The morning light felt gentler than usual, slipping through my window like a quiet apology. I sat up slowly, letting my fingers glide over the edge of my blanket. For the first time in days, I didn't wake up with tears already brimming. Maybe it was sleeping in my own bed again. Maybe it was hearing Aunt Grace hum softly in the kitchen. Or maybe, I was just tired of being broken.
Still, the ache hadn't disappeared. It had just shifted into something quieter, like a bruise healing under the skin.
Grace had made breakfast, her movements unusually tender as she served me yam and egg. She didn't say much, but her silence was full of care. I could feel it.
"You don't have to go if you're not ready," she said, placing my tea in front of me.
I hesitated, then shook my head. "I need to go. I need something to feel normal again."
She gave a small nod and didn't push further. She just grabbed her car keys and drove me to school without another word.
The air felt thick when I stepped out of the car. School hadn't changed one bit. Same noise, same faces, same chaos. But I had. I wasn't the same girl who walked these halls just a few weeks ago. I felt like a stranger in my own skin.
"Ava!"
I turned at the sound of my name and saw Talia rushing toward me. Relief bloomed in my chest. She was the only thing that still felt familiar.
"I was just about to text you," she said, pulling me into a tight, quick hug. "You look better. I'm glad you're back." I gave her a soft smile. "I'm trying."
We walked side by side, her voice buzzing in my ear as she caught me up on all the ridiculous school drama. I smiled and nodded, pretending to care. But the moment I saw him, the world narrowed again.
Daniel.
He stood near the entrance, surrounded by a few guys. His presence was magnetic, effortless and smooth, just like always. But his eyes… they found mine. Just for a second. A flicker. Then he looked away like it meant nothing.
But it meant everything. My stomach turned. "You okay?" Talia asked, looking at me with concern. "Yeah," I muttered, forcing my legs to keep walking.
She didn't notice him. She kept talking like nothing happened. I tried to listen, but my brain had latched onto that one-second glance. That flicker of attention. That subtle smirk he always wore. He wasn't surprised to see me, he was watching. Waiting. Moving.
Later that day, while we sat eating lunch under our favorite tree, Talia said something that made my blood freeze.
"Daniel texted me last night."
I looked up slowly. "What?"
"Yeah," she said, nonchalant. "He asked about your favorite color. I told him lavender, of course. I mean, have you seen your room?"
I tried to smile, but my lips felt heavy.
"He's been asking a lot about you," she added with a teasing grin. "What you like, what makes you laugh. It's honestly cute."
"Cute'.
The word made me want to scream.
I couldn't tell her. Not yet. Not until I had the strength to say it without breaking down. So instead, I laughed lightly, pretending my insides weren't in a knot.
"I didn't know he was interested," I lied.
"Well, now you do," she said, nudging me playfully. "Maybe give him a chance. He's not as bad as you think."
I laughed it off with a chuckle cause if only she knew.
Later, I escaped to the library and buried myself behind dusty shelves. I pressed my forehead to the cold wood of the table and let the silence settle around me.
Daniel was getting closer. He was using Talia to get to me, and she didn't even realize it.
And me?
I was terrified of what might happen when he finally reached me.
The school day moved at a sluggish pace, like time itself was dragging its feet just to mess with me. The halls buzzed with life, laughter, and mindless chatter but none of it touched me. I floated through the day like a ghost, present but untouchable.
After the final bell, I didn't head straight home. My chest felt too tight, my thoughts too loud. I needed space to breathe, to process, to be alone without being questioned.
So I walked out to the old field behind the school, somewhere quiet, away from the noise and eyes. The grass there was overgrown and wild, and the trees whispered in the breeze like they knew too many secrets.
I sat on one of the wooden benches near the edge of the field, hugged my arms around myself, and let the silence press in.
But of course, I wasn't alone for long.
Footsteps. Slow and deliberate. I didn't even have to look up to know who it was.
"Hey," Daniel said, like he'd just bumped into me by accident.
I glanced at him out of instinct, my heart skipping painfully in my chest. He was casually dressed in faded jeans, a gray hoodie, hands shoved in his pockets like he had nothing to hide. but I knew better.
"I didn't expect to see you out here," he added.
"I needed air," I muttered, voice barely above a whisper.
He nodded like he understood. "Talia said this is where you come sometimes. I was hoping I'd find you."
That made me stiffen.
"She talks about you a lot," he added casually. "You mean a lot to her."
I looked away, focusing on a leaf spinning in the wind. "She means a lot to me too."
There was a silence, long and uncomfortable.
"You like lavender, right?" he asked, his voice softer now.
I blinked. "What?"
"Lavender. It's your favorite color."
I didn't know what bothered me more, that he knew that, or that he was using it to make conversation. I gave a small nod, guarded.
He smiled faintly. "That makes sense. You've got that kind of calm energy."
Calm? If only he knew the storm that brewed beneath my skin.
There was a pause, and then, more carefully, he said, "I've been thinking about you."
My breath caught.
He went on, "After the party… I just I should've reached out. I didn't know how."
"You didn't have to," I said quickly, the words sharp on my tongue.
He looked at me, eyebrows raised. "Why not?"
I turned to him slowly, letting our eyes meet. "Because I didn't ask for it."
There was a flicker of something in his face was it guilt or confusion? I wasn't sure.
"I care, Ava," he said. "I know you probably don't believe that. But I do."
I stood, heart thudding. "Then leave me alone."
His jaw tightened, but he stepped back. "You're not as invisible as you think."
That line, those exact words froze me in place. My vision blurred, memories rushing like waves crashing against rocks. I turned back to look at him, but he was already walking away, his hands still in his pockets, his back turned like he hadn't just shaken my world again.
Back home, the air felt warmer, safer. Aunt Grace was humming in the kitchen as usual, a soft tune I didn't recognize, and the scent of stew drifted through the house.
I leaned against the kitchen doorway, still shaken but trying to ground myself.
She turned and smiled. "Hey, you're home early."
I nodded, unsure of how to respond.
She wiped her hands on her apron. "Everything okay?"
I opened my mouth to lie. To say I was fine. But nothing came out.
Instead, I just whispered, "Can we eat soon? I'm kinda tired."
She gave me a gentle look, one full of understanding. "Of course, sweetheart."
Later that night, I sat on my bed, staring at the silver ring on my desk. The one I found in that house. Its dull shine caught the lamplight, and for a second, it almost looked like it was mocking me. I picked it up, running my thumb across the smooth band.
It didn't belong to me. But somehow, it felt like it was meant for me to find.
A million questions swirled in my mind. Whose was it? How did it end up there? Why did holding it make my skin crawl and my ches
t tighten?
Part of me wanted to toss it, pretend I never saw it.
But a louder part, the part that refused to be silenced anymore needed to know.