🌙 CHAPTER 14 — She Questioned Her Own Heart
1179 Words
The next morning arrived with a softness that didn’t match the heaviness in Lia’s chest.
The sky was pale, the air cool, the campus unusually quiet — but inside her, everything felt loud. Too loud.
She sat at her desk, staring at her notebook.
Yesterday’s entry lingered like a bruise:
“Maybe the heart cracks quietly.”
She closed the notebook gently.
She didn’t want cracks.
She didn’t want confusion.
She didn’t want to feel torn.
But she did.
And pretending otherwise was becoming harder.
🌤️ A Morning That Felt Like Pretending
When she arrived at the research building, her group was already gathered. Aria waved her over with her usual bright smile.
“Lia! We’re finalizing the proposal today.”
Mateo grinned. “We need your magic again.”
Daniel looked up, his smile warm — too warm. “Good morning.”
Lia forced a smile. “Morning.”
They dove into the work — refining the model, adjusting parameters, preparing their next steps. Lia contributed, but her mind felt scattered, her focus slipping.
Daniel noticed.
“You’re quiet again,” he said softly.
“I’m fine,” she replied quickly.
But she wasn’t.
Because every time she tried to focus, her thoughts drifted back to Evan —
To his quiet distance,
To the way he stepped back last night,
To the silence that felt heavier than any words.
And she didn’t know how to fix it.
📘 A Moment That Felt Too Close
As they reviewed the proposal, Daniel leaned closer to point at her screen. His shoulder brushed hers — light, accidental, but enough to make her breath hitch.
“See this part?” he said. “Your logic here is solid. You’re improving so fast.”
Lia nodded, trying to steady her heartbeat. “Thanks.”
He didn’t move away immediately.
He lingered — just a second too long.
Aria noticed.
Mateo noticed.
Lia noticed most everything.
She shifted slightly, creating space.
Daniel blinked, as if realizing it was too late. “Sorry.”
“It’s okay,” she said quickly.
But it wasn’t okay.
Not because of him —
But because of what it stirred inside her.
🌆 A Message That Made Her Chest Tighten
After the meeting, Lia stepped outside to breathe. The air was cool, the sky overcast, the world muted.
Her phone buzzed.
Her heart jumped.
Evan: How’s your day so far?
Lia hesitated.
Lia: Busy. We’re working on the next proposal.
A pause.
Evan: Are you free later? I’d like to talk.
Her breath caught.
Talk.
The word felt heavy.
Serious.
Dangerous.
She typed slowly:
Lia: About what?
Another pause.
Evan: About yesterday. And… other things.
Her chest tightened.
She didn’t know if she was ready.
She didn’t know if she wanted to hear what he had to say.
She didn’t know if she could handle more distance.
But she typed:
Lia: Okay. After dinner?
Evan: I’ll be there.
Her heart fluttered — with fear, with hope, with something she didn’t want to name.
🌫️ An Afternoon That Felt Like Waiting
She tried to study.
She tried to focus.
She tried to breathe.
But her mind kept circling back to the same questions:
What did Evan want to talk about?
Was he upset?
Was he pulling away?
Was she the one pulling away?
She didn’t know.
And the not knowing gnawed at her.
Daniel found her in the library, sitting alone.
“Hey,” he said gently. “You disappeared after the meeting.”
“I needed quiet,” she replied.
He nodded. “You’ve been needing a lot of quiet lately.”
Lia looked down. “I’m just… overwhelmed.”
“With the workload?” he asked.
“With everything.”
Daniel hesitated — then sat beside her.
“You don’t have to explain,” he said softly. “Just know I’m here.”
Her chest tightened.
Because he meant it.
Because he cared.
Because he was offering something she wasn’t sure she could accept.
“Thank you,” she whispered.
But she didn’t say more.
And Daniel didn’t push.
But the silence between them felt heavy — full of things neither of them dared to name.
🌙 A Conversation She Wasn’t Ready For
After dinner, Lia walked to the quiet garden behind the library — the place Evan once said was his favorite.
He was already there.
Hands in his pockets.
Expression unreadable.
Eyes searching her face the moment she arrived.
“Hi,” he said softly.
“Hi.”
He exhaled slowly. “I wanted to talk because… something feels different.”
Lia’s heart pounded. “Different?”
“You’ve been distant,” he said. “Quieter. Harder to read.”
She swallowed. “I’m just tired.”
“I know,” he said. “But it’s more than that.”
She looked away. “I don’t know what you want me to say.”
“I don’t want you to say anything,” he replied. “I just… want to understand.”
Her throat tightened.
“I don’t understand myself right now,” she whispered.
Evan stepped closer — not too close, but close enough that she felt the warmth of him.
“Lia,” he said gently, “you don’t have to figure everything out alone.”
Her breath trembled.
“I’m not trying to,” she said. “I just… don’t want to hurt anyone.”
His expression shifted — softening, deepening.
“Are you talking about Daniel?” he asked quietly.
Lia froze.
She didn’t answer.
She didn’t need to.
Evan looked down, exhaling slowly. “I see.”
Her chest ached. “Evan…”
He shook his head gently. “It’s okay. I’m not angry.”
But his voice wasn’t steady.
It wasn’t neutral.
It wasn’t distant.
It was hurting.
And that hurt her too.
“I just want you to be honest with yourself,” he said softly. “And with me.”
Lia swallowed hard. “I’m trying.”
“I know,” he whispered.
They stood there in silence —
Not close enough to touch,
Not far enough to forget,
Caught in a space, neither of them knew how to navigate.
🌌 A Moment She Would Carry With Her
When they finally parted, Evan didn’t walk her back.
He didn’t offer.
She didn’t ask.
The distance between them felt real now —
not imagined,
not subtle,
not quiet.
Real.
And it scared her.
📓 A Truth She Could No Longer Avoid
Back in her room, Lia opened her notebook and wrote:
“Day 47. Today, I realized something painful.
Distance doesn’t always come from anger.
Sometimes it comes from fear.”
She paused, then added:
“And sometimes…
it comes from the heart wanting two different things.”
She closed the notebook gently.
Tomorrow, she will face new challenges.
Tomorrow, she will keep learning.
Tomorrow, she will keep growing.
But tonight, she allowed herself to feel the truth she had been avoiding:
She was standing at a crossroads.
And no matter which path she chose, something would change.
- Writer
