The morning sun filtered through the cracks in the curtains, casting soft beams of light onto the wooden floor. Maya stared at the empty space across from her, where Aziel used to sit. The space seemed so much bigger now. It was hard to believe that just a few months ago, they had shared every morning like this—he, sitting by the window, sipping his coffee, and she, curled up in her favorite chair, glancing at him over the top of her book, with a sense of contentment that she thought would last forever.
But forever had an end.
Maya sat up, her fingers brushing over the scar on her wrist. The mark was a constant reminder of what had been, and what had been lost. She winced. It had been his fault, and yet, it was her own heart that had bled.
Her phone buzzed on the nightstand. The sudden sound pulled her from her thoughts, and she reached for it without thinking. Her heart skipped a beat when she saw the notification.
Azel: Can we talk?
Maya's breath caught in her throat. After months of silence, here he was again. The last time she saw him, he was walking away, leaving her standing in the middle of the street, helpless. She had convinced herself that she was better off without him. But now, staring at the message, all the emotions she had buried deep within her were rising to the surface.
She stared at the phone screen for a long moment, her fingers hovering over the keys. She wanted to respond, wanted to scream at him, to ask him how he could have done this to her. But instead, her fingers remained still. The words never came.
Instead, she typed something simple: "What do you want, Aziel?"
It was a question that had no easy answer. What did she want from him? He had shattered her world, and now she was expected to just let him back in?
Azel's response came quickly, almost too quickly: "I need to explain myself."
Explain himself? The words felt hollow in her mind. She had heard his explanations before, back when he promised her that things would be different, that nothing could tear them apart. He had always had an answer for everything. But now, it felt like nothing he said would make a difference. Nothing would undo the hurt.
Still, Maya felt a strange tug inside her, something deep and raw, that pulled at the part of her that had always loved him. She couldn't deny it, no matter how much she tried to bury it. There was a part of her that wanted closure, that wanted to understand why he had left, why he had made those decisions that had led them to this point.
Her fingers moved once more, typing a response: "I'm not sure I'm ready to hear it."
The truth was, she wasn't. She had spent so much time trying to rebuild herself, trying to forget the broken pieces of their relationship, that the idea of confronting it again terrified her. But then, there was a part of her that knew, deep down, that she needed to face it. For better or worse, she needed to know the truth.
The phone buzzed again. "Can we meet?"
Maya hesitated, staring at the screen. She could almost hear his voice in her head, soft and sincere, the way it used to be when he begged her to listen, to believe him. And then she remembered how it felt when those words turned into lies, when the promises faded into the nothingness of his departure.
She put the phone down, her hands trembling. A part of her wanted to throw it across the room, to ignore it all and pretend that nothing had ever happened. But that wasn't her. She couldn't ignore the past, no matter how painful it was.
---
Maya spent the next hour pacing around her apartment, debating what to do.
It had been three months since Aziel left. Three months since she last heard his voice, since she last saw his eyes—eyes that once held so much love, so much promise. And now, those eyes felt like a distant memory, a dream she couldn't quite grasp.
But memories were tricky. They had a way of haunting you, of pulling you back to places you swore you'd never go again. Maya had tried so hard to forget, to bury everything about their relationship deep down, where it couldn't hurt her. And yet, here he was, forcing his way back into her life, reminding her of the pain she thought she had overcome.
She glanced at the clock. It was almost noon. The sun had climbed higher in the sky, and the world outside was buzzing with life. People were going about their business, laughing, talking, living. Maya felt like an outsider, a ghost wandering through a world she no longer understood.
She glanced at the phone again. Aziel's message was still there, staring back at her, waiting for a response. She could feel his presence in the silence, as if he were standing right behind her, just out of reach.
Taking a deep breath, Maya stood up. She walked to the window and looked out at the city below. It was busy, full of life, full of people who didn't carry the weight of her broken heart. It felt strange, knowing that life moved on while she was stuck in this moment, stuck in the past. But maybe, just maybe, this was her chance to move forward. To finally get the closure she needed.
With a sense of determination she hadn't felt in a long time, Maya picked up the phone and typed: "Fine. Let's meet."
---
The coffee shop was quiet when Maya arrived.
It was the same place she and Aziel had come to on their first date—cozy, with dim lighting and soft music in the background. She remembered how nervous she had been back then, how she'd fidgeted with her cup, unsure of what to say. And Aziel? He had been calm, confident, with that easy smile that made everything feel right in the world.
But now, as she stood at the entrance of the shop, the memories felt like a distant echo, like something that belonged to someone else. She wasn't that girl anymore. She couldn't be.
She stepped inside, scanning the room for him. It didn't take long. He was sitting at a table by the window, looking out at the street, as if waiting for her, though he couldn't possibly know she would be here. He hadn't changed much—still the same deep brown hair, the same familiar features that used to bring her comfort. But now, all she could see was the pain in his eyes, the regret.
Their eyes met, and Maya felt a jolt in her chest. For a moment, everything else faded away—the world, the time, the past. It was just them, locked in a silent stare that spoke of everything they had been, and everything they had lost.
Aziel stood up slowly, his movements hesitant, like he wasn't sure how to approach her. Maya took a step forward, her heart pounding in her chest.
"Maya," he whispered, his voice hoarse. "I never wanted to hurt you."
Her stomach tightened, and she fought to keep her composure. She had heard those words before, too many times, but they never meant what they were supposed to. They never made things right.
"I'm listening," she said quietly.
End of chapter 2.