College Parking Lot – After Class
The sky is bruised with shades of orange and gray, the last pieces of sunlight slipping behind the campus buildings. The air is cool, the kind that makes loneliness feel sharper.
Aira lifts her phone to her ear, voice soft, careful."Yes, I'm fine… I'm heading home… mhm… yeah, love you too…"
Her steps are slow, deliberate, like each one is part of a performance.She lowers the phone. Ends the call.But there's no one on the other side.
The screen is black.It always is.
Across the lot, Alec leans against his car, arms folded, backpack tossed carelessly on the hood. He wasn't supposed to be there—football practice was canceled last minute.
He saw her earlier in the hallway, head bowed, smile too stiff.Now he watches as she crosses the lot, her lips curved upward, but her shoulders… trembling, as if she's holding herself together with threads that could snap any second.
Alec Approaches Her
"Aira."
The sound of his voice makes her freeze mid-step.She turns slowly, that same fake smile stretched across her face like a mask she can't take off.
"Alec… hey. Didn't expect to see you."
Her tone is light, but her eyes flicker like a candle in the wind.
"You okay?" His words are quiet, steady. Not demanding. Just… seeing her.
For a second, her voice cracks—so faint it's almost missed.But then, she covers it with a soft laugh, fragile.
"Of course. You don't have to worry about me. I'm used to this kind of stuff."
She says it too quickly. Too rehearsed.Before he can answer, she turns, walking away.
Her figure grows smaller against the fading daylight.
Alec Watches Her Go
He doesn't call out again. His chest is heavy with the words he doesn't say.
But he sees it.The way her fingers brush against her wrists—hesitant, almost protective.The redness puffing around her eyes, no makeup strong enough to hide it.The silence between her sentences, louder than her words.
He knows what it means when someone pretends.
"I'm used to this kind of stuff."
Those words won't leave him. They echo, haunting, as her footsteps fade.
Alec's POV – Later That Night
The room is dark, lit only by the glow of his phone.His thumb scrolls through old photos—Liam, Aira, their families gathered at some summer picnic. Aira in the center, eyes glowing, smile wide, laughter caught mid-frame.
She looked alive.She looked happy.She looked like sunlight.
And now?
Now, when he sees her… she looks like a ghost wearing the shell of that girl.
He locks the screen. Sets the phone down, face-down.The silence presses in.
His chest tightens, and before he can stop himself, he whispers:"She's not okay. And I'm not going to pretend I don't see it."
The words linger in the air, heavy with promise.