THINGS LEFT UNSAID
1033 Words
Aria’s POV
Something had changed.
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I noticed it immediately.
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Not in the house.
Not in school.
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In him.
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Damien.
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Since that night—
Since the strange tension with Ethan—
He had become different.
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More distant.
More watchful.
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And somehow—
That bothered me more than it should have.
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“You’re staring again.”
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I blinked.
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Ethan smirked from across the table.
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“I am not.”
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“You definitely are,” Nina said immediately.
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Traitor.
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I rolled my eyes while Ethan laughed softly.
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The sound pulled something strange inside my chest.
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Warm.
Dangerous.
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“You’ve been distracted all week,” Ethan said.
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Because my life was becoming a disaster.
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But instead, I shrugged.
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“Just tired.”
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“That excuse is getting old,” Nina muttered.
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I ignored her.
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Because if I started talking—
I wasn’t sure I’d stop.
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And there were things I couldn’t explain.
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Like why Damien’s eyes lingered too long whenever Ethan was around.
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Or why my mother suddenly looked nervous every time his name came up.
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Or why I couldn’t stop thinking about any of it.
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“Earth to Aria.”
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I looked up again.
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Ethan was watching me carefully.
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Concern filled his eyes.
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“You okay?” he asked softly.
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There it was again.
That stupid question.
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And the worst part?
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I liked hearing it from him.
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Too much.
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“I’m fine,” I replied.
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A lie.
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But he let it go this time.
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Maybe because he knew pushing me wouldn’t work.
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Or maybe—
He had secrets too.
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That evening, rain poured heavily outside.
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The house felt colder than usual.
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Too quiet.
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I stepped into the living room and stopped.
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My mother sat on the couch, staring blankly at nothing.
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“Mom?”
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She blinked quickly.
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“Oh. You’re home.”
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Something was wrong.
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I could see it all over her face.
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“You okay?” I asked.
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A strange expression crossed her eyes.
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Then—
“I’m fine.”
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The irony almost made me laugh.
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Everyone in this house was lying.
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Including me.
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“Where’s Damien?” I asked casually.
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Her fingers tightened slightly around the mug in her hands.
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“He’s working.”
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Another lie.
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I didn’t know how I knew.
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I just did.
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Because lately—
Whenever his name came up—
She looked nervous.
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Like she was waiting for something bad to happen.
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And honestly?
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So was I.
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Later that night—
I couldn’t sleep.
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Again.
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So I went downstairs for water.
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The house was dark.
Silent.
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Until I heard voices.
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My footsteps stopped instantly.
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My mother.
And Damien.
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Arguing.
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“…you can’t keep hiding this forever,” my mother whispered sharply.
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My heart skipped.
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“I know that,” Damien replied coldly.
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“Then do something before things get worse.”
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Silence.
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Heavy silence.
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Then—
“You think I don’t know that?” he snapped quietly.
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I froze.
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I had never heard his voice sound like that before.
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Not angry.
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Desperate.
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My chest tightened.
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“Aria is getting suspicious,” my mother said.
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My breath caught.
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“She doesn’t know anything,” Damien replied immediately.
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“Not yet.”
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The words sent a chill down my spine.
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Not yet?
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What was that supposed to mean?
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I stepped closer carefully.
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“…and the boy?” my mother asked quietly.
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Everything inside me stilled.
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Boy.
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Ethan?
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A long silence followed.
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Too long.
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Then—
“I’ll handle it.”
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Damien’s voice again.
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Cold.
Controlled.
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Dangerous.
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“How?” my mother whispered.
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Another pause.
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Then—
“I don’t know yet.”
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Something about those words scared me.
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Because for the first time—
Damien sounded uncertain.
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And men like him weren’t supposed to sound uncertain.
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I heard movement.
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Quickly, I stepped back into the shadows before they could see me.
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My heart pounded violently against my chest.
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What were they hiding?
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And why did Ethan seem connected to all of it?
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The next morning only made things worse.
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Because when I walked into class—
Ethan was asleep at his desk.
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Which wasn’t normal.
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At all.
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“You look terrible,” I whispered as I sat down beside him.
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He opened one eye slightly.
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“Thanks.”
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I frowned.
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“What happened?”
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He rubbed the back of his neck tiredly.
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“My mom and I argued.”
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My chest tightened slightly.
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“About what?”
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A bitter laugh escaped him.
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“She’s been acting weird lately.”
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My breath caught.
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Weird.
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“She keeps asking where I am all the time,” he continued. “Who I’m with. What I’m doing.”
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A chill ran down my spine.
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“And last night…” he paused.
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Something changed in his expression.
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“She asked me if I ever felt like someone was hiding something from me.”
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My heart stopped.
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“What did you say?” I asked carefully.
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He shrugged.
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“I told her everyone hides things.”
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Silence.
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Then he looked at me.
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“But honestly?”
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His eyes locked onto mine.
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“I think she’s scared of something.”
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My chest tightened painfully.
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Because I was starting to think the exact same thing.
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And deep down—
I had a horrible feeling that whatever everyone was hiding—
Was about to destroy all of us.
- Writer
