Unbooked Heart

Chapter 10: Shattered Moments

Eli's POV

The cool breeze of the late afternoon brushed against my face as I sat on a bench in the park, staring out at the trees. I needed some space—a little time to clear my head. Midterms were over, but the pressure from school still hung around, creeping in at every corner. But today, the weight on my shoulders wasn't from textbooks or assignments. It was from Basti.

I had tried to shake off the feelings that had been building up for weeks. At first, it wasn't so obvious. Basti had his own life, his own friends, just like I had mine. But then, it started to become undeniable—he was spending more and more time with that Natalie girl. I hadn't meant to notice, but I did. It was hard not to. Every time I saw them together, something in my chest tightened. Basti and her—laughing, sharing inside jokes, exchanging glances that made me feel like an outsider.

It wasn't just the fact that he was hanging out with her more; it was the distance that had grown between us. Every time I tried to make plans, he was busy. Every time I reached out, his responses were short, distant. It wasn't like Basti to be so... unreachable. He was the kind of friend who always had time for me, no matter how crazy life got. But now, I felt like I was losing him.

He tried introducing Natalie to me but it was me who tried to stay away as possible to keep me sane and avoid discomfort. I was never good at introduction, especially if I set the idea of that person in my mind.

I sighed and leaned back against the bench, watching the leaves sway in the wind. The park was relatively quiet for a Saturday afternoon, save for a few people jogging or walking their dogs. But I couldn't shake the ache in my chest. Basti was slipping away, and I had no idea how to stop it.

I tried to tell myself that I shouldn't feel this way. That he was entitled to hang out with whoever he wanted. But it didn't change the fact that the more time he spent with her, the less time he had for me. And I didn't know where that left our friendship.

As if on cue, my phone buzzed in my pocket. I pulled it out and saw that it was a call from my mom. I frowned. We hadn't talked much lately, especially with everything going on in school. I'd been buried in assignments and trying to keep up with everything. But the fact that my mom was calling now, at this hour, sent a jolt of unease through me.

"Hey, Mom," I answered, trying to keep my tone casual despite the knot forming in my stomach.

There was a long pause on the other end of the line before she spoke. Her voice sounded strained, as if she was trying to hold back something important, something heavy.

"Eli, I need you to come home. Now."

I straightened up, my heart skipping a beat. "Mom, what's going on? Is everything okay?"

She didn't answer immediately, and I could hear her breathing heavily on the other end. "I don't know how to tell you this, Eli. But... I need you here. It's about your father."

My stomach dropped. The mention of my father always brought up a flood of emotions—anger, frustration, confusion. We hadn't heard much from him in recent years, and every time I did hear about him, it was always something disappointing. My mind raced, trying to figure out what this could be about.

"Mom, what happened?" I asked, my voice suddenly tight.

She paused again, and when she spoke, her words hit me like a punch to the gut. "Eli, I don't know how to say this... but the rumors about your dad... they're true."

I froze, the world around me momentarily blurring. The rumors. The ones my mom had mentioned before—the ones about my father being involved with someone else. It couldn't be real. Not this. Not him.

"What?" My voice came out almost in a whisper. "How did you confirmed it?"

"Your father... he's been seeing someone else, like what they said" she said, her voice cracking. "A woman. Younger. I didn't want to believe it either, Eli, but... I've heard it from so many people, and I finally confronted him. He didn't deny it. I—I don't know what to do."

The words hit me like a wave, pulling me under. I could feel the numbness spreading through me, taking over every thought. My father—after everything—was seeing someone else? He had always been distant, always absent, but this... this felt like the final blow. The one thing I had always held onto, the last thread of hope that maybe, just maybe, things could improve, had just snapped in front of me.

"Are you sure?" I asked, the question leaving my lips even though I didn't want the answer. I wanted to believe this was some horrible mistake. But the tremble in my mom's voice told me everything I needed to know.

"I confronted him about it, Eli. He admitted it. I don't know what to do. I—I feel like everything's falling apart."

I squeezed my eyes shut, my hand tightening around the phone. The anger, the hurt—it was all bubbling up inside me, mixing with the confusion. My father—who had already left so much behind—was doing this to us too? And for what? A relationship with someone else? After all the years of absence, all the years of excuses, now he was choosing someone else?

"I'm sorry, Mom," I whispered, my voice breaking. "I—I don't know what to say."

"I just wanted you to know, Eli," she continued, her voice full of sorrow. "I don't know what to do. I feel so lost."

I sat there in silence, staring at the ground beneath me, trying to process everything she had just told me. I could hear the wind rustling the leaves in the trees, the sound so distant compared to the chaos in my head. Basti. My father. Everything felt like it was crumbling around me.

"I'll come home," I finally said, my voice steady even though my insides were anything but. "I'll be there soon."

After the call ended, I just sat there for a moment, staring blankly ahead. The park, the trees, the distant sounds of people laughing, everything felt so far away. Basti's face flashed in my mind, the image of him with that girl, laughing so easily. It was like the distance between us had grown so wide, I didn't know how to bridge the gap anymore.

And now, with the news about my father, it felt like my entire world had been turned upside down. My family was falling apart, and I didn't even know where to begin picking up the pieces.

I stood up slowly, my legs shaky, and started walking, not sure where I was going. My mind was too clouded to focus on anything else. All I wanted to do was run away from it all—but I couldn't. My mom needed me. And despite everything with Basti, despite the pain and the loneliness I felt, I knew I had to be there for her.

As I walked through the park, my mind was so tangled with everything— my dad, my mom—that I barely noticed the world around me. The distant sounds of people chatting, the chirping of birds, the rustling leaves—it was all muffled, like I was underwater.

My thoughts raced in every direction, and my feet seemed to move on their own, taking me down a path I didn't recognize. I didn't even register the approaching car until it was almost too late.

The screech of tires cut through my haze of confusion, and I snapped my head up, realizing just how close I was to the curb. My heart lurched as the car, speeding down the road, was heading straight for me. In a panic, I froze for a split second—completely paralyzed. I couldn't move. I could only watch as it neared, the blaring horn sending a jolt of adrenaline through me.

Just as the car was about to hit, a strong hand shot out from behind me, yanking me back with surprising force. My body collided with something solid—a person—and I staggered, nearly tripping over my feet.

I twisted around, breathless, to see a familiar face. It was Marcus, of all people. His expression was tight with concern as he steadied me with both hands on my shoulders, guiding me away from the street.

"Jesus, Eli! Are you okay?" he asked, his voice sharp with panic. He wasn't smiling, which was unusual for him—he always had this carefree, laid-back attitude. But not now.

I took a shaky breath, still in shock from the near-miss. "Yeah, I—yeah, I think so. Thanks. I didn't—didn't see the car."

Marcus glanced over at the car that had narrowly avoided me, the driver still looking bewildered as they slowly pulled off. He muttered a curse under his breath and then turned back to me, his grip loosening on my shoulders.

"What the hell were you doing?" he asked, his tone now more confused than anything else. "You were just standing there, like you weren't even aware."

I opened my mouth to respond, but nothing came out. It wasn't just the car. It was everything— my dad, the conversation with my mom—my mind was so full of chaos, it felt like my whole world had been tipped upside down.

"I'm just... I don't know," I muttered, trying to make sense of my own thoughts. "I've just got a lot on my mind."

Marcus studied me for a moment, his dark eyes searching mine as if trying to figure out if I was telling the truth or just brushing him off. It wasn't like me to open up, especially not to someone like Marcus. But today, everything felt different.

"You sure you're okay?" he pressed, his voice softening. "You look... out of it."

I swallowed, my throat tight. I wasn't sure I was ready to explain everything to him—not that he would even understand. I wasn't ready to face it myself.

"Yeah, I'll be fine," I said, the words coming out flat.

Marcus didn't buy it. He raised an eyebrow and let out a low laugh, shaking his head. "You've got to stop doing that. You can't just keep it all bottled up, Eli. If something's going on, you should talk about it. Even if it's me."

I wanted to argue, to tell him I was fine, that it wasn't his problem. But something about the way he said it stopped me. Maybe it was the fact that he'd just saved my ass from getting hit by a car, or maybe it was the sincerity in his eyes, but for the first time in a long time, I actually considered letting someone in.

"I don't know if I can explain it," I admitted, the words slipping out before I could stop them. "There's just... a lot going on, and I feel like everything's falling apart."

Marcus didn't respond right away. He just stood there for a moment, looking at me, and then he gave me a small, reassuring smile. "You don't have to explain everything right now, okay?"

His words hung in the air between us for a moment, and I felt an unexpected sense of gratitude. Maybe he didn't understand everything, but he was here. And for some reason, that made it a little easier to breathe.

"Thanks, Marcus," I said quietly, my voice a little steadier now.

He shrugged, giving me a small nod. "Anytime, man."

I took a deep breath, feeling a little more grounded than I had in what felt like days. Maybe Marcus wasn't the person I'd turn to for answers, but at least he was here. Maybe that was all I needed for now.

As we stood there for a moment in the middle of the park, the sounds of life around us slowly started to return. The world didn't feel so distant anymore. It was still chaotic, still uncertain, but at least I wasn't alone in it.

"Come on," Marcus said, breaking the silence. "Let me walk you to the bus stop. You're not in the best shape to be walking around by yourself right now."

I nodded, grateful for the gesture. And as we walked side by side, I couldn't help but think that maybe, just maybe, I didn't have to face everything alone.