Chapter Two: The Things We Hide
1044 Words
Morning came… but it didn’t feel like a new beginning.
It never did in this house.
Arielle sat at the edge of her bed, staring at nothing in particular, her fingers loosely gripping the fabric of her oversized shirt. She hadn’t slept.
Not really.
Every time she closed her eyes, she saw him.
The way he paused.
The way he waited.
The way he almost turned back.
Almost.
She let out a quiet breath, dragging her hands down her face.
“Get it together,” she whispered to herself.
Feelings were dangerous.
And she had learned that the hard way.
⸻
Downstairs, the atmosphere was just as heavy.
The long dining table was already set, untouched food laid out perfectly—as always. Everything in this house looked perfect.
But perfection was a lie.
Kael stood by the table, scrolling through his phone, his expression unreadable. Dressed neatly, composed, controlled.
Like nothing ever touched him.
But inside—
Everything was loud.
His jaw tightened slightly as he replayed last night in his mind.
“Kael.”
Her voice.
Soft. Hesitant.
Like she was about to say something that mattered.
And then…
“…nothing.”
He scoffed under his breath, locking his phone.
“Of course,” he muttered.
She never said anything.
She never let him in.
And yet…
Why did it feel like she was the only one who ever saw him?
⸻
Footsteps echoed softly.
Kael looked up.
Arielle.
She walked in quietly, her presence gentle, almost like she didn’t want to be noticed. But he noticed.
He always noticed.
Their eyes met for a brief second.
And just like that—
Everything from last night came rushing back.
She looked away first.
Of course she did.
“Morning,” she said softly, moving toward the table.
“Morning.”
One word.
Flat.
Safe.
Distant.
She sat down, picking at her food without really eating. Kael watched her for a moment before speaking again.
“You didn’t eat yesterday.”
Arielle froze slightly, then forced a small shrug. “I’m eating now.”
Barely.
He pulled out the chair across from her and sat down, his gaze steady.
“That’s not eating.”
Her fingers tightened around her fork.
“Why do you care?” she asked, her voice quiet—but sharp enough to cut.
The question hung in the air.
Heavy.
Dangerous.
Kael leaned back slightly, studying her.
“Shouldn’t I?”
Arielle let out a soft, humorless laugh.
“No,” she said simply. “You shouldn’t.”
Something flickered in his eyes.
Something she didn’t want to understand.
“Right,” he replied, his tone colder now. “Because you don’t need anyone.”
“That’s not what I said.”
“It’s what you act like.”
Silence.
The tension between them stretched thin—ready to snap at any second.
Arielle placed her fork down slowly.
“You don’t know anything about me,” she said, her voice trembling just enough to betray her.
Kael’s expression hardened.
“Then let me.”
The words came out before he could stop them.
Before he could hide them.
Before he could pretend he didn’t care.
Arielle’s breath hitched.
For a moment…
She just stared at him.
Let me.
Two simple words.
But they felt too big. Too heavy. Too real.
Too dangerous.
Her walls went up instantly.
“No,” she said, standing abruptly. “You don’t get to do that.”
Kael stood too, frustration flashing across his face.
“Do what? Care?”
“Pretend,” she snapped.
The word hit harder than she expected.
His expression changed.
Not anger.
Not exactly.
Something deeper.
“You think I’m pretending?” he asked quietly.
Arielle hesitated.
Because the truth was…
She didn’t know.
And that scared her more than anything.
“I think…” she started, her voice breaking slightly, “you only notice me when it’s convenient.”
Kael let out a sharp breath, running a hand through his hair.
“That’s not fair.”
“Life isn’t fair.”
“Stop hiding behind that.”
“I’m not hiding!”
“Yes, you are!”
The room fell silent after that.
Both of them breathing a little too fast.
Standing a little too close.
Feeling a little too much.
Arielle looked away, her chest rising and falling unevenly.
“I can’t do this,” she whispered.
Kael’s voice softened, just slightly.
“Do what?”
She shook her head, stepping back.
“This… whatever this is.”
He took a step forward.
“It’s not nothing.”
Her heart clenched.
Because that was the problem.
It wasn’t nothing.
It was everything.
And she didn’t know how to handle that.
“I don’t want it to be something,” she said, even though it felt like a lie the moment it left her lips.
Kael stopped.
That one sentence…
That one sentence created a distance between them that felt impossible to cross.
“Fine,” he said after a moment, his voice colder now. Guarded.
“If that’s what you want.”
It wasn’t.
But she nodded anyway.
Because sometimes…
Choosing distance felt safer than risking everything.
⸻
Arielle turned and walked away, her steps quick, almost desperate.
She didn’t stop until she reached her room, closing the door behind her.
And then—
She broke.
Tears fell silently as she pressed her back against the door, sliding down slowly.
“Why…?” she whispered to herself.
Why did it hurt so much?
Why him?
Why now?
⸻
Downstairs, Kael stood alone.
His hands clenched at his sides.
His chest tight.
His thoughts louder than ever.
“She only notices you when it’s convenient.”
He let out a bitter laugh.
“If only she knew,” he muttered.
Because the truth was—
He noticed everything.
The way she avoided eye contact.
The way her voice softened when she was tired.
The way she looked like she was carrying a weight no one else could see.
And the way she never…
Ever…
Let him close enough to help.
Kael exhaled slowly, staring at the empty chair she left behind.
“Yeah,” he said quietly.
“Nothing.”
But even he didn’t believe that anymore.
- Writer
