Chapter Five: Shadows Beneath.
255 Words
The afternoon sun painted the café windows gold as Maya stirred her iced tea absentmindedly. Across from her, Alex was sketching in a notebook, lines flowing quickly under her pen.
“You never let me see what you’re drawing,” Maya teased.
Alex smirked but covered the page with her hand. “Some things aren’t ready to be seen.”
Maya laughed, shaking her head. “You’re so secretive. One day I’ll find out what you’re hiding.”
The words slipped out playfully, but Alex’s expression faltered for just a second before she shrugged it off. “Maybe. Or maybe mystery is all I’ve got.”
Before Maya could reply, Daniel called. She stepped outside to answer, her voice softening as she reassured him she wouldn’t be late for dinner. When she returned, Alex was watching her closely, a strange look in her eyes.
Maya frowned. “Different how?”
“More careful. Like you’re afraid to take up space.”
The observation stung because it felt true. She brushed it off, though, forcing a laugh. “That’s just Daniel. He likes things neat.”
Alex didn’t push further, but the silence that followed hummed with unspoken words.
Later that night, as Maya dressed for dinner, Jade’s voice echoed in her memory: Not everyone who shines in the beginning is meant to stay.
Maya didn’t know why the warning unsettled her so much.
“What?” Maya asked, smiling nervously.
Alex shook her head. “Nothing. Just thinking how different you are with him.”
- Writer
