Chapter Sixteen – Cracks in the Glass
Eliana had always thought she was good at balancing.
Balancing her scholarship, balancing Maddie's wild social calendar, balancing William's steady devotion against the thrilling chaos of Stephen.
But glass could only hold so many cracks before it shattered.
---
It started with something small.
William reached for her phone one evening while they were studying, meaning only to silence the buzzing notifications. She snatched it back too quickly, her cheeks burning.
"Sorry," she stammered, clutching it to her chest.
His eyes lingered on her face, soft but searching. "You don't need to be sorry, Eliana. Unless…there's something you don't want me to see?"
Her pulse hammered. "Of course not. It's just—private."
He gave her a small smile, but his gaze didn't quite reach his eyes. "I trust you."
It was a kind thing to say. Too kind. The kind of kindness that made her heart twist with guilt.
---
Later that night, Stephen cornered her outside the art studio. His voice was low, a little rough.
"You keep slipping away from me, Eliana. Do you know what that does to me?"
Her breath caught. He stepped closer, his hand brushing her wrist.
"I think about you all the time," he whispered. "Even when you're with him, you think about me, don't you?"
Her silence was answer enough.
Stephen leaned in, his lips grazing her ear. "One day, you'll stop running back to him. You'll stay with me."
Her knees felt weak. She hated how much she wanted to believe him.
---
The world grew heavier around her. She tried to stay focused on her studies, but her grades slipped. She missed deadlines, forgot details, stared at exam pages until the words blurred. Professors began to notice.
Maddie noticed too.
One afternoon, as they lounged in Maddie's dorm room, Eliana confessed, her voice barely above a whisper. "I feel like I'm breaking apart. I can't keep this up."
Maddie, curled elegantly on her bed, tilted her head with practiced sympathy. "Sweetheart, of course you can't. No one can serve two masters. You'll have to choose."
"I know," Eliana whispered. "But if I leave William, I'll hurt him. He doesn't deserve that. And if I leave Stephen—" Her voice caught. "—I'll hurt myself."
Maddie's smile was small, hidden. "Maybe the choice isn't yours. Maybe it'll be made for you."
Eliana blinked. "What do you mean?"
But Maddie only shrugged, her bracelets jingling softly. "Life has a way of exposing secrets."
---
The next week, William showed up at her dorm unannounced. She had just come back from meeting Stephen, her lips still tingling with his kiss.
"Eliana," William said softly, holding out a small box. "I saw this, and it reminded me of you."
Inside was a delicate necklace, a silver pendant shaped like a star.
She felt the sting of tears. He was too good. Too thoughtful.
"William…" she breathed.
He smiled, brushing her cheek with his thumb. "You don't have to say anything. Just—promise me you'll never hide from me. Whatever happens, I want the truth between us. That's all I ask."
Her heart squeezed. The truth was a burning stone lodged in her throat, choking her. She couldn't give it.
Not yet.
Maybe not ever.
---
That night, Maddie leaned against her window, watching William walk away.
Her lips curved into a cold smile.
The cracks were there, spider webbing through Eliana's perfect little balance. And Maddie knew exactly how to tap them, until the glass shattered completely.