The days after their conversation felt like a fragile truce. Noah had given Amara his word, and she had accepted it, but the seed of doubt still lingered, growing stronger with each passing day. Every time she saw Noah, she felt the pull of his presence—his warmth, his determination to make things work. But Clara's words still echoed in her mind, and it was becoming harder to ignore them.
Amara threw herself into her work, trying to distract herself from the emotions that were threatening to overtake her. She buried herself in the projects she had been neglecting, focusing on making her career goals a reality. But no matter how much she tried, Noah was never far from her thoughts.
Her phone buzzed on her desk, and she saw Noah's name flashing across the screen. She took a deep breath before answering.
"Hey, Noah."
"Hey, Amara. How are you doing?"
"I'm fine," she said, her voice clipped. She didn't want to sound distant, but she wasn't sure how to act around him anymore. "Just busy."
"I know we haven't talked much lately," he said. "But I wanted to let you know that I'm here whenever you're ready to talk. About… everything."
Amara's heart skipped a beat at his words. "I'm sorry, Noah. I didn't mean to shut you out. I've just been trying to figure everything out."
"I get it. Just don't shut me out completely, okay?"
"I won't," she replied softly. "But I'm not sure if I can ignore what's been bothering me."
Noah was silent for a moment. "Is this about Clara?"
Amara hesitated. "Yes," she finally admitted. "I don't know if I can trust her. And I don't know if I can trust myself either."
There was a pause on the other end of the line. "I don't want you to feel like you're alone in this, Amara. But you have to know that I'm here for you. No matter what."
The sincerity in his voice made her heart ache. For the first time in weeks, she felt the wall she had been building around herself begin to crumble.
"I'm scared, Noah," she whispered. "Scared that everything will fall apart."
"You don't have to be scared," Noah reassured her. "We'll figure it out, together."
But Amara couldn't shake the feeling that she was losing herself in this whirlwind of emotions. She wasn't sure if she could give him all of herself, not when Clara's voice continued to haunt her. Every word she had spoken, every accusation, now felt like a burden Amara couldn't ignore.
The night was falling as she stared at her phone, uncertain of what the future held. But one thing was clear—she couldn't keep letting fear dictate her choices. It was time to face her feelings head-on.