HOW TO HIDE YOUR BLUSHES

Episode 13

THE TEST OF TIME

The days after the competition felt like a slow, unraveling rhythm. Eden had expected a surge of relief once the spotlight was behind her, but instead, a strange sense of unease followed her every step. It wasn’t just the lingering stares or the hushed whispers; it was the weight of something more—her own internal conflict.

Her victory in the competition had been sweet, a moment of validation that she had longed for. Yet it also stirred up a tangled web of emotions she hadn’t anticipated. The world around her seemed to buzz with an energy that was at once exhilarating and suffocating. Eden hadn’t just gained recognition; she had stirred something in the people who surrounded her, something far more complicated than she was ready for.

The thought of Aiden constantly lingered in her mind. She’d allowed herself to believe in the possibility of them—a future where the noise of everyone else could fade into the background. But as time passed, doubts crept in, and the conversations from her family and friends began to weigh heavily on her.

“You know,” Zoey remarked one morning as they walked through the bustling halls of school, “you’ve been looking a little distant lately. You okay?”

Eden met her friend’s gaze, her expression softening. “I don’t know. It’s just... everything feels so up in the air now. I thought once I took that step—stood up for myself—it would feel like the weight was lifted. But now I feel like I'm carrying even more.”

Zoey frowned, her eyes searching Eden’s face. “What do you mean? Are you regretting the competition? Because you should know you absolutely nailed it. People are still talking about you.”

Eden’s lips curled into a reluctant smile, but it didn’t reach her eyes. “It’s not that. I just... I don’t know what’s next. Everyone has their expectations for me. My parents, the school, even Aiden. And I—I don’t know if I’m ready to keep up with all of it.”

Zoey’s expression softened. “You’re allowed to feel uncertain, you know. No one has it all figured out. But what you’ve done—standing up for yourself like that? That takes guts. Don’t let anyone make you feel like you’re less than what you are.”

Eden paused, taking in her friend’s words, feeling a quiet relief settle in her chest. But even as Zoey spoke, Eden knew she couldn’t outrun the gnawing anxiety that kept her awake at night. She was standing at a crossroads—one where the path she chose could either lead to peace or further turmoil.

As Eden tried to navigate this newfound space in her life, the dynamic between her and Aiden had started to shift in subtle ways. Their bond was still strong, but the weight of their relationship had changed. There were moments of quiet intimacy, like when they exchanged stolen glances across the room or shared a laugh over something silly, but there was also a palpable distance—an unspoken tension that neither one of them could ignore.

Aiden hadn’t been pushing for more, hadn’t been pressuring her to take their relationship to the next level. But his presence was a constant reminder of everything that was both right and wrong in her world. It was as though he represented everything she yearned for—a sense of belonging, a connection that was uniquely her own—but also everything she feared: the judgment, the scrutiny, the expectations.

It was one of those moments that afternoon when Eden sat at her favorite bench in the courtyard, the sun casting a warm glow on the tired brick walls, when Aiden approached her. She glanced up at him, her heart skipping a beat, but the air between them felt heavy, filled with unspoken words.

“You’ve been quiet lately,” Aiden said, his voice casual, but there was an underlying note of concern.

Eden ran her fingers over the edge of her notebook, a nervous habit she’d picked up when she was trying to collect her thoughts. “I guess I’ve had a lot on my mind.”

Aiden sat beside her, close but not too close. The space between them seemed to stretch, the tension thick enough to cut with a knife. “You don’t have to carry it all by yourself, Eden. I’m here. We’re in this together.”

But despite his comforting words, Eden couldn’t shake the feeling of isolation that had settled deep inside her. It wasn’t that she didn’t trust him, or that she didn’t want to be with him; it was that she felt like she was walking a tightrope, with no safety net beneath her.

“I don’t know if I’m strong enough to keep doing this,” she said quietly, her voice barely above a whisper. “It feels like everyone has an opinion about who I should be, what I should do. I can’t figure out what’s real anymore.”

Aiden’s hand found hers, his fingers warm and steady. “You don’t have to do it alone. Whatever you’re facing, whatever’s holding you back—together, we can figure it out.”

His words were comforting, but Eden couldn’t help but feel the weight of the unspoken pressure—his expectations, her parents’, the world’s. Was she supposed to keep proving herself, or could she finally take a step back and just breathe?

As the weeks passed, the strain between Eden and Aiden deepened, though neither of them wanted to acknowledge it fully. Their conversations were more infrequent, the moments of connection fewer and farther between. It wasn’t that they fought or argued, but there was a growing sense of disconnect that neither knew how to bridge.

Eden spent more time alone, diving deeper into her writing and her thoughts, trying to make sense of everything. She filled pages of her notebook with fragmented sentences and half-formed poems, hoping to capture the confusion swirling in her mind. But nothing felt complete, nothing felt resolved.

The rest of her friends noticed the change, especially Zoey, who confronted Eden one afternoon after school.

“Are you two okay?” Zoey asked, concern evident in her voice.

Eden hesitated before responding. “I don’t know. I mean, it’s not like we’ve fought or anything. It’s just... different now.”

Zoey frowned. “Different how?”

“I don’t know,” Eden murmured. “It feels like we’re not really us anymore. Like we’re both carrying around too much. Too many expectations. I just want to breathe for once.”

Zoey’s expression softened as she sat down beside Eden. “Maybe it’s time to take a step back. You don’t have to have everything figured out right now. You’ve already done so much. You’ve proven who you are. Don’t let anyone make you feel like you’re not enough.”

Eden nodded slowly, but the knot in her chest remained. She wasn’t sure what she needed—what she wanted—but she knew that something had to change. She couldn’t keep running on empty, pretending everything was fine when inside, she felt like she was unraveling.

That night, after another silent dinner with her family, Eden found herself staring at the moonlit sky from her bedroom window. Her parents had continued to show their disappointment, though they hadn’t said much outright. It was in the way they looked at her, in the quiet sighs they exchanged when they thought she wasn’t watching. The love that once felt so constant seemed to be slipping through her fingers.

A knock on her door brought her back to the present, and she turned to find Aiden standing in the doorway, his figure framed by the dim hallway light. For a moment, he said nothing, just stood there watching her, as though waiting for her to invite him in.

“I’ve been thinking,” he said finally, breaking the silence. “Maybe we need to have a real conversation about everything—about us, about what’s happening between us. I can’t keep pretending like things are fine when we both know they’re not.”

Eden met his gaze, her heart aching with the weight of his words. “I don’t know what to say. I feel like I’m losing myself, Aiden. I need to figure out who I am without all of this pressure.”

He nodded, stepping into the room and sitting beside her on the bed. “I understand. But I just want you to know that whatever you need, I’m here for you. We don’t have to rush into anything, Eden. You have time. We have time.”

The warmth of his presence calmed her, but the uncertainty still lingered. “I’m scared,” she admitted, her voice trembling. “Scared of what happens if I don’t meet everyone’s expectations. Scared that if I let go of everything, I’ll lose myself entirely.”

Aiden took her hand in his, his grip firm and reassuring. “You won’t lose yourself. I promise. Take the time you need, figure out what you want. I’ll be here, no matter what.”

Eden looked into his eyes, the depth of his words sinking in. She wasn’t alone in this, not completely. And maybe, just maybe, that was enough.