone. She had drafted and deleted it at least five times, but no words seemed right. Since the night of the party, since the kiss with Lana, things had been… off. Lana hadn't reached out, and even when they bumped into each other in passing, they exchanged little more than awkward smiles and a quick, "Hey."
She sighed and set her phone aside. She wasn't even sure what she wanted to say, or if she was ready to deal with the fallout of that kiss. The look in Lana's eyes as she'd pulled away, the guilt and fear mingled with something else, had left her confused and a little raw.
As her thoughts spiraled, her phone buzzed, startling her. She grabbed it, heart pounding, but it was only a message from an old friend asking if she'd be around to hang out that weekend. She didn't answer, her mind still lingered on Lana. Just then, a mild knock echoed through her small apartment, and she froze.
She stood, her stomach twisting, and opened the door to find Lana standing there, a smile on her face and a tense look in her eyes.
"Hey," Lana said, her voice carrying that same uncertainty that had been hanging between them.
She swallowed, stepping aside to let her in.
"Hey. I… wasn't expecting you."
"Yeah, I just—" she bit her lip and looked away. "I thought maybe we should… talk. About everything."
The words hovered between them. Hyacinth closed the door, suddenly unsure of where to stand, what to do with her hands, how to even breathe normally around her. She finally settled for leaning against the wall, trying to seem casual.
"I've been meaning to text," she mumbled, unable to meet Lana's eyes. "I just didn't know what to say."
"Me either." Lana exhaled, looking around the room, her eyes avoiding Hyacinth's. "I've never been good at talking about… things like this."
Hyacinth's heart pounded.
"Things like… us?" she asked.
Lana shifted her focus back to her, surprised but not denying it.
"Yeah, I guess," she said quietly. She paused, biting her lip, then continued, "I've been avoiding you. I thought maybe if I didn't see you, if I just… pretended it didn't happen, maybe it would go away."
Hyacinth felt a pang of hurt at Lana's words, but forced herself to keep calm.
"So… Do you want it to go away?"
Lana's eyes widened, and for a moment, Hyacinth thought she'd say something to break the tension. But then, Lana shook her head, a frustrated laugh escaping her lips.
"I don't know. That's the thing, Hyacinth—I don't know what I want. I didn't plan for any of this."
The tension simmered between them, high and confusing, until Hyacinth couldn't take it anymore.
"Lana, that kiss—whatever it meant—happened. And ignoring it is only making things worse."
She opened her mouth to respond but closed it again, conflicted. After a pause, she finally said,
"You're right. It's just… I feel guilty, okay? Andrew and I… things with him aren't perfect, but we've been together for a long time. And now you—" she stopped, swallowing hard. "I don't want to hurt anyone."
Hyacinth nodded slowly, feeling her heart sink.
"So, where does that leave us?"
Lana shook her head, looking away.
"I don't know. I didn't come here with answers, Hyacinth. I just… I missed you."
It was all she needed to hear. She took a step forward, closing the space between them, her fingers brushing Lana's arm.
"Then stop running from me,"
Lana's breath hitched, but she didn't pull away. Instead, she closed her eyes, as if surrendering to something she couldn't deny.
"I don't know if I can," she said with her voice cracking.
But at that moment, the hesitation was gone. Hyacinth leaned in, and this time, Lana didn't move away. Their lips met in a kiss that was both tender and desperate, like they were clinging to something fragile and precious.
But just as they melted into each other, a loud knock was heard from the door, jolting them apart.
Hyacinth's heart leaped into her throat. She glanced at Lana, whose face had paled, her eyes wide with panic.
"Expecting someone?" Lana asked, her voice filled with alarm.
"No," she replied, moving to the door cautiously. She opened it, and her heart sank when she saw Andrew standing there, a frown etched on his face.
"Hey, Hyacinth. Is Lana here?" he asked, his voice sounded casual, but his eyes looked sharp, as if they were sensing the tension.
Hyacinth shot Lana a quick glance, but Lana was already stepping forward, wearing a blank expression on her face.
"Hey, Andrew," she said, "What are you doing here?"
"I could ask you the same," he replied in a suspicious tone. "I thought you were busy today."
"I, uh… just needed to talk to Hyacinth about something." Her gaze shot back to Hyacinth, a silent plea in her eyes to go along with her story.
Hyacinth forced herself to smile.
"Yeah, she was just dropping by to… check on me. You know, after the party."
Andrew looked between them, his frown deepening.
"Okay… Well, are you free to come with me now? I wanted to talk about some things."
She glanced at Hyacinth, feeling torn.
"Sure, just give me a minute," she said.
He hesitated, clearly sensing the tension, but nodded and stepped outside. As soon as the door clicked shut, she turned to Hyacinth, her face filled with regret.
"Hyacinth, I… I didn't want this to happen. Not like this," she said, her voice breaking.
Hyacinth's heart ached, but she forced herself to stay strong.
"It's okay. Go with him. Do what you need to do, Lana."
She nodded, biting her lip, but before she could leave, she reached out and squeezed Hyacinth's hand.
"This isn't over."
She didn't respond, and her heart pounded as Lana slipped out the door, leaving her alone with a whirlwind of emotions. She didn't know what to think, but one thing was clear— she and Lana were on a collision course, and neither of them seemed able—or willing—to stop it.
She sat down on the edge of her bed, trying to calm her beating heart. Her phone buzzed again.
This time, it was Lana.
"Can we meet tonight? Just us?"
Her pulse quickened as she read the message. It was a risk, a chance for them to finally face whatever was happening between them head-on. She typed a quick response.
"I'll be there. Tell me where and when."
As she hit send, a thrill of anticipation mixed with dread settled in her stomach. She had no idea what the night would bring, but she knew one thing for certain… they couldn't keep hiding from this.
Later that evening, she arrived at the address Lana had sent. It was a quiet, secluded park on the outskirts of town, the kind of place where no one would stumble across them by accident. She found her waiting for her by a small bench near the lake, the moonlight cast a mild light on her face.
Lana looked up as Hyacinth approached, her eyes filled with a blend of emotions—fear, hope, longing.
"Thank you for coming," Lana said politely.
Hyacinth gave a small nod, her own nerves on edge.
"I needed to."
They stood in silence for a moment, the tension between them was palpable. Finally, Lana took a deep breath.
"I told Andrew… that we needed a break."
Hyacinth's eyes widened, shock and relief flooding through her.
"Are you serious?"
She nodded, her eyes stared intensely.
"I don't know what's going to happen, Hyacinth. But I know that I can't keep lying to myself. Not about this. Not about us."
Hyacinth's heart sank, a feeling of hope and fear bubbled up inside her.
"So… what does that mean for us?"
She stepped closer, her hand finding Hyacinth's, their fingers intertwining.
"It means that I want to see where this goes. If you're willing to take that risk with me."
Hyacinth didn't hesitate. She wrapped her arms around Lana, pulling her close. They were diving headfirst into something unknown, something that could easily shatter them both.
But as they stood there in the quiet night, Hyacinth knew that whatever lay ahead, she was ready to face it, as long as Lana was by her side.
And for now, that was enough.