Kelly POV
The soft evening breeze touched my face as I walked home from guitar class, my bag hanging loosely from my shoulder.
For the first time in days, my mind felt… quieter.
Not healed.
Just quieter.
Maybe music really did have the power to silence pain, even if only for a little while.
I unlocked my phone absentmindedly while walking and smiled slightly seeing Max's name still at the top of my chat list.
Why was it always him?
No matter how hard I tried to distract myself… my heart always returned to him.
I opened our chat again.
No new messages.
A small disappointment settled inside me.
I hated how much his attention affected my mood.
One text from him could make my entire day better.
And one dry reply could ruin it completely.
Pathetic.
I sighed softly and locked my phone again.
The sky above me was turning darker now, streetlights slowly glowing one by one.
And somehow… loneliness felt heavier at night.
That night, I was lying on my bed scrolling through old messages when suddenly—
ting.
Max: "What are you doing?"
A stupid smile instantly appeared on my face.
"Nothing much. You?"
"Thinking."
"About?"
There was a small pause before he replied.
"Life maybe."
I stared at the message for a few seconds.
Sometimes he talked like someone deeply broken.
And maybe that was exactly why I felt connected to him.
Broken people understand broken people too easily.
"What happened now?" I typed slowly.
"She's confusing me again."
Of course.
Kate.
Why did her name always feel like a sharp blade sliding into my chest?
Even after everything… his world still revolved around her.
I wanted to get angry.
Wanted to scream.
Wanted to ask, "Then why are you talking to me?"
But instead—
"What did she do?"
"She's acting normal again."
That reply alone was enough to make my heart sink.
Because deep down…
I already knew the truth.
No matter how much he smiled while talking to me…
No matter how much attention he gave me…
A part of him still belonged to her.
And maybe it always would.
I stared at the ceiling silently.
Then typed the same thing I always did.
"Don't overthink too much."
Even though I was the one slowly drowning in overthinking myself.
He replied almost instantly.
"You always say that."
I smiled weakly at the screen.
Because what else was I supposed to say?
I couldn't tell him the truth.
That every time he mentioned her, it felt like someone was slowly crushing my heart with bare hands.
That I stayed awake at night comparing myself to a girl I had never even met properly.
That I hated how one single text from her could change his entire mood.
Instead, I kept pretending to be understanding.
The "mature" girl.
The "best friend."
The girl who stayed silent.
My fingers hovered over the keyboard before I finally typed—
"Did you guys talk today?"
"Yeah."
My chest tightened.
"What about?"
"She asked if I was upset."
"And?"
"I said no."
I stared at the message for a while.
Then suddenly, another one appeared.
"She understands me better than most people."
Something inside me shattered quietly.
I don't know why that line hurt so much.
Maybe because all this time, I had been trying so hard to understand him too.
Trying to stay patient.
Trying to stay calm.
Trying to become someone he could rely on.
But no matter what I did…
there was always another girl somewhere in his heart.
I switched off my phone and threw it beside me.
The room suddenly felt suffocating.
My eyes burned as tears slowly rolled down my cheeks.
"Why am I never enough for anyone…?" I whispered to myself.
First my friends.
Then my ex.
And now him too.
Maybe love was never meant for me.
Maybe I was only meant to be temporary in people's lives.
Someone they talk to when they feel lonely.
Someone they leave once they feel better.
I buried my face into my pillow, trying to stop crying quietly so my parents wouldn't hear me.
But the pain inside my chest refused to calm down.
And the worst part?
Even after all this…
I still waited for his notifications.
Like an idiot.
A few minutes later, my phone vibrated again.
Max: "You there?"
I wiped my tears quickly before replying.
"Yeah."
"You got quiet."
"Just tired."
There was another pause.
Then suddenly—
"You won't leave me, right?"
My breath got stuck for a second.
How funny.
The boy who was slowly breaking me…
was scared of being abandoned too.
To be continue...