Divine paced back and forth under the shade of a tree, clutching his phone tightly. His heart raced. He stared at the screen for a long second before tapping on Ariel's contact and hitting the call button.
The line rang twice before Ariel picked up, her voice calm.
"Hello?"
"Hey, Ariel. Um… can I see you Saturday evening? Just for a few minutes. It's important."
There was a pause on her end.
"I'm sorry, Divine. I already have plans with David that afternoon. I don't think I'll be free."
"Please," Divine said, his voice low, almost pleading. "It won't take long. I promise. Just… ten minutes."
Ariel sighed. "Why? What is this about?"
"I can't explain over the phone. You have to hear it for yourself."
He sounded serious — too serious. Ariel hesitated before letting out a soft breath.
"Fine. Just a few minutes."
"Thank you," Divine said, relief washing over his face. "I'll send you the place and time."
---
That same evening, Favour was curled up beside Samuel in his room, their shoulders touching as they watched a romantic comedy on his phone. They laughed at the silly scenes, and Favour felt lighter than she had in weeks.
Suddenly, Samuel turned to her.
"How are things with Ariel now?" he asked gently. "You mentioned that you guys weren't really talking."
Favour's smile faded slightly. She looked down at her fingers.
"We're… okay. We talk, but not like before. There's still tension," she admitted. "I guess it's still awkward after everything I said."
Samuel nodded thoughtfully. "Maybe it's time you two had a real conversation. Sit her down. Clear the air. You're both too important to each other to let something like this linger."
Favour leaned her head on his shoulder. "You're right. I'll talk to her tonight."
---
When Favour got back to their room, Ariel wasn't home yet. She paced a bit, going over what she would say. Minutes later, the door creaked open and Ariel walked in, smiling faintly as she set her bag down.
"Hey," Favour said quietly. "Can we talk?"
Ariel paused, then nodded. "Yeah. Sure."
They both sat on their beds, facing each other.
"I'm really sorry," Favour began, her voice soft. "For jumping to conclusions about David. I heard what I heard… but maybe I should've asked you first instead of assuming and pushing it on you."
Ariel looked at her for a moment, then sighed. "I shouldn't have gotten so defensive either. I was scared. I didn't want to believe it… and I took it out on you."
Favour smiled faintly. "So… we're okay?"
Ariel stood and walked over to hug her. "We're okay."
As they sat back down, Ariel's face lit up slightly. "You know… David has really changed. He's been trying. We even have a date on tomorrow. He's been calling, texting, and spending time with me again. I feel like I have him back."
Favour smiled. "I'm really glad to hear that. You deserve to be happy."
Ariel tilted her head. "What about you and Samuel?"
Favour blushed, looking away. "We're… not dating. Not yet. But things have gotten better. He's still figuring things out, but I'm happy just being close to him right now."
Ariel grinned. "Look at us. Maybe we're finally getting our love stories."
---
Saturday Afternoon
The cinema was cozy, with dim lights and the scent of popcorn hanging in the air. Ariel and David sat in the back row, sharing a drink and laughing at the cheesy movie. Throughout the film, David never once touched his phone — his eyes stayed on her, his hand gently holding hers.
After the movie, they took a long walk under the soft glow of the setting sun.
"That movie was so dumb," Ariel giggled.
David chuckled. "But you laughed the most."
"Because it was so bad, it was good!"
David stopped and turned to her, brushing a strand of hair from her face. "I missed this."
Ariel smiled, her chest warm. "Me too."
He glanced at his watch. "I should head back. I need to work on my project before it gets too late."
"Alright," Ariel said, trying not to look disappointed. "Thanks for today."
He kissed her forehead. "Anytime."
---
Saturday Evening
Ariel arrived at the small park Divine had chosen. The golden hour sun painted the sky in orange and pink as she spotted him sitting alone on a bench, his posture tense.
She walked over slowly. "Hey."
Divine stood as she approached. "Thanks for coming."
"This better be important," Ariel said, folding her arms. "I had a really nice day. I don't want anything ruining it."
Divine nodded slowly. "I get it. I just… need you to listen."
Ariel sighed and sat. "Alright. I'm listening."
He sat beside her, pulling out his phone. His hands trembled as he scrolled.
"How much do you trust me?" he asked quietly.
Ariel raised a brow. "Honestly? Not a lot."
Divine gave a tight nod. "That's fair. But… just this once, I need you to. Please."
She looked at his face — how serious his eyes were, how uncertain he seemed — and gave a slow, cautious nod. "Okay."
Divine opened the audio file and hit play.
At first, it was muffled, then the voices became clearer. Ariel immediately recognized David's voice… and Joy's.
> "I told you, Joy. I love Ariel. I'm not leaving her."
> "After everything you said to me? All the time we spent together?"
> "It was just… fun. You knew that."
Ariel froze.
> "You told me you were tired of her!"
> "I made a mistake."
> "You ignored her for weeks! You said you'd leave her for me."
Her hands slowly covered her mouth.
> "Just meet me in my room tomorrow night. We'll talk."
The audio ended.
Silence.
Ariel sat frozen, her body stiff, her eyes wide