EPISODE 10: The Morning After
1614 Words
The first rays of sunlight filtered through the curtains, bathing the house in a soft golden glow.
Downstairs, the kitchen was unusually quiet.
Liam stood in front of the coffee maker, waiting for it to finish brewing. Judging by the dark circles beneath his eyes, it was obvious he hadn't slept much.
Every time he had closed his eyes the previous night, the same images replayed over and over again.
Noah crying.
Noah desperately clinging to Ethan.
Noah's broken voice begging someone not to leave him.
Liam let out a quiet sigh before taking a sip of his coffee.
"What a night..."
Just then, slow footsteps echoed down the staircase.
Ava walked into the kitchen, still dressed in her pajamas, her hair a complete mess. She yawned loudly before collapsing onto one of the dining chairs.
The moment she looked up, she frowned.
"Damn."
Liam looked at her.
"What?"
"You look terrible."
"I know."
"You've got dark circles under your eyes."
Liam raised an eyebrow.
"And whose fault do you think that is?"
Ava blinked innocently.
"Mine?"
"You asked me to pick you two up."
She rubbed the back of her neck and laughed awkwardly.
"Right..."
Liam shook his head before taking another sip of coffee.
"You also made me give up my bed."
Ava gasped dramatically.
"Oh my God..."
She placed a hand over her chest.
"My poor brother."
Liam rolled his eyes.
"Stepbrother."
"Same thing."
She stood up and walked over to him before lightly patting his shoulder.
"Thank you."
Her playful smile softened into something more sincere.
"I really mean it."
Liam looked at her but said nothing.
She continued.
"Thank you for taking care of Noah."
He shrugged casually.
"It wasn't a big deal."
Ava shook her head.
"It was."
She leaned against the kitchen counter.
"Not everyone would carry someone home, let them sleep in their room, and spend the whole night making sure they were okay."
Liam looked away.
"I couldn't exactly leave him like that."
A comfortable silence settled between them.
After a few moments, Liam spoke again as he leaned lightly against the counter.
"There was something I wanted to ask you."
Ava looked up from the pancake batter.
"Hm?"
He hesitated for a moment before speaking.
"What really happened between Noah... and that Ethan guy?"
The smile on Ava's face disappeared.
She looked down at the bowl in front of her, absentmindedly stirring the batter even though it no longer needed stirring.
For several seconds, she said nothing.
Liam didn't rush her.
Finally, she let out a slow breath.
"They were together for two years."
Liam nodded, silently telling her to continue.
"You know..." she said quietly, "people always talk about loving someone with your whole heart."
A bitter smile tugged at her lips.
"Noah actually did."
She looked over at Liam.
"I've been his best friend for years. I've watched that relationship from the very beginning."
"I watched Noah fall in love."
"I watched him make Ethan the center of his world."
Her voice became softer.
"If Ethan had an exam, Noah stayed awake with him until morning, even when he had classes himself."
"If Ethan got sick, Noah would skip his own plans just to take care of him."
"He remembered every anniversary, every birthday, every little date that mattered."
She laughed quietly, though there wasn't any humor in it.
"Sometimes I'd tease him and tell him he spoiled Ethan too much."
"What would he say?" Liam asked.
Ava smiled sadly.
"He'd tell me..." she paused before imitating Noah's gentle voice,
«'When you love someone, doing things for them never feels like a burden.'»
The kitchen fell silent again.
Liam lowered his eyes.
He could picture Noah saying those exact words.
"So... what changed?" he asked.
Ava slowly shook her head.
"I honestly don't know."
She looked out the kitchen window.
"Just a day after celebrating their second anniversary..."
"He told Noah he wanted time apart."
Liam frowned.
"So... just like that?"
"He said he had been thinking about it for two weeks."
Liam's eyebrows knitted together.
"Two weeks..."
Ava nodded.
"Which means..."
Her voice cracked slightly.
"He was already thinking about leaving while Noah was busy planning their anniversary."
Liam's expression hardened.
Ava swallowed.
"You know what broke Noah the most?"
Liam stayed silent.
"It wasn't that the relationship ended."
"It was realizing that while he was smiling in their anniversary photos..."
She looked down at the counter.
"Ethan had already made up his mind."
The kitchen became painfully quiet.
Even the sizzling bacon seemed distant.
After a long moment, Liam spoke.
"...Did Noah do something?"
Ava looked at him almost immediately.
"No."
Her answer came without hesitation.
"Noah wasn't perfect."
"No one is."
"But if you're asking whether he cheated..."
She shook her head.
"He didn't."
"If you're asking whether he stopped loving Ethan..."
Another shake of her head.
"He loved him until the very end."
Liam remained quiet.
Ava sighed.
"I'm not saying Ethan is a bad person."
"I don't know what was going through his head."
"Maybe he had his reasons."
"Maybe he was confused."
"But whatever those reasons were..."
She looked upstairs, toward where Noah was sleeping.
"The one left trying to survive the aftermath..."
"...was Noah."
Liam didn't say another word.
But the image of Noah crying in the club came flooding back.
The trembling voice.
The desperate pleading.
The tears.
His jaw clenched.
No one who loved that deeply deserved to be left wondering why they weren't enough.
Ava suddenly clapped her hands together.
"Enough of the depressing talk."
She forced a smile.
"I'm making breakfast."
Liam nodded.
"I'll help."
She looked at him suspiciously.
"You?"
"What?"
"You... helping in the kitchen?"
"I know how to cook."
"I never said you didn't."
She laughed.
"I just never thought I'd actually see it."
Liam smirked.
"There's a first time for everything."
The two worked quietly together.
Ava made pancakes while Liam fried eggs and bacon.
Soon, the delicious smell of breakfast filled the entire house.
---
Upstairs...
Noah slowly stirred in his sleep.
A dull headache pulsed behind his eyes.
"...Ugh."
He groaned softly before rubbing his forehead.
His eyelids slowly opened.
The ceiling above him wasn't familiar.
He blinked.
Then blinked again.
"Huh?"
Noah pushed himself into a sitting position and looked around the room.
A large desk stood near the window.
Books neatly lined the shelves.
A guitar rested in one corner.
The room was clean.
Minimalistic.
Definitely not his.
His eyes widened.
"...Where am I?"
He quickly looked down at himself.
Still wearing yesterday's clothes.
He let out a relieved breath.
"Thank God..."
Then another thought hit him.
"This isn't Ava's room..."
His heart skipped a beat.
"Whose room is this?"
He desperately tried remembering the previous night.
He remembered calling Ava.
He remembered laughing.
He remembered drinking.
He remembered...
Ethan.
His smile disappeared.
Then everything after that became blurry.
The bedroom door suddenly opened.
Noah immediately looked up.
Liam walked in carrying a glass of water and a packet of painkillers.
The two stared at each other for a second.
Then Liam spoke first.
"Morning."
Noah's ears instantly turned red.
"M-Morning..."
Liam walked over and placed the water on the bedside table.
"You'll need these."
Noah looked at the medicine before looking back at Liam.
"...Why am I in your room?"
Liam answered as if it were the most normal thing in the world.
"You weren't exactly in a condition to decide where to sleep last night."
Noah wanted the floor to open up and swallow him whole.
"...I see."
An awkward silence filled the room.
After a few seconds, Noah carefully scratched his cheek.
"So..."
Liam looked at him.
"...Did I do anything embarrassing?"
For just a split second...
Liam remembered everything.
Noah crying.
Begging Ethan not to leave him.
Clinging to him with trembling hands.
His heart tightened.
But none of that showed on his face.
Instead, he gave a small shrug.
"You had a little too much to drink."
Noah immediately sighed in relief.
"Oh..."
"That's not too bad."
Liam simply nodded.
"No."
Noah had no idea Liam had spared him from one of the most painful memories of his life.
Before either of them could say anything else, the bedroom door burst open.
"There you are!"
Ava walked in carrying a tray filled with breakfast.
The moment she saw Noah sitting up, a grin spread across her face.
"Look who's finally awake."
Noah pointed at her dramatically.
"You."
Ava blinked.
"Me?"
"Why didn't you stop me from drinking so much?"
Ava stared at him for two seconds before bursting into laughter.
"Excuse me?"
She placed the tray on the bedside table.
"You were the one who kept saying, 'One more drink won't hurt!'"
Noah groaned loudly before falling face-first into the pillow.
"I hate drunk me."
Ava laughed so hard she nearly dropped the orange juice.
"You should!"
"I tried taking your glass away, and you gave me a five-minute speech about how alcohol was helping you 'find inner peace.'"
Noah slowly lifted his head.
"...I said that?"
"You absolutely did."
"Oh my God..."
He buried his face back into the pillow.
"I am never drinking again."
Ava crossed her arms.
"I'll believe that when I see it."
Liam stood quietly by the door, watching the two best friends tease each other.
For the first time since meeting Noah...
He heard him laugh without forcing it.
It wasn't loud.
It wasn't perfect.
But it was real.
Without realizing it, a small smile found its way onto Liam's lips.
"There's that smile again..."
And for reasons he still couldn't explain...
He hoped he would get to see it more often.
- Writer
