Elijah was tired.
Not the kind of tired that sleep could fix, but the kind that clawed at his chest, heavy and relentless. He worked the late shift after school, tutoring two extra kids for scraps, and still had to show up for class like he wasn't unraveling from the inside.
His phone buzzed.
Brielle: Are you okay? You didn't show up for Chem.
He stared at the message longer than he should have, thumb hovering over the screen.
He typed: Sorry. Got caught up with work.
Then deleted it.
He typed: I'm fine.
Then deleted that too.
Eventually, he locked the phone and shoved it into his pocket.
Because the truth? He didn't have the energy to explain. Not to her. Not when being around her felt like standing too close to a fire he wasn't allowed to touch.
Brielle knew something was off.
Elijah had barely spoken to her during their last tutoring session. He'd walked past her in the hall today like they were strangers again.
And now he wasn't answering.
Worse, Zane was back, looming like a shadow she couldn't outrun.
He'd cornered her after school, his voice low and too familiar. "So, you and that quiet freak are a thing now?"
"Go away, Zane."
He only smirked, stepping closer. "Funny. You weren't saying that a few months ago."
She shoved past him, but the weight of his words clung to her like smoke. He wasn't done, not even close.
And that scared her more than she'd admit.
At home, Elijah collapsed into the worn couch.
Grace curled beside him, flipping through a magazine. "You're quieter than usual," she said softly.
He didn't answer.
She watched him for a beat. "Is this about the girl?"
Elijah blinked. "What?"
"The one who makes your voice change when you talk about her. The one you pretend doesn't matter."
He gave a humorless chuckle. "It's complicated."
"You're allowed to like someone and still be scared," she said. "But you're not allowed to hurt them because you're tired."
That hit deeper than she knew.
The next day, Brielle found Elijah alone at the back of the library.
She dropped her bag and crossed her arms. "You ghosting me now?"
He looked up, eyes tired. "I'm just… dealing with stuff."
"Right. Classic 'push everyone away when things get hard' move."
"Brielle..."
"Don't." Her voice cracked. "I'm already dealing with Zane's manipulative crap, and I don't need you treating me like I'm a mistake you regret."
Elijah flinched.
Then quietly said, "You're not a mistake."
"Then stop acting like I'm something you need to escape from."
He looked away.
And she realized then, he wasn't just tired. He was drowning.
But he didn't know how to reach for her.
Why do the people we try to protect… end up hurting the most when we push them away?