~~Elena~~
Kat doesn't knock before entering.
The moment she sees me sitting on the couch, still in yesterday's clothes, my eyes puffy, she drops her bag and rushes to me.
"Oh, Elena…"
She pulls me into a hug, and I hug her back. I let myself fold into her. My eyes aren't teary anymore — just swollen from crying last night. It feels like I've run out of tears.
"How are you feeling?" she asks as we pull away. Her hands cup my cheeks gently, and she doesn't need an answer to know I'm not okay.
Ethan tried calling me so many times last night. I blocked him. I don't want to hear whatever dumb explanation he has prepared. There's no going back.
"He's an idiot. A walking, breathing idiot for what he did." Kat mutters.
"I don't even know what to say to my mum and Nana," I murmur.
She pulls me into another embrace. "Tell them when you're ready. I'm sure that they are going to understand."
We stay like that for a while, quietly wrapped in each other's arms as she gently pets my head.
We've been childhood friends. Known each other most of our lives. Even though I didn't grow up with the same kind of money Kat did, her parents have always adored me.
I'm usually the strong one — the one doing the comforting.
Now I'm the one being held together.
She finally breaks the silence.
"That's why I keep telling you to go for the hot guys. At least they're worth the heartbreak."
A small laugh escapes me. Kat has never liked Ethan, but I was too blinded by love to listen to her. Eventually, she tolerated him for my sake.
And then, without meaning to, my mind drifts to the guy who showed up at my office uninvited.
For a pretty girl like yourself, I've got to admit, you have very poor taste in men.
I shake the thought away immediately.
I pull out of Kat's hug and sit up straighter. "I'll let you pick the next guy I date. Clearly your taste is better than mine."
She grins. "Oh, absolutely. I promise you won't be disappointed. There's actually this guy at my workplace—"
"Hey," I cut in quickly, standing up. "I'm not ready for that yet. I just got my heart broken."
She rolls her eyes dramatically. "That's exactly why you should meet someone new. Not to marry. Not to fall in love. Just to remind yourself that the world doesn't end because one idiot couldn't keep it in his pants. Sometimes moving on helps you heal quicker than sitting around replaying the hurt."
I hesitate.
She softens. "I'm not saying replace him. I'm saying don't let him be the last chapter."
"I didn't know my heartbreak would turn you into a relationship advisor."
My words are followed by her dramatic scoff.
"You'd be surprised how much advice I can give," she says, flipping her hair over her shoulder. "And girl, you need a shower. You look horrible."
She gets up and starts heading toward the kitchen. "In the meantime, I'm going to make you something to eat."
That's enough to make me spin around. She bursts out laughing because she knows exactly why.
"Let's just hope you don't burn the whole place down," I mutter.
She narrows her eyes at me. "Excuse me? I'll have you know I once made toast without setting off the fire alarm. Growth, Elena. Growth."
A small smile tugs at my lips despite everything.
~~~
After a long shower, I change into comfortable clothes — oversized hoodie and soft shorts. My reflection still looks tired, but at least I don't look like I crawled out of heartbreak's grave anymore.
When I walk into the kitchen, I immediately regret leaving Kat unsupervised.
The counter is a disaster. There's a phone propped up against a spice jar, a recipe pulled up on the screen. Half-chopped vegetables. An open packet of ramen noodles. Something suspiciously splattered near the stove.
"What happened here?" I ask carefully.
She points at the pot. "The internet said it was easy."
The broth looks… questionable.
"I was trying to elevate it," she defends. "You know, gourmet heartbreak noodles."
I step beside her. "I don't know if there's saving this. Move."
She happily does. "You see? This is why we balance each other. You cook. I give emotional support."
Within minutes, I salvage what I can. It's not perfect, but it looks and smells edible.
I serve two bowls and hand one to her. We carry them to the living room and sink into the couch.
I grab the remote and flip through channels until I land on the morning news. The soft murmur of the anchor fills the room.
Kat slurps her noodles. "Fuck! This is delicious."
I lean back against the couch, my bowl warming my hands.
We're halfway through our noodles when the news anchor's tone shifts.
The screen changes to a flashing headline.
BREAKING NEWS.
"A body believed to belong to Senator Hugo Silver was discovered early this morning…"
Kat pauses mid-slurp. "Wait, what?"
I barely hear her.
The reporter continues, her voice steady but grave. "Authorities say the remains were found in an abandoned warehouse on the outskirts of the city. The body was severely mutilated and almost unrecognizable. Investigators confirmed that a corrosive substance, believed to be acid, had been poured over the victim…"
My bowl slips slightly in my hands.
Acid.
My heart drops so fast it feels like it leaves my body. My fingers go cold.
That's exactly what he told me.
Kat gasps softly. "That's sick. What kind of monster does that?"
The small, desperate part of me that hoped he was lying — that maybe he was delusional, high on drugs or maybe unstable — shatters completely.
He did it. And to top it all of, he had threatened to kill my family if I breathed a word about it.
My pulse begins to pound in my ears.
Maybe I should leave the state.
Maybe leave the country.
How do you continue living normally knowing you've had a conversation with a murderer who is still walking free?
Kat nudges me lightly. "Elena? You okay? You look pale."
I force myself to blink. To breathe.
"Yeah," I lie quietly. "Just… didn't expect something like that this early in the morning."
The reporter continues talking about investigations, about suspects, about no arrests made yet.