Page 28

I slept terribly. It felt like my mind had been racing all night, and in the morning, I was still stuck between my tangled thoughts.

Yesterday was overwhelming, and I couldn't shake it off.

After a shower, it was still there, so I decided to go downstairs, hoping to find some kind of escape, even just for a bit.

Maybe I'd find Maya there, and everything will work out.

I left my room with that hope, turned my head, and there she was—standing in front of her room.

It scares me not knowing what happened after she left yesterday—she just drove off, and I have no idea where she went.

I checked her out from top to bottom.

Did she seriously just wake up with her dress and jewelry on?

Like, is this some rich thing I can't understand?

Maybe she was just too tired to take it off. Or maybe she just got back.

She's so unpredictable.

This was the worst for my overthinking, spiraling into every possible scenario.

Her makeup was slightly smudged, her hair a bit messy, and her eyes were tired and red-veined from... I don't know. But in her entirety, she was... beautiful as always.

I would kill to look that good in the morning.

"Grace." Her eyes sparkled as she finally looked at me. "How are you?"

I followed her every movement with worried eyes. "I should be the one asking you..." I said softly.

She looked both wasted and relieved. A weird combination.

What the hell happened to her last night?

"I'm fine. I'm fine now," she smiled a little.

I nodded, not quite understanding what that was supposed to mean... but I found myself taking a few steps closer to her.

"I need to tell you something important," she leaned closer.

My heart was going wild as I instinctively leaned in too. "Go on..."

Maya looked straight into my eyes, something soft and real in her gaze. "I know this doesn't make it okay, but yesterday I completely lost it, and that led me to be so unfair to you. You didn't deserve it, Grace. I'm really, really so—"

All of a sudden, my eyes froze and my heart skipped a beat. Her door was ajar, and I caught a glimpse of a blonde girl sitting on her bed, her back facing me.

The bed looked messy, blankets all tangled and pulled around.

Maya had that relieved expression earlier.

This can only mean one thing.

Something inside me just shattered. I could feel it in my chest—it tightened with a burning, sharp ache, like everything was slowly falling apart.

Maya stopped talking, her eyes following my gaze. When she realized the door wasn't fully closed, her expression faltered. She looked hesitant—conflicted.

Her mind clearly elsewhere. It was like she was caught between doing something simple, like closing the door, and dealing with whatever was going on inside her.

She pursed her lips but didn't make a move.

"Grace," she said softly, her voice steady as her eyes flickered toward me.

Seriously? Was it really that hard to just shut the damn door in the first place?

"Well, looks like you've been busy," I burst out, shooting her a cold glare and walking off.

She immediately followed. "It's not what it looks like," she said, a little too calmly for my liking.

I scoffed. "The audacity of bringing her in your room says it all."

Why am I even saying this?

Why is my stomach twisting?

Maya brushed past me and stopped right in front of me, blocking my way. "Yes, you're right, Grace, I'm a jerk, I'm the worst. But I can explain," she said, her tone sharp with urgency.

From the way her eyes locked with mine, I could tell she meant every word, which totally caught me off guard.

I managed to pull her out of my way, but she stood right next to me instead. Her fingers brushed my arm as if to stop me, but I quickly pulled away.

"Nothing happened," she said firmly.

I let out a dry laugh. "Right, nothing. Just casually hanging out on the bed, huh?"

Why do I keep doing this?

Why can't I just stop?

"I swear it's not like that," Maya insisted, her voice deep and serious as she quickened her pace to reach me.

I kept walking, trying to put distance between us, but every step felt heavier.

"Honestly, I don't even care about your little hookups, Maya. Do whatever the hell you want," I laughed nervously.

I tried to act like it didn't bother me—but it did.

Fuck, why it did?

"Grace, please, look at me," her voice soft but firm.

I spun around, my heart pounding in my chest. "So you can keep lying to my face?"

"I'm not lying, Grace!" she exclaimed, her voice sharp this time. "You can't always assume what you see! Have you ever thought about that?"

Her words crashed into my mind, and I couldn't shake them. Could I trust what I'd assumed so far? Could I even trust her?

"Yeah, you're right. I guess I've always been wrong..." I said, my voice less angry, more upset.

Her jaw clenched, confusion in her eyes. "Wrong about what?"

"Nothing. It's not important," I dismissed her.

Maya took a step toward me, her hand squeezing my arm. A shiver ran down my spine.

"Believe me," she insisted, her voice thick with emotion. "Look into my eyes," she urged. I finally met her gaze, recognizing the urgency and hope.

But something was still shattered in my heart, the hurt still pulsing in my chest.

That girl. That girl on her bed. It made my mind blur, twisting something inside me.

"I honestly don't know what to believe anymore, Maya," I muttered, my eyes dropping to the floor.

Maya took another step closer, her fingers grazed my arm, slowly trailing down to my wrist. "I'm right here with you, Grace."

Her thumb started brushing against the back of my hand. I shivered at the softness.

"Why does everything feel so messed up?"

my voice trembled with fear.

"I never meant for it to get this way," her voice steady. Grounding me.

I let out a frustrated scoff, shaking my head. "It's a little late for that now, don't you think?" The words came out sharper than I meant, but the hurt was still raw.

Her gaze intensified as she studied my face. "Why are you so angry, Grace? I'd like to know the reason behind it."

She confronted me with something I wasn't prepared for.

I took a step back, but her fingers held onto my wrist, not wanting me to pull away.

"I'm not angry."

"Yes, you are."

Yes, I am. But why?

It's not like I have any right over her.

It's not like she have any right over me.

"I don't owe you an explanation, Maya," I said, my voice low.

Maya barely suppressed a scoff, her dark eyes locking with mine. She exhaled, trying to steady herself.

"Give it a try, Grace. If you did, this wouldn't feel so messed up."

I barely understand it myself—and now she wants an explaination from me when there's a blonde in her bed?

"This isn't fair!" I firmly shook my head and staggered back, pulling my hand completely away from her.

Maya's expression faltered, her brow furrowed as her hand dropped.

"You enjoy seeing me struggle, don't you? You don't even try to hide it. It amuses you, Maya," I snapped, my voice filled with frustration.

I was breaking. Like a fragile piece of glass falling to the floor. Because in the end, I always end up sabotaging myself.

Her eyes suddenly filled with hurt. "I didn't mean to make you feel this way, Grace." Her voice was soft and honest, cutting right through my defenses.

My chest suddenly felt too tight. "I can't do this anymore, Maya," I murmured. Guilt washed over me. "This is too much. I don't know how much longer I can take this."

I turned away, fast, desperate—I couldn't bear the look in her eyes a second longer.

"So what, Grace? You're just walking away?" she snapped, her voice tight with frustration.

I stopped in the doorway, my eyes drifting over her. Her beautiful gaze both terrified and mesmerized me.

"What have you done so far?" I said.

Maya didn't say anything more—because deep down, she knew I'd hit a nerve she couldn't argue with.

Maybe we're not so different, after all. Maybe we both messed up.

I walked out of the door.

It's better this way.

Whatever's going on between us is too much—too intense, too overwhelming.

It's pulling me in, but at the same time, I'm terrified of how deeply I feel.

Something has to give, before it shatters everything.

Or it already has.