READER'S POV
"We're here!" Max declared with a triumphant smirk, her chest rising and falling from the effort of their half-hour search.
She had been determined to find the perfect spot—a place where Nancy could escape her tangled, chaotic world, even if just for a little while. Max knew her best friend needed this, needed a moment to breathe, to feel like herself again.So, she'd spent hours scouring every corner of the neighborhood, hunting for a café that was just right. It had to be somewhere cozy, somewhere far removed from the buzz of their college life and the relentless grind of juggling part-time jobs to make ends meet.
Max wanted a sanctuary, a place where they could leave behind the weight of their everyday struggles and just be.
And now, standing outside the quaint little café tucked away on a quiet street, she couldn't help but feel a swell of pride."See?" she added, nudging Nancy with her elbow. "Told you I'd find us the perfect spot."But oh, how much Nancy wished she could share in Max's happiness, to mirror that radiant smile of excitement lighting up her face.
But how could she?
How could she pretend to feel okay when the hurt still clung to her like a shadow? Those painful memories he had left behind—cutting deeper than she'd ever thought possible—refused to let go. The scars he'd etched into her heart weren't just physical; they were invisible reminders of a time when she had lost herself completely.Nancy didn't know when, or even if, she would ever truly heal from it all. And as much as she wanted to move on, to let Max's joy pull her out of the darkness, the weight of her past felt too heavy to ignore.
18/08/2023
NANCY'S POV
"Ryan, please, don't do this to me. Talk to me, please. I swear, it was not my intention to say that to you. It just... it just slipped out of me. I didn't mean it,"
I pleaded desperately, my voice trembling.
I watched him, waiting for some sign of change in his expression, but he sat there, motionless, as if my words hadn't reached him at all. His face remained cold, a void of emotion, and it felt as though the space between us had grown miles instead of inches.
He finally spoke, his voice distant and cutting. "It's okay, Nancy. I know. I guess I'm just so bad that maybe you've been thinking of calling me stupid for a while now. Well, I guess it's my fault too—being too stupid to be with you."
His words stung, sharp and unforgiving. They pierced through me like ice, making my chest tighten painfully. I sat frozen in my seat, unable to process what he had just said. The café, alive with chatter and laughter, felt suffocating, as if the whole room was closing in on me. I felt the weight of everyone's eyes on me, even though I knew they were all lost in their own little worlds. But inside, a voice screamed that everyone was watching—watching me fall apart.
Ryan didn't even flinch. He didn't react. It was as if nothing mattered to him anymore. He stood up suddenly, his movements abrupt and sharp, like a blade cutting through the air. His phone in hand, he began chatting, but there was a coldness in his tone, a distance I had never felt before. The screech of the chair as it scraped against the floor made my heart race. Why was he standing up now? Why was he leaving? This was supposed to be our day, our chance to finally be together in a place I loved, a place where we could reconnect. But now, it was slipping through my fingers, and I had no idea how to stop it.
I couldn't just sit there. I couldn't let him walk away like this. I jumped to my feet, my breath catching in my throat. My mind raced, trying to form the right words, but they wouldn't come. My heart pounded in my chest as I instinctively followed him, moving with desperate urgency as he made his way to the counter to pay.
"Ryan, wait—" I reached for him, my fingers trembling as I extended my hand toward him, hoping he would turn around, hoping he would hear me. But before I could even touch his arm, he shoved my hand away with such force that I staggered backward, almost losing my balance entirely. The sudden push sent a shockwave through me, and I felt the eyes of the entire café shift to us. The moment seemed to stretch on forever, and I wished I could just disappear, to sink into the floor and escape the humiliation.
Ryan didn't even look back as he paid the cashier. His body was stiff, his posture rigid, and his every movement felt like a slap in my face. I stood there, heartbroken, staring at the cold, distant figure of the person I thought I knew. The words I had spoken—words I never meant to say—had shattered everything.
Heaving a sigh, Ryan turned to face me one last time. His eyes met mine, but there was no warmth there, no understanding. They were cold, filled with disappointment and something I couldn't quite place. But it was enough to make my stomach turn. It was like a weight settled on my chest, pressing down on me with the force of a thousand broken promises. I wanted to scream, to beg him to stay, but I couldn't find my voice.
Without a word, he turned his back on me and walked away. The sound of his footsteps echoed in my mind, each step further away from me, from us. His back was all I could see now, his cold silhouette disappearing into the bustling crowd.
I stood there, motionless, like a statue frozen in time. The world around me kept moving—people talking, laughing, going about their day—but I was stuck. I was still standing there, staring after him, my heart crumbling into a million pieces. How had it come to this? Why did I always mess things up? Why couldn't I just keep my mouth shut when it mattered?
As the seconds ticked by, the pain intensified. I wanted to run after him, to apologize again, to explain myself, but the sting of his rejection paralyzed me. The disappointment in his eyes lingered, burning into my soul. It reminded me of the way I had always felt—like I wasn't good enough, like no matter how hard I tried, I could never be the person someone truly wanted.
I wanted to scream, to let out all the emotions I had been holding inside for so long. But I didn't. I couldn't. Instead, I forced a smile, a hollow, broken thing, and whispered to myself, "It's okay. I'm okay. I'll be fine."
But deep down, I knew it wasn't true. I wasn't okay. And maybe, just maybe, I never would be again.