Chapter 8 – Distance
531 Words
The days after their fight blurred into one long stretch of restless hours.
Elena threw herself into work with the kind of intensity that looked productive from the outside, but inside, she felt like she was running from something she couldn’t quite name.
The studio smelled of turpentine and coffee, canvases leaning half-finished against the walls. She painted until her wrist ached, until her mind was so numb from color and motion that she could almost forget the sound of his voice. Almost.
---
Chi noticed.
“You’re quiet,” she said one evening, flopping down on Elena’s couch with a tub of ice cream.
“I’m always quiet,” Elena replied without looking up from her sketch.
“Not like this. This is… haunted quiet.” Chi’s eyes narrowed. “You two fought, didn’t you?”
Elena didn’t answer right away. Finally, she set her pencil down and rubbed her temples. “It wasn’t even a fight, really. Just… a wall.”
Chi snorted. “Girl, walls are built brick by brick. Don’t act like you just woke up to find it there. You’ve been stacking those bricks yourself.”
“I’m not the only one,” Elena muttered.
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Daniel’s life didn’t slow down either.
If anything, he buried himself in work harder than ever. Meetings, site inspections, investor calls — he took them all, barely pausing to breathe. His assistant noticed the change but didn’t ask.
At night, though, when the city quieted and the marina lights reflected off the water, he found himself thinking about her. About the way her hair had fallen over her face when she painted. About the quiet fire in her eyes when she was passionate about something.
He told himself to let it go.
But every time he tried, the memory of her walking away clawed at him.
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On the fourth day, Daniel got a text.
Not from Elena — from Maya.
We need to finalize the charity auction details. Are you free tomorrow?
He stared at it for a long moment before replying: Yes. Let’s keep it professional.
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Elena, meanwhile, tried to convince herself she was fine.
She went out with friends, laughed at the right moments, even flirted halfheartedly with a man Chi introduced her to. But the whole time, she felt like she was wearing someone else’s skin.
When she got home, she sat in the dark with a glass of wine, scrolling through her phone. Her thumb hovered over Daniel’s name more times than she wanted to admit.
---
On the seventh night, she dreamed of him.
In the dream, they were back in his kitchen, the scent of fresh coffee in the air, his hand warm against her cheek. He was smiling at her — that slow, rare smile that made her feel like she was the only person in the room.
When she woke up, there was an ache in her chest so sharp it almost made her double over.
---
Daniel felt it too — that invisible pull, the ache of something unfinished.
But pride is a dangerous thing.
And neither of them was ready to be the first to cross the distance.
- Writer
