STOLEN SINS.

Episode 7: Unspoken Truths

The apartment was quiet, too quiet for the chaos that had unfolded just hours ago. Azael’s message still hovered on my phone, and the guilt from my own feelings weighed down on me like a heavy cloud. I had to confront him. I couldn’t run away anymore.

Anna had left for her study group, giving me the space I needed, but her words still lingered in my mind. You’ve been running too, Noura. I couldn’t stop thinking about them. Was she right? Had I been hiding from the truth? From myself?

I stood by the window, the city lights blinking in the distance like a thousand distant stars, but none of them held any warmth tonight. My phone buzzed again, breaking the silence. This time, it wasn’t from Azael. It was a reminder about my upcoming finals — another thing to drown in, another reason to avoid the mess that was my heart.

But I couldn’t avoid him anymore.

I didn’t realize how long I had been staring at the phone until I heard the knock on the door. My heart jumped in my chest. I didn’t have to look through the peephole to know who it was. I didn’t want to face him, but I knew I had to.

Taking a deep breath, I opened the door, and there he was.

Azael.

He was standing in front of me, his usual confident demeanor nowhere to be found. His face was drawn, tired, as if the weight of everything had finally caught up to him. The look in his eyes, though, was still the same — desperate, searching, like he was clinging to whatever piece of me he could still find.

“You came.” My voice sounded foreign, even to me.

“I needed to.” His words were quiet, but the tension between us was palpable. “I... I’m sorry, Noura. I know I don’t deserve your forgiveness, but I need you to know that I didn’t want to hurt you. I never meant to disappear like that.”

His voice cracked on the last words, and my chest tightened at the sound. He was clearly struggling, but so was I.

I stepped aside, letting him in, the air between us heavy. I didn’t know what to say, what to do. How could I confront him when I didn’t even know what had happened?

He stood by the door, nervously running his fingers through his hair, clearly waiting for me to say something, anything. But the truth was, I didn’t know how to start. I didn’t know how to piece together the fragments of what was left between us.

“Azael, what happened?” The question came out of me before I could stop it. “Where did you go? Why did you leave without saying anything?”

His eyes flinched at the question, and he took a step toward me. “I don’t remember everything, Noura. But I remember that day. I remember... you.”

I shook my head, trying to make sense of his words. “You don’t remember what happened? You don’t remember why you left?”

Azael looked at me, his gaze hardening for a moment, before he let out a breath, his shoulders sagging in defeat. “I remember being scared. And... and I remember thinking I was keeping you safe by staying away. But I was wrong, Noura. I was wrong to think that. I was wrong to leave without a word.”

I took a step back, feeling the weight of his words press down on me. “You think leaving me was keeping me safe?” My voice cracked, the hurt spilling out in the form of bitterness. “You think abandoning me was somehow the right thing to do?”

He was silent for a moment, but his eyes were full of regret, guilt, and something else I couldn’t read. “I didn’t want to hurt you. I didn’t want you to get involved in what was happening to me. I didn’t want you to see the things I’ve seen.”

I took another step back, my mind racing. “What things, Azael? What do you mean? What happened?”

But he didn’t answer. Instead, his gaze turned distant, his hands shaking at his sides.

“I don’t know if I can explain it all yet,” he said softly. “Not until I can figure it out myself. But I promise you, Noura, I never wanted to leave you. I love you. And I know I hurt you. But please, don’t shut me out again.”

The words hung in the air between us, an unspoken promise. He wasn’t just asking for forgiveness. He was asking for a chance to explain, a chance to start over, to make up for everything that had gone wrong.

I wanted to believe him. I wanted to reach out, pull him back, hold him like I used to. But the fear, the uncertainty, the unanswered questions were all still there, lingering like shadows that wouldn’t let go.

“I need to understand, Azael. I need to know the truth,” I said, my voice shaking. “I can’t move forward with you until I do.”

His expression softened, and he took another step toward me. “I know. And I’ll tell you everything. But please, don’t give up on me, Noura. Please.”

The weight of his words settled in my chest, and for the first time in months, I felt like I was on the verge of something — something I wasn’t sure I was ready for.