Chapter 57: The Apology That Didn't Heal
"Aria, just leave. I don't really have the energy for..."
He didn't get to finish the sentence.
Aria had already turned away.
Her fingers trembled as she unlocked her phone, her movements mechanical, like her body was acting before her mind could catch up. She walked past him, past the pills scattered on the floor, past the version of him she no longer recognized.
By the time Liam realized she wasn't arguing back wasn't crying, wasn't begging she was already at the door.
"Aria, wait"
She didn't look back.
The hallway felt longer than usual, each step heavier than the last. Her chest burned, but no tears came. She called a cab with shaking hands, barely registering the confirmation before stepping outside.
Liam followed her out, barefoot, calling her name like it still held power.
"Aria!"
The cab pulled up just as she reached the curb. She opened the door and slid inside without hesitation.
"Aria, please!" Liam shouted, running forward.
The door closed.
The engine started.
The cab drove off.
Liam stood there, breathless, watching the taillights disappear into the night.
Inside the car, Aria stared straight ahead. Her reflection in the window looked unfamiliar eyes hollow, lips pressed tightly together like she was holding something back.
Her phone vibrated.
Once.
Twice.
She didn't check.
Instead, she switched it off completely.
When she got back to her apartment, the silence hit her harder than the argument ever had.
She stepped inside, kicked the door shut behind her, and dropped her bag. It hit the floor with a dull sound, spilling its contents lip balm, notebook, charger but she didn't bend to pick any of it up.
She just stood there.
Her body felt heavy. Her thoughts were tangled. She wanted to cry, but the tears refused to come, like even her emotions were confused.
She walked to her room slowly and fell onto the bed without changing her clothes, staring at the ceiling until her eyes burned.
Sleep took her before she could think too much.
Morning came quietly.
Too quietly.
Sunlight filtered through the curtains, landing softly on her face. Aria opened her eyes and lay there for a moment, disoriented. For a split second, she forgot everything.
Then it all rushed back.
The pills.
The phone screen.
The word.
The way he told her to leave.
She reached for her phone and turned it on.
No missed calls.
No messages.
Her chest tightened.
She checked again, just in case.
Nothing.
Not from Liam.
She swallowed hard and put the phone down.
The weekend stretched endlessly before her. No plans. No classes. No distractions that worked.
She stayed in her room, trying to fill the hours. She cleaned. She rearranged her closet. She scrolled through old photos she shouldn't have looked at. She tried listening to music but turned it off after every song reminded her of something she didn't want to remember.
She picked up her books and tried to study, but the words blurred together. Her focus slipped away every time her mind wandered back to him.
By Sunday morning, she was exhausted.
It was her birthday.
She woke up to the soft buzz of her phone and a message from her mom.
Happy birthday, my love. May this year be kinder to you than the last. I'm so proud of you.
Aria stared at the screen for a long time.
She replied with a simple Thank you, Mom and put the phone down.
No message from Liam.
Not even a late one.
She forced herself out of bed, took a shower, and ate breakfast slowly, barely tasting the food. She told herself it was just another day. That birthdays stopped mattering when life got complicated.
She sat at her desk later and opened her books again, determined to catch up. She was falling behind, and she knew it. This was one thing she couldn't afford to lose.
Hours passed.
At some point, her head dropped onto the open pages, and she fell asleep.
When she woke up, the room was dim.
Her phone lit up.
A message.
From Liam.
Her heart reacted before her mind did.
I'm sorry for what happened.
She read it once.
Then again.
Another message followed almost immediately.
I wasn't myself last night. You know how things have been for me lately.
Then another.
I've been under a lot of pressure. I didn't mean to snap at you. I just felt overwhelmed.
Her fingers hovered over the screen.
Another message appeared.
You know I care about you, Aria. I just don't always know how to handle everything. I'm trying.
She felt her chest tighten.
Another.
I hate that I hurt you. You know I've changed. I'm not perfect, but I'm trying to be better for us.
She exhaled slowly.
Her mind began to do what it always did soften the sharp edges of the truth.
Maybe he really was sick.
Maybe I overreacted.
Maybe I should've stayed.
She stared at the screen, rereading the messages until they blurred into one long apology that felt almost comforting.
She didn't notice the way none of the messages explained the phone call.
Or the pills.
Or the name on the screen.
Justifications wrapped themselves around her doubts like a blanket.
I could've cared more, she thought.
I could've been more patient.
A quiet guilt settled in her chest.
It's kind of my fault, she admitted to herself.
She didn't realize it yet, but she was losing herself slowly, carefully, one excuse at a time.
Her phone buzzed again.
Can we talk later? I don't want to lose you.
Her heart softened.
She didn't reply, but she felt it felt like she had already forgiven him.
She set the phone down and reached for her book again, trying to return to what she'd been doing.
That was when the doorbell rang.
Aria froze.
She looked toward the door, her pulse quickening.
The bell rang again.