I stared at the notebook in my hands, but I couldn't bring myself to open it again. The words from Liam Ethan, and even Noah were still ringing in my head. They'd confessed everything, and it felt like too much
I hated the feeling of being stuck in this whirlwind, knowing that the truth wasn't even fully out yet Julius had left behind so much, and now I was supposed to make sense of it all. I wasn't even sure where to start.
I glanced at the clock. It was late, probably past midnight. I'd been sitting here for hours, just thinking. should've been asleep, but every time I closed my eyes, I saw their faces. All three of them.
I let out a sigh and threw myself onto the bed, staring at the ceiling. It felt like my mind was racing a million miles an hout, but none of it made sense. Everything was tangled up.
The truth. The feelings. The betrayal. The confessions. It all swirled together in this giant mean that i didn't know how to untangle
My phone buzzed, pulling me out of my thoughts. I didn't even need to look at it to know who it was Noah
I stared at the screen for a second before deciding to ignore it. I wasn't ready for another conversation with him just yet. Not after everything he said. The way he looked at me when he told me he didn't have feelings for me. I wasn't sure if I was relieved or hurt by that. Maybe both
Just then, a loud knock at the door interrupted my thoughts
I groaned. Couldn't I just have one quiet night to myself?
"Hey, Alka June's voice rang out from the other side. "Open up We need to talk!"
I rolled my eyes. I swear, I couldn't get a moment's peace. But, knowing that I'd never hear the end of it if I didn't answer, I pushed myself off the bed and opened the door.
June, of course, stood there with a grin plastered on her face. Mia was behind her looking a little less enthusiastic
"Hey," I said, my voice flat. "What's up?"
"We need to talk about what happened" June said, walking into my room without waiting for an invitation. "Like, a serious talk"
Mia raised an eyebrow, clearly trying to hold back a smile. "You mean, like, a drama-filled, life-changing talk?"
"I don't know if life-changing is the word I'd use." I said, rolling my eyes. "But yeah, Sure. Why not?" June plopped down on my bed, clearly taking charge of the situation as always. "So, how are you feeling? I mean, I know that meeting was a lot. Like, a lot a lot
I sighed and sat on the edge of the bed, trying to find the right words. don't know It feels like everything's falling apart. Like, all of this-"I waved my hand around, gesturing vaguely to my room, my life, the whole situation" this is just too much. How am I supposed to handle it?"
Mia sat down next to me, her expression softeriing. It's okay to feel like that. Seriously, Alka, no one would blame you if you didn't know what to do next. it's a mess. But the thing is, you don't have to have it all figured out right now"
I glanced at bet, raising an eyebrow. "That's your idea of comforting me?"
"Hey, I'm doing my best," she said, giving a dramatic shrug. "Besides, I think you're doing better than you think. You didn't storm out of that greenhouse, did you? You stayed, even though the truth came out That's a big deal"
June nodded in agreement. "She's right. You stayed, even though everything went to hell in a handbasket. I mean, seriously. Noah, Liam, and Ethan? All in this weird love triangle? I'm just glad wasn't in your shoes"
"Why not?" I asked, feeling a bit of sarcasm slip out. "It's been hilarious, right?"
"Well, hilanpes in that 'oh-my-god-what-did-1-just-witness kind of way, June said with a laugh. "But yeah It's been a rollercoaster for sure"
Mia gave me a pointed look. "You know what? I think the boys are really beating themselves up over this. But you've got to admit, they're all still trying to make it right. They just didn't know how to handle their feelings."
"Feelings" I repeated, letting the word sink in. "I guess I can understand that. But it's not like it makes it any easier. I feel like I'm the one stuck in the middle of all this... drama. And I don't even know what i want anymore"
June leaned forward, her eyes softening. "Alka. It's okay to be confused. This isn't some fairy tale where everything falls into place in a single moment. It's messy. It's real. But it's yours. And you get to choose how you want to handle it."
I looked at her, feeling a little less alone in this moment. "You think I figure it out?"
"You will," June said firmly "You're Alka. You don't let things keep you down for long. You'll find a way Through it. Even if you don't know what comes next."
Mia smirked. "And, in the meantime, you can always throw a pillow at the boys when they get too annoying. That's how I deal with things"
I laughed a little, the sound surprising me. I hadn't realized how much I needed that.
"T'll keep that in mind," I said, finally feeling a little lighter. Maybe I didn't have all the atiswers. Maybel didri't even know what the heil I was supposed to do with my life night sow. But I didn't have to figure it out tonight
"Okay" June said, standing up and stretching "I think that's enough deep talk for tonight. Let's go get ice
cream or something"
"Yup" Mia added. "Nothing solves a complicated mess like a massive bowl of sugar"
"Alright, alright," I said, standing up. "I'm coming"
Later that night, at the ice cream shop...
The shop was practically empty, the neon lights casting a soft glow across the empty tables. We sat in the corner booth, surrounded by cups of melted ice cream and half-finished sundaes.
"So," June said, taking a spoonful of her ice cream. "What's the game plan tow, Aika?"
I stared down at my bowl. I didn't have a game plan i barely even had a clue about tomorrow. But maybe maybe that was okay.
"I don't know I said softly. "I think I need time. To think. To figure out what I want. I don't think it's something I can rush"
"You know, I think that's the best answer you could've given," Mia said, her voice serious for once. "No one expects you to have it figured out in one night. You've been through a lot. You deserve the time to decide for yourself"
"Yeah," June agreed. "And, you know If you ever need advice on how to handle a weird love square... I'm your girl. She winked.
I laughed. It felt like I hadn't laughed in days, and for a moment, i was just a normal girl with normal problems. No heavy truths hanging over me. No confessions weighing me down. For a brief second I almost felt like I could breathe again