I didn't answer him.
Because I didn't have an answer.
Because anything I said would sound like a lie.
He was still looking at me.
Waiting.
And I hated that I couldn't just walk away.
"You should go," I said softly.
My voice didn't sound as strong as I wanted it to.
He didn't move.
"You didn't answer me."
I looked away.
"I don't need to."
"You do."
His voice wasn't loud.
But it felt firm.
Like he wasn't going to let this go.
I took a small step back.
"I trust myself enough to know this is wrong," I said.
There was a short silence.
"And yet you're still here," he replied.
My chest tightened.
Because he was right.
I should have left.
I should have walked away the moment I saw him.
But I didn't.
And that scared me more than anything.
"I'm leaving now," I said quickly.
I turned before he could say anything else.
And this time—
I actually walked away.
The walk home felt longer than usual.
Every step felt heavy.
Like I was dragging something behind me that I couldn't drop.
When I got home, I didn't talk much.
I greeted my parents, went to my room, and closed the door.
Then I sat on my bed.
Staring at nothing.
Everything felt mixed up.
My best friend.
Him.
The way things were before.
The way they were now.
I covered my face with my hands.
"What am I doing…" I whispered.
There was no answer.
Just silence.
That night, I couldn't sleep.
I turned from one side to the other, but my mind wouldn't stop.
His voice.
Her words.
The look in his eyes.
It all kept coming back.
At some point, I gave up trying.
I sat up and reached for my phone.
I didn't even know what I wanted to do.
I just didn't want to be alone with my thoughts.
Then my screen lit up.
A message.
My heart skipped.
It was from him.
I stared at it for a few seconds before opening it.
"Are you okay?"
Simple.
But it didn't feel simple.
I stared at the words longer than I should have.
My fingers hovered over the screen.
I shouldn't reply.
I knew that.
But still…
I typed.
"I'm fine."
I was about to drop my phone when another message came almost immediately.
"You're not."
I swallowed.
Why did he always say things like that?
Why did he always see through me?
"You don't have to worry about me," I typed.
This time, there was a pause.
A longer one.
Then—
"I want to."
My heart beat faster.
I stared at the message like it might change if I looked long enough.
But it didn't.
It stayed there.
Clear.
Confusing.
Dangerous.
I locked my phone suddenly and dropped it on the bed.
"No…" I whispered.
This wasn't right.
None of this was right.
But even as I said that—
I couldn't stop thinking about it.
The next day came too quickly.
I felt tired.
More than before.
When I got to school, I tried to act normal.
I really did.
I greeted her.
I sat like usual.
I even tried to smile.
But something felt off.
She was quieter than usual.
She still talked to me.
Still stayed close.
But it wasn't the same.
Like something was on her mind.
Like she was thinking… but not saying it.
And that made me nervous.
"Mina," she called softly during class.
I turned.
She hesitated for a second.
Then asked—
"Did he text you last night?"
My heart dropped.